1. West Virginia (0-0): The Mountaineers have one of the easier roads to the title game, with a home tilt against Marshall in the opener.
2. Ohio State (0-0): Nine defensive starters to replace. That would be a problem for most teams, but not the folks in Columbus. Look for plenty of points, especially in the early going.
3. Notre Dame (0-0): Irish could lose luster after first week if they slip to Georgia Tech. It’s a possibility with Yellow Jackets beating Miami and Auburn last season.
4. Florida (0-0): The Gators are biting angry to quiet the many critics in Gainesville who question coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Chris Leak.
5. Texas (0-0): No Vince Young, no sweat. The Longhorns get tuneup against North Texas before showdown with Ohio State.
6. USC (0-0): The Trojans scored 28 points on eight plays and in 92 seconds of the first quarter against Arkansas last year. USC won 70-17. Don’t think the Razorbacks haven’t seen that nightmare film enough this week.
7. LSU (0-0): Tigers get ready for Arizona against Louisiana-Lafayette. The only sweat to work up will come from the humidity.
8. Florida State (0-0): This could be the best Monday Night football game of the month when the Seminoles travel to Miami.
9. Oklahoma (0-0): Sooners go from No. 1 on this list to ninth because of QB change.