Campus Confidential

8. Texas

Why: Colt McCoy (pictured left with backup quarterback John Chiles) should be over his sophomore slump. He still managed to complete 65 percent of his passes and throw 22 touchdowns, but his interceptions went from seven as a freshman to 18 as a sophomore. Wide receiver Quan Cosby is the spark that the Texas offense will need -- and don't underestimate his return ability. On defense, watch for two linebackers: Roddrick Muckleroy and Sergio Kindle. The latter has waited a while to prove his five-star ranking coming out of high school. Those two will give the Texas defense a very athletic feel and a solid core to build around -- and they're not even the experienced ones of the group. Up front, the Longhorns are strong, as well. The foursome of Brian Orakpo, Aaron Lewis, Roy Miller and Lamarr Houston are going to swallow running backs and quarterbacks whole.

Why not: Limas Sweed, Jamaal Charles, and Jermichael Finley are all gone. That's a lot of offense. Sweed was out much of last season, so his loss has already been felt in Austin. Charles exploded at the end of the season and was poised for a Heisman run this year. Instead, he jumped the gun and went to the NFL as a third round pick. Finley also jumped ship early to be a third round pick, but would have been a front runner for the John Mackey Award. McCoy's toughest task will be this season, as he'll have to manage the offense without those weapons, as well as the leading receiver from 2007 Nate Jones. The problem is, those are just the skill position losses. On defense, half of the unit will feature green faces. In 2007, the Longhorns had 12 guys with more than 50 tackles (that's good -- Ohio State had 5). Seven of those guys are gone. The biggest loss will be felt in the secondary.

Most important game: Oklahoma (Oct. 11). No real surprise here. Oklahoma is strong once again and Texas needs to prove its conference worth in this game. It will likely be make or break for the 'Horns in terms of the BCS.

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7. Missouri

Why: Looking at last season's fantastic run, it's clear the Tigers needed a little more defense to ease things. Well the unit should be much improved this season, with eight seniors getting a starting nod (possibly nine). The unit really needs to gel this year, as it's loaded with studs like linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Brock Christopher, who combined for 236 tackles last year. Safety William Moore was an All-American last year after finishing with 107 tackles and EIGHT interceptions. But what really made Mizzou go last year was that offense. Chase Daniel, the quarterback who finished fourth in the Heisman voting, leads an offense that lost its running back, but retains Jeremy Maclin (pictured), Mr.-Do-Everything for the Tigers (remember his freshman record 2,776 all-purpose yards last year?). Daniel threw for 4,300 yards last year and is looking to do more his senior season.

Why not: It won't be an easy ride for Missouri with the Big 12 taking its familiar shape as a dominant conference. Expect Jimmy Jackson to tote the ball with Tony Temple departed. Jackson is a senior, but had just 67 carries last year. He had seven touchdowns, but Missouri is not sure he can fill Temple's shoes.

Most important game: at Texas (10/18). The Tigers get to avoid the Sooners this year (the only team to hand them losses last year), but the Longhorns are going to give them fits. Also extremely important is the season opener against Illinois.

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6. West Virginia

Why: The Mountaineers are riding high on the title wave that was a dominant Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. Bill Stewart (pictured) had weeks to prepare for that game, but now has had months to install his system. The new, homlier attitude in West Virginia works well for Heisman candidate Pat White. Stewart and White go back to Day 1 (Stewart was QBs coach before taking over for Rich Rodriguez), which bodes well. White will be handing off to sophomore Noel Devine, who put his talents on display in that Fiesta Bowl win. Also, three seniors on the offensive line of all returning starters is going to make WVU a powerful force when it has the ball. On defense, Morty Ivy and Reed Williams are a pair of senior linebackers that led WVU to a No. 7 defensive ranking last season. The 206 combined tackles will be looked to in a huge way this year. Also, two unheralded keys for success that won't most mention. First, WVU was a +13 in turnover margin last year -- so if they can take care of the football, it will go a long way in their quest for another Big East title. Lastly, senior Pat McAfee is a weapon every single coach in the country wants. He kicks off, punts and kicks field goals with great skill. Don't be surprised to see him take down a Lou Groza award.

Why not: Four glaring reasons. First, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt have moved on. Comprehend what kind of loss that is: Slaton had 211 carries and 17 touchdowns. He also was second on the team in receptions. Schmitt had just 50 carries, but averaged almost 6 ypc. The 23 total touchdowns, almost 1,800 yards and 296 touches on offense will be greatly missed. Second, depth. Stewart made it clear to me this summer he doesn't want White to have 200 carries (197 last year). He needs to distribute the carries to keep his quarterback healthy. Devine is an extreme talent, but his size will spark questions of durability. He had 73 carries last season and should see double, maybe triple that this year. Third, West Virginia's defensive scheme regularly features five defensive backs. Normally, this is not a weakness, but when only 20% of your group is a returning starter (that's one), it can be worrysome.

Most important game: at Pittsburgh (11/28). The Backyard Brawl could have gigantic implications on the Big East title run.