With the release of the 2008 StatFox Edge Football Annual right around the corner, we figured it would be a good way to enhance anticipation by giving you a taste of content from the publication. This is the StatFox/CPFN College Football Preseason Top 25, as compiled by Bill Doherty. Read on as he goes through the top teams one by one, analyzing their strengths, weakness and more. Then be sure to visit the StatFox Store and preorder your copy of the Edge so that you’re address is on the list for the first shipment out!

After being beaten like a piñata at a five year-old’s birthday party in back-to-back national title games by Florida and LSU, Ohio State is ready to hit back in 2008. That’s right, our choice to be holding the crystal football-shaped trophy aloft come early January is Ohio State.

Don’t snicker, SEC fans. With nine starters back on both offense and defense and with an enormous chip on their shoulders after the two straight BCS title game disappointments, head coach JimTressel’s squad is littered with experience and talent, both key ingredients for a title run.

The offense, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Chris Wells at tailback, will score points in bushels. Wells will run behind a beefy and talented offensive line—led by stud senior left tackle Alex Boone (6-8, 312) and senior left guard Steve Rehring (6-7, 345), both future pros. If opponents load the box to slow down Wells, then senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, the Big Ten’s passing efficiency leader, will make them pay by throwing to Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline.

Despite losing playmaking defensive end Vernon Gholston (the sixth overall pick in the NFL draft), Ohio State’s defense could be more dominant than the unit that was No.1 in the nation in scoring defense (allowing 12.7 points per game) last season. The Buckeyes have future first-round draft picks at every level of their defense in end Cameron Heyward, two-time All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins.

1.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

2007 RECORD: 11-2 SU, 7-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big Ten HEAD COACH: Jim Tressel - 8th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 9, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : Besides one of the nation’s best coaches in Tressel, the Buckeyes have 18 starters back—including five probable 2009 first-round draft picks in Wells, Laurinaitis, Jenkins, Boone and Robiskie.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : There are doubts about whether Ohio State has the foot speed to beat elite out-of-conference foes after losing back-to-back BCS title games to Florida and LSU.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at USC, Sept. 13. This game will either cause more talk about the Buckeyes’ inability to beat out-of-conference heavyweights or it will silence Ohio State’s critics. Our guess? With USC breaking in a new starting quarterback and six other new offensive starters, Ohio State will win this early season clash of the titans—stamping itself as the team to beat and Wells as the man to beat in the Heisman Trophy race.

2.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

2007 RECORD: 11-2 SU, 8-4 ATS
CONFERENCE: SEC HEAD COACH: Mark Richt - 8th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Mark Richt welcomes back 17 starters, making the Bulldogs a popular pick to become the third straight national champ fromthe SEC. Tailback Knowshon Moreno (1,344 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns in 2007) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (2,523 yards, 19 touchdown passes) lead a potent offense, while linebacker Danell Ellerbe (93 tackles) and defensive tackle Geno Atkins (7.5 sacks) pace a tough-to-block front seven.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : As talented as the Bulldogs are—and they are talented—can they survive their Bataan DeathMarch-like schedule with only one loss? The slate includes a neutral site game versus Florida in Jacksonville and road tilts versus Arizona State, LSU and Auburn.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Florida, Nov. 1. “TheWorld’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” figures to have lots on the line (the SEC East title, a spot in the SEC title game and possibly the inside track to the BCS title game).

3.

USC TROJANS

2007 RECORD: 11-2 SU, 7-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: Pac 10 HEAD COACH: Pete Carroll - 8th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 4, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Pete Carroll is 76-14 at USC (.844 winning percentage). His teams have won 11 games six years in a row and have been ranked in the top four in the polls in each of those seasons. Think about that for a minute. His defense returns seven starters and is chock-full of future pros such as safety Taylor Mays and linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: :Will new No. 1 quarterback Mark Sanchez, a guy that literally every program in the land wanted coming out of high school, be ready to rock early in the year when Ohio State comes to visit? If the answer is “yes”, then the Trojans have the horses to make another BCS title game.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Ohio State, Sept. 13. After back-to-back losses in the BCS title game, Tressel’s bunch will come to Southern California with something to prove. The winner of this game will likely be elevated to No. 1 in the polls, a perch that either team could hold for quite a while.

