1) Oregon kicks off the season Thursday in a big game at Boise State. Who will be the most important player on the field?

Steven Lassan: Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Sure, the quarterback is always important to every team, but there's a lot riding on Masoli's shoulders that night. The Ducks have concerns along the offensive line and in the receiving corps, and it will be up to Masoli to make things happen with his legs if the offense sputters early on. Not to mention, can he continue the momentum he established at the end of last season? Boise State boasts a solid pass defense and in a close game, Masoli can't afford turnovers and must be the catalyst for the Ducks' offense.

Mitch Light: I think Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount will be the difference in the game. Boise State, the last time it took the field, was gashed for 275 rushing yards, by TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. I think the Broncos will have a tough time slowing down the Ducks’ dynamic rushing attack.

Jake Veyhl: Jeremiah Masoli. If Masoli plays like he did at the end of last season, the Broncos won’t be able to stop the Ducks’ offense. Otherwise, Oregon could be in for a long afternoon on the Smurf Turf.

2) Julio Jones’ and Mark Ingram’s eligibility is in question for Alabama’s game against Virginia Tech. Can the Tide win without these two players?

Steven: I won't count them out, but I certainly don't like their chances. Jones is one of the top receivers in the SEC, while Ingram looks poised for a 1,000-yard season. Although the Crimson Tide have capable backup rushers in Roy Upchurch and freshman Trent Richardson, Ingram is their go-to option in the backfield. Jones could be the bigger loss, as after senior Mike McCoy, the Crimson Tide have some youth and inexperience. With Greg McElroy making his first start, missing out on your top rusher and receiver would be bad news for the Crimson Tide.

Mitch: I am picking Alabama to win the game, but I would seriously rethink that if these two sophomores are not in the lineup. Bama probably has enough depth in the backfield to play without Ingram (and keep in mind Virginia Tech doesn’t have its top tailback, Darren Evans), but losing Julio Jones would be very tough to overcome. Alabama becomes a much easier team to defend without Jones on the field.

Jake: Yes. While Jones would be a big loss on the outside, I don’t see him making a big impact in this game anyway. Nick Saban will want to be careful with new quarterback Greg McElroy against a very tough defense. The Ingram loss could be more significant, but this Alabama team is deep at running back. It’s the defense and running game that will help the Tide prevail, regardless of whether Ingram and Jones are in there.

3) Which sophomore quarterback do you expect to have the better season: Terrelle Pryor, Robert Griffin or Russell Wilson?

Steven: All three quarterbacks are certainly deserving, but I'm going to go with Baylor's Robert Griffin to have the best statistical season. The talent around Griffin is improving and he should be involved in plenty of shootouts against opposing Big 12 defenses this year. I think Pryor is going to show a lot of progress this season, particularly in the passing game, but I think he'll be just behind Griffin in terms of stats. In the awards department, I can see Pryor getting more Player of the Year honors, especially with Griffin contending with Zac Robinson, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford within his conference. I think this should be another learning year for Pryor, but 2010 could be a season where the Buckeyes begin the year as a preseason top five team and he is the preseason leader for the Heisman.

Mitch: I will go with Terrelle Pryor. All three players should have great sophomore seasons, but I think Pryor has the most natural ability of the group — and that is saying a lot. Griffin is a spectacular athlete and he will have tremendous stats because he is such a big part of the Baylor offense, but Pryor will play a major role on a team that should be ranked in the top 10 all season long.

Jake: I really like Russell Wilson. Robert Griffin and Terrelle Pryor have plenty of upside and could be the better Heisman candidates in 2010, but both are still raw. Wilson is a consistent force under center and a big reason for NC State’s late-season turnaround in 2008. A 17-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio as a freshman is ridiculous.

4) Which team not in the preseason AP top 25 has the best shot of ending up in the top 10?

Steven: I'm not sure that any team outside of the preseason AP Top 25 will finish in the top 10, but there were two that caught my attention — Illinois and Cincinnati. The Illini return a dynamic offense and if everything comes together, could challenge for a finish among the top three in the Big Ten. However, it will take an upset or two along the way to climb into the top 10. As for Cincinnati, whichever team emerges out of the Big East will be well inside of the Top 25. Despite the personnel losses on defense, I think the Bearcats have a good shot to win the Big East and finish inside of the top 10.

Mitch: This is a tough question, because if we really thought a team had the ability to be a top-10 team, we’d probably have them ranked in the top 25 (at least). I’ll throw out a few teams — NC State, West Virginia and Illinois. NC State could possibility be favored in all but two games this season (at Florida State, at Virginia Tech), giving the Pack an opportunity to pile up a bunch of wins. West Virginia has a chance to win the wide-open Big East; if the Mountaineers do that and take are of Colorado and Auburn in non-conference action, they could be a top-10 team. Illinois has a touch schedule, but the Illini could be very, very potent on offense this season.

Jake: I like Michigan State. The Spartans have gotten significantly better under Mark Dantonio, and while Javon Ringer is no longer carrying the load at running back, the Spartans have a schedule (no Ohio State) that could help them slowly move up the rankings. They don’t play Penn State until the final game of the season. That could be a big matchup.

5) Will there be an undefeated team at the end of the season?

Steven: Yes, I think there will be an undefeated team at the end of the season and I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of squads run the table. Although Florida has to travel to LSU and survive a matchup in the SEC title game, I think the Gators will emerge undefeated. The winner of the Texas/Oklahoma battle in the Big 12, Boise State and USC are the most likely candidates after the Gators to run the table in 2009.

Mitch: Yes. The Florida Gators. It’s a boring pick, but I think they are that good.

Jake: No. I know Florida is good but going undefeated in college football is nearly impossible these days. Only two of the last six champs have been undefeated. Boise State has the best chance to run the table as a BCS buster but I think they’ll lose to Oregon. Preseason favorites Florida, Texas or Oklahoma may still win the national championship, but they’ll have a loss while doing it.

Year Two of the Campus Challenge returns as Jake is out to defend his championship. The rules: Each person picks a quarterback, running back and wide receiver to make up his "team" for the week in an effort to amass as many passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards and total touchdowns as possible. Whoever has the best stats as the end of the year wins. All players selected must be from a BCS conference team playing an FBS opponent, and each editor can only use a player once during the season.