Expectations high for Boise State, TCU

There's no debating that Boise State and TCU are legitimate top 10 teams heading into the season. So legitimate, in fact, that both teams are in the national title hunt.

How long Boise State and TCU remain in the hunt, however, will be determined rather quickly.

The Broncos (No. 3 in the AP poll and No. 5 in the USA Today poll) open the season Monday night in the best game of the opening weekend, playing Virginia Tech in a prime-time showdown at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. (8 p.m., ESPN). The Hokies are also in the national title hunt, ranked No. 10 in the AP poll and No. 6 in the USA Today poll.

Boise State, which moves from the WAC to the Mountain West next season, is a hot team these days. The Broncos roll into the season with the highest preseason ranking for a team from a non-automatic qualifying conference for the BCS. Boise State finished last season with a 14-0 record, but could achieve only a No. 4 ranking in the final polls.

But the Broncos now have the country's respect. The stakes are higher. So are the expectations.

That makes Monday night's game so critical for Boise State. Some may even say that Boise's season is over with a loss. A one-loss team from a non-automatic qualifying conference is going to have a difficult time getting into the national title game.

"It is a hugely important game," Boise State head coach Chris Peterson told reporters last week. "But it is because it's the first game. Everybody puts a lot more eggs, it seems like, in this basket just because of the respect that we have for Virginia Tech that everybody knows.

"You get to that point . . . I'm anxious, too. I'm anxious to go see because I think I know what Virginia Tech has. I think I know what they're going to bring to the table. I'm more curious about ourselves."

TCU, which opens its season Saturday night against Oregon State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (7:45 p.m., ESPN), is in a similar spot. The Horned Frogs, ranked No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the USA Today poll, are also in a non-automatic qualifying conference as a member of the Mountain West.

Despite TCU being a two-touchdown favorite, Oregon State, No. 24 in the AP poll and No. 22 in the USA Today, will be a very stiff challenge. The Beavers have an electric playmaker in junior running back Jacquizz Rodgers. Some experts believe the Beavers will win the Pac-10 title.

TCU finished 12-1 last season with its only loss coming against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Horned Frogs finished No. 6 in both polls.

In Kelly they trust

The Brian Kelly era begins Saturday afternoon in South Bend as Notre Dame hosts rival Purdue (3:30 p.m., NBC).

Kelly, fresh off successful stints at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, gets another shot to rebuild a program.

"I'll be excited, obviously, running out and being on the field for the first time," Kelly said during his weekly news conference Tuesday. "But that will all go away, just like it goes away, the excitement or the jitters on that first hit, it goes away as a coach on that first play call, especially if they boo you. That gets your attention right away. We hope that they are cheering, obviously.

"I think that will be a great time of excitement for our players, our coaches. It will be a new experience for them."

There's certainly plenty of talent left on Notre Dame's roster from the Charlie Weis era, with running back Armando Allen, tight end Kyle Rudolph and wide receiver Michael Floyd returning. Dayne Crist takes over at quarterback in Kelly's fast-paced spread offense. The defense, a weak unit during the Weis years, returns plenty of starters.

Purdue is on the rise under second-year coach Danny Hope. The Boilermakers went 5-7 last season, but upset Ohio State. Purdue is going to have problems on defense with a new secondary, which could be big trouble against a Brian Kelly offense.

Robert Marve takes over at quarterback for Purdue and has plenty of potential and playmaking ability, which could be big trouble for the Irish defense. Marve's potential for big plays was something Kelly spoke about during his news conference.

This is a game Notre Dame must win. Notre Dame could be an eight-win team this season. But the schedule doesn't get easier after Purdue, with Michigan, at Michigan State, Stanford, at Boston College and Pittsburgh to follow. And there are games later in the season against Utah, Navy (at New Meadowlands Stadium) and at USC.

Last chance for Rich Rod

Rich Rodriguez is firmly on the hot seat as he prepares for the all-important third season of his tenure in Ann Arbor. That seat could get even hotter after Saturday.

Michigan, 8-16 and without a bowl appearance in two seasons under Rodriguez, opens its season Saturday at home in the refurbished and bigger Big House against a dangerous Connecticut team.

The Wolverines started 4-0 last season, raising hopes that the program was headed back to national prominence. But the Wolverines lost seven of eight to end the season.

However, there is reason for optimism. The players have had two full seasons in the Rodriguez system. There is talent and better depth on both sides of the ball.

The key will likely be quarterback. Will it be Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson? Forcier showed some nice flashes early last season, but took his freshman lumps as the season progressed. Robinson has a ton of speed and may be the better player for the Rodriguez offense. True freshman Devin Gardner could also see playing time sooner rather than later.

"We've got to get three guys ready to play and that's been our . . . kind of our hope, our expectation during camp," Rodriguez said Monday. "We think we've got that, or at least closer to that end. We'll see what happens at game time."

Connecticut returns a load of starters on both sides of the ball, including tailback Jordan Todman and linebacker Lawrence Wilson. The Huskies lost five games by a combined 15 points last season.

Keep an eye on this game Saturday afternoon.

Will LSU return to elite status?

LSU won a national title under Les Miles in 2007. But those memories have faded. The Tigers gave gone 17-9 overall and 8-8 in the SEC the past two years.

Miles doesn't appear to be in any trouble in Baton Rouge, but LSU clearly has to make a move this season to position itself to get back among the SEC's elite. With Alabama and Florida claiming the last two national titles and programs such as Arkansas and Auburn on the rise, a young LSU team needs to show something this season.

LSU (No. 21 in the AP poll, No. 16 in the USA Today poll) starts the season Saturday night with a tough game against No. 18 North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta (8 p.m., ABC).

Quick hitters

No. 15 Pittsburgh returns a lot of talent on both sides of the ball with running back Dion Lewis, wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin and defensive end Greg Romeus. Pittsburgh is the favorite to win the Big East. But the opening stretch of the season is rough. It starts on the road against Utah on Thursday night (8:30 p.m., Versus). The Panthers also host Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 23 and have to travel to South Bend to play Notre Dame on Oct. 9. Then the Big East schedule starts . . . The Lane Kiffin era begins at USC on Thursday night as the Trojans (No. 14 in the AP poll) travel to Hawaii (11 p.m., ESPN). . . The battle of new coaches takes place in the Kentucky-Louisville game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN Gameplan). Joker Phillips takes over at Kentucky and former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong takes over at Louisville.