Forget about these new-fangled Big Ten programs that throw, throw, throw. Unlike defending champ Purdue and projected champ Northwestern, Michigan will try to earn a title the way Bo and Woody did -- hand the ball off and play some wicked defense. Unexpectedly going from Drew Henson to John Navarre is quite a change-up, but Lloyd Carr will manage anyway.
THE GOOD NEWS: Larry Foote, Victor Hobson and Eric Brackins are as fine as they come at linebacker, and the secondary is full of playmakers, too. And, remember, Navarre was quite capable as Henson's sub last season.
THE BAD NEWS: Even Michigan needs a little time to reload. Not only is erstwhile Heisman fave Henson hitting curveballs, but five other dearly departed Wolverines -- all on offense -- were taken among the first 43 picks in the draft.
OUR CALL: Even with only two returning starters on offense, the Wolverines will compete for the Big Ten title with the bulk of a defense that pitched two shutouts last season.

Dennis Franchione likes to say things like, "this team was hungry for direction and a vision." Whatever. But it definitely needed a blueprint for consistency, and that's what his whole career has been about. No more rebuilding from the ground up for Coach Fran, just coaching. The talent in Tuscaloosa is such that if pointed consistently in the right direction it should win 80 percent off the time.
THE GOOD NEWS: Last year is last year. This year is this year. Franchione might just be the guy who can convince these guys that last year was just a bad dream, and they can pick up where they left off with the SEC title of 1999.
THE BAD NEWS: The too-balanced QB situation continues to be distracting, and guys like LB Saleem Rasheed and WR Freddie Milons might really be the players they were in 2000 rather than the stars-in-the-making they looked like in '99.
OUR CALL: It's not inconceivable for a team with this experience (15 returning starters) and talent to play its way into the Top 10. At least they'll come close.

The day Dennis Erickson was hired was the day these little 'ol pipsqueaks were transformed into Godzilla. They tossed aside their woeful history and devoured Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on their way to an 11-1 season. Erickson, in his third season, will continue to stomp foes through an infusion of junior college transfers and an offense that just won't quit.
THE GOOD NEWS: Oregon State has players -- RB Ken Simonton, DB Dennis Weathersby, C Chris Gibson and LB James Allen are among the best in the nation. As the Fiesta performance showed, confidence is not an issue.
THE BAD NEWS: The Beavers lose their top four pass catchers, accounting for 149 receptions for 2,644 yards and 20 touchdowns. And both defensive ends, including all-conference pick DeLawrence Grant, must be replaced.
OUR CALL: OSU is ready to contend for a bowl every year, and sometimes a major one. With a fairly easy non-league slate, 9-2 or better is within reach in 2001.

The last time the Tigers had Top 25 expectations (1997), they fell flat to a losing season. But if coach Nick Saban is anything, he is the embodiment of maintaining what coaches like to call "competitive disposition." In other words, he'll have their competitive disposition by the neck before he lets this team become complacent. That could be the difference between a bowl and no bowl.
THE GOOD NEWS: Virtually the entire defense is back (10 returning starters), and the offense has a great deal of confidence playing with emerging QB Rohan Davey. Josh Reed leads one of the nation's best groups of receivers.
THE BAD NEWS: Davey has been downright brittle, but since Josh Booty left early for the NFL, there's little depth at QB. The special teams must improve just to become average.
OUR CALL: This team can challenge for the SEC West title, but there's too little margin for error. Getting to a second consecutive bowl will have to be enough.

Maybe even more amazing than the Gamecocks' resurgence from the pits to a rout of Ohio State in the Outback Bowl is the fact that they are perceived of being capable of comparable success in 2001. Believe it -- Lou Holtz has his fellas believing it, and that's a big part of it. That, and the fact that they have 18 starters back from the eight-win season.
THE GOOD NEWS: Seven home games make for great opportunities. There are a few elite players (LB Kalimba Edwards, OT Melvin Paige, FB Andrew Pinnock and seemingly-always-in-trouble RB Derek Watson), but mostly these guys just play good, tough football.
THE BAD NEWS: As Holtz puts it, the ante has risen ... which essentially means that the downside is greater than a year ago, and there will be no sneaking up on anybody. And, realistically, the overall talent still is barely average in the SEC.
OUR CALL:Playing seven teams that were in bowls last season, plus Alabama, means another eight wins is probably too much to ask. But they'll find a way.

