Matt Hayes

The season kicks off Thursday. Here's what you need to know until BCS champion crowned on Jan. 8:

The power structure
1. SEC: The Dawg days are upon us, people. Or maybe it's the Gator days. Or is it still the Bayou Bengal days?

2. Big 12: Top to bottom (well, maybe not bottom), this is the most improved league in the land. For the second year in a row, to boot.

3. Big Ten: Ohio State is so bad (how bad is it?), we'll almost be halfway surprised when the Buckeyes play for the BCS title yet again.

4. Pac-10: Most of last season's upper-half finishers (Arizona State, Oregon State, Oregon, UCLA) are in danger of slipping. You'll notice we didn't mention USC.

5. Big East: It's hard to know what to make of any of these teams, even West Virginia. We don't even know Louisville anymore.

6. ACC: Clemson sure looks good — words that typically are spoken before an all-out Tigers collapse. Maybe Florida State and Mia ... nah.

7. Mountain West: Somebody's got to be the best of the rest. BYU looks big league-tough; Utah and TCU will have their say.

Old faces, new places
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan: Remind us, please — which verse of "The Victors" has that line about square pegs and round holes?

Rick Neuheisel, UCLA: Big talk so far from the Slickster. Will his boys back him up on December 6, or will the Trojans win by 40?

Bobby Petrino, Arkansas: Even without Darren McFadden, the Hogs' offense will improve immediately. As for their general happiness ...

Bo Pelini, Nebraska: Just think, surrendering 75 points to Kansas and 64 to Colorado would be steps in the right direction.

Mike Sherman, Texas A&M: He must be good — didn't he once help bring relatively swift resolution to a Brett Favre retirement saga?

Rise and shine
They'd better get up for these early schedules.

USC: Even for the Trojans, their start (at Virginia, vs. Ohio State, at Oregon State, vs. Oregon, vs. Arizona State) is an enormous hill to get over.

Washington: The Huskies open at Oregon then come home to keep playing underdog against BYU and (gulp) Oklahoma. Hang in there, Ty!

UCLA: Whoa — right out of the chute vs. Tennessee. Then it's off to BYU. How about some love for the Pac-10?

Miami: An opening-week gimme vs. Charleston Southern won't do much to prepare the ’Canes for games at Florida and Texas A&M. Oh, to somehow be 2-1.

Special feature Heisman Hopefuls Who will win top individual prize this season? NBCSports.com

Hawaii: Game 1 — at Florida, game 3 — at Oregon State, game 14 — if there is one, it sure as heck won't have anything to do with the BCS.

East Carolina: Oh, nothing much going on in weeks 1 and 2, just back-to-back games against — are you ready for this? — Virginia Tech (in Charlotte) and West Virginia.

Snooze alarm
We'll wake you when they're finally playing somebody.

LSU: What a gantlet — Appalachian State (oh, please), Troy and North Texas in Baton Rouge. Way to break a sweat, boys.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders will be 4-0 after playing Eastern Washington, Nevada, SMU and UMass. And it won't mean a dang thing.

Florida State: Prediction: The 'Noles will look scary-good against Western Carolina and Chattanooga (yes, that Chattanooga). Sadly, scary-bad will be right around the corner.

Indiana: That deafening silence you'll hear will be the Hoosiers in Bloomington vs. Western Kentucky, Murray State and Ball State.

Missouri: After the big'un in St. Louie vs. Illinois, the Tigers go home and veg for three weeks: Southeast Missouri State, Nevada and Buffalo.

Nebraska: Bo Pelini wasn't hired to beat the likes of Western Michigan, San Jose State and New Mexico State, but he'll start 3-0 anyway.