4.

MISSOURI TIGERS

2007 RECORD: 12-2 SU, 10-3 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big 12 HEAD COACH: Gary Pinkel - 8th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 6, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : Quarterback Chase Daniel (4,306 yards, 33 touchdown passes) and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (80 receptions, 1,055 yards, nine touchdowns) will put up all-world numbers for the Tigers, who also return 10 starters on defense.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : The Tigers were hoping to get running back Tony Temple back for a final season but he dropped his appeal in late January and turned pro. Speedy sophomore Derrick Washington looked ready to fill his cleats in spring ball, but how will he fare against live bullets?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Illinois, Aug. 30. If Missouri beats Illinois in its cleverly titled Arch Rivalry opener in St. Louis, the Tigers will probably be 6-0 when they go to Texas on Oct. 18.

5.

FLORIDA GATORS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 8-4 ATS
CONFERENCE: SEC HEAD COACH: Urban Meyer - 4th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 8
STRENGTHS: : The Gators return the Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Tebow), one of the nation’s most explosive players (wide receiver Percy Harvin) and to that mix have added running backs Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody, a transfer from Southern Cal. They’ll score points against everyone on their schedule.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Head coach Urban Meyer’s defense was shredded late last season by Georgia and Michigan. It will need to raise its game considerably if it wants to raise the crystal trophy at season’s end.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Georgia, Nov. 1. If Florida’s defense improves—and the pass rushing clinic that sophomore end Carlos Dunlap put on during spring ball makes that more likely—then this game will be epic.

6.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

2007 RECORD: 11-3 SU, 7-7 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big 12 HEAD COACH: Bob Stoops - 10th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 6, DEFENSE - 4
STRENGTHS: : Quarterback Sam Bradford (3,121 yards, 36 touchdowns) is a big-time quarterback and tailback DeMarco Murray (764 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) is the next great tailback off the conveyer belt in Norman.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Head coach Bob Stoops’ defense only has six starters back. Sure, there’s some proven playmakers, such as quarterback harasser Auston English (9.5 sacks), but is the secondary good enough to stop Texas and perhapsMissouri in the Big 12 title game?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Texas, Oct. 13. There are no scary games on the non-conference schedule so if the Sooners beat Texas they could be undefeated when they play in the Big 12 championship game versus Missouri on Dec. 6.

7.

CLEMSON TIGERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 6-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: ACC HEAD COACH: Tommy Bowden - 10th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 8
STRENGTHS: : No team in America has better skill players than the Tigers. With running backs James Davis (1,064 yards rushing), C.J. Spiller (768), quarterback Cullen Harper (27 touchdowns), and wide receiver Aaron Kelly (88 catches, 1,081 yards) and the makings of a stout defense, the Tigers look like a lock to win their first ACC title since 1991.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: :We, at Football Action, were tempted to pick the Tigers higher, but their offensive line has some holes—ones that need to get filled in order for Clemson to fulfill its tremendous promise.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Alabama, Aug, 30 at the Georgia Dome. Head coach Nick Saban is one of the best X-and-O men in the business. He’ll find ways to test the Tigers offensive line—a unit that might start a couple of freshmen—in what could be a tough opener.

8.

WISCONSIN BADGERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 4-8 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big Ten HEAD COACH: Bret Bielema - 3rd year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 8, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : The Badgers have all the ingredients that you’ve come to expect from a Wisconsin offense—a deep pool of runners (led by bruiser P.J. Hill), a terrific offensive line as Kraig Urbik, Eric Vanden Heuvel, Andy Kemp and Gabe Carimi are all battle-tested, proven commodities. Plus, Madison, Wisconsin is home to one of the nation’s finest tight ends in Travis Beckum (75 receptions, 982 yards).

