One year after Texas and USC went wire-to-wire atop the polls before meeting in an epic national title game at the Rose Bowl, things promise to be a bit less scripted in college football this season. While both schools are still formidable, they were also hard hit by graduation and early departures to the NFL, making as many as a half-dozen other schools popular preseason choices to play for the title in Glendale, Ariz., on January 8. The seemingly wide-open chase is just one of many changes to the college football landscape this fall.

Don’t Call It a Playoff

Go figure. After perhaps its least-controversial season ever, the Bowl Championship Series ushers in the biggest change since its 1998 debut this season with the addition of a fifth game. No longer will the national championship be contested in one of the traditional BCS bowls. Instead, each of the four games — the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Rose, in that order — will host a second game once every four years. The new contest, officially dubbed “The BCS National Title Game,” will take place one week after the New Year’s Day games.

The new game simply expands the number of spots in the BCS to 10 from eight. The same combination of human and computer polls will be used to pick the participants in the title game. The BCS also has a new TV partner, Fox Sports, for the Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar Bowls. ABC will continue to broadcast the Rose Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl also moves to the brand new Arizona Cardinals stadium this season.

It will be at least four years — long enough for one complete rotation of what’s being called the “double hosting” model — before any systematic changes are made. One might reasonably speculate that the BCS’s next iteration would be a “plus-one” format, where two of the winners from the first four BCS games play in a title game the following week.

Up for the Challenge

Instant replay, in a variety of formats, became a regular part of college football over the last two seasons. For 2006, the NCAA has standardized a replay system using an official in the press box to review plays. Also new: Coaches will have one challenge a game, provided they have a time-out remaining. A successful challenge will not result in a charged time-out.

On the Hot Seat

As college coaching salaries have increased dramatically in recent years, so too has the pressure to win. A number of prominent coaches head into the upcoming season feeling the weight of expectations. Popular perception puts Michigan’s Lloyd Carr and Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer on the hottest seats entering 2006 after each saw high expectations turn to disappointment in 2005. In reality, both Carr and Fulmer are coaches with deep ties to their schools and national championships on their résumés. Unless the bottom falls out, both are likely safe.

Another coach with a national title ring, Miami’s Larry Coker, can’t feel quite as comfortable. Coker shook up his staff after last season’s embarrassing Peach Bowl rout at the hands of LSU and will be expected to keep Miami in the thick of ACC and national championship contention. Texas A&M, going 16–18 over the last three seasons, no doubt expected better return on the money it invested in luring Dennis Franchione from Alabama. Other coaches who’ll be sweating a bit more than usual this fall include Georgia Tech’s Chan Gailey, Rich Brooks of Kentucky, and John Smith at Michigan State.

Heisman Dark Horses

The front-runners for sports’ most celebrated individual award are well known: quarterbacks Brady Quinn of Notre Dame, Troy Smith of Ohio State, Brian Brohm of Louisville, and running back Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma. Just behind those bright lights sit running backs Marshawn Lynch of California, Steve Slaton of West Virginia, and Kenny Irons of Auburn, plus receivers Ted Ginn Jr., of Ohio State and Dwayne Jarrett of USC. Want some true dark horses?

Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan State Tyrell Sutton, RB, Northwestern Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois (right).

Hold My Calls, Please

Have a wedding on September 16? Cancel it. Even if it’s your own. Instead, make sure you have fresh batteries in the remote, fire up the TiVo, and roll in the extra TV for one of the best one-day slates in recent memory. The lineup includes eight games between teams that are ranked in the preseason polls: Oklahoma at Oregon, LSU at Auburn, Miami at Louisville, Michigan at Notre Dame, Texas Tech at TCU, Clemson at Florida State, Florida at Tennessee, and Nebraska at USC.

Other Can’t Miss Games

In honor of the permanent move to a 12-game regular season, here are another dozen games to mark on your calendar. Of special note is the no. 1 vs. no. 2 clash in Austin on the season’s second Saturday:

California at Tennessee, September 2 Texas at Nebraska, October 21 Ohio State at Texas, September 9 Georgia at Florida, October 28 Arizona State at California, September 23 Virginia Tech at Miami, November 4 Ohio State at Iowa, September 30 Oregon at USC, November 11 LSU at Florida, October 7 California at USC, November 18 Michigan at Penn State, October 14 Florida at Florida State, November 25.

ACC

The ACC might have been the most disappointing conference in the nation last season. Billed as a super-league to rival the SEC after adding Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College, things fizzled as four-loss Florida State won the Atlantic Division, then stunned the Hokies in the inaugural ACC title game before falling to Penn St. in the Orange Bowl.

