USC Trojans 2012 Preview

There is not much we can say other than the Trojans are built to make a run this season. The window is open right now, but it likely will not be as open next season, with Barkley and many others likely leaving after this season. The team is loaded in many spots right now, and it would be a major letdown if the Trojans are not cruising throught the South standings this season. A trip to the conference title game should be a lock, and a BCS or title birth should be as well. USC is ready for one major year this season. READ MORE

Texas-El Paso Miners 2012 Preview

The Miners could be in for a tough run in 2012. There are far too many issues on offense, such as a lacking passing game and a rebuilt offense overall. The defense was extremely weak last season, and with the pieces available, I don't see anything getting much better. It will be asking too much to see UTEP rise from the bottom of the conference to take anything of any meaning. Mike Price should be on the chopping block, and all we have to decide is whether he starts on the hot seat, or he gets an automatic splash down in the Dead Pool. READ MORE

Utah Utes 2012 Preview

There are big questions for the Utes in 2012, but also big potential rewards if those questions are answered. It all starts with the health of Jordan Wynn at QB, and then moves onto the new faces on the line. On defense, the Utes must find answers at LB. If those issues are taken care of early, Utah has an easy schedule for the most part, and could make a move for second in the PAC-12 South. They do not, however, have the weapons to contend with USC or Oregon for conference supremacy. If Wynn is not healthy, the Utes may have trouble matching their 8 win total from a year ago. That being said, I never count out Kyle Whittingham, as he is one of the most underrated coaches in America today. READ MORE

Utah State Aggies 2012 Preview

The Aggies, despite some holes here and there, and questions around the bend, still should lock down a run at the WAC title with Louisiana Tech this fall. Gary Anderson has finally started putting it all together, and the Aggies are playing their best football in years. There is enough talent coming back to cover for the holes that need to be filled, so nobody should worry about that so much. I see a great opportunity for 8 wins solid, and maybe even 9. READ MORE

Connecticut Huskies 2012 Preview

Other than the run game, the Husky offense is an absolute mess. I do not believe that McEntee will step up and be the QB that he needs to be to take the Huskies to the next level, and I still do not believe that Paul Pasqualoni was the best choice to run this program. There were other great choices in the region to come in and coach this program, and this was a choice of laziness and misdirection. UConn will not be in a mindset to run after a wide open Big East title this season, as they just do not have the talent on the offensive side of the football to do so. The defense should be solid as it always is. READ MORE

Colorado State Rams 2012 Preview

Jim McElwaine is now on board as head coach of the Rams, and while he finds a serviceable defense to work with, the offense and kicking game must be worked over. Pete Thomas was supposed to be a star QB coming out of high school, and was supposed to be a steal for the Rams, but he has not panned out as of yet, and luckily, McElwain is an offensive coach. Thomas has to step up and be the man this season, but the line must be rebuilt as well. With the offense in a state of construction, I don't see much room for advancement in the Mountain West ranks for the Rams this season. They are easily a year or so away. READ MORE

Colorado Buffaloes 2012 Preview

The Buffaloes are still tryng to rebuild from the ashes that were the Dan Hawkins years, and still have a long way to go during this process. There are only 10 total starters returning on both sides of the ball combined, not counting kickers, where both return. Despite the turnover, Jon Embree is still going to need more time to put this together, and still has to prove that he is even the right guy for the job. I see very little room for advancement in the Pac-12 South this season with what I see on paper. READ MORE

Clemson Tigers 2012 Preview

There is more than enough talent on hand for the Tigers to take another division crown and win the ACC once again. That being said, they cannot get too full of themselves and start playing on reputation alone. Dabo Swinney is probably on more of a hot seat now than he has ever been, because expectations will be so high from the fan base, that they will never let him get away with falling short. I look for Clemson to make a strong run at another ACC crown this fall, and a top 10 finish is not out of the question. READ MORE

Cincinnati Bearcats 2012 Preview

The Bearcats have some serious issues all over the field on both sides of the football. While it is not a complete rebuilding year, it's pretty close to one. Even though the Big East is wide open without West Virginia. I still don't see the Bearcats making a play for the league crown. The schedule is easy enough, and nearly shameful with two FCS opponents in Fordham and Delaware State, but that won't be enough to overcome. READ MORE

