Missouri

Missouri is a contender in the Big 12 North because of an explosive offense. The sticking point is a suspect defense.

The Tigers rarely stopped the opposition last year, with their last-second loss to Oregon State in the Sun Bowl serving as a vivid example. In that game, Missouri squandered a 14-point lead in the final 3:14 and then lined up to stop a tying extra-point kick that enabled the Beavers to easily run it in for the game-winner.

It might get even tougher given that coach Gary Pinkel has to replace six starters on defense, although many of the replacements saw a lot of playing time.

“I think we have more experience than what might appear,” Pinkel said. “I think we’re young in some of our backup spots, but I think we’ve also got some talent.”

SCHOOL COLORS: Black and gold
FOUNDED: 1839
ENROLLMENT: 28,153
LOCATED: Columbia, Mo.
COACH: Gary Pinkel, seventh season at Missouri (37-35), 17th overall (110-72-3)
2006 RECORD: 8-5 (4-4, 2nd Big 12 North)
LAST BOWL: 2006 Sun Bowl, lost to Oregon State 39-38
STADIUM: Faurot Field (68,349)
RETURNING STARTERS: 13 (5 offense, 8 defense)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Chase Daniel, RB Tony Temple, TEs Chase Coffman and Martin Rucker, DT Lorenzo Williams, MLB Brock Christopher
KEY RECRUITS: LB Michael Keck, LB Luke Lambert
KEY DEPARTURES: LB Marcus Bacon; DE Brian Smith
COACHSPEAK: “The challenge is going to be can we reach our potential? And it’s going to be very important that we’re very unselfish.” – Pinkel.

2007 SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 – vs. Illinois, at St. Louis
Sept. 8 – at Mississippi
Sept. 15 – Western Michigan
Sept. 22 – Illinois State
Oct. 6 – Nebraska
Oct. 13 – at Oklahoma
Oct. 20 – Texas Tech
Oct. 27 – Iowa State
Nov. 3 – at Colorado
Nov. 10 – Texas A&M
Nov. 17 – at Kansas State
Nov. 24 – vs. Kansas, at Kansas City, Mo.

Nebraska

Bill Callahan won’t say it, but his players will: The time has come for Nebraska to reclaim its traditional place among the elite in college football.

Though the Cornhuskers won the watered-down Big 12 North last year, they’ve done little to distinguish themselves in Callahan’s first three years in Lincoln. The haven’t been ranked in the Top 10 since 2003 – Frank Solich’s last year – and have lost no fewer than four games a season under Callahan.

“This needs to be the year Nebraska makes a statement,” offensive lineman Matt Slauson said. “We’ve been improving every year since we got the new system. Nebraska needs to be in the national spotlight.”

SCHOOL COLORS: Scarlet and cream.
FOUNDED: 1869
ENROLLMENT: 22,000
LOCATED: Lincoln, Neb.
COACH: Bill Callahan, fourth season at Nebraska and overall (22-15)
2006 RECORD: 9-5 (6-2 Big 12 North champion)
LAST BOWL: 2007 Cotton Bowl, lost to Auburn 17-14
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium (73,918)
RETURNING STARTERS: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Sam Keller, RB Marlon Lucky, WR Maurice Purify, LB Corey McKeon, DT Ndamukong Suh
KEY RECRUITS: RB Quentin Castille, DB Anthony Blue
KEY DEPARTURES: QB Zac Taylor, RB Brandon Jackson, DE Adam Carriker, DE Jay Moore, LB Steward Bradley
COACHSPEAK: “I know there are a lot of statements being made relative to our team, where we’re ranked in the North Division, where we’re ranked nationally. As I told the team, it really doesn’t matter. What really matters is what we do on the field.” – Callahan.

2007 SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 – Nevada
Sept. 8 – at Wake Forest
Sept. 15 – Southern California
Sept. 22 – Ball State
Sept. 29 – Iowa State
Oct. 6 – at Missouri
Oct. 13 – Oklahoma State
Oct. 20 – Texas A&M
Oct. 27 – at Texas
Nov. 3 – at Kansas
Nov. 10 – Kansas State
Nov. 23 – at Colorado

Kansas State

When Ron Prince chose “The Power of One” as this year’s theme, the Kansas State coach wasn’t thinking about jersey numbers.

