Stanford Football Preview

First year head coach Jim Harbaugh pulled Stanford out of the gutter while getting four wins last fall. Can he take the next step and get the Cardinal bowling? He'll have a senior QB that started seven games including the big shocker over USC in Tavita Pritchard. But the QB position is still full of uncertainty. Five other guys are still considered to be in the mix with Michigan transfer Jason Forcier and Alex Loukas throwing their names into the August competition. There are just as many questions at receiver, where Mark Bradford and Evan Moore (90 combined catches last year) have to be replaced. Don't expect the passing game to be the strength of this team. The RBs and OL are more of a stable unit. A quartet of RBs shared the carries last fall and managed to put up over 1,300 yards while the OL is comprised of four seniors and a junior led by All-Pac Ten performer Alex Fletcher at center. With nine starters back on defense, the biggest loss will be replacing defensive coordinator Scott Shafer, who left for Michigan. This young, attacking scheme gave up a ton of yards and points but did a decent job creating turnovers and was respectable in the red zone. Rarely does Stanford have as many solid players on the DL as it will in 2008. The secondary is also a veteran unit that has to show some improvement (107th nationally against the pass). The only problem, and not just on defense, is the typical lack of speed at Stanford. With seven road games and uncertainty at QB, getting that magical six wins for bowl eligibility doesn't appear to be in the Cards. But this team can no longer be considered a sure victory.

UCLA Football Preview

UCLA
The homecoming of new head coach Rick Neuheisel has created a higher level of energy and excitement for the Bruin faithful. But significant questions at QB, offensive line and overall experience across the board could make for a disappointing debut. Dream coordinator Norm Chow will run the offense. His starting QB Pat Cowan tore his knee in the spring and back up Ben Olson then broke his foot on the same day. Olson will be ready for the fall but Cowan is done for the year. The OL only has one starter back after taking a big hit when OT Aleksey Lanis retired due to chronic knee pain. In total, eight of the Bruin's top ten offensive linemen did not take a snap last fall. The top two tailbacks in Kahlil Bell and Raymond Carter are coming off reconstructive knee surgery. The WRs have some talent led by fifth-year senior Marcus Everett but the list is not very deep or experienced. It's easy to see why the new staff will have their hands full. The defense has to overcome some heavy losses as well, which includes departing All-American DE Bruce Davis. The inside is strong up the gut as evident in their solid play last season while finishing 14th nationally against the run. Outside of this group, the rest of the defense is suspect. The secondary only returns one starter. Expectations in Los Angeles will have to be kept to a mid-level bowl at the highest end...a regular familiarity with the previous coaching staff. The Labor Day match up with Tennessee might not have been the right choice for Neuheisel's grand opening. The following September games also include upstart BYU, Arizona and Fresno State. If UCLA can win two or three of these outings, you have to figure this new coaching staff is more than capable of building a better future.

Washington Football Preview

Year four of the Tyrone Willingham coaching project will be under a microscope. The Huskies desperately need to climb out of the Pac Ten basement and the dicey part is that this team is probably still a year away from accomplishing such a feat. Sophomore QB Jake Locker will remain the focus of the program. No doubt this highly touted prep recruit has talent. He did not disappoint in his debut season while rushing for a conference record by a QB (986 yards). He is a very physical athlete that still has plenty of room to grow in terms of his passing skills. The problem is that he does not have the RBs and WRs at his disposal to take that gigantic leap forward yet. The Huskies must replace five senior receivers and TB Louis Rankin, who became the first Husky since 1997 to rush for more than 1,000 yards. The OL might be one of the few considered strengths but took a huge hit when All-Conference center Juan Garcia suffered a foot injury late in the spring and likely won't be available this fall. UW returns just one of its top six linemen on the other side of the ball. No one other than DE Daniel Te'o'Nesheim had more than two tackles last season. The back seven won't be as inexperienced. New D-coordinator Ed Donatell, a former NFL defensive back specialist, has been experimenting with many of the secondary schemes this spring. There is a chance the defense could wind up being much improved at least in terms of defending the pass. Overall, this defense has not shown a consistency at any one facet. Willingham is reaching the end of his rope. Anything short of six wins may not be good enough to keep him in Seattle. If that is the case, say good-bye. Especially considering an 0-3 start is more than possible; it is actually to be expected, as the openers are Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma.

