Nebraska in the Big Ten. It still seems odd. For a sport so grounded in history, so dependent on legacy, this truly is a historical development in college football. Only with Arkansas' switch from the SWC to the SEC did a program with a similar legacy in one conference switch to another, and after 20 years it still almost seems as if Arkansas should be paired with Texas and Texas A&M as much as LSU and Ole Miss. Though last year's conference realignment drama have have hinted at even larger change, the shifts we did get (Nebraska to Big Ten, Colorado and Utah to Pac-12) were still rather tectonic for this sport. And the feeling-out process has only begun.

From Rivalry And The Nebraska Cornhuskers

I think USF's a year away. In this year's publication, Phil Steele picked the Bulls to surprise and finish tied for first in the Big East, but I just can't really see it. They had some fumbles luck, and their YPP margin suggests they were a bit lucky in regard to efficiency. They do not return a lofty level of experience, especially on offense, and ... I just don't see it. I see a young offense lacking in receiving threats and a confusing front seven on defense, but I see a seventh consecutive bowl game, seven or eight wins and a wonderfully experienced team that heads into 2012 with big expectations.

From Power Vacuums, Nineties Hip Hop And The South Florida Bulls. "Going Back to Cali," FTW.

The schedule is, to say the least, trying. The 'Canes open on Labor Day at Maryland, then host Ohio State and Kansas State before the ACC schedule truly gets rolling. Their divisional fate will be decided by trips to Virginia Tech and North Carolina in mid-October, and by the time they reach the @FlaSt-USF-BC portion of their schedule, they could be anywhere between about 8-1 and 3-6. I've talked myself into this team to a certain degree, and I see them winning at least eight games when all is said and done, but 'potential' is the watchword. If we're still talking about potential, and not production, in November, then something went awry.

Potential, Production And The Miami Hurricanes

In terms of Def. F/+, the Boston College defense has improved, at least slightly, in each of the last three years. Unfortunately, the offense has regressed at a steeper rate than the defense has progressed. It is easy to see the steady fall as a sign that Frank Spaziani fits into the "A great assistant coach who, when promoted to head coach, proved himself to be a great assistant coach" model, and who knows, you might not be wrong. We'll begin to find out this year, with a new hand leading the offense. If Kevin Rogers can breathe some life into a dying offense, then things could rather quickly turn around. The offense doesn't have to be good; it just has to be average for B.C. to succeed.

The Boston College Eagles And The Excitement Gap

A late-season collapse in 2010 wilted some petals in Arizona's cactus blossoms, and even though Mike Stoops has brought a level of success to Tucson that Wildcat fans hadn't seen in over a decade, fans of every stripe bore quickly of any type of plateau, even good ones. (You can spot the "can't take us to the next level" complaint coming from 200 miles away.) It would behoove Stoops to figure out another step forward soon, and in a wide-open Pac-12 South, opportunity awaits. Unfortunately for the Wildcats in 2011, "opportunity" does not typically respond well to a complete and total lack of starting experience in the trenches.

Mesas And The Arizona Wildcats

Michigan State in Close Games During Mark Dantonio's Tenure: 2007: 2-6 2008: 2-1 2009: 2-4 2010: 4-0 When the pieces are in place -- when State has sturdy linebackers who guarantee efficiency on standard downs, solid safeties preventing big plays, a deep running back unit and line capable of wearing opponents out, and a quarterback who excels as a game manager -- then State is capable of winning big under Dantonio. And with recruiting excelling in recent years, they could move more and more toward every-year success. But for now, the Spartans will need a host of sophomores to step up on defense to maintain last year's mojo. In a Big Ten Legends Division with no clear leader, they could take a step backwards in 2011 and still potentially compete for a spot in the inaugural Big Ten championship game. At least they better hope so, as they probably aren't in position to win 11 games again this fall. Last Impressions And The Michigan State Spartans

Bill C.: So since the beginning of the 2010 calendar year, the Tennessee football program has... a) been ditched by their young, supposed hotshot coach after just one season. b) suffered two of the most hilarious, horrifying losses in recent memory. c) lost more middle linebackers to injury than Spinal Tap lost drummers. They are heading into 2011 with an extremely young and inexperienced squad for seemingly the fourth consecutive season. Exactly what kind of pox did Phil Fulmer cast on UT when he left, and is it worth bringing him on as athletic director just so he will reverse it? Holly Anderson: The very most Tennessee kind of pox: The Biddy Bind. Fulmer, for all his goodoleboy girth, is a white-gloved church picnic henwife with man parts, and a mere flick of the wrist and a "bless your heart", delivered in a tone normally reserved around Knoxville for atheists and libruls, can cast clouds of misfortune for years. YEARS. As you can tell, it's working. But if there's anything to the campfire scuttlebutt that says Chancellor Jimmy Cheek wants an academics-minded AD to take over for noted goblin Mike Hamilton (he's on a tear to raise UT up a tier as a public university, which is pretty hysterical given that he doesn't have the state resources to pull it off), you won't see Fulmer in the swivel chair, to say nothing of the vocal minority of boosters who still haven't forgiven him for l'affaire Johnny Majors. As a people, we excel in nothing so much as grudgemongering (see: Woodson, Charles). The Tennessee Volunteers And Some Vengeful Gods