Time to finish the preview. I hit the three Western conferences and the independents (who will grow next year when the WAC disbands).
Pac-12 North division
1. Oregon Ducks (7-2/10-2): Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota beat out last season's backup Bryan Bennett for the quarterback position. Mariota inherits excellent receivers and a strong backfield, thus ensuring another explosive offense. The defense look better than last season's, but they are still not the top defense in the conference.
2. Stanford Cardinal (6-3/8-4): Andrew Luck may be gone, but there are still high hopes among Cardinal fans. A deep backfield supports the time necessary for new quarterback Josh Nunes to get comfortable. That won't take too long, as Nunes played some last season when the team led by enought. Nunes had it a bit tougher than Luck did, as the best wide receiver and starting tight end are gone.
3. California Golden Bears (3-6/5-7): QB Zach Maynard has WR Keenan Allen and RB Isi Sofele, but that's about it. Also, Maynard threw too many interceptions last season for fans to feel comfortable. The defense is also rebuilt, having lost six starters from last season. The only thing favoring Cal is a weak division.
4. Oregon State Beavers (3-6/4-8): Beavers coaches are hoping for an improved offensive backfield, led by freshman Storm Woods. They may not need it, as most of the pieces of the 19th ranked passing offense return. The defensive secondary is good, but the line has holes, making them susceptible to runs.
5. Washington State Cougars (2-7/4-8): Things look bleak for the Cougars. The passing game is potent, but the running game is practically non-existent. Worse, the defense is in shambles, with no capable linebackers and limited defensive end talent.
6. Washington Huskies (2-7/4-8): QB Kevin Price is good, but he must stay healthy, as he doesn't have a capable backup. The passing attack will dominate the playbook, as the running attack is weak. The defense should be slightly better, but they ranked 108th last year, so the improvement will hardly be noticed. A tough schedule, with four of their first six opponents being ranked, makes their season worse.
Pac-12 South division
1. USC Trojans (9-0/12-0): Many players, like QB Matt Barkley, returned this season in order to play in the postseason after a two-year ban. This gives the Trojans one of the most talented and deepest rosters of any team in the country.
2. Utah Utes (7-2/10-2): QB Jordan Wynn is back and healthy, but he has a thin receiving corps. The offensive backfield is strong, but the line has some holes, making it more difficult for the runner to gain speed. The defense is strong, which will make it hard for opponents.
3. UCLA Bruins (5-4/6-6): The offense is clearly a patchwork in progress. The line is iffy, the best receiver is tight end Joseph Fauria, and three players are still competing for starting QB. Apparently new coach Jim Mora Jr likes the competition, but he's not giving the offense time to gel before the season. The defense is better, with a talented crew of linebackers and corners, but the line needs some work.
4. Arizona Wildcats (3-6/4-8): New coach Rich Rodriguez is shaking up the offense, like he has everywhere he has gone. WB Mike Scott is inexperienced, which won't help the transition to the new offense. The backfield looks good, but limited experienced receivers makes RichRod's preferred play-action passing attack hard to implement.
5. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-6/4-8): The new quarterback has little experience, and has limited experience to throw to, either. The defense shows some promise, but the Sun Devils won't likely look good until they play Colorado on Oct 11th.
6. Colorado Buffaloes (0-9/1-11): The offensive line is strong, but that's the only offensive bright spot. The best wide receiver injured his ACL during spring practice, and teh backfield suffered from a transfer. The defense looks better than last year, but it still won't be enough.
PAC-12 Winner: USC Trojans
Mountain West
1. Nevada Wolf Pack (7-1/9-3): The Wolf Pack move up to the Mountain West in the perfect season, as the Mountain West loses TCU and Boise has lost its punch. The offense returns most of last year's starters. While the defense needs some work, they'll make quick work on the rest of the conference.
2. Wyoming Cowboys (6-2/8-4): The passing game has improved, but the running game remains the strongest part of their offense. An improved defense makes the Cowboys a tough opponent.
3. Fresno State Bulldogs (5-3/7-5): The Bulldogs' offense remains strong, returning 9 of their starters from last year. The defense returns seven starters, but the defense was poor last year, so the experience may not help much.
4. San Diego State Aztecs (4-4/7-5): A new quarterback and running back slows the offense ranked 30th last year. The defense also lost starters, but they aren't impacted so much, as the second string gained plenty of experience by being rotated into the lineup frequently.
5. Colorado State Rams (4-4/5-7): New QB Garrett Grayson has all four of 2011's top receivers available. Combine that with a strong backfield, and this will be one of the best offenses in the conference. A weak defensive line makes it tougher for them, as that offense has to keep scoring to remain ahead.
