New coach with plenty of time: Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh. The third Cardinal head coach in the last four years, Harbaugh will be given the time to grow into his position.  Building a team even remotely as impressive as the school’s quaint new stadium will take some time.

Tough acts to follow: Wisconsin and Boise State. Bret Bielema did just about everything right in his first season at the helm of the Badgers. During his encore season he gets to play Ohio State for the first time. And then after that game at the Horseshoe, he’ll come home to face Michigan. Buckle up Bret.

When will Chris Petersen lose his first game? Without Jared Zabransky directing the Bronco offense and with others in the WAC on the rise, it will be a lot tougher to remain undefeated, but after seeing the gutsy ingenuity he and his staff displayed at the Fiesta Bowl, you have to believe that he’ll figure something out, especially if RB Ian Johnson remains focused and doesn’t have to participate in too much of the wedding prep.

In trouble: Colorado’s Dan Hawkins. The flipside to Petersen is Hawkins. He left Boise State to take over in Boulder where it was thought that his system would take a while to sink in, but a 2-10 record was much too much sinking for Buff backers.

If Hawkins thought 2006 was tough, just wait for 2007. In addition to the rugged Big 12 schedule, he’ll also have to lock horns with Colorado State, Arizona State and Florida State in September. And if he’s inclined to go with his son, Cody, at quarterback, the pressure will be intense.

Program on the rise:  Hawaii beats out Kentucky and Oklahoma State. If Brennan and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville stay in Honolulu, the Warriors could make a lot of noise.  And if highly touted RB Leon Jackson, a transfer from Nebraska, pans out, Hawaii could be the Boise State of 2007.

Program on slippery slope: California. With RB Marshawn Lynch skipping his senior season and significant departures on defense, the Golden Bears’ co-Pac-10 championship in 2006 will be their high point for a while. With badly needed facility improvements hitting snags in Berkeley and Jeff Tedford’s name remaining hot in NFL circles, you have to wonder about his longevity there.

The “Rutgers” of 2007: Rutgers. There’s no reason to think that Greg Schiano won’t keep the Scarlet Knights chopping away. If QB Mike Teel can improve and match the effectiveness of RB Ray Rice, Rutgers might be good enough to avoid the kind of road slipups that they had coming down the stretch in 2006.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

The Scarlet Knights have been down for so long, it won’t seem too odd to be “surprised” by a second consecutive year in the spotlight.

The “Florida State” of 2007: Oklahoma. They won’t fall to the depths of playing in anything equivalent to the Emerald Bowl, but Bob Stoops and his program will slide next season after coping with a headache that will last for the entire offseason.

The dramatic nature of their loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl almost masks the fact that the Sooners’ only bowl win since the 2002 season was a 17-14 victory over Oregon at the 2005 Holiday Bowl. Yes ... Oregon ... oops, sorry to bring up another Sooner sore spot.