Penn State Nittany Lions
(8-4, 4th in Big Ten)

Key returnees: QB Anthony Morelli, WR Derrick Williams, LB Dan Connor, CB Justin King, S Anthony Scirroto

Player to watch: Morelli has never been an encouraging leader for Nittany Lion fans, and he didn't perform well at all last year. Unless he improves significantly, the offense will stagnate.

Reason for optimism: Penn State always has a mean, fast defense, and always seems to live up to the "Linebacker U" pseudonym. This year is no different, with a great secondary and linebacker unit.

Reason for pessimism: The line that allowed Michigan to knock two Nittany Lion quarterbacks out of the game last year lost its best player, G Levi Brown.

Bottom line: The defense is great and the schedule isn't terrible (OSU and Wisconsin at home), which should be enough for a strong year and a possible BCS bowl. 10-2.