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : With 17 returning starters, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema has the horses to be a top 10 fixture in the polls. That’s right, for a third straight season, Wisconsin will have a new quarterback. The question: Will it be senior Allan Evridge, a Kansas State transfer who saw some playing time last year, or junior Dustin Scherer?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Ohio State, Oct. 4. This is likely the Game of the Year in the Big Ten, so the Badgers are fortunate to have this one on their home turf.

9.

W VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

2007 RECORD: 11-2 SU, 7-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big East HEAD COACH: Bill Stewart - 1st year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 8, DEFENSE - 4
STRENGTHS: : Sure, Rich Rodriguez (Michigan) is gone, but option ace Pat White is back to terrorize opposing defenses with his feet and his arm. Tailback Noel Devine is a blurwith the ball in his hands and is ready to take over for Steve Slaton as the Mountaineers’ feature back. Toss in a speedy defense and an accurate kicker, Pat McAfee, and West Virginia is the team to beat in the Big East.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Is first-year head coach Bill Stewart going to be able to effectively replace Rodriguez, who in addition to his coaching prowess gave this program an unmistakable swagger?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Auburn, Oct. 23. This Thursday night ESPN game starts a tough closing stretch of tests for the Mountaineers, including a November that includes trips to Connecticut, Louisville and Pittsburgh.

10.

AUBURN TIGERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 7-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: SEC HEAD COACH: Tommy Tuberville - 10th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 8, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : He’s the second-most written about coach in his own state (behind Alabama’s Saban), but there’s not a better football head coach in the country than Tommy Tuberville. His spread offense should be tough to defend. After all, he has two quarterbacks (Kodi Burns and Chris Todd) capable of running it and has a deep stable of tailbacks. Auburn’s defense returns seven starters, including budding star linebacker Tray Blackmon, tackle Sen’DerrickMarks, end Antonio Coleman, and defensive backs Jerraud Powers and Aairon Savage.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : The Tigers have two new coordinators, a new offense and a tough schedule. But with LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia all coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn could be the surprise team in the SEC.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. LSU, Sept. 20. The defending national champs will provide a great early season litmus test for new coordinator Tony Franklin’s spread offense.

11.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

2007 RECORD: 10-3 SU, 7-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big 12 HEAD COACH: Mack Brown - 11th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 6, DEFENSE - 4
STRENGTHS: : As usual, Texas has loads of Grade-A beef in both trenches, including All-American candidates in senior defensive end Brian Orakpo, offensive guard Cedric Dockery and center Chris Hall. After a sophomore swoon, quarterback ColtMcCoy has weapons to play with, including a pair of gifted wideouts in Quan Cosby and Brandon Collins.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Can McCoy regain his freshman form and can Vondrell McGee, who looked awesome in spring drills, replace Jamaal Charles at tailback?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 11. The annual Red River Rivalry game is the first half of two killer games in two weeks as the Longhorns host Missouri the following Saturday.

12.

BYU COUGARS

2007 RECORD: 11-2 SU, 6-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: Mountain West HEAD COACH: Bronco Mendenhall - 4th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 10, DEFENSE - 5
STRENGTHS: : The Cougars have won 11 games in each of the past two seasons and have the look of this year’s BCS buster. With 10 returning starters, BYU’s offense, led by junior quarterback Max Hall (3,848 passing yards), sophomore tailback Harvey Unga (1,227 rushing yards) and receiver Austin Collie, will be downright potent.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : BYU has never been synonymous with defense. With only three starters back fromlast year’s unit (led by end Jan Jorgensen, who had 14 sacks), players such as junior linebacker Matt Bauman will need to mature quickly for the stop unit to have enough bite.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: atWashington, Sept. 6. After opening up with Northern Iowa, the Cougars will take a step up in class when they travel to Seattle to take on Washington. Win that one and their next game versus UCLA and BYU will be in position to be this year’s version of Hawaii from 2007.