As if they didn't love coach Sonny Lubick enough in Fort Collins, he shrugged off overtures from Southern California in the offseason, transforming himself from good coach to local legend. Under his watch, the Rams have won five conference championships in the past seven seasons (either WAC or Mountain West), regardless of the personnel.
THE GOOD NEWS: Colorado State could have an added dimension on offense this season, thanks to option skills of Michigan State transfer Bradlee Van Pelt, who battled in the spring with D.J. Busch. The receivers are excellent.
THE BAD NEWS: Running back Cecil Sapp, who had a huge bowl game last season, broke his leg in the spring. In three big games -- Colorado, UNLV and Louisville -- the opponents will be looking to avenge losses from last season.
OUR CALL: CSU is like Oregon from the Pac-10 -- the Rams always seem greater than the sum of their parts. It's not wise to start going against them now.

Just in case the Fighting Irish thought they were back with the nine-win regular season, Oregon State brought them back to earth with a 41-9 whipping in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Whether Bob Davie's team can compete with the elite speed and talent will be on display this season, with games against Nebraska and Tennessee, among other toughies.
THE GOOD NEWS: Davie has the defense playing the way he likes (aggressively), and a strong D-Line will really get after foes. This is largely a veteran team that should be able to play up from game to game.
THE BAD NEWS: Oregon State made this team look like a bunch of plodders. And the uncertainty at quarterback (was Matt LoVecchio a stop-gap solution or the real thing?) wouldn't seem to lead the Irish to the consistency they need.
OUR CALL: They'll beat a couple of teams they shouldn't, and lose to a couple of teams they shouldn't ... and finish 7-4 or so with a trip to the Gator Bowl.

At least the Tigers have something ACC rival Florida State doesn't -- a Heisman campaign. The Clemson publicity machine is pushing its "No knocks on Woody" promotion in support of Woody Dantzler, but beyond having a superior talent at QB, it's hard to see the Tigers catching the Seminoles (or Georgia Tech) this season. The Tigers last won the ACC 10 years ago -- the year before FSU joined the league.
THE GOOD NEWS: If Dantzler stays healthy, he should finish what he started last season -- 2,000 yards passing, 1,000 yards rushing. RB Travis Zachery can take the pressure off, and Clemson signed the best high school receiver class in the nation.
THE BAD NEWS: The defense went toes up late in the season, allowing an average of 35 points in the final four games (all against quality opponents). With four All-ACC defenders gone, how is that number going to go down?
OUR CALL: Still have a hard time seeing the defense -- even after a switch to a 4-2-5 scheme -- slowing down the big boys. But it will be fun to watch the Tigers try to outscore them.

We're basing this one on the "senior quarterback" theory. Teams with good senior quarterbacks find ways to win, and the Cardinal has a good one in fifth-year guy Randy Fasani. Stanford averaged 29.75 points in his eight starts last season, falling off to 7.6 points in the three games he was injured. Fasani has 15 other returning starters around him, making the Cardinal sneaky good.
THE GOOD NEWS: Stanford won't have trouble scoring points with Fasani, a backfield tandem that combined for 1,189 yards last season and an offensive line that returns its top seven. And you gotta like Tyrone Willingham's tough-love coaching style.
THE BAD NEWS: : The offense needs to develop a go-to receiver; the defense must find a new inside-outside combo to replace DT Willie Howard and OLB Riall Johnson. Will Fasani be able to stay healthy?
OUR CALL: A tough schedule that includes Boston College and Notre Dame -- and has trips to Oregon and Washington -- keeps Stanford from climbing higher.

Barry Alvarez's teams have been to three of the past eight Rose Bowls -- as many as Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan combined. In Madison, it's all about the program, and it's still in fine shape after a 9-4 "slump." We're a little skeptical of the two-headed QB of Brooks Bollinger and Jim Sorgi, but believe Alvarez can coax these guys into the league race, using more of a spread offense.
THE GOOD NEWS: First of all, no one should be taking unadvertised discounts on shoes this year. Beyond that, Wisconsin can build a winning defense around senior defensive tackle Wendell Bryant and cornerback Mike Echols.
THE BAD NEWS: Star RB Michael Bennett's replacement, Broderick Williams, suffered a knee injury in the spring, and might miss the season. The interior of the O-Line was gutted by graduation, and the special teams must be rebuilt foot by foot.
OUR CALL: The teams that gave UW fits last season -- the spread offenses of Purdue and Northwestern - aren't on the schedule. The Badgers can gut it out with everyone else.