1. NOTRE DAME 9-3, lost 34-20 to Ohio State in Fiesta.

Coach: Charlie Weis – Part Lou Holtz/part Bill Parcells.

Star: QB Brady Quinn.

Showdown: Nov. 25 at Miami.

Flaw: No proven kicker.

2. OHIO STATE 10-2, beat Notre Dame 34-20 in Fiesta.

Coach: Jim Tressel – Saint Tressel forever will be tied with Maurice Clarett.

Star: WR Ted Ginn Jr.

Showdown: Sept. 9 at Texas.

Flaw: Three new linebackers.

3. AUBURN 9-3, lost 24-10 to Wisconsin in Capital One.

Coach: Tommy Tuberville – Drives a pickup and keeps one phone listed.

Star: LB Will Herring.

Showdown: Nov. 28 at Alabama.

Flaw: Offseason academic scandal.

4. SOUTHERN CAL 12-1, lost 41-38 to Texas in Rose.

Coach: Pete Carroll – Dude, who needs the NFL?

Star: DE Lawrence Jackson.

Showdown: Sept. 23 at Arizona.

Flaw: Replacing two Heisman Trophy winners.

5. FLORIDA STATE 8-5, lost 26-23 in 3 OTs to Penn State in Orange.

Coach:Bobby Bowden – Traveling preacher man must restore Seminoles’ faith.

Star: RB Lorenzo Booker.

Showdown: Nov. 25 vs. Florida.

Flaw: Offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden still considered daddy’s boy.

6. LOUISIANA STATE 11-2, beat Miami 40-3 in Peach.

Coach: Les Miles – Too loosey goosey a replacement for Nick Saban won’t work.

Star: FS LaRon Landry.

Showdown: Sept. 16 at Auburn.

Flaw: Top two RBs coming off ACL surgeries.

7. TEXAS 13-0, beat USC 41-38 in Rose.

Coach: Mack Brown – Nicest man to toss an 800-pound gorilla.

Star: SS Michael Griffin.

Showdown: Oct. 21 at Nebraska.

Flaw: Finding a QB is one thing; finding another Vince Young is another.

8. LOUISVILLE 9-3, lost 35-24 to Virginia Tech in Gator.

Coach: Bobby Petrino – Signs long-term extension; time to make the donuts.

Star: RB Michael Bush.

Showdown: Sept. 16 vs. Miami.

Flaw: Haven’t won a big game.

9. IOWA 7-5, lost 31-24 to Florida in Outback.

Coach: Kirk Ferentz – Part Bill Belichick/part Tom Landry.

Star: QB Drew Tate.

Showdown: Oct. 21 at Michigan.

Flaw: Departed LBs Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge combined for 314 tackles.

10. WEST VIRGINIA 11-1, beat Georgia 38-35 in Sugar.

Coach: Rich Rodriguez – Mouse Davis meets Bud Wilkinson.

Star: QB Pat White.

Showdown: Nov. 2 at Louisville.

Flaw: Only five starters return on defense.

11. FLORIDA 9-3, beat Iowa 31-24 in Outback.

Coach: Urban Meyer – Part Bobby Fischer Kasparov; part Darrell Royal.

Star: QB Chris Leak.

Showdown: Oct. 14 at Auburn.

Flaw: Schedule is tougher than a weekold vendor pretzel.

12. CALIFORNIA 8-4, beat Brigham Young 35-28 in Las Vegas.

Coach: Jeff Tedford – “Air” Tedford’s teams have had eight 1,000-yard rushers in last seven seasons.

Star: RB Marshaun Lynch.

Showdown: Nov. 18 at Southern Cal.

Flaw: K Tom Schneider made just 9-of16 field-goal attempts.

13. MICHIGAN 7-5, lost 32-28 to Nebraska in Alamo.

Coach: Lloyd Carr – Carrservative.

Star: WR/KR Steve Breaston.