Washington State Football Preview

Four years of missing bowl games after the best run in school history made it time for head coach Bill Doba to go. Alum Paul Wulff takes over and now must repair the depth ravaged by some poor recruiting efforts. The Cougars will operate with a new look no-huddle approach while trying to locate a QB capable of stepping in for record setting four-year starter Alex Brink. But Brink never won many games worth mentioning other than beating in-state rival Washington. So what is there to lose? Pulling the trigger will likely be Brink's understudy for most of those years in senior Gary Rogers. But don't count out Kansas State transfer Kevin Lopina. Easily the best playmaker on the entire team is WR Brandon Gibson, an all-conference pick. A three TE rotation will also continue to be a source of notable options. The running game has not been much help and continues to be a developing issue as both projected starters are dealing with injuries. The OL is actually a veteran group with four starters back. There is no reason WSU should be this bad running with the ball. Yes, eight starters return to the defense, but with a patchwork DL in place this group is struggling to find an identity. The secondary for years has been a source of incompetence...simply terrible. Don't expect miracles overnight by any stretch. All three LBs are senior returning starters so the shift to a 3-4 alignment has been made in an effort to locate something that can prove positive. This new offense could give some opponents a headache but make no mistake...this is a transition, learning and rebuilding year for the Cougars.

Air Force College Football Preview

AIR FORCE
The Falcons desperately need someone to emerge at QB, a position that has tough assignments and requires heady decision making in this scheme. No ideal candidate seems to be ready to fill the shoes of the departed four-year starter Shaun Carney. Also gone is a 1,478-yard rusher in RB Chad Hall and no one has emerged to remotely fill his shows either. Coach Troy Calhoun arrived with plans to bring passing to a run-based system. This has not been the case with guys like Hall racking up the yards, but the 2008 team may take on more of this dimension with so many holes at RB. TE Travis Dekker ranks as the team's best receiver. No player on the OL goes over 300 pounds which means another academy will be forced to stick with the zone blocking schemes. But this front wall has potential. Two of the best players on this side of the ball come from this unit in Keith Williams and Nick Charles. Defensively, the pass rush has not proven effective which will be tough for a defense that is extremely weak at CB. The overall team outlook appears bleak on paper with only nine starters back in the fold. Returning to a bowl game will prove extremely difficult with so many losses at the skill positions.

Utah State College Football Preview

The Aggies showed some guts to close out 2007 as they fought their way into back-to-back victories to avoid a winless campaign. With the return of 15 starters (nine on defense) the confidence has to be growing to some extent. It better defensively as this side of the ball is no stranger to giving up 50-plus points against better foes. This was the WAC's worst defense a year ago. The Aggies were equally leaky against both the run and pass. The offense is not so lucky in terms of experience. The annual search for a new QB continues to be the case. The candidates are Sean Setzer, who only threw one pass last year and Jase McCormick, who threw five interceptions in just 40 attempts. Their best player the last few years Kevin Robinson is no longer available from his receiver/return man spots. Outside of QB there is some depth at the skill positions however. The statistical numbers have been just terrible in every facet of the game, which now means fourth year head coach Brent Guy is on the chopping block. He is 5-19 in league play and his team has a very long way to go before they can even think of being competitive.

San Jose State College Football Preview

Trying to replace Adam Tafralis, the school's career leading passer, has not proven so easy as the spring showed. Cal transfer Kyle Reed suffered a broken foot and Jordan La Secla has struggled. All this means junior Myles Eden holds a slight lead for now. The best aspect is at wideout where Second Team All-WAC senior Kevin Jurovich (85 receptions for 1,183 yards last season) and other senior David Richmond are the leaders of the offense. The run game has hampered the Spartans (112th nationally in 2007) and no light appears to be at the end of the tunnel. This all could spell major problems if the new QB does not shoulder some of the load. The Spartans have been ranked among the top 20 in turnover margin the past two years. Much of the credit can go to the stellar play of the secondary. Gone is fourth round NFL draft pick Dwight Lowery. But the other corner continues to be manned by Christopher Owens who led the WAC with six interceptions last fall. The DBs are still the pillar of the defense despite some key losses while the DL is a veteran group led by senior DT Jarron Gilbert. The early season schedule is way more favorable this time around as opposed to a year ago where the first three road games put the Spartans in a hole they could never climb out of. Without a passing attack to overcompensate for a lacking rushing attack, bettering five wins is not to be expected.

