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Slideshow: Conference breakdowns

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Slideshow: Conference breakdowns

• Aug 26, 2017
• Aug 26, 2017
• 0

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Outlooks and players to watch for all 11 conferences.

1

Conference breakdown: AAC

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Houston was a dark horse to crack the College Football Playoff last year, but coach Tom Herman left for Texas. So the attention turns to South Florida, which has one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Quinton Flowers, and a proven coach in Charlie Strong. Temple has won the past two East division titles, but will face stiff competition this year. This conference might not yield a playoff team, but who's to say?

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2

Conference breakdown: ACC

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

The ACC was one of the most-watched conferences in 2016, finishing with Louisville's Lamar Jackson capturing the Heisman Trophy, and Clemson winning the national championship in dramatic fashion against Alabama. With Deshaun Watson in the NFL after leading the Tigers to the title, and Louisville's questions on the offensive line, Florida State has emerged as the favorite in the Atlantic Division. The Seminoles will prove whether they are ready with an early test against No. 1 Alabama in Week 1.

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3

Conference breakdown: Big 12

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Oklahoma aims to reload with the hopes of winning a third straight Big 12 championship. Quarterback Baker Mayfield lost some productive teammates, but has the experience and playmaking skills to carry the Sooners far. Tom Herman took over at Texas after finishing with a 22-4 mark at Houston. Expect a three-way battle for top supremacy between the Sooners, Longhorns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are looking to get past the rival Sooners for the first time in three seasons. And don't overlook the Wildcats in the Little Apple, either.

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4

Conference breakdown: Big Ten

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Updated Jul 3, 2026

Drawing it up

If things go according to plan, the Big Ten will have a team or two in the College Football Playoff. The only question is, who will it be? Ohio State has longtime starting QB JT Barrett coming back, while Penn State made huge strides last year, which ended with the Nittany Lions hoisting the Big Ten trophy. Michigan and Wisconsin are always in the mix with strong defenses. Or will it be a new team, like Nebraska or Northwestern, taking their turn to make a run at the conference title?

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5

Conference breakdown: Conference USA

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

The Conference USA forecast is the same as it was in 2016 when Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky were the front-runners. Louisiana Tech has won the West Division two of the past three years. To get there again, the Bulldogs will have to overcome challenges on the offensive side of the ball. Western Kentucky boasts a powerful offense but may need time to adjust under first-year coach Mike Sanford. The Hilltoppers defeated Louisiana Tech 58-44 in a barn-burner last season behind the arm of Mike White. 

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6

Conference breakdown: Independents

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Tradition-rich Notre Dame struggled mightily last season, finishing 4-8 despite having tremendous talent. The Irish have another loaded schedule that spans across conferences, including dates with Georgia, Stanford, and Navy. BYU posted a solid season but will have to replace QB Taysom Hill. Watch out for Army, which went 8-5 and could challenge Navy as the top team from the Armed Forces.

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7

Conference breakdown: MAC

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Toledo posted a healthy 9-4 record last year and returns star quarterback Logan Woodside. The Rockets will look to win the stingy West Division, which includes an Eastern Michigan team that could be even better this season. Western Michigan went 12-1 and edged into the fringe of the College Football Playoff discussion, but lost a lot of talent. Can the Broncos reload and reclaim the top spot in the conference? Miami (Ohio) returns most of its offense from last year.

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8

Conference breakdown: Mountain West

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Boise State led the Mountain West in total yardage, but was sixth in scoring (33.8 ppg) in 2016. To improve, the Broncos will need to replace three offensive lineman and get consistent production from junior quarterback Brett Rypien. Colorado State looks to compete with Boise State for the Mountain Division crown. On the other side, San Diego State plays two Pac-12 opponents early. The Aztecs go to Arizona State on Sept. 9 before hosting Stanford on Sept. 16, and have an easier conference schedule down the stretch.

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9

Conference breakdown: Pac-12

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Christian McCaffrey is in the NFL and Oregon is at least a year or two away from league title talk. That leaves Washington as the favorite in the Pac-12 North Division. The Huskies return junior QB Jake Browning, who guided the highest-scoring offense (41.8 points per game) in the Pac-12 last year. USC poses as the greatest overall threat, behind quarterback Sam Darnold, who led the Trojans to a 9-1 record after taking over as the starter in late September. The biggest question for USC is whether Darnold can stay upright.

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10

Conference breakdown: Southeastern

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

As always, the SEC’s drama will revolve around Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won the past three conference championships and have appeared in the past two College Football Playoff finals, but is this the year Florida or Tennessee rises up to challenge them? Will coach Kirby Smart finally push Georgia into the elite company at the top of the conference? And will LSU’s offense finally catch up with its defense and provide a threat to Alabama? Only time will tell.

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11

Conference breakdown: Sun Belt

• Lincoln Journal Star
• Aug 26, 2017

Drawing it up

Appalachian State may have had the superior record at 10-3, but it split the conference title with Arkansas State, which got hot in league play. Both teams will be near the top again this year, with loads of talent returning. Appalachian State has a tough defense that could push the Mountaineers over the top. Troy is a strong team, as well, with an experienced QB and many pieces from an offense that scored 33.7 points per game last year. There is not much to say about the rest of the field, so contention will likely be up to the top three teams.

