Around the NCAA Football Landscape
Due to paid work commitments, my NCAA preview did not get done before the start of the season as in the past so this year I'm just doing a quick look around the conferences and making my picks....
Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Division
Pretty much...the winner of the September 22 tilt between Clemson and Florida State should advance to the ACC Championship Game.
Clemson finishes the season with three consecutive home games with the finale against South Carolina. The Tigers also welcome Virginia Tech to Death Valley in November in what could be an ACC Championship game preview.
Florida State travels to Miami and Virginia Tech for tough conference games and face a tricky South Florida squad on the road. The Seminoles are making a run for the BCS title this season barring a slip. They finish the season against a Florida team that would love to spoil their season.
Among the remaining teams in this division, NC State looks to be the only other team that will get a bowl bid.
Coastal Division
Virginia Tech took an early lead in this division with their win over Georgia Tech but Miami and Virginia could be spoilers. From late October, the Hokies face tests on the road at Clemson and Miami before hosting Florida State. The Hokies are young on offense but their defense will keep them in most games.
From the Coastal side of things, Ga Tech, Virginia and Miami should go bowling.
Conference Champions: Florida State
Big 12
West Virginia and TCU enter to replace Missouri and Texas A&M giving the conference a new look for the 2012 season.
Surprisingly, West Virginia could emerge as the conference's National Title contender. The Mountaineers have the offensive fire power but will need their defense to hold up. The key to their season will be a four game stretch where they host Kansas State and TCU, visit Oklahoma State, then host Oklahoma.
Landry Jones returns to Oklahoma but again the Sooners may not live up to their pre-season ranking.
Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas and Baylor should get bowl berths of some description. TCU may join the bunch but will need a win or two from the brutal season ending stretch of games against Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma.
Conference Champion: West Virginia
Big East Conference
Although the conference may send 3-4 teams to bowls this year and has a BCS spot, there are no real national contenders to be found.
Newcomers Temple will find the going tougher while the BCS bid will most likely go to either Cincinnati or Louisville.
South Florida could be a spoiler and Rutgers may also go bowling.
Conference Champion: Louisville
Big Ten
The conference suffered a bruising first week after Michigan was thrashed, Wisconsin received a scare Michigan State was tested and Iowa escaped narrowly. Overall the conference race will come down to Michigan State/Wisconsin again.
Legends Division
Michigan State will once again be favoured to take the division title though Nebraska and Michigan are supposedly better this year.
Northwestern and Iowa are likely bowl participants but not much more.
Leaders Division
Wisconsin once again figure to take this division easily. Ohio State is retooling under Urban Meyer while Penn State is in flux. Illinois may sneak in for a bowl bid but not much more.
Conference Champion: Wisconsin
Conference USA
Not a lot known about this conference, Houston will not make a run this year, Southern Miss had a tough loss to open the season and the rest of the conference is full of question marks.
The above being said, Central Florida, Tusla, SMU, Southern Miss, Marshall and East Carolina are the contenders.
Conference Champion: Central Florida
Mid American Conference
UMass moves into the spot vacated by Temple in the MAC this year in the competitive conference where Ohio and Northern Illinois again look to be top dogs. Toledo and Western Michigan could go bowling again this season along with Ball State.
Conference Champion: Northern Illinois
Mountain West
Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii join the MWC this season with the departure of TCU to the Big 12.
Boise State will be as tough as ever but look to Nevada as the possible BCS Buster this season. Air Force should be the best Armed Forces team in the country and will go bowling along with San Diego State.
Conference Champion: Nevada
PAC 12
The USC Trojans return to the national spotlight this season and are looking to make a big splash.
North Division
Overall, this division will be more competitive than things in the southern part of the conference. Oregon again looks to be ahead of the other teams with questions to be answered at Stanford and inconsistency at Washington.
Division Champ: Oregon
South Division
USC is way ahead of the rest in this division, UCLA looks better but Arizona and Arizona open with uncertainty at the quarterback position.
The Trojans are a solid chance to play for the BCS title come January.
Division Champ: USC
Conference Champion: USC
The SEC
The conference has pretty much been Championship Central over the last decade but this season someone from outside of the conference may slide in. There may be more losses for top teams this year purely due to "in fighting". The Conference also welcomes Texas A&M and Missouri into the fold. The newcomers could test a few teams but overall will not challenge just yet.
East Division
In this side of the conference, Georgia has lucked out and will not play Alabama, LSU or Arkansas. Expect the Bulldogs or South Carolina to advance from this side. Florida and Missouri should also get bonus games at the end of the season
Division Champ: Georgia
West Division
Defending National Champions Alabama is off to a good start but may find the going tough in games with LSU and Arkansas. All three teams should figure in the BCS picture.
LSU has a few voids to fill while Arkansas will be able to score with anyone. Among the rest of the division, Texas A&M and Mississippi State could be in for bowl bids.
Division Champ: Alabama
Sun Belt Conference
There will again be four teams from the conference to go bowling, none will make a splash on the national scene though. Look for Florida Atlantic, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State to be the cream of the crop this season.
Conference Champions: Western Kentucky
The WAC
The departure of Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada has left the conference weaker overall although Utah State could emerge as top dog. Louisiana Tech may be the olnly other bowl team from the conference.
Conference Champion: Utah State
Independents
Notre Dame and Brigham Young should get bowl bids on reputation alone but neither figures into the BCS picture. Navy and Army are hoping to improve this season and return to bowl action.
Chuck's Top 10
USC
Florida State
Alabama
LSU
Arkansas
Wisconsin
Oregon
Michigan State
Georgia
Oklahoma
BCS Title Match
USC vs Wisconsin
National Champs
USC Trojans
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