C M Y K H7 SPECIALSPT 08-30-06 EZ EE H7 CMYK x NGTON POST WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2006 H7 at the Six Bowl Championship Series Conferences and Other Top Teams By Marc Carig, Melanie Ho and Adam Kilgore ook at the Six Bowl Championship Series Conferences and Other Top Teams Independents, sees it, not only should Miami be the defending Others is. “They’re wearing our rings,” Beason said of Florida into the BCS last season. Of course, had Miami beaten nd/or not tanked against Georgia Tech, it would have me and had a shot at those rings. This season, the Southern California again enters the Auburn is coming off a 9-3 season and Weekend hotel room rates are soaring to Favorite wide-open Pacific-10 race as the morning returns 23 seniors, including running back more than $650 a night in South Bend, Ind. defense and a more comfortable, more seasoned Kyle line favorite. But the Trojans are hardly the Kenny Irons, who last year rushed for The quarterback is a Heisman Trophy front- uld be enough talent to get them the jewelry they desire. same even-money bet they have been the 1,293 yards and 13 touchdowns. runner. The star wide receiver is a big-league last several years. pitching prospect. The safety has boxed at Completing the offensive power trio: Madison Square Garden. And the echoes even a program as storied as FSU’s, could represent Coach Pete Carroll has the unique and quarterback Brandon Cox and wide matic of the state of the league. In Year 2 of the ACC WRIGHT most definitely have their alarm set. Notre daunting challenge of replacing two receiver Courtney Taylor, whose sprained Dame, with second-year coach-offensive Commissioner John Swofford may find he created a Heisman Trophy winners — Reggie Bush ankle limited his production in 2005. mastermind Charlie Weis leading the way monster too powerful for its own good. With and Matt Leinart — from the same Defensively, Auburn returns six starters, and Brady Quinn riding shotgun, is as perennial powerhouses Miami, Florida backfield. LenDale White is gone, too. and the Tigers sport a secondary that legitimate a national contender as you’ll find. There’s a slew of talent to replace the includes Will Herring and David Irons, who Its offense is loaded, with Quinn and running State and Virginia Tech combining major losses at tailback, though all of it is are both expected to have productive with a gaggle of teams you’d back Darius Walker operating behind a solid unproven. The situation at quarterback seasons. offensive line and Jeff Samardzija providing a rather not face, such as Clemson looks a bit better, though John David Booty big, fleet target on the outside (not to and Mark Sanchez are equally untested. Auburn is also aided by a schedule that and North Carolina, which upset works in its favor. There are home dates mention a mean fastball). Part-time pugilist Miami last season, a question Explosive wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett Tom Zbikowski returns punts with ferocity kept his eligibility after an NCAA scare. against LSU, Florida and Georgia, and only emerges: How can a team two tough road games in South Carolina and, at safety, anchors the defense. from this league run the table, Carroll has scored some great recruiting and Alabama. Meantime, TCU and Utah might not be win the ACC championship classes. The depth of that talent will be national title contenders, but each has put to the test this season. game, and then win it all? enough talent to make a BCS bowl, if they don’t beat up one another too much in the Mountain West. “There’s a top,” Boston College Coach Tom O’Brien said. “But there’s no bottom. I don’t think many teams It’s hard to call California, Oregon and In Steve Spurrier’s first year, South Because of the addition of a fifth BCS bowl, a Dark Horse Carolina went to a bowl game, beat Florida want to schedule Arizona State “dark horses,” so the default number of teams have a chance to crash the pick goes to hard-luck Washington and Tennessee and nearly beat Georgia. The national party. The most fun would be Wake Forest or State. Though the Cougars lost Gamecocks should go to a bowl again in Nevada, which employs an offense no other Duke.” conference rushing leader Jerome large part because of quarterback Blake team utilizes. The brainchild of Coach Chris Harrison, they bring back experienced Mitchell and wide receiver Sidney Rice, who Ault, the “pistol” offense places the playmakers in quarterback Alex Brink and had 1,143 receiving yards last season. quarterback in a shortened shotgun wide