The top 25 is out, but what about the other 95 teams? We lay them out in reverse order, 10 at a time.

60: Air Force — The Falcons were expected to stumble the past two seasons. This team is different. This time, the Falcons will face the burden of expectations. The offense will be powerful if Tim Jefferson grows as a passer, but a more dangerous passing attack will require someone’s emergence from a group of less-than-dazzling receivers. For years, the Falcons have been shredded by passing teams. Last season, Air Force lacked the speed and quickness to shut down — or even slow down — teams like BYU and Houston. If the Falcons can develop a stingy secondary, this could be Troy Calhoun’s best AFA team.

59: Southern Miss — Larry Fedora begins his second season poised to make a run at the C-USA East title. Southern Miss, known through the years for its traditionally strong defense, could field Conference USA’s top offensive unit behind quarterback Austin Davis, receiver DeAndre Brown and running back Damion Fletcher. The schedule is tricky, both in and out of conference play. The Eagles travel to East Carolina, the defending league champ, and Houston, a contender in the West. In non-league action, USM hosts Virginia and visits Kansas and Louisville.

58: Arizona — Most of the pieces are in place for the Wildcats to return to a bowl game. But there is great uncertainty at quarterback and concerns on the offensive line and at linebacker. The Wildcats scheduled some needed break-in time against Central Michigan and Northern Arizona against whom they can identify and select a starting quarterback. By the time they travel to Iowa in late September, they expect to be rolling, perhaps not at last year’s 36.6-point and 402.4-yards-per-game rate, but good enough to be a factor in what should be a very balanced Pac-10.

57: Maryland — After losing 30 seniors, coach Ralph Friedgen has a roster that includes 61 scholarship players who have at least three years of eligibility remaining. But a youth movement does not necessarily mean a rebuilding season. For all of last season’s experience, the team was wildly inconsistent. This team is young but talented, particularly at the skill positions. How fast those players mature will determine whether the Terps will be a factor in the ACC Atlantic.

56: Kentucky — The good news for Rich Brooks is that his defense should help carry the load this season while Kentucky irons out its quarterback issues. Still, the schedule is unforgiving — it features only one in-season bye week, and the Cats likely will be underdogs in their first four SEC games — and there are significant strides to make offensively. If the Wildcats can claw into a fourth straight bowl with a break-even record, it’ll be a significant accomplishment for Brooks.

55: Michigan — The word “rebuilding” hadn’t been heard at Michigan since 1969, and the folks didn’t like it, especially since the last time it was used, the Wolverines ended up in the Rose Bowl, not with a 3–9 record and the stain of a loss to Toledo. Rich Rodriguez will be given time to effect a turnaround, but he’ll need more than just a season or two. That’s something the U-M community must accept, or it will be screaming for a quick trigger. The Wolverines aren’t going to contend for the Big Ten title, but they won’t be awful, either. They may even play in a bowl game. Michigan fans should recognize progress when they see it and prepare for prosperity down the road.

54: South Carolina — Entering his fifth year in Columbia, Steve Spurrier has a 15–17 SEC record and has not finished above .500 in the conference since his first season in 2005. If the Gamecocks are going to challenge in the East, the line has to protect Stephen Garcia, who must make better decisions than a year ago. Defensively, an injury to a key player or two could expose the team’s lack of depth. Time is ticking on the 64-year-old Spurrier’s goal of bringing an SEC title to South Carolina.

53: Stanford — He’s got a 9–15 record in his first two seasons, but Jim Harbaugh has created a buzz around Stanford’s program. He reportedly interviewed for the New York Jets job during the offseason and was targeted by a handful of other NFL teams. He decided to stay put, agreeing to a three-year contract extension. Now, Harbaugh has designs on elevating his program into the Pac-10 elite. The Cardinal aren’t a title contender just yet, but a winning record and a finish in the upper half of the conference certainly are doable in 2009.

52: Baylor — To a man, the Bears believe it’s their time to end a bowl drought that has stretched to 15 years. They were closer than the record indicated in 2008. Robert Griffin led them to a 4–8 finish last year that included three-point losses to UConn and Missouri and a 35–28 loss to No. 7 Texas Tech. Now, the problem is jumping to the next level with a grueling schedule that includes eight bowl teams from last year, including non-conference matchups against Connecticut and Wake Forest. But if Art Briles can fill the critical offensive tackle spots with a pair of junior college transfers and settle on starters at the two corners, this is a legitimate bowl game contender.

51: UCLA — The rebuilding continues, but for Rick Neuheisel’s process to be taken seriously on the recruiting trail, the Bruins need to return to a bowl. A favorable schedule — home games against San Diego State, Kansas State and Washington and road trips to Arizona and Washington State — should give the Bruins a head start. Better quarterback play is vital, but even more important is the offensive line. If the Bruins get some blocking and establish a running game, a lot of good things can follow, making Neuheisel’s second season a whole lot better than his first.

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