Preseason top 10

1. SOUTHERN CAL

2006: 11-2

Circle it: Sept. 15 at Nebraska

The skinny: The Trojans are loaded on offense and return 10 starters on de fense. Road games at Nebraska, Notre Dame and California will be tough.

2. LOUISIANA STATE

2006: 11-2

Circle it: Oct. 6 vs. Florida

The skinny: JaMarcus Russell is gone, but don't fret. The Tigers have all kinds of talent on both sides of the ball — especially defense — and a favorable schedule.

3. MICHIGAN

2006: 11-2

Circle it: Nov. 17 vs. Ohio State

The skinny: Chad Henne and Mike Hart are back for one more season. This might be the Wolverines best chance to beat Ohio State and make a run at the national title.

4. WEST VIRGINIA

2006: 11-2

Circle it: Nov. 8 vs. Louisville

The skinny: QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton give Mountaineers arguably the best 1-2 punch in college football.

5. TEXAS

2006: 10-3

Circle it: Oct. 6 vs. Oklahoma (at Dallas)

The skinny: Colt McCoy and the offense should put up big numbers, but the Longhorns defense has some holes to fill.

6. WISCONSIN

2006: 12-1

Circle it: Nov. 3 at Ohio State

The skinny: The schedule is much more difficult this season, but the Badgers should be fine if they get consistent play from a new QB.

7. VIRGINIA TECH

2006: 10-3

Circle it: Sept. 8 at LSU

The skinny: The season will be played against the backdrop of the campus tragedy this past spring.

8. OKLAHOMA

2006: 11-3

Circle it: Sept. 8 vs. Miami (Fla.)

The skinny: RB Adrian Peterson is now a Viking and a new quarterback will take over, but the Sooners have high expectations.

9. LOUISVILLE

2006: 12-1

Circle it: Nov. 8 at West Virginia

The skinny: New Cardinals coach Steve Kragthorpe walked into a pretty good situation, starting with senior QB Brian Brohm.

10. CALIFORNIA

2006: 10-3

Circle it: Nov. 10 vs. USC

The skinny: The Golden Bears are a notch below USC, but they still have enough talent to make some noise.

Heisman hopefuls

1. DARREN MCFADDEN, ARKANSAS

Junior running back is preseason favorite after finishing second last season.

2. COLT BRENNAN, HAWAII

Late-night starts hurt his visibility, but the senior quarterback will put up gaudy statistics.

3. JOHN DAVID BOOTY, USC

He won't put up Brennan-like numbers, but he will stay in race if Trojans are in national title hunt.

4. MIKE HART, MICHIGAN

More durable than flashy, senior tailback is the heart and soul of a loaded Wolverines offense.

5. STEVE SLATON, WEST VIRGINIA

Explosive tailback rushed for nearly 1,750 yards last season despite nagging injuries.

Five story lines to watch

1. CAN NICK SABAN REVIVE ALABAMA?

Crimson Tide officials and fans certainly are banking on it. Alabama wrote a huge check to lure Saban back to college football, but the fact remains that the SEC is hands-down the best conference in the country. Florida, LSU, Tennessee and the like aren't exactly shaking in their cleats.

2. CAN MICHIGAN FINALLY BEAT OHIO STATE AND MAKE A RUN AT A NATIONAL TITLE?

Sound familiar? Michigan fans are well aware that coach Lloyd Carr has lost five of six meetings against Ohio State counterpart Jim Tressel. The Wolverines also have lost four consecutive bowl games, including three Rose Bowls. However, the Wolverines have a veteran and explosive offense and face Ohio State in the Big House, so this could be their year. Or not.

3. WILL USC WIN ANOTHER (YAWN) NATIONAL TITLE?

The Trojans get our vote. It was an easy pick. USC, which demolished Michigan in the Rose Bowl last season, returns 10 defensive starters, including the best linebacker corps in the nation. The Trojans also have their typical embarrassment of riches in talent on offense. Road games at Nebraska, Notre Dame and Cal will be difficult, but the Trojans should handle every challenge.

4. WILL ANYONE PULL A BOISE STATE THIS SEASON?

Boise State became the talk of the bowl season with a remarkable finish to beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. It will be tough for any non-BCS team to duplicate that excitement, but keep an eye on Texas Christian. The Horned Frogs have a stellar defense and are coming off an 11-victory season. Don't be surprised if they crash the BCS party.

5. IS WEST VIRGINIA A LEGITIMATE TITLE CONTENDER?

You better believe it. The Mountaineers have arguably the most dangerous one-two punch in college football with quarterback Pat White and tailback Steve Slaton. The offense will put up huge numbers. If the defense holds its own, the Mountaineers could find themselves in the national title game.

Ranking the BCS conferences

1. SEC: There's not even a close second. End of discussion.

2. PAC-10: Others will argue, but the pack behind USC keeps getting better.

3. BIG TEN: The league's top three teams (Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State) all are elite.

4. ACC: League could jump up if Florida State and Miami rediscover their swagger.

5. BIG EAST: Sure, it's top-heavy, But West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers are very good programs.

6. BIG 12: Conference needs to develop its depth behind powers Texas and Oklahoma.

10 must-see games

If you love college football, then you definitely will want to park yourself on the couch for these games:

1. Tennessee at Cal (Sept. 1): Not a bad way to kick off a season.

2. Virginia Tech at LSU (Sept. 8): Potential matchup between Top 10 teams in Week 2.

3. Miami (Fla.) at Oklahoma (Sept. 8): If only Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer were still prowling the sidelines.

4. USC At Nebraska (Sept. 15): Lincoln will be crazy, but the Trojans won't be easily rattled.

5. Florida State at LSU (Oct. 6) Tough test for national champion Gators, who return only two starters on defense.

6. Oklahoma vs. Texas (at Dallas, Oct. 6): Stakes are always high in the Red River Shootout.

7. Louisville at West Virginia (Nov. 8): The Big East title and possible BCS title game could be on the line.

8. Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 17): Will the Wolverines finally beat Ohio State?

9. Alabama at Auburn (Nov. 24): Iron Bowl doesn't need more hype, but here comes Nick Saban.

10. UCLA at USC (Dec. 1): Bruins shocked USC last season; can they do it again?

Chip Scoggins • ascoggins@startribune.com