This year, the national champion of college football won't be Rose Bowl champion or Sugar Bowl champion. With the NCAA instituting a new championship game, the title of national champion is that much more alluring. So, who will contend for the top spot?
Well with Vince Young gone, can the Longhorns reclaim the title? Can USC survive the loss of two Heisman winners? Can Charlie Weis and Brady Quinn put together a championship run of their own? Can West Virginia come out of the Big East to claim gold? Can the Big Ten's top team, Ohio State, maintain its No. 1 spot in the nation?
Here are GameDay's top five national championship contenders. Don't agree? Well that's what college football is all about.
Ohio State
Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith, the Buckeyes enter the 2006 season with one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country. Despite not claiming the starting job until OSU's third game last year, Smith still passed for 2,282 yards and ran for another 611.
The senior signal-caller played best when the spotlight shined brightest. He passed for 300 yards as the Buckeyes knocked off Michigan and then torched Notre Dame for 342 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Receivers Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez both possess breakaway speed and big play capability. The Buckeyes also feature a two-headed monster in the backfield with running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells. The only question mark for the men in scarlet and grey lies on defense, where the Buckeyes must replace nine starters from a year ago. A victory at Texas would put Ohio State in the driver's seat for the national title game.
Notre Dame
Head Coach Charlie Weis put the fight back in the Fighting Irish last year as Notre Dame went to a New Year's Day bowl game for the first time since 2002. Senior quarterback Brady Quinn has passed for more yards than any other quarterback in school history, and he should add to his total by tossing the pigskin to senior wide out Jeff Samardzjia.
In 2005, the 6'5' receiver set a Notre Dame single-season record with 1,249 receiving yards. Although the Irish excel through the air, they also possess a solid running game. Junior tailback Darius Walker ran for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns last season while averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Notre Dame's defense looked much-improved in their 14-10 week one victory over Georgia Tech as the Irish shutout the Yellow Jackets in the second half. If Notre Dame remains undefeated after back-to-back home games against Penn State and Michigan, the stage could be set for another late season classic against USC.
Texas
With Vince Young now calling signals for the Tennessee Titans, the defending national champions will turn to freshman quarterback Colt ""45"" McCoy to lead their offensive attack.
McCoy played well in the opener against North Texas, passing for 178 yards and three touchdowns, but the young gunslinger's true test will come in week two against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Longhorns won 25-22 last season in Columbus, Ohio, and never looked back on their way to the national championship.
On defense, the Longhorns will have to replace All-Americans Rodrique Wright and Michael Huff.
Despite the losses, talent abounds on both sides of the ball. Yet with games at Texas Tech and Nebraska and the annual Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma, the Longhorns will have trouble stampeding to their second straight national title even if they defeat Ohio State.
West Virginia
The Mountaineers might not be the most talented team in the country, but with one of the most favorable schedules in all of college football, they have an excellent chance to finish the regular season undefeated.
Of West Virginia's next six opponents, only the mighty Eastern Washington Eagles posted a winning record last season. Running back Steve Slaton earned Big East rookie of the year honors in 2005 while rushing for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns. Sophomore signal caller Pat White rushed for 952 yards, a new record for Big East quarterbacks. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez uses an unorthodox 3-3-5 defense, an alignment that often gives offensive coordinators nightmares. The Mountaineers should be 7-0 when they visit Louisville on Nov. 2. A Big East title and a spot in the BCS Championship could be on the line.
Southern California
Some might think the departures of Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush will cause the Trojans to return to their late '90s gridiron mediocrity. As ESPN's Lee Corso would say, ""Not so fast my friend."" The young and inexperienced Trojans stumbled into Fayetteville, Ar., and hogtied the Razorbacks, scoring 50 points in the process.
Junior quarterback John David Booty spread the ball around as he passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
Four USC receivers snagged at least four passes and running backs Emmanuel Moody, Chauncey Washington and C.J. Gable each rushed for over 50 yards. Since the start of the 2002 season, head coach Pete Carroll's teams have posted a record of 49-4, and if Saturday's game was any indication, the Trojans are on track for another BCS bowl game.
