How They'll Fare

Here is a look at the BCS conferences, with predicted orders of finish and analysis from N&O staff writer J.P. Giglio, a voter in The Associated Press weekly poll.

BIG EAST

1. West Virginia

2. South Florida

3. Pitt

4. Rutgers

5. Cincinnati

6. UConn

7. Louisville

8. Syracuse

ANALYSIS: The Mountaineers lose coach Rich Rodriguez and RB Steve Slaton but return QB Pat White and Slaton's replacement, Noel Devine. In the short term, WVU will miss change-of-pace fullback Owen Schmitt more than Rodriguez, who ruined an otherwise storybook stay on the Country Roads by blowing a spot in the national title game with a home loss to Pitt in the season-finale and then bolting for Michigan.

USF, and underrated QB Matt Grothe, got a nosebleed after starting 6-0 and reaching No. 2 in the national rankings. If the 17 returning starters can learn from the 3-4 finish, the Bulls can unseat WVU as Big East champs.

The Big East writers like Pitt, on the strength of its WVU upset, but the Panthers are going to have to bring the fastball to finish in front of competitive teams at Rutgers, Cincinnati and UConn.

BIG TEN

1. Ohio State

2. Wisconsin

3. Penn State

4. Illinois

5. Michigan State

6. Michigan

7. Iowa

8. Purdue

9. Northwestern

10. Indiana

11. Minnesota

ANALYSIS: While Lloyd Carr was sleepwalking and Joe Paterno was warding off ESPN "witch hunts," the Big Ten turned into Ohio State and the Little Ten. The Buckeyes, 22-2 since 2004 against the conference, should win the league again but will have a tougher time because of road trips to Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois.

The Illini, who must replace RB Rashard Mendenhall (1,681 yards, 17 TDs), beat Ohio State last season and should be formidable again behind QB Juice Williams.

Penn State, with 18 returning starters and a new QB to run the spread-option, should push Illinois and Wisconsin for second place.

Michigan State is on the rise with former OSU assistant Mark Dantonio in his second season and a sharp senior at QB in Brian Hoyer.

Minnesota, coached by former UNC assistant Tim Brewster (the head coach) and former Duke coach Ted Roof (the defensive coordinator) will try to turn around a team that plummeted to 1-11 in 2007.

BIG 12

NORTH

1. Missouri

2. Kansas

3. Nebraska

4. Colorado

5. Kansas State

6. Iowa State

SOUTH

1. Oklahoma

2. Texas

3. Texas Tech

4. Oklahoma State

5. Texas A&M

6. Baylor

ANALYSIS: The Big 12 has come a long way from the first half of this decade when Oklahoma and Texas treated the rest of the conference like mushrooms. The Sooners, with budding star QB Sam Bradford, are still the class of the conference, but Kansas, Missouri and Texas Tech all have top-10 potential.

The Tigers are thinking national title after last year's 12-2 run and the return of Heisman finalist QB Chase Daniel (4,306 yards and 33 TDs). They have to put their work boots on to win the North, with Kansas, 12-1 in 2007, primed for another explosive season, and Nebraska renewed under the leadership of first-year coach Bo Pelini.

Mike Sherman (Texas A&M) and Art Briles (Baylor) join Pelini as the league's rookie coaches. They are both older than Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, who turned 41 but is, nevertheless, still a man.

PAC-10

1. USC

2. Arizona State

3. Oregon

4. California

5. UCLA

6. Oregon State

7. Arizona

8. Washington

9. Stanford

10. Washington State

ANALYSIS: Injuries, specifically at quarterback, ruined what should have been a banner season for the Pac-10 in 2007. Oregon, not conference bully USC, was on track for the BCS title game before Dennis Dixon blew out his knee.