New Mexico State College Football Preview

When Hal Mumme signed on as head coach three years ago, the offense immediately began building for 2008. His first recruiting class included QB Chase Holbrook and receivers Chris Williams and A.J. Harris. The three have rewritten the school's record books and will be counted on in this their senior seasons to carry the expectations of breaking a 47 year bowl drought for the Aggies. Mumme feels the 6'5, 246 pound Holbrook with 8,485 career passing yards to his name, has the potential to be first round NFL Draft material. But he needs to stay healthy. Williams led the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards just two years ago. He broke his collarbone in the eighth game last fall but still led the team in most of the receiving categories. Harris is only 72 receptions off the WAC record currently held by New Mexico's Terrance Mathis (1989). The OL may not be full of stars but it is the most experienced during Mumme's stint in Las Cruces. The run game has to do more to prevent defenses from blitzing and teeing off on Holbrook. New defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn has taken over and installed a 3-5-3 scheme that will feature a bunch of hybrid athletes. He signed five quality JUCO players here that will have immediate impact. The secondary with three starters back will be the strength. Don't expect miracles. All Dunn has to do is keep opponents under 30 points and NMSU has a shot. The urgency to win has never been bigger given the stars on the offense. This could be the year the Aggies make a serious run at a bowl bid while pushing the big boys of the conference.

Nevada College Football Preview

There is a huge battle going on in Reno that likely won't be decided until late September. Incumbent QB Colin Kaepernick is competing with Nick Graziano for starting duties. Graziano continued to nurse a broken foot that cost him the majority of last season. This cleared the way for Kaepernick to throw for 2,175 yards, 19 TDs with only three interceptions while earning him WAC Freshman of the Year honors. But Graziano is no slouch. Whoever wrestles away the job has a wealth of talent surrounding him. The conference's top rusher Luke Lippincott is back for his senior year and senior receivers Mike McCoy and Marko Mitchell offer some serious targets. Four starting linemen return to a front that helped the Wolf Pack lead the WAC in rushing. The opposite is true for the defense where only four starters return. First year coordinator Nigel Burton will switch to a 4-3 alignment that mostly has to do with the fact all three LBs are gone as are three starters from the secondary. The nation's 95th ranked scoring defense of a year ago certainly has some major concerns. Head coach Chris Ault enters his 24th season where he hopes to continue his bowl invitation streak to four. As in the past, the offense will have to outscore the opponent and with so much experience on this side of the ball that may not be a problem.

Louisiana Tech College Football Preview

Unforgettable. This has to be the theme for the new season ahead as the Vandals have a 10-game losing streak on their shoulders. When looking for the few positives, the Vandals do have one of the most productive RBs in the WAC in Deonte Jackson, nephew of St. Louis Rams Steven Jackson. He put up 97.9 yards per game a year ago, which was the second-best league total despite a sprained ankle that reduced his carries down the stretch. The OL also returns every single starter, which makes for a solid running package. Nathan Enderle returns as the starting QB. The 6'5, 225-pounder tossed 18 interceptions a year ago against only ten touchdowns, the worst in the conference. The top pass catcher only recorded 30 receptions so the aerial assault is obviously keeping this team in the cellar. The question marks are even greater on the defensive side. Seven starters need replaced including the entire linebacking unit that contained David Vobora, who was third in the nation in stops. The Vandals have won just 16 games since 2001 and will be heavy underdogs once again in the WAC. They will operate with a completely revamped defense. Just getting two conference wins would be a major step forward.

Idaho Football Preview

Unforgettable. This has to be the theme for the new season ahead as the Vandals have a 10-game losing streak on their shoulders. When looking for the few positives, the Vandals do have one of the most productive RBs in the WAC in Deonte Jackson, nephew of St. Louis Rams Steven Jackson. He put up 97.9 yards per game a year ago, which was the second-best league total despite a sprained ankle that reduced his carries down the stretch. The OL also returns every single starter, which makes for a solid running package. Nathan Enderle returns as the starting QB. The 6'5, 225-pounder tossed 18 interceptions a year ago against only ten touchdowns, the worst in the conference. The top pass catcher only recorded 30 receptions so the aerial assault is obviously keeping this team in the cellar. The question marks are even greater on the defensive side. Seven starters need replaced including the entire linebacking unit that contained David Vobora, who was third in the nation in stops. The Vandals have won just 16 games since 2001 and will be heavy underdogs once again in the WAC. They will operate with a completely revamped defense. Just getting two conference wins would be a major step forward.

