The Who's Who in NCAA Football: 2007-08

September is fast approaching, which means Labour Day festivities, back to school, and for the small group of loyal Canadian fans out there, the start of a new NCAA football season. The NFL gets all the hype in Canada, but college football has a die-hard following in the U.S. for good reason - it's an excellent brand of competitive play.

So while us poor Canucks have to rely either on American cable/satellite or catching the occasional game through an American ABC or CBS-affiliate, I'm willing to sort out who the real contenders are this season. I'm also prepared to offer predictions without the annoying quips of Lee Corso or Kirk Herbstreit — Corso should have been euthanized decades ago. Without further ado, here's what to expect on the NCAA gridiron this season:

The A-List

Southern Cal Trojans (Pac-10): In the past five seasons, head coach Pete Carroll has completely turned this program around, restoring them to the prominence they had in previous decades. Carroll couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag in the Meadowlands, but his style is more suited to mentoring California's talented youth.

KEY PLAYERS: QB John David Booty, OT Sam Baker, DE Lawrence Jackson, LB Brian Cushing

KEY GAME: Dec. 1 vs. UCLA. After a surprising loss to the Bruins last year, Carroll and Co. want to exact revenge like Brad Pitt's character in Snatch.

WHY THEY'LL COMPETE: Fifth-year pivot Booty is finally poised to take the reins at USC and lead them to the promised land; he's a legitimate Heisman trophy candidate. He shredded up a good Michigan defence in the Rose Bowl last season, and he'll have the support of a very stout o-line and linebacker corps. Keep an eye on WR Patrick Turner, a prospect who was hidden behind NFL draft picks Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith for too long. Simply, this team is fucking stacked.

BOTTOM LINE: USC has overwhelming depth on both sides of the ball, the best recruiting in the country and arguably the best NCAA coach at the helm. Anything short of a national title will be a disappointment for this talented, experienced squad.

Louisiana State Tigers (SEC): Head coach Les Miles has reeled in some high-calibre talent since his predecessor Nick Saban bolted for the NFL (he took a job at Alabama this off-season). But to placate the rabid fans in the swamp, Miles has to lead LSU to a victory in a big bowl game. He's flanked by ground beef, turnips and tomato paste right now, because he's in a pressure cooker.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Matt Flynn, WR Early Doucet, DT Glenn Dorsey, SS Craig Steltz

KEY GAME: Nov. 3 at Alabama — If Miles and Saban were in grade school, they'd be fighting behind the portables at lunch recess. No love lost here, folks.

WHY THEY'LL COMPETE: LSU might have the best defence in America. The Tigers have an incredibly deep d-line and what safety Steltz lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in leadership and clutch play. True, the Tigers lost amazing safety LaRon Landry to the NFL, but a very athletic defence should rally around vets like Dorsey and Steltz. Pivot Flynn has been ready to start for an elite program for at least two seasons now, and he'll be able to showcase his talent this year, even with a tough schedule in the toughest conference in college ball.

BOTTOM LINE: Any team playing in the SEC has a good chance of stumbling somewhere along the way; top-notch programs like LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia always tend to beat up on each other in conference play. However, Flynn, Doucet and a talented running back group provides enough fuel on offence to keep the stingy defence confident. Look for LSU to be playing later into January.

Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten): There might not be another team in the country more motivated than the boys from Ann Arbor. The Maize and Blue have lost to bitter rival Ohio State three years running, and lost their bowl games consistently over the same span. Seniors like Chad Henne, Mike Hart and Jake Long came back to school solely to settle the score. Michigan lost a lot on defence but make no mistake: this team is hungry.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Henne, RB Hart, WR Mario Manningham, OT Long, P Zoltan Mesko

KEY GAME: Nov. 17 vs. Ohio State

WHY THEY'LL COMPETE: I predict Michigan will have the most explosive offence in college football. The Wolves definitely lost a ton on defence to last year's NFL Draft, but talents like ends Eugene Germany and Brandon Graham should be able to get to the quarterback. Local product Long is one of the best players in the NCAA and, barring injury, will be a top-ten NFL draft pick. He's just as good as former Wisconsin road-grader Joe Thomas. Some might find Mesko an odd choice as a "key player", but he has a big leg, and will have to improve his directional punting because this defence cannot afford to defend short fields all season. Michigan will have to outscore opponents every week, but that offence is so good that I think only Penn State offers the Wolverines a bona fide challenge for the Big Ten hardware.

