College Football Preview: 4. Iowa Hawkeyes(Updated)

Iowa Hawkeyes, Number Four, Key Loss: OT Bryan Bulaga
It was an interesting season for Iowa last year. After getting to an undefeated mark the Hawkeyes faltered only to come back and beat Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi returns who is a strong passer but has too cut down on his high turnover numbers. Luckily for Stanzi he has one of the better Big Ten pass catchers in Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, an All Conference Selection who also helps the Hawkeyes on special teams. The ground game will likely be a trio of three backs in Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher and Jewel Hampton. The O-Line lost Bulaga but it still returns a few starters. On defense, the line returns four starters including all Big 10 end Adrian Clayborn who uses his footwork too get into backfields. The linebacker core is coming off loses including Pat Angerer. Though the secondary is the strenght of the defense. Amari Speivey is gone but cornerback Shaun Prater returns and All Conference Selections Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood come back both hard hitters. On special teams, both kicker Daniel Murray and punter Ryan Donahue.

Heisman Hopeful: Ricky Stanzi
Other Notable Players: Tyler Sash
Key Games: Oct. 23 vs. Wisconsin Quick Pick: Can the Hawkeyes secondary shut down underrated QB Scott Tolzien and John Clay? Iowa wins.
Nov. 20 vs. Ohio State Quick Pick: Terrelle Pryor goes up against Sash and the Heisman Hopeful hopes to get some last minute votes.

College Football Preview: A Sneak Inside. . . The Big 12

Big 12 Top Teams 1. Texas 2. Nebraska 3. Oklahoma 4. Missouri 5. Texas Tech 6. Texas A&M
Top Stars At Each Position
Quarterback's
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
Robert Griffin, Baylor
Garrett Gilbert, Texas
Running back's
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
Baron Batch, Texas Tech
Roy Helu, Nebraska
Wide Receiver's/Tight End
James Kirkendoll, Texas
Malcolm Williams, Texas
Mike McNeill, Nebraska
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
Offensive Linemen
Chris Olson, Texas Tech
Marcel Jones, Nebraska
Defensive Front Seven
Von Miller, Texas A&M
Brian Duncan, Texas Tech
Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma
Jared Crick, Nebraska
Aldon Smith, Missouri
Defensive Back
Aaron Williams, Texas
Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
Trent Hunter, Texas A&M
Inside Look: Even losing Colt McCoy, Sergio Kindle and Jordan Shipley Texas is still the best team in the Big 12 with Garrett Gilbert. Ndamukong Suh left Nebraska but the D-Line is still loaded with Jared Crick and cornerback Prince Amukamara in the secondary. A very tough 2010 will help Oklahoma this season. Landry Jones will be better in his second season as starter passing to Ryan Broyles and back DeMarco Murray. Missouri now has a quarterback in Blaine Gabbert in his second season as starter. Aldon Smith leads the talented defense. Texas Tech had a strong season last year after losing Michael Crabtree. But this season they will have deal with the loss of offensive linemen Brandon Carter. Luckily they still have Taylor Potts and Baron Batch with Brian Duncan, the end/linebacker. Talented quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who can pass and run for good yardage will lead Texas A&M this season. Back Cyrus Gray will take some pressure off Johnson and the defense is led with prospect Von Miller. Kansas State had a decent season last year and back Daniel Thomas is the senior phenom and should help out the Wildcats very much if he continues the season he had last season. Oklahoma State lost a lot of talent in quarterback Zac Robinson, wide receiver Dez Bryant and tackle Russell Okung and will break in a new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Todd Reesing is gone and things do not look bright for the Kansas Jayhawks. Plus they fired off Mark Mangino and replaced him with Turner Gill who will have a tough time working with new sophomore QB Kale Pick. Baylor did lose some talent but talented quarterback Robert Griffin returns after an injury filled season. Colorado will try to have a strong season before their move to the Pac 10. A Cyclone team won a bowl last season and Iowa State tries to move up the Big 12 even more this season.