6. Hawaii Warriors (4-4/6-6): New coach Norm Chow comes into a unique situation at Hawaii -- no clear quarterback, and whoever wins will be inexperienced. Per usual, Hawaii has plenty of receivers, but an iffy quarterback might ground them. Believe it or not, that might HELP them, as they have another unique situation -- a strong corps of runners. A rebuilt defense, especially on the line, hurts them, though.
7. Boise State Broncos (3-5/4-8): No, your eyes are not deceiving you. For perhaps the first time in 12 years, the Broncos may have a losing season. Why? This entire team is rebuilt, as they lost 17 starters between the offense and defense.Their most stable position is the offensive line, but they only have one experienced running back.
8. UNLV Running Rebels (2-6/4-9): The Rebels will be running, behind a strong offensive line and quick backfield. They'll need to run, as QB Caleb Herring has completed less than half of his passes, and he has a slew of inexperienced wide receivers.
9. Air Force Falcons (2-6/3-9): Near the bottom of the conference is a strange place for the Falcons, but a team already rebuilding suffered a terrible hit last week when five key players, all projected starters, were dismissed from the team for disciplinary reasons. Three receivers and two defensive secondary players were released from a squad already suffering on both sides of the ball. It'll be a tough year for the Air Force Academy, but that may not be too bad -- the military academies love to teach character in the face of adversity.
10. New Mexico Lobos (0-8/2-10): This team has some experience, but they still have a long way to go to improve. This season could have been their best chance to rise into the upper half of the conference, but they aren't ready for that.
WAC
This will be the last year of WAC football, despite adding former FCS teams Texas State and UTSA (aka Texas-San Antonio)
1. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-0/9-3): A powerful offense, filled with returning stars, and a stingy defense makes the Bulldogs the favorites to win the final WAC football title.
2. San Jose State Spartans (5-1/6-6): QB Matt Faulkner and most of his favorite targets return, so the passing offense is strong. The running game lacks, though, as their best running back, and only ground weapon last season, has left.
3. Utah State Aggies (4-2/6-6): RB Kerwynn Willians is their top offensive player. QB Chuckie Keeton has to work with a receiving corps bereft of experience. The defense looks to be better than last year, but they still have holes, especially in the secondary.
4. Idaho Vandals (2-4/3-9): The new quarterback has a strong corps of targets. There are also plenty of runners to take the heat off the passing game, but few of them have experience. The defense is also woefully inexperienced, so they aren't likely to improve from last year's 98th ranking.
5. Texas State Bobcats (2-4/1-11): Coach Dennis Franchione was not happy about the two blowouts suffered against FBS opponents last season. Knowing they were stepping up to FBS this year, he has worked tireless in spring practice to toughen his team. Hopefully it'll work, as the talent is limited. They have only one decent wide receiver, although he is complemented by two good tight ends. The quarterback battle is still raging, but whoever wins the starting role has limited on-field experience. The Bobcats have a good runner, but practically no talented backups. Inexperienced linebackers and a rebuilt defensive line makes that side of the ball vulnerable, too.
6. New Mexico State Aggies (1-5/3-9): Facing independent status, they were hoping for a strong season. Instead, they'll demonstrate why no conference wants them. QB Matt Christian returns, but lacks his two best receivers from last season. While RB Kenny Turner is back, he gets little help from a rebuilt offensive line. The defense is porous.
7. UTSA Roadrunners (0-6/2-10): The Roadrunners play all of their non-conference games against FCS opponents, and they'll only win two of six. Already thin on talent, they took a hit recently when two potential starters were arrested for robbery.
Independents
There should be at least three more independents next season, although BYU may return to a conference.
1. BYU Cougars (10-2): BYU has certainly benefited from independent status, putting together a string of successful seasons. That streak will continue, as QB Riley Nelson returns with RB Michael Alista behind him. The Cougars have some good receivers, but not too many, making them thin on replacements and backups. The defense is only slightly worse than last year.
2. Navy Midshipmen (8-4): The defense lost their best linebacker in spring practice, but they've had time to shore it up. They still have one of the best running attacks in the nation. They moved QB Kriss Proctor to running back (although he may still take some snaps in the wildcat formation), so full-time QB duties fall on Trey Miller, who needs to improve on his consistency.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6): Everyone thinks the Irish will have a great season, but I don't see it. Sophomore Everett Golson won the starting QB position, but he lacks a quick release necessary against the quality defenses they will face. Worse, tight end Tyler Eibert is their best receiver, so they lack a good downfield attack. They do have two strong running backs, so they can run. Opponents will run against them, too, as the defensive line has holes.
4. Army Black Knights (6-6): A rare non-losing season for the Cadets, supported by an offensive backfield that may be ranked the best in the country for the second consecutive year. Scrambling QB Trent Steelman gains as many yards rushing as he does passing -- another Tebow clone. The defense is much improved, especially in the linebacking corps, which explains their non-losing record.
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