Central Michigan 2012 Preview

One thing we have to remember before I rip into CMU is that they were a young football team last fall. Young football teams often struggle badly, and this team was no different than any other in that respect. That being said, the wheels have fallen off of the wagon ever since the dynasty of Brian Kelly and Butch Jones parted ways, and things have not looked nearly the same since they all went away. That falls on head coach Dan Enos. I would be more patient if this were Buffalo or even Eastern Michigan, but it's not, and Enos was left with a recipe for success that he either did not follow, or had difficulty following. Whatever the reason, he'll be squarely on our hot seat to turn this thing around in 2012. READ MORE

California 2012 Preview

Let me be the first to tell you that the window on Cal football has closed. The Bears had the better part of the last 6 seasons to overthrow the powers that be. They had the talent, they had the ability, and they had the momentum. Cal dominance of the PAC-12 never took hold, and they failed to capitalize on an opportunity that will not likely show itself again for some time. They had even been building a stellar recruiting class this off-season, only to see it fall apart when their lead recruiter bolted for Washington. The Bears now have to be left wondering as to what happened, and nobody should be feeling the heat like Jeff Tedford, who has never taken the Bears to the next level. READ MORE

Virginia Tech 2012 Preview

Frank Beamer has been in charge of this program for so long now that I hardly remember a time when he wasn't. It seems as if Beamer virtually gave birth to this program. Expect him to be around a while longer, as the Hokies won 11 games under his guidance last fall, and he is showing no signs of slowing down, with his 2012 edition looking to push what was accomplished in 2011. READ MORE

Virginia 2012 Preview

Virginia came a long way last season after years of struggles had out them into the bottom half of the ACC. Mike London has done a remarkable job in two seasons, and will really try to push forward this season. The focus has to be on the offense, which is still considerably behind a very solid defense, but in a wide open ACC race this season, the Cavaliers have just as much of a chance to do some damage as anyone. READ MORE

Vanderbilt 2012 Preview

James Franklin has a good hold on how to make the Commodores into a successful SEC program, but how do you measure success at an SEC school that has a long tradition of losing, and of being a doormat in the most powerful conference in college football? Is it winning 6 or 7 games per season and heading to a lower tier bowl, or is there something more? Based on the way Franklin has attacked this job, I see more happening, and Vandy could be on the cusp of a new era of success in the SEC. READ MORE

Buffalo 2012 Preview

Jeff Quinn has not been able to sustain any of the success that his predecessor, Turner Gill, was able to manage in his 4 year stay at UB. Quinn is just 5-19 in his two seasons as head coach, but with 6 starters returning on offense, including 4 of 5 on the line, and 7 coming back on defense, UB will have to start showing some progress in 2012, especially given the fact that the MAC East should be wide open this fall. READ MORE

Bowling Green 2012 Preview

The Falcons have not exactly been celebrating a ton of success for the last several years. In the early part of last decade, Bowling Green looked like they were establishing themselves as a rising power in the MAC, but then the wheels fell off of the wagon with the departure of Urban Meyer for Utah. The Falcons have not sniffed that success since then, and the pressure is starting to build to turn the corner and at least get back to competing for bowl spots. It is for that reason that I will be placing head coach Dave Clawson on the hot seat to start the season. READ MORE

Boston College 2012 Preview

I am not going to sugarcoat this in any way, but BC was an absolute mess last season, and the offense was especially at the root of all evil in 2011. To me, Frank Spaziani was a sure thing to be fired after last fall, and was an automatic in our coaching Dead Pool, but somehow, someway, he got a hold of a life vest and pulled himself out of the water. Let it be known, that he is still firmly in the pool, even with the blasted vest. Spaziani is a great guy. This is nothing personal. He is just in way over his head here, and it is just a matter of time before he sinks. READ MORE

Boise State 2012 Preview

Chris Petersen is one of the top 3 coaches in college football, along with Nick Saban and Les Miles. To do what Petersen has done at Boise State is absolutely insane considering that first of all, you have to get today's attention lacking kids to want to go to a town like Boise, which is hardly a bustling market of metropolis, nor is it a place with a decades deep history of championship football. What Petersen does, is he gets the kids that fall through the cracks, go unnoticed, and have chips on their shoulders. They want to win, and so they do, against most odds. This season, Petersen will have to dig deep, as the losses to graduation cut deep. READ MORE

Baylor 2012 Preview

Baylor football had one of the best seasons in their history last fall, but 2012 is going to be a season of rebuilding and rebirth, as the RG3 era has officially come to a close. Art Briles seems to have a solid touch in getting his teams to play well above their means, and one would think that last season had to be a boon to their recruiting. With the new era beginning, will the Bears be able to sustain recent success? READ MORE

