Flop team

Defensive end Tommy Blake headlines a ferocious TCU defense. AP

Mandel: Arkansas. Every possible bad preseason omen a team could have -- from the Mitch Mustain mess to Houston Nutt's phone records to a starter's felony drug arrest just last week -- this team has had it.

Winn: Tennessee. A loss at Cal in Week 1 -- a very strong possibility, given that Tennessee lacks the secondary to stop the Bears' passing attack -- could kill the Vols' momentum. They could drop out of the polls altogether after a loss at Florida in Week 3.

McCartney: Florida State. Jimbo Fisher was enough for the media to pick the 'Noles to win the ACC Atlantic and give FSU a No. 19 preseason ranking, but the 'Noles are still dealing with inconsistency at QB and the remnants of a running game that was 103rd last season. That's not a formula for a return to glory.

Murphy: LSU. Les Miles tweaks the soft schedules of other conferences while lining up against "juggernauts" such as Middle Tennessee, Tulane, Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. The Bayou Bengals will have their hands full against Virginia Tech on Sept. 8, and won't make it through the SEC undefeated.

This year's Boise State

Mandel: Boise State. Hawaii will put up points by the bushel and TCU will be very strong as well, but at the end of the day the Broncos still have the best team.

Winn: Hawaii. Not only do the Warriors have Colt Brennan and the nation's most high-powered offense, they also have a schedule that's highly conducive to running the table; their two toughest games, against Boise State and Washington, are both at home.

McCartney: TCU. Hawaii won't be tested, but the Horned Frogs are this year's best mid-major with a roster that returns nine starters from a D that was second in the nation in '06, as well as an explosive running back in Aaron Brown. The only foreseeable blemish is a trip to Texas

Murphy: TCU. With 17 starters back from a team that won 11 games last season, the Horned Frogs will go a long way. TCU visits Texas on Sept. 8, and the Frogs have been pointing to that date for a long, long time.

Heisman Trophy winner

Mandel: Pat White, West Virginia. Teammate Steve Slaton has gotten most of the Heisman love so far, but voters will come to realize White is actually the more dangerous player when he starts putting up passing numbers to go with his 200-yard rushing games.

Winn: Steve Slaton, West Virginia. The race will come down to Slaton vs. Brennan ... with the narrow edge going to the 1,800-yard rusher who got his team into the national title game.

McCartney: John David Booty, USC: We'll have our second winner to go by three names (joining another John David in Texas A&M's Crow in 1957) with the most visible player on the nation's best team.

Murphy: Booty. While Darren McFadden copes with eight-man fronts, Booty will be racking up huge numbers while his team piles up wins. That combination should overcome electors' Trojans fatigue.

First player to fall out of the Heisman race

Mandel: Ray Rice, Rutgers. This is nothing against Rice, who's an outstanding player, but I expect his workload to drop this year due to the Knights' other weapons and his stats won't compare to McFadden's or Slaton's.

Winn: Chad Henne, Michigan. I expect to see plenty of Henne-to-Manningham highlights this season ... but I also expect it to become clear early that Mike Hart is the Wolverines' real Heisman candidate.

McCartney: Erik Ainge, Tennessee: With the Volunteers' receiving corps drained -- all three of their top pass-catchers from '06 are gone -- and a strong group of running backs returning, Ainge may do more handing off than last season. Not good for a Heisman campaign.

Murphy: Colt McCoy, Texas. If TCU upsets the Longhorns on Sept. 8, no way McCoy gets to New York.

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