ESPN College Football

Each week our bloggers will take a closer look at the storylines you should be watching. What's on tap for Week 1?

ACC

Virginia Tech's backfield. Without star running back Darren Evans, coach Frank Beamer intends on playing Josh Oglesby, Ryan Williams and David Wilson. They'll face one of the best defenses in the country, and all of them have been nicked up at some point this summer.

Big 12

Can Oklahoma State prove it belongs among the national powers? Oklahoma State started 8-1 before collapsing with four losses in its final six games in 2008, including struggling defensive performances against Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oregon. The Cowboys will be depleted without MLB Orie Lemon and will be facing a Georgia team that shouldn't be intimidated by the crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium. The Bulldogs are 30-4 on the road since Mark Richt took over in 2001 -- a better winning percentage than for their home games. Georgia is 10-2 on the road against ranked teams on the road under Richt, including 3-1 against top-10 foes. So it will be a huge challenge for the Cowboys to counter those trends, particularly with a roster that has been dotted with defections this week.

Big East

Greg Paulus tips off. Forgive the basketball verbiage, but everyone is curious to see how the former Duke point guard performs as the starting quarterback for Syracuse against Minnesota. After five years away from the game and with no college experience, Paulus would impress just by looking merely respectable.

Big Ten

Michigan's response. Head coach Rich Rodriguez and the program have been in the cross-hairs all week, but Michigan can ease some of the pressure by beating Western Michigan and showing tangible improvement. Team chemistry is a question mark after current players spoke publicly about possible NCAA rule violations involving time limits, but the Wolverines need a united effort Saturday. Michigan simply isn't good enough to win if the team is splintered.

Pac-10

Hello World. While the game might not be terribly thrilling, USC's matchup with San Jose State will be the debut of super-frosh quarterback Matt Barkley, who takes over the premier position in college football as an 18-year-old. If Barkley is lights-out, then Heisman talk will begin and the hype before the Trojans visit Ohio State will be epic. If Barkley struggles, then the hand-wringing and second-guessing will begin and the hype before the Trojans visit Ohio State will be epic.

SEC

New kids on the block. Auburn's Gene Chizik, Tennessee's Lane Kiffin and Mississippi State's Dan Mullen are the three new head coaches in the league. They all have openers they should win, but there aren't many guarantees after that. All three teams are coming off losing seasons, which is why Chizik, Kiffin and Mullen are where they are right now. None of the three is what you would call a proven commodity as a head coach. This is Mullen's first head coaching venture, while Chizik and Kiffin are a combined 10-34 in previous stops as head coaches.

Non-AQ

Carrying the banner. BYU says it's not under any pressure going into Saturday's game against Oklahoma, but even TCU coach Gary Patterson said the Cougars have to have a strong showing to keep the conference in a favorable light. Not an easy task against the No. 3 team in the country.

Notre Dame

Jimmy Clausen vs. the Nevada secondary. The last time we saw Clausen in a game, he was shredding a weak WAC defense while nearly pitching a perfect game against Hawaii. Well, Nevada ranked dead last in the FBS in pass defense in '08, surrendering more than 311 yards per game through the air. All signs point to another dominating day by Clausen and his favorite targets, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph.