From the Big Ten to the Big 12, the ACC to the SEC, the Pac-10 to the Big East, in this section we offer season previews for all the BCS conferences in 2008.
The balance of power in the Big 12 has shifted, ever so slightly, from the South to the North. But can the rising Missouri Tigers of the North overcome the still-powerful Oklahoma Sooners from the South? Can Mark Mangino's Kansas Jayhawks keep rolling after their dream season of 2007? Is Texas ready to return to the BCS? Will Baylor ever escape the Big 12 basement?
Any discussion of the Pac-10 begins and ends with the USC Trojans. Pete Carroll's program has firmly established itself as one of the nation's best and, of course, has been utterly dominant in Pac-10 play. The Trojans should once again run away with the conference title in 2008. The only question is who will battle for second place.
The Southeastern Conference has produced college football's national champion in each of the past two seasons. The league might make it three in a row in 2008. The Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs both seem primed for a national title run, and the Tennessee Volunteers aren't that far behind them.
Let's face it: The ACC has yet to live up to expectations. The South's second-best (and it's not close) football conference has seen longtime powers Miami and Florida State fade in recent years, opening the door for even once-lowly Wake Forest to become a legit conference contender (yep, it's true). In 2008, most experts agree the league's fate rests in the hands of just one team: Clemson.
Here's what we know about the Big Ten in 2008: Ohio State remains the best team in the conference -- and it's not even close. As for everyone else? Well, the questions abound.
Where exactly would the Big East be without West Virginia? When supposed "rising powers" Louisville and Rutgers slumped in 2007, the Big East was left (as usual) with just one truly elite team: The Mountaineers. In 2008, the league should expect more of the same.
