Boise State was the poor man's Utah last season. Undefeated and somewhat overlooked in the regular season, the Broncos' only loss came in an entertaining 44-40 shootout against Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. Coach Dan Hawkins has eight offensive starters back, including multitalented quarterback Jared Zabransky. If Boise State can upend Georgia on the road to open the season, the Broncos will be eyeing another undefeated regular season and a berth in the BCS.

Fresno State, Boise's nemesis in the Western Athletic Conference, returns nearly all of its offense and hosts the Broncos on Nov. 10. The edge goes to Boise State, though, because it has won 26 straight WAC games and three consecutive league titles. Another non-BCS upstart, Bowling Green, will vie for a national ranking all year with the efficient Omar Jacobs, who threw for 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions, behind center. On Sept. 21, the Falcons travel to Boise, where the Broncos have won 25 consecutive home games.

Joe Glenn, Wyoming's third-year coach, became adored in Laramie after the Cowboys beat UCLA, 24-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl, earning the school its first postseason victory since 1966. Larger feats could be on the horizon. Wyoming returns 19 starters but still must beat Utah to control the Mountain West Conference. They meet Nov. 5 in Salt Lake City. The Cowboys also will get their chance against power conference programs because they play road games at Mississippi and Florida, where former Utes coach Urban Meyer now resides. In 2000, Wyoming won one game; this year it could win 10.

Memphis won't get much attention playing in Conference USA, but its tailback, DeAngelo Williams, will undoubtedly garner plenty of accolades. The senior is considered the best player in school history, a two-time conference offensive player of the year who scored 22 touchdowns last season and racked up 1,948 yards. The marketing campaign already is in full throttle: Memphis sent about 1,000 die-cast miniature racecars bearing the running back's jersey number of 20 to media members.

His chair isn't exactly hot, but Notre Dame's Charlie Weis is under as much pressure as any coach around. Spurned by former Irish assistant Meyer, Notre Dame fans once again clamor for a "Return to Glory," which former coach Tyrone Willingham briefly delivered in 2002. Weis vowed players will be tough, disciplined and intelligent. But the defense has been soft against pass-oriented teams. And the schedule, featuring the likes of Michigan, Southern Cal and Tennessee, is anything but soft.

Fresno State at USC, Nov. 19: Both teams could arrive undefeated. The Trojans play their toughest game, at Cal, a week earlier. Fresno, which has won 10 of its last 16 against BCS teams, has its best squad in Coach Pat Hill's nine-year tenure.

1. Boise State
2. Fresno State
3. Bowling Green
4. Notre Dame
5. Wyoming
6. Utah
7. Ala.-Birmingham
8. Southern Mississippi
9. Toledo
10. Miami (Ohio)