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Conference breakdown: AAC

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Houston was a dark horse to crack the College Football Playoff last year, but coach Tom Herman left for Texas. So the attention turns to South Florida, which has one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Quinton Flowers, and a proven coach in Charlie Strong. Temple has won the past two East division titles, but will face stiff competition this year. This conference might not yield a playoff team, but who's to say?

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Conference breakdown: ACC

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

The ACC was one of the most-watched conferences in 2016, finishing with Louisville's Lamar Jackson capturing the Heisman Trophy, and Clemson winning the national championship in dramatic fashion against Alabama. With Deshaun Watson in the NFL after leading the Tigers to the title, and Louisville's questions on the offensive line, Florida State has emerged as the favorite in the Atlantic Division. The Seminoles will prove whether they are ready with an early test against No. 1 Alabama in Week 1.

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Conference breakdown: Big 12

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Oklahoma aims to reload with the hopes of winning a third straight Big 12 championship. Quarterback Baker Mayfield lost some productive teammates, but has the experience and playmaking skills to carry the Sooners far. Tom Herman took over at Texas after finishing with a 22-4 mark at Houston. Expect a three-way battle for top supremacy between the Sooners, Longhorns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are looking to get past the rival Sooners for the first time in three seasons. And don't overlook the Wildcats in the Little Apple, either.

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Conference breakdown: Big Ten

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

If things go according to plan, the Big Ten will have a team or two in the College Football Playoff. The only question is, who will it be? Ohio State has longtime starting QB JT Barrett coming back, while Penn State made huge strides last year, which ended with the Nittany Lions hoisting the Big Ten trophy. Michigan and Wisconsin are always in the mix with strong defenses. Or will it be a new team, like Nebraska or Northwestern, taking their turn to make a run at the conference title?

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Conference breakdown: Conference USA

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

The Conference USA forecast is the same as it was in 2016 when Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky were the front-runners. Louisiana Tech has won the West Division two of the past three years. To get there again, the Bulldogs will have to overcome challenges on the offensive side of the ball. Western Kentucky boasts a powerful offense but may need time to adjust under first-year coach Mike Sanford. The Hilltoppers defeated Louisiana Tech 58-44 in a barn-burner last season behind the arm of Mike White. 

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Conference breakdown: Independents

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Tradition-rich Notre Dame struggled mightily last season, finishing 4-8 despite having tremendous talent. The Irish have another loaded schedule that spans across conferences, including dates with Georgia, Stanford, and Navy. BYU posted a solid season but will have to replace QB Taysom Hill. Watch out for Army, which went 8-5 and could challenge Navy as the top team from the Armed Forces.

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Conference breakdown: MAC

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Toledo posted a healthy 9-4 record last year and returns star quarterback Logan Woodside. The Rockets will look to win the stingy West Division, which includes an Eastern Michigan team that could be even better this season. Western Michigan went 12-1 and edged into the fringe of the College Football Playoff discussion, but lost a lot of talent. Can the Broncos reload and reclaim the top spot in the conference? Miami (Ohio) returns most of its offense from last year.

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Conference breakdown: Mountain West

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Boise State led the Mountain West in total yardage, but was sixth in scoring (33.8 ppg) in 2016. To improve, the Broncos will need to replace three offensive lineman and get consistent production from junior quarterback Brett Rypien. Colorado State looks to compete with Boise State for the Mountain Division crown. On the other side, San Diego State plays two Pac-12 opponents early. The Aztecs go to Arizona State on Sept. 9 before hosting Stanford on Sept. 16, and have an easier conference schedule down the stretch.

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Conference breakdown: Pac-12

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Christian McCaffrey is in the NFL and Oregon is at least a year or two away from league title talk. That leaves Washington as the favorite in the Pac-12 North Division. The Huskies return junior QB Jake Browning, who guided the highest-scoring offense (41.8 points per game) in the Pac-12 last year. USC poses as the greatest overall threat, behind quarterback Sam Darnold, who led the Trojans to a 9-1 record after taking over as the starter in late September. The biggest question for USC is whether Darnold can stay upright.

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Conference breakdown: Southeastern

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

As always, the SEC’s drama will revolve around Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won the past three conference championships and have appeared in the past two College Football Playoff finals, but is this the year Florida or Tennessee rises up to challenge them? Will coach Kirby Smart finally push Georgia into the elite company at the top of the conference? And will LSU’s offense finally catch up with its defense and provide a threat to Alabama? Only time will tell.

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Conference breakdown: Sun Belt

• Lincoln Journal Star

Drawing it up

Appalachian State may have had the superior record at 10-3, but it split the conference title with Arkansas State, which got hot in league play. Both teams will be near the top again this year, with loads of talent returning. Appalachian State has a tough defense that could push the Mountaineers over the top. Troy is a strong team, as well, with an experienced QB and many pieces from an offense that scored 33.7 points per game last year. There is not much to say about the rest of the field, so contention will likely be up to the top three teams.

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