receiver Jason Hill. The pass defense Spurrier also returns the team’s leading formation with a running back directly could be shaky — which is bad news in rusher, Mike Davis. behind him. It hides the running back from this league — though defensive end The concerns lie at defense, where just four linebackers and gives the quarterback a Mkristo Bruce is a difference-maker. The starters return. Overall the team is young, unique look at the defense to make quick Cougars were better than their 4-7 record but with an easier schedule — there’s no passes. Last season, it worked to the tune of last season, when they dropped five Alabama and the Gamecocks start the nearly 3,000 passing yards and 2,400 games by four points or less. season tomorrow at Mississippi State, rushing yards, a 9-3 record and a season- which finished last season 3-8 — Spurrier ending win in the Hawaii Bowl over UCF. should improve upon last year’s 7-5 record. Senior QB Jeff Rowe and last season’s leading All eyes will be on Spurrier when he makes rusher, B.J. Mitchell, return, giving the Wolf his return to Florida on Nov. 11. Pack another shot at a WAC championship. Heisman Having made the adjustment to Urban California’s push to include more spread Perhaps you’ve heard of Brady Quinn? Guy Hopeful option formations in Coach Jeff Tedford’s Meyer’s spread offense, Chris Leak has that plays quarterback for Notre Dame? already potent offense bodes well for generated enough buzz to be merit Seriously, Quinn likely will be on more running back Marshawn Lynch. He’s the consideration here. And yet there is equal magazine covers than Brangelina this fall (we type of fast and physical back that could buzz that Leak might not even have the hear Popular Mechanics asked for a photo thrive with the extra space created by the starting job by the time the season is shoot), and he may just deserve the hype. spread. With Cal’s quarterback situation over. The senior is being pushed by fresh- Playing in Weis’s great-in-the-NFL, unstop- also in flux, Lynch is sure to get plenty of man Tim Tebow, who has been working pable-in-college passing offense, he’s sure to opportunities to put up even bigger out with Florida since enrolling in January. put up huge stats. He has mastered the numbers than he did last year, when he offense even more than last season, when he While Meyer has said this is Leak’s team, rushed for 1,246 yards and 10 threw for 3,919 yards and 32 touchdowns Leak has yet to lead the Gators to a touchdowns. Lynch will also enjoy the (both No. 3 in the nation). Because it’s hard Southeastern Conference title or a BCS benefits of national exposure, with the to find a more high-profile position in college bowl. Then again, this will be Leak’s Golden Bears facing Tennessee and USC in sports than Fighting Irish quarterback, the second year under Meyer, and Florida is highly anticipated matchups. Heisman is essentially Quinn’s to lose. But on set up to succeed. Leak should be fueled the opposite end of the hype spectrum, the by a missing ring, and if all falls into place, ultimate Heisman underdog is 5-foot-7 run- he may leave with one. ning back Garrett Wolfe of Northern Illinois, who rang up 1,580 yards last season, fifth in the nation, despite missing three games. Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson BY BRIAN BAHR — GETTY IMAGES With a 3-5 record Rich Brooks’s only When Dan Hawkins bolt- On the in the league and a conference wins last ed for Colorado during Hot Seat 5-6 mark overall, season came against the offseason after On the Hot Seat Coach Mike Riley Vanderbilt and spending the past five couldn’t get Oregon Mississippi State. seasons establishing None of the 12 ACC teams has switched coaches in the past two State to a bowl. Kentucky finished 3-8 (the Boise State, the job of Even with the loss offseasons, remarkable considering the nature of college football. Wildcats’ third win came defending the Broncos’ of top wide receiver against Idaho State), and in three seasons, territory fell to Chris While there’s pressure on Ralph Friedgen to right the ship at Mike Hass, the Brooks is 9-25 and 4-20 in the SEC. Petersen. He knows what Maryland and for Ted Roof to do something at Duke, their Beavers have the talent to rectify the The question becomes, how many wins it takes to win with the Broncos — situations pale in comparison to Larry Coker’s. The Miami head situation this year, which Riley needs to does Brooks need in order to retain he’s been BSU’s offensive coordinator for man, left, won a national championship with Butch Davis’s do.