13.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 6-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big 12 HEAD COACH: Mike Leach - 9th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 10, DEFENSE - 8
STRENGTHS: : With quarterback Graham Harrell (5,298 yards, 45 touchdowns) and wide receiver Michael Crabtree (125 catches, 1,861 yards) returning, there’s no question that the Red Raiders are going to put up a lot of yards and a lot of points.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: :What we don’t know is whether or not they’ll be able to play defense well enough to beat Texas or Oklahoma. Junior-college transfer McKinner Dixon, who starred at Texas Tech back in 2005, could turn the defensive line from a weakness to a strength.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Kansas, Oct. 25. This is the first of tough back-to-back games for the Red Raiders, who host Texas the following Saturday. That two-game stretch will determine Tech’s fate this season.

14.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 7-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big Ten HEAD COACH: Ron Zook - 4th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 6
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Ron Zook must replace all-everything tailback Rashard Mendenhall and tackling demon J Leman, but his two deep has future NFL millionaires on it such as home run-hitting wide receiver Arrelious Benn (1,114 all-purpose yards), junior cornerback Vontae Davis (76 tackles, four interceptions) and senior defensive end Will Davis (9.5 sacks).

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Gone to NFLmillions is Mendenhall, who rushed for 1,681 yards last year and ended up being the first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Replacing him won’t be easy. Junior Daniel Dufrene has the most experience, but a quartet of young pups—redshirt freshmen Darius Purcell (a converted safety) and Troy Pollard along with true freshmen Mikel LeShoure and Jason Ford—bear watching.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs.Missouri, Aug. 30. Stopping Missouri’s pass-catch combo of Daniel and Maclin will be quite a challenge in the opener. Get through that one and the Fighting Illini will be truly special for a second straight year.

15.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

2007 RECORD: 10-4 SU, 8-4 ATS
CONFERENCE: SEC HEAD COACH: Phil Fullmer - 17th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 8, DEFENSE - 6
STRENGTHS: : With one of the SEC’s best tailbacks in Arian Foster (1,193 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns) and one of its top receivers in Lucas Taylor (73 receptions), Tennessee has enough go-to players to make quarterback Jonathan Crompton’s transition to the lineup a smooth one. Most of the offensive line is back after allowing an NCAA-low four sacks last year. Plus, everyone is talking about Georgia and Florida and head coach Phil Fulmer’s squad in the Home Depot-colored uniforms always seems to be at its best when it’s flying under the radar.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Crompton has big shoes to fill and must do so against a murderous schedule. Plus, the Vols’ coaching staff has lots of new blood and with that change often comes some growing pains.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Florida, Sept, 20. An intriguing matchup—for a number of reasons (i.e. Tennessee’s superb safety duo of Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley versus Florida’s Tebow-led offense), Foster versus Florida’s questionable run defense.

16.

ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

2007 RECORD: 10-3 SU, 6-7 ATS
CONFERENCE: Pac 10 HEAD COACH: Dennis Erickson - 2nd year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : Quarterback Rudy Carpenter completed 246 of 398 passes for 3,202 yards and 25 touchdowns as the Sun Devils averaged 32 points per game. He is second in school history with 65 touchdown passes. The Sun Devils’ attack-style defense has proven playmakers in safety Troy Nolan and bookend ends Luis Vasquez and Dexter Davis, who combined for 15 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. Plus, head coach Dennis Erickson wins no matter what college campus he’s working on.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Arizona State allowed a school-record 55 sacks last season and it has four new offensive line starters. Keeping Carpenter upright and healthy is the team’s biggest worry right now.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Georgia, Sept, 20. A home game agianst arguably the nation’s most talented team will tell us a great deal about the Sun Devils—and their rebuilt offensive line.

17.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

2007 RECORD: 5-7 SU, 6-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big East HEAD COACH: Dave Wannstedt - 4th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 8, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : Seventeen starters are back for the Panthers. Middle linebacker Scott McKillop is among the best in the country—as is tailback LeSean McCoy. Jason Pinkston and Robb Houser will solidify the offensive line. Derek Kinder will give the starting quarterback a wide receiver with NFL potential. Gus Mustakas ranks among the best defensive tackles in the country, while end Doug Fullmer will rejoin a line that is flush with outstanding players.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Quarterback remains a question, with Bill Stull and junior-college import Greg Cross likely to get the most playing time. But Pitt doesn’t need excellence, only competence, at quarterback with the brilliant McCoy in the backfield.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Iowa, Sept. 20. A battle of teams that many believe could make the leap from subpar 2007 campaigns to eight- or nine-win bowl seasons. The winner, of course, will have a leg up on making that happen.