College Football Preview: 3. Ohio State Buckeyes (Updated)

Ohio State Buckeyes, Number Three, Key Loss: SS Kurt Coleman
There is good reason why fans are excited about Ohio State this season. Junior Terrelle Pryor returns with his second season as starter and is many's preseason favorite for Heisman. His options are good too with returning starters DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher. The ground game will take some pressure off him. Brandon Saine, an All Conference Selection, will get the job at tailback and can also come out of the backfield to catch passes. Daniel Herron will challenge him for carries with Saine. On the offensive line, All Big Ten guard Justin Boren returns and will keep opposing defenses out of the backfield. On defense, Cameron Heyward leads the line after the Buckeyes lost DE-LB Thaddeus Gibson. Heyward, a senior All Conference Selection, will use his frame to beat O-Lines. The linebacker core is good also. Ross Homan, an All Conference Selection is the main threat in the middle along with small but talented Brian Rolle. In the secondary, the Buckeyes lost Kurt Coleman but still returns three other starters.

Heisman Hopeful: Terrelle Pryor
Other Notable Players: Cameron Heyward
Key Games: Oct. 16 vs. Wisconsin Quick Pick: Can the strong Buckeyes stuff up back John Clay and quarterback Scott Tolzien. Ohio State wins.
Nov. 20 vs. Iowa Quick Pick: The Hawkeyes are great in big games and the strong secondary led by Tyler Sash want to beat up Pryor. Iowa wins.

What are updated posts? Updated posts are more in depth than the posts about top teams that have come up.

College Football Preview: The Best Of the Rest: Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs, Un Ranked, Key Loss: QB Joe Cox
Georgia is one of a number of SEC teams losing key players. Joe Cox isn't necessarily fantastic but was a strong starter. Junior Logan Gray will likely take his place. He has players to pass to. All Conference Selection A.J. Green can beat secondaries with his speed and agility. In the backfield everybody returns with backs Caleb King and Shaun Chapas. The offensive line will help the unexperienced QB's and backs. With All SEC tackle Clint Boling and center Ben Jones opposing defenses will have a tough time getting past this line. On defense, end Justin Houston is the star of the defense breaking through O-Lines. Houston is also an All Conference Selection. Though the rest of the line ia nothing to speak of. The linebacker core returns Daryll Gamble. In the secondary, junior Brandon Boykin returns but again the rest of the backs is pretty weak. On special teams, All SEC kicker Blair Walsh and punter Drew Butler return.

Heisman Hopeful: A.J. Green
Other Notable Players: Justin Houston
Key Games: Oct. 30 vs. Florida Quick Pick: Can the Bulldogs weak defense shut down new quarterback John Brantley? Florida wins.
Nov. 27 vs. Georgia Tech Quick Pick: A huge rivalry game means a ground game battle and both lost big defensive stars. Georgia Tech wins.

College Football Preview: A Sneak Inside. . . The Big 10

Big 10 Top Teams 1. Ohio State 2. Iowa 3. Wisconsin 4. Penn State 5. Michigan 6. Michigan State
Top Stars At Each Position
Quarterback's
Ricky Stanzi, Iowa
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin
Adam Webber, Minnesota
Running back's
Evan Royster, Penn State
Mikel LeShoure, Illinois
Adam Robinson, Iowa
John Clay, Wisconsin
Wide Receiver's/Tight End
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos
DeVier Posey, Ohio State
Keith Smith, Purdue
Tandon Doss, Indiana
Offensive Linemen
Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
John Moffitt, Wisconsin
Stefen Wisiniewski, Penn State
Defensive Front Seven
Greg Jones, Michigan State
Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
Cameron Heyward
Defensive Back
Tyler Sash, Iowa
Drew Astorino, Penn State
Jay Valai, Wisconsin
Inside Look: After throwing Oregon around the field Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor are ready for big years. The defense is loaded with Cameron Heyward and Ross Homan. With a great offense and defense Iowa will be tough to beat. If Ricky Stanzi cuts down on his mistakes the Hawkeyes will challenge the Buckeyes. With bruiser John Clay Wisconsin is looking like the team a few years ago. Quarterback Scott Tolzien is one of the most underrated players in the Big 10. Penn State said good bye to Daryll Clark and Sean Lee but running back Evan Royster returns along with center Stefen Wisiniewski. Rich Rodriguez and Michigan still has to decide whether to start Tate Forcier or speedy Denard Robinson. The defense lost end Brandon Graham but it should be fine. With a strong defense Michigan State is a contender again in the Big 10. Greg Jones can make plays up and down and true freshman William Gholston could make plays. Purdue is my dark horse pick in the Big 10. Robert Mavre, who tranferred from Miami will start at QB passing to guys like Keith Smith and the defense has end Ryan Kerrigan. Pat Fitzgerald's Northwestern squad lost Mike Kafka but can contend if the defense holds up. Indiana has had years of losing and will have a tough time changing that this season. Tandon Doss, a skilled wideout, can also be a star in special teams returning punts and kicks. MinnesotaIllionis struggled last eyar because of the problems quarterback Isiah 'Juice' Williams. Luckily the Illini have Mikel LeShoure, who had a big game in last season's final game against Fresno State.