BOTTOM LINE: If these boys can finally break their oh-fer streak and beat the Buckeyes, they'll be going to an important BCS bowl game. If not, head coach Lloyd Carr's job could be in jeopardy.

The Big East Big Dogs (Louisville Cardinals, West Virginia Mountaineers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights): I lumped these teams together mainly because I wanted to comment on how impressed I've been with the Big East. Everybody thought they were going to be the retarded stepchild in the BCS, but these three squads in particular have stepped up huge. Consequently, all three teams are legit contenders for a BCS bowl, if not the National Championship. Louisville's pro-style offence, WVU's crazy athleticism and Rutgers' speedy defence makes them a nightmare for any competitor this season.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Brian Brohm (Louis.), LB Malik Jackson (Louis.), QB Pat White (WVU), RB Steve Slaton (WVU), RB Ray Rice (Rut.), WR Kenny Britt (Rut.), FB Owen Schmitt (WVU), DT George Foster (Rut.), LB Willie Williams (Louis.)

KEY GAME(S): Oct. 27, WVU at Rutgers; Nov. 8, Louisville at WVU; Nov. 29, Rutgers at Louisville

WHY THEY'LL COMPETE: Big East teams play a lighter schedule than some of the big boys in the SEC and Big Ten. Although the top-flight programs in the Big East are phenomenal, the depth in the conference isn't as imposing as the other major BCS playaz (I'm way too white and nerdy to ever use that reference again, I'm sorry). Brohm is the country's best pocket passer, White is the fastest pivot in the country, and long-suffering Rutgers is finally a believer under peppy head coach Greg Schiano. Pipeline recuiting, especially from Florida, is rapidly boosting the talent and speed of these programs.

BOTTOM LINE: These teams will undoubtedly beat up on each other, but any of the three could be playing meaningful ball in January, and you will hear Brohm and Slaton's name mentioned in the Heisman race. Hats (or, more appropriately, buckets) off to the Big East for being the little engine that could.

B-List Celebs
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Ind.): The Irish lose golden boy pivot Brady Quinn, who has moved on to the tall order of recusciating the moribund Cleveland Browns franchise in the NFL. But any quarterbacks under the wing of clever head coach Charlie Weis have a high ceiling, and this year is no different for the Golden Domers. A hot position battle between redshirt freshman Demetrius Jones, junior Evan Sharpley and VHT frosh Jimmy Clausen means someone must emerge as the go-to starter. One of the QBs left jilted will likely transfer. Look for Clausen — the highest-ranked high school quarterback in years — to win the job and start his own Irish legacy.

KEY PLAYERS: C John Sullivan, S Tom Zbikowski, TE John Carlson, LB Anthony Vernaglia

KEY GAME: Oct. 20 vs. USC

WHY THEY AREN'T QUITE THERE:

Weis can work wonders with quarterbacks, and Clausen and/or Jones will likely be no exception. But the Irish still have virtually no experience at the most important position on the field. The defence should be improved, more experience in the secondary can only help a unit that has a penchant for getting torched like a 17th Century woman in Salem who made good soup. Still, ND has been raking in high-quality recruited talent the past couple years. This team still needs a year or two to develop in order to reach their true potential, adjusting to life without Quinn.

Clemson Tigers (ACC): Someone really should get icepacks for coach Tommy Bowden's bum, as his seat has been getting warmer by the year. This season, his hold on the head job at pigskin-hungry Clemson is tenuous at best. The Tigers have been recently outclassed by the in-state rival Gamecocks, and expectations are as high as ever near Howard's Rock. One thing this squad isn't short on is athletic ability, particularly at tailback and defensive end.

KEY PLAYERS: RB James Davis, RB C.J. Spiller, OT Barry Richardson, DE Philip Merling, DE Ricky Sapp

KEY GAME: Sept. 3 vs. Florida State

WHY THEY AREN'T QUITE THERE: Inconsistent quarterback play. The Tigers have as potent a running back duo as any in the country in Davis and Spiller - Davis is a workhorse and Spiller provides game-changing speed. It's easy to gameplan for Clemson, however, because they're so one-dimensional. This doesn't mean that opposing pivots aren't defecating in their pants when they come to Clemson - the team boasts an ominous duo of pass rushers in Merling and sophomore lightning bolt Sapp. But if quarterback Cullen Harper or frosh Willy Korn can't move the ball through the air, then the Clemson faithful might as well watch NASCAR while they roll cigarettes and sip sweet tea.