18.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

2007 RECORD: 12-1 SU, 11-1 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big 12 HEAD COACH: Mark Mangino - 7th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 6, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Mark Mangino has made football relevant again in this hoops crazy state, going 12-1 last season. And there are enough pieces still in place—namely, a Flutie-sized quarterback in Todd Reesling, who posts big-time numbers as well as a defense that returns nine starters—for a nice encore in 2008.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : With 2007 All-America tackle Anthony Collins now in the play-for-pay ranks, the offensive line—other than stud center Ryan Cantrell—is clearly a work in progress as Reesling spent a lot of the spring running for his life. They’ll need to jell quickly for the Jayhawks to earn a top-tier bowl berth again.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: After a cupcake-filled early schedule (the lone exception being a Sept. 12 trip to South Florida), the Jayhawks face the varsity when they travel to Norman, Oklahoma. They’ll know after that game if their re-tooled offensive line has leaks in it.

19.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 9-4 ATS
CONFERENCE: ACC HEAD COACH: Jim Grobe - 8th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 5, DEFENSE - 9
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Jim Grobe is like a steady blue-chip stock, giving nothing but solid returns. If the Demon Deacons can find a playmaker to replace wide receiver Kenny Moore, they are going to shock some people for the third straight year. Wake Forest has a veteran quarterback in Riley Skinner (72.4 percent completion) and the nation’s best placekicker in Sam Swank.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : The loss of Chris DeGeare to academic problemsmakes the offensive line thinner than expected. Joe Birdsong and Jeff Griffin, who each started six games at tackle in 2007, and guard Barrett McMillin are the only returning starters up front.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Florida State, Sept. 20. The Demon Deacons have to play Florida State on the road in what will be a key early season barometer for this squad. Win that one and the Deacons will be a force in the ACC, because they get to play division contenders Clemson and Boston College both at home.

20.

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 7-5 ATS
CONFERENCE: WAC HEAD COACH: Pat Hill - 12th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 10, DEFENSE - 6
STRENGTHS: : Head coach Pat Hill’s program is the class of the WAC in 2008. Tom Brandstater is the best quarterback you’ve never heard of and the team has tons of weapons, including tight end Bear Pascoe, tailback Ryan Matthews and return ace A. J. Jefferson, who led the NCAA in kick-return average last season as a sophomore.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Hill likes to test his club against top-flight, out-of-conference foes and this year is no different as Wisconsin, UCLA and Kansas State are on the docket. That makes running the table, which WAC teams need to do in order to crash the BCS party, nearly impossible.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Wisconsin, Sept. 13. If Hill wants to put the 2008 edition of his team on the radar of pollsters, then a win at Camp Randall would help. Of course, that will be easier said than done.

21.

LSU TIGERS

2007 RECORD: 12-2 SU, 5-7 ATS
CONFERENCE: SEC HEAD COACH: Les Miles - 4th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 5
STRENGTHS: : While most of the talk about the defending national champs is about the players who aren’t there anymore—ranging fromdefensive tackle Glenn Dorsey to pilemoving runner Jacob Hester to gifted, but problem child quarterback Ryan Perrilloux—there still is plenty of talent in Baton Rouge. Wide receivers Brandon LeFell and Demetrius Byrd combined to catch 85 balls for 1,277 yards and 11 scores. Plus, the front seven will still be stout with the likes of Tyson Jackson and Darry Beckwith.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : With Perrilloux’s dismissal from the team, the Tigers have no real game experience under center. In a loaded league like the SEC—and with a target on their backs after winning the whole enchilada last season—that will result in a rather significant drop in the polls this fall.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Auburn, Sept 20. Talk about a tough SEC opener for head coach Les Miles, who is a dead ringer for actor Kurt Russell. Of course, the Tigers’ schedule is filled with a number of stiff tests,most notably this wicked three-game stretch: at Florida (Oct. 11), at South Carolina (Oct. 18) and versus Georgia (Oct. 25).