Ball State 2012 Preview

Pete Lembo came on board after the Stan Parrish debacle nearly relegated Ball State football to the stone age. Lembo had serious success at Liberty and Lehigh, and seems to be a solid fit in Muncie, as he won 6 games in his first season, after the Cardinals had drfited to the bottom of the MAC. Lembo has some solid pieces in 2012, so it is possible that an improvement and a bowl game may not be out of the picture. READ MORE

BYU 2012 Preview

The Cougars enjoyed a 10 win season in their first year as an Independent, and so can claim success in their new venture. Bronco Mendenhall showed signs of moving the program forward in a new era, and the Cougars are showing signs of improving yet again. With several solid returnees in the fold, there is no reason to think that the Cougars couldn't be a top 25 program this fall, and start to reclaim their place in the pantheon of college football dominance. READ MORE

Wake Forest 2012 Preview

Just a few years ago, Jim Grobe won an ACC title, and took the Deacons to an Orange Bowl appearance. Since then, it's all been downhill for Wake Forest, and Jim Grobe, despite a minor bowl appearance last season, will have to start 2012 on our hot seat. Winning is everything in college football, and with the ever changing landscape of the ACC, it's not getting any easier to win. It's either take this seriously now, or be relegated to bottom feeder of this conference for some time to come. Grobe must answer the call in 2012. READ MORE

Washington 2012 Preview

The Huskies were happy to be attending another bowl game in 2011, but the Alamo Bowl appearance turned into a house of horrors against Baylor, as the defense gave up 67 points despite the offense putting up 56. Wholesale changes were made on the defensive side of the football in the coaching ranks, and improvements must be made. The offense on the other hand, appears headed in the right direction with Keith Price at QB. Is this the year that the Huskies take one more step forward under Steve Sarkisian and push past Stanford to challenge Oregon in the North? READ MORE

Washington State 2012 Preview

Paul Wulff was given every opportunity to turn the ship around in Pullman during his 4 year stay, but eventually, the losing all became too much, even though he was well liked by the administration. There were some at the school that were really pushing for a 5th season to give him one more shot. It was not to be, and now the Cougars have gone big with the hiring of controversial Mike Leach. This was a huge and bold move for the Cougars, who are finally showing a commitment to their program after years as flailing as an also ran in this conference. We may not see the results immediately, but give Leach a little time, and WSU will be threatening some power players in the Pac-12. READ MORE

West Virginia 2012 Preview

The Mountaineers have gotten their wish and are now free of the Big East, but the Big 12 is deeper and more dangerous than the Big East ever could be. Dana Holgorson has experience here, having come from Oklahoma State, so nothing the conference has to throw at WVU should come as a surprise. The Mountaineers are loaded with talent, and competing for a title in season one should not be much of a shock to anyone. READ MORE

Western Kentucky 2012 Preview

Western Kentucky went from being a feel good story last fall to being a feel bad stroy come bowl season when the bowl committees, morons that they can tend to be, took a 6-7 UCLA team over a 7-5 WKU team that finished second in the Sun Belt. Turns out that was a bad decision, as UCLA fell flat in their bowl appearance. WKU also boasted one of the best players in football in Bobby Rainey. With Rainey gone, the Toppers are being forced to evaluate who they are. Rainey was a one man band, and now the music has to come from other sources, and they cannot be sure who that will be. READ MORE

Western Michigan 2012 Preview

Nobody will dispute the fact that Bill Cubit is a solid coach for the Broncos, but the time to win is now. After spending all of last season sitting on our hot seat and swimming in the dead pool, Cubit has more pressure on him than ever to produce this season. Few teams in the country bring back as much experience as Cubit's Broncos provide, and so he will almost be expected to make a run at the MAC title this season, not next. READ MORE

Wisconsin 2012 Preview

Wisconsin lost several players off of their Big 10 Championship team last fall, but talent abounds, including RB Montee Ball, and LBs Mike Taylor and Chris Borland. Will they be enough to keep Wisconsin on top in the Big 10? READ MORE

Wyoming 2012 Preview

Wyoming was one of the surprises in college football last season, as nobody saw 8 wins and a 3rd place finish in the MWC as a remote possibility when the season began. Dave Christensen did an amazing job in getting the Cowboys to surpass all expectations, but they'll have a bigger target on their backs in 2012, as now everyone will see them coming. READ MORE