All the league’s traditional powers have question marks. Florida St. and Miami still have stout defenses — although the Hurricanes’ was missing in their 40–3 Peach Bowl loss to LSU — but the offenses remain a work in progress. Expect a low-scoring affair when they meet on Labor Day. Virginia Tech is happy to be rid of its Marcus Vick headache, but they still must find a capable replacement at quarterback.

Many are pointing to Clemson, which won its last four games last season, as a sleeper pick in the Atlantic, but quarterback Will Proctor must prove he can replace Charlie Whitehurst under center. Georgia Tech, an inconsistent team in recent seasons, gets a chance to prove it can contend in the Coastal in a season-opening home date against Notre Dame.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

THE FAVORITE

Florida State

THE SLEEPER

Clemson

OVERRATED

North Carolina St.

GAME OF THE YEAR

Florida St. at Miami, September 4

BIG 12

Call it the downside of a championship. Vince Young’s stunning individual effort in the Rose Bowl win over USC not only carried Texas to a national title, it carried the junior to an early entry into the NFL draft. Texas still boasts a championship-caliber roster, but Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead will be the under the ultimate microscope as they attempt to replace Young at quarterback.

The October 7 date against Oklahoma in Dallas once again looms as the conference’s game of the year. Oklahoma seemed to be back on the path to national-title contention before starting quarterback Rhett Bomar was dismissed from the team for accepting payment for a noshow job over the summer. That puts even more pressure on running back Adrian Peterson, who looks to regain his Heisman-contending form after an injury-plagued sophomore season.

Texas Tech and its pass-happy attack under innovative coach Mike Leach remains a thorn in the side of the South Division, while Texas A&M must produce or fans will turn on coach Dennis Franchione.

In the North, Nebraska appears headed in the right direction after capping last season with a win over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. This will be the third year of coach Bill Callahan’s West Coast offense, and much is expected of quarterback Zac Taylor. Dominating defense is nothing new at Nebraska, where the Blackshirts still make it tough on opponents. Iowa State looks like the likely challenger to the Cornhuskers for North supremacy, but must overcome a recent history of choking away shots at the Big 12 championship game. In Boulder, Colorado turns the page on the tumultuous Gary Barnett era with new coach Dan Hawkins, who faces a major rebuilding project. A bowl berth would be an impressive result in his first season.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

THE FAVORITE

Texas

THE SLEEPER

Nebraska

OVERRATED

Oklahoma.

GAME OF THE YEAR

Texas vs. Oklahoma, October 7

BIG EAST

What a difference a year makes for the Big East. At this time in 2005, the talk surrounding the conference was whether it still deserved an automatic BCS berth. West Virginia took care of that problem, riding freshman backfield tandem of quarterback Pat White and tailback Steve Slaton to an 11–1 record and a Sugar Bowl win.

The talk this time around is whether West Virginia is a legitimate national-title contender. The Moutaineers’ schedule certainly won’t preclude a run at an undefeated regular season. The only roadblock would appear to be a road date at Louisville onNovember 2. West Virginia’s biggest problem maybe the conference’s perceived lack of depth; the Mountaineers will be expected to rout most opponents. Anything less could cause a drop in the polls. Put another way: If West Virginia is one of three unbeatens at season’s end, put your money on the Mountaineers being the odd men out of the BCS title game.

If West Virginia stumbles, Louisville, with its own standout backfield of quarterback Brian Brohm and running back Michael Bush, could also emerge as a BCS contender. There appears to be a big dropoff to the next group of Big East teams, a group that includes Pittsburgh and Rutgers. The Panthers are hoping to rebound from a disappointing first season under Dave Wannstedt, while Rutgers looks to build on last year’s surprising bowl season.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Pat White, QB, West Virginia

THE FAVORITE

West Virginia

THE SLEEPER

Louisville

OVERRATED

South Florida

GAME OF THE YEAR

West Virginia at Louisville, November 2

BIG TEN

After capping 2005 with an offensive thrashing of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State enters the fall atop both preseason polls. The Buckeyes certainly have the horses on offense, where Troy Smith did a morethan-passable imitation of Vince Young last season and gamebreaker Ted Ginn Jr. is always a threat. The questions are on defense, where Ohio State returns just two starters. Still, the new guys are blue-chippers, so don’t expect much drop-off on that side of the ball.

Michigan is coming off its worst season in 21 years and coach Lloyd Carr is feeling the heat. He dismissed both coordinators following a 7–5 campaign. Expect the Wolverine defense to play more aggressively and to scrap the soft zones that led to late collapses in four of their five losses. Chad Henne has a chance to become the school’s all-time leading passer in just his third season, but it’s the health of undersized back Mike Hart that will be the key determiner of Michigan’s offensive success.

