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1. TCU and West Virginia move to the Big 12/Texas A&M and Missouri move to the SEC. After the latest round of conference realignment, the Big 12 welcomes the Horned Frogs and Mountaineers to their league and the SEC adds the Aggies and Tigers. Fans of all four schools might need maps to locate their new rivals.
2. Urban Meyer returns to coaching at Ohio State/Rich Rodriguez tries to build a winner at Arizona/Mike Leach lands at Washington State. Some big-name coaches are returning to college football in 2012. Meyer, who guided Florida to two BCS national championships, takes over at Ohio State. Rodriguez, who was fired at Michigan, landed at Arizona, and Leach, who was fired by Texas Tech, was hired at Washington State.
3. SEC goes for seven BCS national championships in a row.
Can anyone slow the SEC? The country's preeminent conference won its sixth BCS national championship in a row in 2011, when Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 in January. Those two teams, along with Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina, might be BCS title contenders in 2012.
4. Bill O'Brien replaces iconic Penn State coach Joe Paterno and takes over a scandal-ridden program. Perhaps no coach has ever inherited a more difficult job than O'Brien, who replaces Paterno, college football's all-time winningest coach. For the first time since 1966, someone other than Paterno will be leading the Nittany Lions.
5. Stanford tries to remain a top-10 program without quarterback Andrew Luck. The Cardinal were able to survive without former coach Jim Harbaugh, who left to coach the San Francisco 49ers after the 2010 season. Can Stanford remain relevant without Luck, the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft?
6. Defending BCS national champion Alabama tries to rebuild its stingy defense. Alabama will have to replace many of the defensive stars that helped it win its second BCS national championships in three seasons. Gone are linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, cornerbacks DeQuan Menzie and Dre Kirkpatrick and All-America safety Mark Barron.
7. Interim coach John L. Smith takes over at Arkansas after Bobby Petrino was fired. Arkansas might be good enough to challenge Alabama and LSU in the SEC West, but the Razorbacks will have to do it without Petrino, who was fired for lying about an affair with an employee. Smith, who coached at Michigan State and Louisville, was hired on an interim basis.
8. Florida, Florida State and Miami try to return to national prominence. The Gators and Hurricanes will again try to return to the sport's upper echelon after struggling last season. Florida State seems the closest to getting there and will enter the season ranked in the top 10 of most preseason polls. Meanwhile, the Gators will look to rebound from a 7-6 finish in coach Will Muschamp's first season.
9. Matt Barkley returns at quarterback to lead No. 1 USC. After two years of NCAA probation and no bowl games, the Trojans are a popular choice to finish No. 1 in 2012. Barkley, who passed up the NFL draft to return to USC for his senior season, leads what should be one of the country's most prolific passing games.
10. The long, slow death of the Big East. Can the Big East survive without many of its marquee programs? TCU and West Virginia have already left, and Pitt and Syracuse are close to walking out the door. The Big East added new members from coast to coast, but is it too little, too late?
2. Urban Meyer returns to coaching at Ohio State/Rich Rodriguez tries to build a winner at Arizona/Mike Leach lands at Washington State. Some big-name coaches are returning to college football in 2012. Meyer, who guided Florida to two BCS national championships, takes over at Ohio State. Rodriguez, who was fired at Michigan, landed at Arizona, and Leach, who was fired by Texas Tech, was hired at Washington State.
3. SEC goes for seven BCS national championships in a row.
Can anyone slow the SEC? The country's preeminent conference won its sixth BCS national championship in a row in 2011, when Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 in January. Those two teams, along with Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina, might be BCS title contenders in 2012.
4. Bill O'Brien replaces iconic Penn State coach Joe Paterno and takes over a scandal-ridden program. Perhaps no coach has ever inherited a more difficult job than O'Brien, who replaces Paterno, college football's all-time winningest coach. For the first time since 1966, someone other than Paterno will be leading the Nittany Lions.
5. Stanford tries to remain a top-10 program without quarterback Andrew Luck. The Cardinal were able to survive without former coach Jim Harbaugh, who left to coach the San Francisco 49ers after the 2010 season. Can Stanford remain relevant without Luck, the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft?
6. Defending BCS national champion Alabama tries to rebuild its stingy defense. Alabama will have to replace many of the defensive stars that helped it win its second BCS national championships in three seasons. Gone are linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, cornerbacks DeQuan Menzie and Dre Kirkpatrick and All-America safety Mark Barron.
7. Interim coach John L. Smith takes over at Arkansas after Bobby Petrino was fired. Arkansas might be good enough to challenge Alabama and LSU in the SEC West, but the Razorbacks will have to do it without Petrino, who was fired for lying about an affair with an employee. Smith, who coached at Michigan State and Louisville, was hired on an interim basis.
8. Florida, Florida State and Miami try to return to national prominence. The Gators and Hurricanes will again try to return to the sport's upper echelon after struggling last season. Florida State seems the closest to getting there and will enter the season ranked in the top 10 of most preseason polls. Meanwhile, the Gators will look to rebound from a 7-6 finish in coach Will Muschamp's first season.
9. Matt Barkley returns at quarterback to lead No. 1 USC. After two years of NCAA probation and no bowl games, the Trojans are a popular choice to finish No. 1 in 2012. Barkley, who passed up the NFL draft to return to USC for his senior season, leads what should be one of the country's most prolific passing games.
10. The long, slow death of the Big East. Can the Big East survive without many of its marquee programs? TCU and West Virginia have already left, and Pitt and Syracuse are close to walking out the door. The Big East added new members from coast to coast, but is it too little, too late?
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