Auburn 2012 Preview

One year removed from a BCS title, without Cam Newton running the show, Auburn was basically a very pedestrian football team that nearly lost to Utah State at home in their opener. That's basically how the rest of the Auburn season went. Nothing happened that was great, nothing happened that was horrible, and the season just sort of was for the Tigers. Now in his second season after the title run, Gene Chizik has to prove that the Tigers, and he himself, were not one year wonders with a perfect storm roster. READ MORE

Army 2012 Preview

No team in NCAA football played more freshmen than the Army Cadets did in 2011, and Rich Ellerson saw exactly how that affected his team in a negative manner. Youth, injuries, and bad breaks knocked Army back to Earth last season after a bowl trip in 2010 seemingly had Army back on the radar nationally. The good news about the youth of last season is that, while the team will be young once again in 2012, they will be experienced as well. READ MORE

Arkansas State 2012 Preview

Hugh Freeze turned this program around in 2011, and now ASU is on the map, perhaps too much so, as Freeze was hired away after his one season in Jonesboro. ASU made another splash in replacing Freeze with Gus Malzahn, the long sought after assistant and offensive mastermind at Arkansas, Tulsa, and Auburn. The spotlight (and pressure) is all on him now to keep the Red Wolves competing at or near the top of the Sun Belt Conference. READ MORE

Arkansas 2012 Preview

Despite the fact that Bobby Petrino could not do without a 25 year old whore on the back of his motorcycle, and
despite the fact that AD Jeff Long stole Weber State's newly hired head coach away to replace him once Petrino
was fired, the Razorbacks still look pretty good in many ways. READ MORE

Arizona State 2012 Preview

The Sun Devils are starting over again after the Dennis Erickson mistake cost this team some solid years of
advancing in the college football world. Erickson was essentially a fraud, and was never energized enough to take
ASU to the next level, but the Devils have taken another huge risk by employing one of the biggest mercenaries in
college sports in Todd Graham to run the show. This will either move the team in the right direction, or wreck it
further still. READ MORE

Arizona 2012 Preview

In many ways, the Wildcats are starting over again. The Mike Stoops era is over, and the Rich Rodriguez era is just beginning. The Nick Foles and Juron Criner eras are ending, and Arizona is undergoing a massive reconstruction effort that possibly has been a long time in coming. Where Stoops lost his players with his abrasive personality, Rodriguez will draw them in more. Whatever happens, the Wildcats have a ton of work ahead of them. READ MORE

Alabama 2012 Preview

The Crimson Tide won the BCS title last fall, but in my opinion, they did not deserve that title. As a matter of fact, most people outside of ESPN and the South don't believe that Alabama was the national champ. For instance, they failed in their quest to win the SEC West, and therefore never played in their conference championship, what many are considering a must for competing in any new playoff plan. That being said, Alabama will likely have a battle on their hands in 2012 to even get close to repeating their 12 win season of 2011. Holes have been opened in plentiful numbers, and even though talent always remains supreme for Nick Saban, he is forced to rebuild yet again from graduation and early departures. READ MORE

Akron 2012 Preview

The Zips administration made a huge and bold move by hiring Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden away from D2 power North Alabama last winter, and the vibe immediately changed around the program. The word is that losing will no longer have a place at Akron, where it has become far to pervasive. Bowden will have his hands full fixing this mess, but it will likely get fixed sooner than later, but just not this year. READ MORE

Air Force 2012 Preview

It's a new era at Air Force on the field, as many of the talented seniors who drove this machine for the last 4 years have moved on. There are holes all over the roster, and Troy Calhoun may very well have his toughest job to date holding it all together in 2012. READ MORE

Notre Dame 2012 Preview

The Fighting Irish were not all that they could be in 2011, and Brian Kelly is starting to feel some pressure to take
Notre Dame to the next level. Kelly has not had the impact on this program that anyone thought he would as they
hired him away from Cincinnati, and some are wondering if his style of football will ever really work in South Bend.
This is a make or break season. READ MORE

UCLA 2012 Preview

The UCLA Bruins begin a new era in 2012 under Head Coach Jim Mora, and he could be the toughest UCLA coach in years. Mora has a huge task in front of him, as the Bruins have become a soft, gelatinous mess under Bob Toledo, Karl Dorrell, and Rick Neuheisel. Mora's job is to change the culture at UCLA, and to transcend these weak, lifeless, and heartless players into a contending football team in as little time as possible. That sounds easy enough...READ MORE