No. 40: Washington — How odd is this: Washington has suffered through seven consecutive seasons without a winning record — the worst stretch of football in the program’s 120-year history — even with the record-setting Locker, arguably the school’s greatest quarterback, on the roster for more than half that time. With Locker back for another season, the Huskies have just one more shot to get things right and not let all of that talent go to waste. The Huskies should have plenty of offense to end the program’s misery and post that elusive winning record, but continuing defensive shortcomings likely will keep this team from making a huge turnaround.

No. 39: Utah — Having won 10 games and extended its bowl streak to nine victories (over 12 years) in basically a rebuilding year, the Utes are confident they can contend for the Mountain West title. It helps that they have TCU and BYU at home, as they did during the unbeaten season of 2008. Other than a difficult opener with Pittsburgh, a favorable schedule will give Utah’s inexperienced receivers and secondary time to develop before taking on bigger challenges. By the time TCU comes to Salt Lake City in November, the Utes should be well positioned for the stretch run.

No. 38: Arizona — Mike Stoops begins his seventh year at Arizona with new coordinators on offense and defense, an unexpected transition that he says reflects favorably on the Wildcats’ first back-to-back bowl appearances since 1997-98. To match or top last year’s total of eight wins, quarterback Nick Foles needs to repeat his 2009 production and the Wildcats need to identify some playmakers at linebacker. The rest of the club, barring injuries, is established.

No. 37: Texas Tech — The team seemed to play with more of a spark when Steven Sheffield was the quarterback in 2009, but they call him “Sticks” for a reason. He’s so wiry that it’s been hard for him to stay healthy. If Sheffield can stay on the field this season, Tech is probably an eight- or nine-win team with an outside shot to do better than that. The offense has to figure things out on the right side of the line, but the skill talent is among the best in the league. The big issues are up front on defense. Missed tackles were a problem in the spring. Nosetackle Colby Whitlock, linebacker Brian Duncan and cornerback LaRon Moore will all have to be leaders for a defense in total transition.

No. 36: Rutgers — A sixth straight bowl appearance isn’t just a goal. It’s expected now. But as Greg Schiano enters his 10th year on the job, many Rutgers fans are wondering how much longer they will have to wait for the school’s first Big East title. Schiano calculated that 62 of his 85 scholarship players would have three or more years of eligibility left. That suggests that the Knights may be a year away. Keeping quarterback Tom Savage healthy is essential, but there’s enough talent in the program for Rutgers to be a threat in the Big East this year.

No. 35: Texas A&M — If A&M can be solid defensively — not spectacular, just solid — the Aggies could make a serious push toward a return to the top of the Big 12 standings and an attractive bowl destination. An offense that finished fifth in the nation in yards per game should be even better. And with virtually everyone back on defense, the Aggies could be a dark horse in the Big 12 South title race.

No. 34: Boston College — Given the challenges they faced last season — a new quarterback, inexperienced linebackers, a new coaching staff, all while coping with the cancer diagnosis of their best defensive player — the fact that the Eagles won eight games and went to an 11th consecutive bowl game was nothing short of miraculous. Frank Spaziani holds no such illusions about his second season in Chestnut Hill. He knows much work must be done to replace a number of talented players. The only miracle he is hoping for, though, is the return to the field of a healthy Mark Herzlich.

No. 33: Navy — Athletic director Chet Gladchuk has already signed a contract for Navy to appear in the Poinsettia Bowl this year, and all the pieces are in place to ensure a late December trip to San Diego. Only four of 12 opponents on the schedule posted winning records in 2009, and the presence of the multi-talented Ricky Dobbs almost guarantees that the triple option will roll up yardage and points. A key game comes in early October in Colorado Springs against service academy rival Air Force, which will be seeking to snap a seven-game losing streak to Navy and reclaim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

No. 32: Stanford — Although the Cardinal ended last season by losing two of their final three games, Stanford sent notice that it is a legitimate player in the Pac-10 race for the foreseeable future. The Cardinal will be hard-pressed to replace running back Toby Gerhart, but back-to-back top 25 recruiting classes mean Stanford should be able to sustain last year’s success. Stanford’s offense still figures to be potent, but the Cardinal’s defense needs to catch up if they truly have their eyes on a Pac-10 title.

No. 31: Michigan State — The Spartans will be a headache for opposing defensive coordinators, especially if the offensive line jells early. However, the short-yardage offense was anemic in 2009 and must improve. On defense, if someone emerges as a quality, every-down pass rusher in the standard front four, the Spartans have the capacity to lurk near the top of the Big Ten standings until their late October trip to Iowa. With Ohio State off the schedule and only four true road games, the Spartans should be bowl-eligible for a fourth straight year — the longest streak at Michigan State since 1987-90.