Showdown: Nov. 18 at Ohio State.

Flaw: 2005 bruised-ego injury not 100percent recovered.

14. TEXAS CHRISTIAN 11-1, beat Iowa State 27-24 in Houston.

Coach: Gary Patterson – Three straight 10-win seasons haven’t gone to his head.

Stars: DEs Tommy Blake & Chase Ortiz.

Showdown: Oct. 5 at Utah.

Flaw: TCU doesn’t play in a BCS conference.

15. PENN STATE 11-1, beat Florida State 26-23 in 3 OTs in Orange.

Coach: Joe Paterno – “Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things.” Star: LB Paul Posluszny.

Showdown: Sept. 9 at Notre Dame.

Flaw: New QB.

16. MIAMI 9-3, lost 40-3 to LSU in Peach.

Coach: Larry Coker – Might be too nice to be a head coach at a place like Miami.

Star: DE Baraka Atkins.

Showdown: Sept. 4 vs. Florida State.

Flaw: Doubt ‘Canes believe in Coker, who was forced to reshuffle staff.

17. GEORGIA 10-3, lost 38-35 to West Virginia in Sugar.

Coach: Mark Richt – Could “The Richt Stuff” be Bowden’s heir at Florida State?

Star: DE Quentin Moses.

Showdown: Nov. 11 at Auburn.

Flaw: Three new starters on the O-line.

18. CLEMSON 8-4, beat Colorado 19-10 in Champs Sports.

Coach: Terry Bowden – Part Bobby Bowden, literally; part Mack Brown.

Star: RB James Davis.

Showdown: Oct. 26 at Virginia Tech.

Flaw: Slow starters + new QB + two tough, early-season road games = ?

19. NEBRASKA 8-4, beat Michigan 32-28 in Alamo.

Coach: Bill Callahan – Doesn’t know cream from kernel corn.

Star: DE: Adam Carriker.

Showdown: Sept. 16 at Southern Cal.

Flaw: Big Red hasn’t won Big 12 since 1999.

20. VIRGINIA TECH 11-2, beat Louisville 35-34 in Gator.

Coach: Frank Beamer – Did for Tech what Paterno and Bowden did for PSU and FSU.

Star: LB Vince Hall.

Showdown: Nov. 4 at Miami.

Flaw: No QB named Vick.

21. OKLAHOMA 8-4, beat Oregon 17-14 in Holiday.

Coach: Bob Stoops – Tossed starting QB Rhett Bomar off the team for an illegal summer job.

Star: RB Adrian Peterson.

Showdown: Oct. 7 vs. Texas in Dallas.

Flaw: Two months to find a starting QB.

22. OREGON 10-2, lost 17-14 to Oklahoma in Holiday.

Coach: Mike Bellotti – Dean of Pac-10 enters his 12th season in Niketown.

Star: K Paul Martinez.

Showdown: Sept. 30 at Arizona State.

Flaw: Must replace Kellen Clemens, who could be Jets QB of the future.

23. TEXAS TECH 9-3, lost 13-10 to Alabama in Holiday.

Coach: Mike Leach – Mr. Uncongeniality with a pass-friendly offense.

Star: WR Joel Filani.

Showdown: Sept. 16th at Texas Christian.

Flaw: New QB in a passing system.

24. ARIZONA STATE 7-5, beat Rutgers 45-40 in Insight Coach: Dirk Koetter – Program builder, see Boise State.

Star: WR/DB/PR Rudy Burgess.

Showdown: Nov. 25 at Arizona.

Flaw: Defense surrendered 30 or more points six times.

25. BOISE STATE 9-4, lost 27-21 to BC in MPC Computers.

Coach: Chris Petersen – Tough task in replacing Dan Hawkins (Colorado).

Star: LB Colt Brooks.

Showdown: Nov. 25 at Nevada.

Flaw: Rookies – 41-year-old head coach and two 29-year-old coordinators.