UCLA Bruins (Pac-10): This season marks the best opportunity in years for the Bruins to finally leapfrog over crosstown-rival USC. The fans in Westwood and Pasadena can enjoy a team boasting a bevy or returning starters on both sides of the ball. Due to an extended Mormon mission, junior quarterback Ben Olson is already old enough to have a couple kids, so maturity shouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, USC is also as loaded as ever, and it will take an epic struggle and a little luck for UCLA to come out the class of the Pac-10.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Olson, DE Bruce Davis, S Chris Horton, WR Joe Cowan

KEY GAME: Dec. 1 at USC. This tilt should be the X-factor for how successful UCLA will be this season.

WHY THEY AREN'T QUITE THERE: Head coach Karl Dorrell's track record is spotty. UCLA did get lucky last year, beating the Trojans with backup QB Patrick Cowan at the helm, but I don't see them getting lucky again. They could be unbeaten leading up to the USC game, most would favour the Bruins in their first 11 games. But I get the sad feeling that it's all going to come crashing down when they venture to L.A. Memorial Stadium. Regardless, they could play in a January bowl game.

Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten): The hordes of fans in Happy Valley truly have something to be happy about this season — they've got a bitchin' team. Pivot Anthony Morelli has another year of experience under his belt, "Mike" linebacker Dan Connor might be the best in the nation and they have boner-inducing speed at wideout and defensive back. Coach Paterno (in his 42nd season with the clipboard!) has the pulse of a manatee, but he still hauls in the top recruits and the Lions are back in a position of national prominence.

KEY PLAYERS: MLB Connor, CB Justin King, DE Josh Gaines, WRs Derrick Williams and Deon Butler

KEY GAME: Sept. 22 at Michigan. The Big House will be rumblin' for this doozy.

WHY THEY AREN'T QUITE THERE: A diminished running game combined with a Zen-like focus from the Wolverines will make it tough for Penn State to finish tops in the Big Ten. They get Ohio State at home, which is a bonus, but I predict Michigan will find a way to beat the Lions' swarming D. If Penn State manages to topple the Wolverines in enemy territory, they certainly should finish tops in the conference. But as I mentioned earlier, Michigan is sick and tired of getting their hopes dashed every year courtesy the Buckeyes and Bowl Week. Look for a second place finish for Penn State, and as my Uncle Marty always says: "Second place is the first loser."

Florida State Seminoles (ACC): Head coach Bobby Bowden should be in either the Smithsonian or a neuroscience lab, because he's ancient and comes off like he has the I.Q. of a barn swallow. Regardless, the old boy can still recruit and still coach. FSU hopes to ride the momentum of a big bowl win over UCLA at the end of last season to a much-improved '07 campaign.

KEY PLAYERS: S Myron Rolle, QB Drew Weatherford, RB Antone Smith, LB Geno Hayes

KEY GAME: Nov. 24 at Florida

WHY THEY'LL COMPETE: Athleticism is always the mantra with the 'Noles, they have a group of defenders that can swarm sideline-to-sideline. Smith can be one of the most dynamic backs in the nation and Weatherford beat VHT Xavier Lee for the starting QB job definitively this spring. This is his team, and a fast, more-experienced group of starters should be able to cruise through a fairly weak Atlantic Coast Conference. The only real conference worry for FSU is Virginia Tech, an aggressive squad who will be playing with a chip on their shoulder after last year's campus tragedy. Look for many more big plays from the Seminoles this year. Brownie points are awarded for their uniforms/pride stickers looking highly badass.

BOTTOM LINE: While Florida State still seems a cut below USC or LSU, they will be a vastly improved team. A combination of electric playmakers on both sides of the ball and a diluted ACC means that anything can happen for Bowden's boys on the Panhandle (Tallahassee, FL).

Sleepers:
Nebraska: Transfer QB Sam Keller has all the tools, including experience.
Arkansas: Tailback Darren McFadden is the best player in college football. If they get any quarterback play, the Hogs will have something.
Georgia: Sophomore pivot Matthew Stafford took his lumps last season, let's see how far he can carry the Dawgs.
Wisconsin: The Badgers have the best defence they've had in many, many years.
Texas Christian: TCU is everyone's pick to be this year's Boise State. DEs Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz are something special.
Virginia: One of the most improved teams in the country. Led by DE Chris Long (Howie's son) and their usual stellar crop of tight ends.
California: WR DeSean Jackson is faster than an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish with Dany Heatley at the wheel. There's your Canadian content.