22.

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 6-7 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big Ten HEAD COACH: Joe Paterno - 43rd year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : Senior wide receiver Derrick Williams, a three-year starter, totaled 1,121 all-purpose yards last season and led the Nittany Lions with 55 receptions. Sophomore Evan Royster (513 rushing yards, five touchdowns) is the team’s starting tailback, but Royster’s backup, redshirt freshman Stephfon Green, stole the show in spring ball with game-breaking speed (4.25 in the 40). The defensive line is deep and talented and Anthony Scirrotto is a ball-hawking safety.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Three big questions surround this program: 1.) the contract situation of 81-year-old head coaching icon Joe Paterno; 2.) the quarterback situation as neither Darryl Clark nor Pat Devlin have much game experience; and 3.) the linebacking corps after the season-ending injury suffered by All-American candidate Sean Lee during spring drills.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: vs. Oregon State, Sept. 6. Two teams hoping to make some noise nationally will meet on the first Saturday in September in State College.

23.

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

2007 RECORD: 11-3 SU, 7-6 ATS
CONFERENCE: ACC HEAD COACH: Frank Beamer - 22nd year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 6, DEFENSE - 4
STRENGTHS: : Because it worked so well for Frank Beamer late last season, quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will likely rotate again this fall. Glennon is the more accurate thrower, while Taylor is a blur with the ball in his hands. Four offensive line starters are back: left tackle Ed Wang (moved from the right side), guard Nick Marshman, center Ryan Shuman and guard Sergio Render. And of course, special teams—a staple of “Beamer Ball”—will be excellent, as always.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Receiver remains Tech’s biggest question mark. Just two guys on its roster have caught passes in a regular-season game. Tailback is a worry now too, following Branden Ore’s dismissal from the team.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at North Carolina, Sept. 20. Butch Davis’ Tar Heels are a popular darkhorse pick in the ACC, so the Hokies—who open at home versus Furman and Georgia Tech—will be able to road test their new tailback and re-tooled stop unit.

24.

OREGON STATE BEAVERS

2007 RECORD: 9-4 SU, 8-4 ATS
CONFERENCE: Pac 10 HEAD COACH: Mike Riley - 6th year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 9, DEFENSE - 3
STRENGTHS: : Head coachMike Riley’s squad has some dangerous weapons for opposing defensive coordinators to deal with, including wideouts Sammie Stroughter and James Rodgers as well as tailback Ryan McCant. The offensive line returns three starters, led by future pro Jeremy Perry (6-2, 334) at one of the guard spots.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : The Beavers were No. 1 in the nation in run defense, but the line lost seven lettermen who accounted for 90 combined career starts. That’s a lot of experience to replace. Juniors Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao both started games at quarterback last season, but who will win the No. 1 job this fall?

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Penn State, Sept. 6. The cross-country trip to face the Nittany Lions will be the first of eight 2007 bowl teams that the Beavers face this fall.

25.

CINCINNATI BEARCATS

2007 RECORD: 10-3 SU, 8-3 ATS
CONFERENCE: Big East HEAD COACH: Brian Kelly - 2nd year
RETURNING STARTERS: OFFENSE - 7, DEFENSE - 7
STRENGTHS: : Surprised? Don’t be, because Cincinnati returns 16 starters and 44 letterwinners from the 2007 squad that proved to be one of the most successful in the school’s history. Cincinnati earned its first appearance in the final Associated Press Poll finishing the year at No. 17 after winning 10 games for the first time since 1951 and capping the year with a 31-21 victory in the Papajohns.com Bowl. Receivers Dominic Goodman and Marcus Barnett are big-time players and head coach Brian Kelly is a rising star in the business.

NAGGING QUESTIONS: : Quarterback Ben Mauk’s petition for a sixth year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA, so senior Dustin Grutza and Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones are battling to replace him under center. The tailback race is wide open, too.

MAKE OR BREAK GAME: at Oklahoma, Sept. 6. After opening with Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 28, the Bearcats will see if they can take a punch when they travel to Norman take on a heavyweight in the Sooners.