Hawaii Foootball Preview

HAWAII
Not many teams across the land had the turnover that Hawaii went through this off-season. Gone is the run-and-shoot master June Jones as he took his head coaching skills to SMU. Also gone is the jest of players that ran the regular season table a year ago while getting a BCS bowl invite. Only seven starters return to the islands. The new offense will also take shape without Colt Brennan calling the signals. The top two returning QBs are Inoke Funaki and Tyler Graunke, who threw the Warrior's only touchdown pass in the embarrassing Sugar Bowl loss. Two JUCO prospects will also have their say at the most important position in this scheme, but it's doubtful they can learn this complicated system for the opener, which by the way is in Gainesville versus Florida...oh man that could get ugly. The Warriors will also open with four new wideouts and two new tackles. The lone-set back will continue to be Nebraska transfer Leon Wright-Jackson or Kealoha Pilares, the team's leading rusher who could also wind up playing the slot. While the defense also has to reload, they will at least have a steady group of LBs that are worthy of All-Conference status. Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard both combined for 246 stops last fall. Although the names may have changed on this side of the ball, the remaining players have enough quality experience to make it a positive. In no way does new head coach Greg McMackin not see a big drop off from just eight months prior when they were the talk of New Orleans. This team with all the key losses will struggle to get over the .500 border barring some huge surprises.

Fresno State College Football Preview

FRESNO STATE
After watching Boise State and Hawaii crack the BCS bowl ice the past two seasons, it is now Fresno State's turn to make a run with so much talent back in the lineup and some Top 25 early predictions floating their way. The only difference with this aspect is that 11-year head coach Pat Hill isn't afraid to play anyone and 2008 will be no different with the first three games containing Wisconsin, Rutgers and UCLA with the latter two on the road. Why are they the favorite though to win the WAC? Well, ten starters are back for an offense that is highlighted by a three-pronged RB attack that accumulated 2,100 yards and 26 touchdowns a year ago. In front of them is senior QB Tom Brandstater, who had modest passing numbers last year by today's standards (2,654 yards) but only threw five interceptions. He is very efficient and Pat Hill knows how to use his run game to set up the pass. The OL responsible for opening the holes remains in place and maybe the best blocking TE in the country is senior Bear Pascoe who also is a sure pass catcher. The defense is all that stands in the way of a conference championship. Gone is 2007 WAC Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Riley from his LB position. They do return down lineman Jon Monga, who is the top returning sack man in the league. For Fresno State to take the next step the secondary has to improve after only snagging four picks a year ago, worst in the league. The Bulldogs are not going to the BCS Promised Land with this schedule, but they are the favorite to secure their second WAC title in a dozen years. This team will start off slow in the win department (see schedule) but they will finish strong without a national target on their chest

Boise State Preview

BOISE STATE
The Broncos have cracked the Top 25 during each of the past six seasons despite times when the roster turnover was high. This offense is as loaded as any of those previous campaigns with the exception of QB and up front on the OL. However, a dozen or so playmakers at RB, WR and TE make this the best skill position arsenal in head coach Chris Petersen's stint. Four receiver sets are likely to be a steady diet as upwards of five guys are capable of putting up 20-plus catches. But for the past three years, no one can discuss Boise State without mentioning Heisman Candidate RB Ian Johnson who is back for his final campaign. He currently leads all Bowl Subdivision players in rushing touchdowns and is second in rushing yards. The QB spot is still unsettled and likely will come down to promising freshman Kellen Moore or senior Bush Hamdan. Nobody, including the coaches, is set on a starter. The OL has to replace the entire unit outside of worthy OG Andrew Woodruff. How physical the defense can become will go a long way in determining the Broncos fait after they became uncharacteristically porous against the run a year ago. All three starters are back at LB but position changes were still in order. The DL has new faces in the middle at tackle and the secondary, while experienced, only has one senior. This team will continue to do what Boise State does, win games. The top conference contenders all visit the confines of the blue turf. You never know how good this team can be despite the turnover. Going to another BCS bowl does not seem eminent but is not out of the question. Traveling to Eugene to play the Ducks in their third outing will make or break the decision early.