The BIG 10 seemed a little like a paper tiger conference last year. The top teams managed to avoid playing each other, again -- and they fell flat in the post-season (aside from Wisc).

The thing about putting Wisc that high, is are they really better than the same Michigan team who basically walked all over them? Keeping in mind, Wisc is without a QB who was a 2-3 year starter and the heart of their O-line.
They lost the two most important players on that team.

LSU and Va Tech will have a slingshot to the title game, depending on who wins that matchup early on.
I can see LSU playing in the MNC, but I don't believe USC will get through their schedule. The PAC-10 is just too good this year and Booty is too eratic.

LSU is indeed loaded, but you must remember that they have Les Miles as their coach.  That counts for 1 loss right there, especially in the SEC.  Wisconsin doesn't have everyone back and even if they did, they certainly didn't prove anything last year other than they could beat bad teams.

And UT's 2-game losing streak at the end of last season was a direct result of an injury to Colt.  If you don't assume an injury, then I don't think the offensive struggles in the A&M game should bear at all on this season.  This team should be unbelievable on offense.  The only question mark is the o-line, but UT is pretty well-stocked in that department.  Dockery was a starter before he got hurt, Charlie Tanner and Dallas Griffin are both very good centers (Tanner is probably better, but Griffin has more experience).  Tony Hills I think can be as good as Jonathan Scott if he keeps improving.  And you have to imagine Ulatoski will improve seeing as he was starting as a redshirt freshman last year.  O-line is a position at which UT does an excellent job of developing talent.

On D, I really believe (and I think BON has come to this consensus) that the defensive secondary struggles last year were more a matter of scheme than talent.  Chizik didn't like to blitz his linebackers, which was more or less okay until Lokey broke his leg and Robison got hurt, meaning the DL could no longer get much pressure on the QB on its own.  this gave QB's more time to pick apart the secondary.  at the same time, Chizik didn't trust his linebackers (with good reason...) so he constantly had the safeties peeking into the backfield and getting burned on play action.  Also, Marcus Griffin sort of sucks.

Now, with Akina running the defense, the scheme will be different.  Word is, he likes to blitz linebackers.  This may open up some running lanes if the DL isn't stopping the run well, but it helps the secondary in the sense that the QB doesn't have time to pick them apart.  It obviously has its drawbacks in the dump-off pass to the check down receiver over the middle is harder to defend, but it won't expose a young secondary as much.

Anyway, I think Texas will be excellent this year, especially on offense.  I withhold judgment on the defense until I can see what talent we have back there, but I don't think last year's struggles can be transferred to this year's squad.

wow, that was long.....