If there’s anyone that can sneak in a steal the Big Ten from these two, it’s an underappreciated Iowa that is being overlooked after a shaky 7–5 season in 2005. Kirk Ferentz is one of the nation’s best coaches, and he still has quarterback Drew Tate under center.

Michigan State may need a bowl berth to save coach John Smith’s job, while Wisconsin (Bret Bielema) and Northwestern (Pat Fitzgerald) break in new coaches this season.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State

THE FAVORITE

Ohio State

THE SLEEPER

Iowa

OVERRATED

Penn State

GAME OF THE YEAR

Michigan at Ohio State, November 18

PAC 10

Yes, USC lost a ton of talent, including a Heisman Trophy backfield, to the NFL. Guess what? The Trojans are still loaded, but they won’t cruise through the Pac-10, a league that deserves much credit for moving to a full round-robin conference schedule this season.

John David Booty gets the first chance to replace Matt Leinart under center at USC, and if he’s not up to the task, Mark Sanchez is an equally talented understudy. Either one will throw plenty to Dwayne Jarrett, one of the nation’s best receivers. The defense should be better than a year ago, especially in the secondary, where the relatively green unit was a target of opponents in 2005.

Cal has super-back Marshawn Lynch, but the quarterback position is a big question mark. A more likely challenger to USC is Oregon, which quietly won 10 games last year and returns the quarterback platoon of Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf and tailback Jonathan Stewart, plus a rugged defense. Rudy Carpenter won the Arizona State quarterback job in fall camp and will lead an explosive offense. UCLA enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2005, but must replace a talented offensive backfield. Keep an eye on new QB Ben Olson, a one-time top recruit.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Marshawn Lynch, RB, California

THE FAVORITE

USC

THE SLEEPER

Oregon

OVERRATED

California

GAME OF THE YEAR

Arizona St. at USC, October 14

SEC

The SEC can again lay claim to the title of nation’s toughest conference, with as many as five legitimate league title contenders — Auburn, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia — plus long shots Alabama, Arkansas, and South Carolina. Ten bowl teams is not out of the question. LSU has enough talent to contend for a spot in the BCS title game, but faces road trips to Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee. The schedule sets up much better for Auburn, which gets LSU, Florida, and Georgia at home. The Tigers have a deep and veteran roster (23 seniors) and Heisman-caliber tailback in Kenny Irons. If they go undefeated this season, they won’t get left out of the national title game as they did in 2004.

Florida is expected to improve in its second year under Urban Meyer. Quarterback Chris Leak struggled at times with Meyer’s complex spread-option, and he’ll face a stiff challenge for playing time from freshman Tim Tebow. South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier looks to follow up on a surprisingly successful debut season at South Carolina.

The coach under the most pressure is easily Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer, who must avoid another disaster on the scale of last year’s 5–6 meltdown. He brought back David Cutcliffe to coordinate the offense, which should translate into a better year from quarterback Erik Ainge.

Alabama and Georgia remain in the mix for spots in the SEC title game, while Arkansas appears to be much improved after a couple of solid recruiting classes.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kenny Irons, RB, Auburn

THE FAVORITE

Auburn

THE SLEEPER

LSU

OVERRATED

Florida

GAME OF THE YEAR

LSU at Auburn, September 16

OTHERS

In 2006, it seems silly to include Notre Dame with the rest of college football’s “others” — the so-called “mid-major” conferences and Division I-A independents. But that’s the price the Irish pay for refusing to join a conference.

While Notre Dame’s status as legitimate national title-contender is well documented — the Irish are no. 2 in the preseason AP poll and tied for third in the coaches’ poll — it still must prove itself on the field. When we last saw the Fighting Irish, it was giving up 617 yards of offense to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. The offense is one of the nation’s best, with Heisman front-runner Brady Quinn throwing to Jeff Samardzija, and the defense should be improved with nine returning starters. The schedule also sets up nicely for a national-title run, culminating with a date at USC on November 25.

No one will ever confuse Notre Dame with college football’s “have-nots.” But there is plenty of good news for the midmajors entering 2006. The fifth BCS bowl has improved access for teams from these conferences. Since 1998, only one team from outside the six automatic-qualifier conferences — Utah in 2004 — has gained a berth in a BCS game. Starting this fall, a non-BCS league school that wins its conference and is ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS standings (or in the top 16 and higher than one of the BCS league automatic qualifiers) gains an automatic berth. Got all that? Don’t worry. The skinny is that while it’s still a long shot, an undefeated season by the likes of TCU, Boise St., or Northern Illinois would likely be rewarded with a BCS berth without much suspense.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

BCS PARTY CRASHERS?

TCU, Utah, Tulsa, UTEP, Boise St. , Northern Illinois

MID-MAJOR GAMES OF THE YEAR

TCU at Utah, October 5 (MWC) Boise St. at Nevada October 5 (WAC)