College Football Preview: A Sneak Inside. . . The Big East

Big East Top Teams 1. Cincinnati 2. Pittsburgh 3. West Virginia 4. Rutgers

Top Stars At Each Position
Quarterback's
Tom Savage, Rutgers
B.J. Daniels, South Florida
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh
Running back's
Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh
Victor Anderson, Louisville
Noel Devine, West Virginia
Jordan Todman, UConn
Wide Receiver's/Tight Ends
Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
Armon Binns, Cincinnati
Brian Guidugli, Cincinnati
Offensive Linemen
Alex Hoffman, Cincinnati
Jason Kelce, Cincinnati
Zach Hurd, UConn
Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
Defensive Front Seven
Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
Lawrence Wilson, UConn
J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati
Greg Lloyd, UConn
J.T. Thomas, West Virginia
Defensive Backs
Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh
Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
Robert Sands, West Virginia
Inside Look: Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard left Cincinnati but new coach Butch Jones can easily replace them with Zach Collaros and Armon Binns. Tino Sunseri will likely take over as quarterback in Pittsburgh but with Dion Lewis the ground game is the main focus. Luckily for West Virginia they have game changer Noel Devine on the ground game now especially with the loss of quarterback Jarrett Brown. Rutgers returns quarterback Tom Savage, who was a big part of Rutgers bowl game win over UCF last year. UConn will play harder with the lost memory of cornerback Jasper Howard in their hearts and luckily have running back Jordan Todman who had five 100+ rushing yard games last season. Longtime QB Matt Grothe is gone after leading South Florida to a contender in the Big East. B.J. Daniels will take over full time after playing in for the injured Grothe last season. Louisville hasn't had a successful season since the times of Brian Brohm and are hoping back Victor Anderson can change that who struggled last year rushing for 473 yards and having various injuries. Syracuse is in a tough spot. The only bright spot was in wide receiver Mike Williams who was dismissed from the team last season and went into the draft. The Orange need back Delone Carter to have any chance in surviving the big East.

College Football Preview: The Best Of the Rest: Stanford Cardinal

Stanford Cardinal, Un Ranked, Key Loss: RB Toby Gerhart
Most of the time teams who loss Heisman runners ups to the NFL draft are left in a mess. Not Stanford. The Cardinal said good bye to Toby Gerhart because they knew they could switch to the passing game with sophomore Andrew Luck. Coach Jim Harbaugh raved about Luck for good reason as along with spectacular passing numbers Luck can bring down the ball and run. Replacing Gerhart as starter will most likely be Tyler Gaffney but Harbaugh will use a three running back style along with sophomore Stepfan Taylor and senior Jeremy Stewart. Full back Owen Marecic is a true talent who can also linebacker. The O-Line is decent with center Chase Beeler, an All Conference Selection. On defense, the line returns three starters in Thomas Keiser, Sione Fua and Chase Thomas. The linebacker core lost some of its luster but returns sophomore Shayne Skov, who was a five star 2009 recruit and played well including 15 tackles in the Sun Bowl vs. Oklahoma. If the secondary plays well the Cardinal will be just fine on defense.

Heisman Hopeful: Andrew Luck
Other Notable Player: Owen Marecic
Key Games: Oct. 9 vs. USC Quick Pick: Sophomores Matt Barkley and Andrew Luck go up against each other but Luck will have a better day. Stanford escapes.
Oct. 30 vs. Washington Quick Pick: Washington could be a surprise contender as the Cardinal defense looks to shut down Jake Locker. Washington wins.