“One of the things that I wanted to make sure to do was talk about having one goal, with one vision, and with one team,” Prince said. “We really have to understand what our mission is. That is really what the ‘Power of One’ is. It is something bigger than ourselves.”

It’s only a coincidence, then, that sophomore quarterback Josh Freeman wears No. 1.

But if the Wildcats are to improve on – or even match – their 7-6 record and bowl appearance in Prince’s first year, a lot will depend on which No. 1 shows up each Saturday this fall.

Freeman also should have more help up front this season, to keep pass rushers away.

SCHOOL COLORS: Purple and white
FOUNDED: 1863
ENROLLMENT: 23,137
LOCATED: Manhattan
COACH: Ron Prince, second season at Kansas State and overall (7-6)
2006 RECORD: 7-6 (4-4, tied for second in Big 12 North)
LAST BOWL: 2006 Texas Bowl, lost to Rutgers 37-10
STADIUM: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000)
RETURNING STARTERS: 13 (7 offense, 6 defense)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Josh Freeman, RB James Jackson, S Marcus Watts, LB Ian Campbell.
KEY RECRUITS: LB Chris Patterson, WR Lamark Brown
KEY DEPARTURES: WR Yamon Figurs, WR Jermaine Moreira, LB Brandon Archer, PK Jeff Snodgrass
COACHSPEAK: “I don’t know that we necessarily have a lot of stars on the national level, but I think that’s a positive thing.” – Prince on his roster.

2007 SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 – at Auburn
Sept. 8 – San Jose State
Sept. 15 – Missouri State
Sept. 29 – at Texas
Oct. 6 – Kansas
Oct. 13 – Colorado
Oct. 20 – at Oklahoma State
Oct. 27 – Baylor
Nov. 3 – at Iowa State
Nov. 10 – at Nebraska
Nov. 17 – Missouri
Nov. 24 – at Fresno State

Colorado

Cornerback Terrence Wheatley doesn’t mind sneaking a peek at Colorado’s 2-10 record in the first season under Dan Hawkins.

“There are times when I don’t want to look in the rearview mirror at all; I might break it off and not use it. But then there are times when you’ve got to look at it, you’ve got to learn from it,” Wheatley said. “As much as I want to just throw it all away, I want to keep a little piece of it with me just to remember.”

Wheatley invites opponents to look at last year and make the mistake of expecting more of the same in 2007. He would argue the Buffs had chances to win most games in the fourth quarter and simply didn’t make key plays.

“You keep a piece of it and say, ‘We were close,”‘ said Wheatley, a senior. “Close isn’t good enough. But we were close, so I think we’re going to be a lot better than people think – and I think we were a lot better last year than people give us credit for.”

The Buffs’ fourth-quarter foibles can be attributed to the transition from Gary Barnett to Hawkins. The players were still learning a new system and when crunch time came, they often caved.

SCHOOL COLORS: Silver, gold and black
FOUNDED: 1876
ENROLLMENT: 28,942
LOCATED: Boulder, Colo.
COACH: Dan Hawkins, second season at Colorado (2-10), 12th overall (94-33-1)
2006 RECORD: 2-10 (2-6 Big 12 North)
LAST BOWL: 2005 Champs Sports Bowl, lost to Clemson 19-10
STADIUM: Folsom Field (53,750)
RETURNING STARTERS: 18 (9 offense, 9 defense).
KEY PLAYERS: ILB Jordan Dizon, CB Terrence Wheatley, QB Cody Hawkins, TB Hugh Charles, DT George Hypolite, PK Kevin Eberhart
KEY RECRUITS: QB Nick Nelson, OL Ryan Miller
KEY DEPARTURES: DE Abraham Wright, LB Thaddaeus Washington, K Mason Crosby, C Mark Fenton, G Brian Daniels
COACHSPEAK: “I see some toughness in our leaders a little bit. Your team has got to have a core group of guys that can grab the team by the heart and soul and be tough enough to rally those guys.” – Hawkins.

2007 SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 – vs. Colorado State, at Denver
Sept. 8 – at Arizona State
Sept. 15 – Florida State
Sept. 22 – Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 29 – Oklahoma
Oct. 6 – at Baylor
Oct. 13 – at Kansas State
Oct. 20 – Kansas
Oct. 27 – at Texas Tech
Nov. 3 – Missouri
Nov. 10 – at Iowa State
Nov. 23 – Nebraska

Kansas

Gone is Big 12 rushing leader Jon Cornish, who was mainly responsible for Kansas ranking fourth in the conference and 19th in the nation with a rushing average of almost 177 yards. But coach mark Mangino returns 16 starters and 33 lettermen from last year’s 6-6 squad and may have the league’s finest cornerback in junior Aqib Talib.

