Colorado (5-7, 3-5) – Too many close losses and late collapses are what did in the Buffaloes last year in Dan Hawkins’ first year. While it is too early in his tenure to predict a Colorado North title, you can see better things on the horizon especially with most of the team back from last year. With a second year in the Boise State system, Colorado should come close to breaking back into bowl territory. Look for a very close game against Missouri late in the year to be the difference between a bowl and a long winter break.
Kansas (4-8, 1-7) – Kansas never finishes in the top half of the division and this year will be more of the same. While most of their defense returns, they just don’t seem to have the offense, especially with half of their offensive line being new. They should start 3-1 but look for October and November to be very dark months in Lawrence.
Iowa State (2-10, 1-7) – Iowa State surprisingly fired Dan McCarney last season, yet named a big replacement, pulling in Texas’s defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. While Chizik won’t perform miracles in his first season as a head coach, he will have seven returning starters on the defensive side to work with. The biggest questions will still be on offense. Look for them to come close to surprising Texas in October and get a late win in Lawrence, a place where Kansas never loses.
Welcome to the Division 1-A Independent Conference. Now, one must ask, does this conference even exist if not for Notre Dame? Thankfully, the answer this season is yes as the Midshipmen of Navy look to give the Irish a run for the conference lead this year.
While Navy and Notre Dame will battle it out for the top spot in this conference, look for absolutely no challenges from conference brethren Army and Western Kentucky.
Notre Dame
So many expectations were placed on the shoulders of Westlake, Cal. freshmen quarterback Jimmy Clausen when he was anointed the heir apparent that it was inevitable that the kid would eventually do something to sour the mix but Clausen is the least of head coach Charlie Weis’ concerns.
Let’s see - every major position on the offense except tight end is gone as well as three-fifths of the offensive line. There’s a new defensive coordinator (Corwin Brown) in town with a “new to Notre Dame” 3-4 scheme looking to make something resembling a defensive squad out of a unit that ranked 75th nationally last year. And to top it off, Notre Dame has possibly one of the toughest schedule in the nation with four of their first six games on the road and four of the first eight against preseason top-20 teams (No. 1 USC, No. 5 Michigan, No. 14 UCLA and No. 17 Penn State). Can you say thank the Golden Dome for a 10-year contract?
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