College Football Preview: 2. Alabama Crimson Tide (Updated)

Alabama Crimson Tide, Number Two, Key Loss: LB Rolando McClain
Running back Mark Ingram is the best running back in the game. After the Heisman win it's obvious. But he may have to split carries now with Trent Richardson who could be an above average starter for any other team than Alabama. Greg McElroy is a fantastic quarterback and should be even better in his second season as starter passing to Julio Jones(an All Conference Selection) and returning starter Marquis Maze. The O-Line is pretty strong with All SEC tackle James Carpenter, a senior. On defense, the Crimson Tide lost many big players. Just too name a few: Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson. Luckily they have talented linebacker Dont'a Hightower who's big frame helps him hit opposing running backs hard. Mark Barron also returns in the secondary as the strong safety after an All Conference Selection. On special teams, the Crimson Tide lost punter P.J. Fitzgerald and they have no kicker to speak of.

Heisman Hopeful: Mark Ingram
Other Notable Players: Greg McElroy
Key Games: Oct. 2 vs. Florida Quick Pick: Of course Tebow is gone but Florida is still a top ten game and alway is a good game. Alabama wins.
Sept. 11 vs. Penn State Quick Pick: No Daryll Clark or Sean Lee but Penn State will give 'Bama a non conference challenge. Alabama wins.

College Football Preview: The Best Of the Rest: Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats, Un Ranked, Key Loss: TE Rob Gronkowski
The Wildcats had a surprisingly strong season last year which ended with a blowout loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Quarterback Nick Foles returns with more confidence after a 2,486 passing yards and 19 touchdown season. Back Nic Grigsby returns and should take some of the pressure off Foles. Most of Foles options are back expect for fantastic tight end Rob Gronkowski, including David Douglas and Dealashaun Dean. The O-Line is strong with All Conference Selection center Colin Baxter. On defense, things look bad on the line. Luckily seniors Brooks Reed and Ricky Elmore. The lienbacker core lost many starters making it look weak. Luckily for the Wildcats they have a strong secondary with cornerback Trevin Wade (All Pac 10 Selection). Also Robert Golden returns at the strong safety position. On special teams, both punter Keenyn Crier and kicker Alex Zendejas return.

Heisman Hopeful: Nick Foles
Other Notable Players: Nic Grigsby
Key Games: October 23 vs. Washington Quick Pick: In this Pac 10 war Jake Locker goes up against Nick Foles. Locker has big game and Washington wins.
Oct. 30 vs. UCLA Quick Pick: Bruins Akeem Ayers, linebacker and Rahim Moore, safety look to annoy Foles all game long.

College Football Preview: A Sneak Inside. . . The Pac 10

Pac 10 Top Teams 1. USC 2. Oregon State 3. Oregon 4. Stanford 5. Arizona

Top Stars At Each Position
Quarterback's
Jake Locker, Washington
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Nick Foles, Arizona
Matt Barkley, USC
Running back's
Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
LaMichael James, Oregon
Shane Vereen, California
Tyler Gaffney, Stanford
Wide Receiver's/Tight Ends
James Rodgers, Oregon State
Jeff Maehl, Oregon
Jermaine Kearse, Washington
Offensive Linemen
Colin Baxter, Arizona
Chase Beeler, Stanford
Defensive Front Seven
Shayne Skov, Stanford
Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State
Akeem Ayers, UCLA
Kenny Rowe, Oregon
Jurrell Casey, USC
Stephen Paea, Oregon State
Defensive Backs
Rahim Moore, UCLA
John Boyett, Oregon
Trevin Wade, Arizona
Inside Look: Matt Barkley should improve and help USC in his second season. The defensive line is also strong with Jurrell Casey and Armond Armstead. The Rodgers brothers are killers for teams facing Oregon State. Jacquizz is one of the better running backs in the Pac 10 same goes for receiver James. Jeremiah Masoli is gone but Oregon is still a Pac 10 contender. LaMichael James will be the full starter with Blount gone and should have a big season. Arizona dream season last year will be followed by another strong year with Nick Foles and Nic Grigsby. After losing Toby Gerhart the Stanford squad will be leaning one talented quarterback Andrew Luck but back Tyler Gaffney is decent. With prospect Jake Locker Washington is finally a contender. UCLA knows their top 20 times are over but their defense is strong with fantastic Rahim Moore and Akeem Ayers. California lost Jahvid Best but still has Shane Vereen who is one of the better backs on the West Coast. Arizona State will finally have a cornerback hoping on Omar Bolden who's finally healthy. Washington State will have to spend another year in the cellar of the Pac 10.