Fast and physical, Talib led the Big 12 with six interceptions in 2006 and was first in the nation with 2.80 passes defended. His 22 pass breakups also topped the Big 12 and helped make him universally acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading defensive backs.

The Jayhawks won’t even leave the state until they go to Colorado on Oct. 20.

SCHOOL COLORS: Crimson and blue
FOUNDED: 1866
ENROLLMENT: 29,624
LOCATED: Lawrence, Kan.
COACH: Mark Mangino, sixth season at Kansas and overall (25-35)
2006 RECORD: 6-6 (3-5 Big 12 North, fourth)
LAST BOWL: 2005 Fort Worth Bowl, beat Houston 42-13
STADIUM: Memorial Stadium (50,071)
RETURNING STARTERS: 14 (6 offense, 8 defense)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Kerry Meier, QB Todd Reesing, CB Aqib Talib, LB Mike Rivera, RB Jake Sharp, WR Dexton Fields, DT James McClinton, DE Russell Brorsen
KEY RECRUITS: WR Dezmon Briscoe, WR Chris Harris, WR Johnathan Wilson, DT Richard Johnson, DE Jake Laptad, RB Carmon Boyd-Anderson
KEY DEPARTURES: RB Jon Cornish, WR Brian Murph, DE Paul Como, S Jerome Kemp
COACHSPEAK: “It’s a confident group and we are in a position right now where we feel if we keep things rolling and stay at the tempo that we are right now, good things are going to happen.” – Mangino.

2007 SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 – Central Michigan
Sept. 8 – Southeastern Louisiana
Sept. 15 – Toledo
Sept. 22 – Florida International
Oct. 6 – at Kansas State
Oct. 13 – Baylor
Oct. 20 – at Colorado
Oct. 27 – at Texas A&M
Nov. 3 – Nebraska
Nov. 10 – at Oklahoma State
Nov. 17 – Iowa State
Nov. 24 – vs. Missouri, at Kansas City, Mo.

Iowa State

After decades of mediocrity, Iowa State believes it has found a coach that can lead the Cyclones to national prominence.

They haven’t been shy about telling everyone, either.

Gene Chizik, a former Texas assistant widely regarded as one of the nation’s brightest young coaches, has been put up as the face of Iowa State football since his November hiring. He’s been plastered on posters and television ads across the state, and a local bank has a Gene Chizik commemorative coin, retailing for just $15.

Fans have responded in kind, scooping up season tickets at a record pace. Chizik, who has never been a head coach, says he’s been energized by the opportunity to take over a program so thrilled to have him.

SCHOOL COLORS: Cardinal and Gold
FOUNDED: 1858
ENROLLMENT: 23,710
LOCATED: Ames, Iowa
COACH: Gene Chizik, first season at Iowa State and overall
2006 RECORD: 4-8 (1-7 Big 12)
LAST BOWL: 2005 Houston Bowl, lost to TCU 27-24
STADIUM: Jack Trice Stadium
RETURNING STARTERS: 10 (4 offense, 6 defense)
KEY PLAYERS: QB Bret Meyer, WR Todd Blythe, LB Alvin Bowen
KEY RECRUITS: RB Jamicah “J.J.” Bass, DB Allen Bell
KEY DEPARTURES: DB DeAndre Jackson, RB Stevie Hicks, LB Tyrone McKenzie
COACHSPEAK: “These guys love football. It doesn’t matter who the coach is. Guys are resilient, and they’ve moved on. It’s our job now to make sure we have a relationship, a communication process and a trust to move forward as a team.” – Chizik said about taking over for Dan McCarney, who resigned after 12 seasons.

2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 30 – Kent State
Sept. 8 – Northern Iowa
Sept. 15 – Iowa
Sept. 22 – at Toledo
Sept. 29 – at Nebraska
Oct. 6 – at Texas Tech
Oct. 13 – Texas
Oct. 20 – Oklahoma
Oct. 27 – at Missouri
Nov. 3 – Kansas State
Nov. 10 – Colorado
Nov. 17 – at Kansas