There are a few games on the docket tonight, but one has top 25 importance—Northern Arizona University at #24 Arizona State University. The game kicks off at 10pm EST, which is 7pm PST. One of the ASU QBs, Sam Keller, is now in Nebraska. He threw for 2,165 yards, 20 TDs and 9 INTs last season. Still, the ASU Sun Devils have starter Rudy Carpenter. He threw for 2,2273 yards with 17 TDs and only 2 picks last year. Are the ASU Sun Devils top 25 material?

Coming off an extremely strong 2005 season, USC has high hopes for the future. That being said, not everyone in the media exactly agrees with that notion. In fact, many have picked the USC Trojans to finish low, not even winning their own conference in most cases. Indeed, an argument can be made for such a demise to the powerhouse program following a troubled offseason that included sexual assault charges against backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, injuries to top players such as running back Hershel Dennis, the suspension of Heisman candidate Dwayne Jarrett, and the departures of superstars Reggie Bush, Lendale White, and Matt Leinart in addition to three of the starting five offensive lineman departing to the NFL.

When looking at what teams have the best chance to make it to the BCS National Championship game in January, no team has a better chance than the West Virginia Mountaineers. Simply put, it would almost be a shock if West Virginia didn’t go undefeated and earn a berth in the championship game thanks to some outstanding talents at key positions and a cake schedule that should present few, if any, problems.

One team in particular that is on the hot seat to regain some of their 90’s form is the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols have experienced a couple of pretty disappointing seasons that have tarnished the achievements of the team and clouded their success just a few years ago. A powerhouse throughout much of the 90’s, the Vols finished a mere 5-6 in 2005 and have a lot of rebuilding to do if they hope to improve on that number in the years to come.

Did you actually think Joe Paterno would retire after a few very disappointing seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions? Of course not, the legendary coach worked hard to turn his team around and that effort has paid off, especially on the recruiting front. Joe Paterno now seems to be getting only younger, and his recent physical only seems to support this (which stated he could coach for at least another ten years or so), and the recent successes have allowed him to bring in a couple good recruiting classes. There were quite a few new freshman that contributed to the Penn State turnaround last year, and expect those young players to be even better and to combine with the new recruiting class to truly provide the Nittany Lions with a lot of talented youth on all fronts.

Pac-10 teams aren’t known for getting much respect, and the Oregon Ducks have been the victim of this for the past couple years. Despite consecutive 10-1 seasons and top 8 finishes in the BCS, Oregon continues to be left out of the BCS picture. It seems as if the only way the Ducks can actually earn a BCS berth is to actually go undefeated, and overcoming the hurdle of USC alone makes that an extremely difficult task each year.

No team has had quite the up and down ride through the polls as has the Oklahoma Sooners this year. After a fairly disappointing 8-4 season in 2005, Oklahoma was expected to be back and better than ever in 2006. With the return of their starting QB and All-World star running back Adrian Peterson, the top candidate for the Heisman this year, Oklahoma was expected to be nearly unbeatable in a weak Big XII conference. However, all that has changed thanks to the departure of Rhett Bomar.

If you want to talk about coaches on the hot seat in 2006, look no further than Michigan Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr. Michigan is known for winning, just look at their overall winning percentage in the history of the program, and Michigan fans expect winners. Despite Lloyd Carr’s success just a couple years ago, the memories of Michigan fans is extremely short, and they are already calling out for the dismissal of the Wolverines coach.

Few teams are as consistently good year in and year out as the Miami Hurricanes. Knock them if you will on being a “punk” school and full of trouble makers, Miami is still known to clean up on the field when push comes to shove, and their win percentage in recent history proves that point. Situated in the talent laden state of Florida, Miami is the perfect school for attracting all of the top talent in the country and those recruiting successes are what leads to Miami’s consistent victories.

Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles are known for being winners. Bowden fields solid teams year in and year out, and it is rare that down years come around. However, the past couple years have been considered just that for the Noles, who have had five loss seasons two out of the past four years. In fact, looking up and down the roster, it would look as if the Noles are in pure rebuilding mode in 2006.