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The Hurricanes had a bit of a disappointing end to 2009 as they finished with a loss to Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl.  There were some positives, though.  The development of quarterback Jacory Harris, who is going into his junior year, gives their offense some serious promise.  Vegas had them nailed down last year, as they went 6-5 against the spread.

The Badgers finished up 2009 with a win against Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl.  They finished 16^th in the rankings but a disappointing 4^th in the Big Ten.  Defense was their strong suit, but they were a relatively balanced team nonetheless.  Wisconsin was 5-6 overall last year against the NCAAF point spread.

Last year the Horned Frogs parlayed a first place finish in the Mountain West Conference to a Fiesta Bowl appearance, where they lost to Boise State by a score of 17-10.  Led by a very strong defense and a four man rushing attack – including quarterback Andy Dalton, the Horned Frogs went 12-1 and hope to have a repeat of their excellent season.

The Jim Tressel led Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl last year, defeating Pac-10 champion Oregon 26-17, finishing the year at #5.  They enter 2010 with the same expectations they always have:  win a national championship.  There is no reason to believe that they won’t be competing for one this year, either.

2009 was a tough year for the Sooners as they went 8-5 and finished the season out of the Top 25.  Though they ended their year with a win in the Sun Bowl over Stanford, it was probably the least successful season in the Bob Stoops era, which has lasted since 1999.  The disappointing 2009 is reflected in their record against the spread, which was 4-7-1.

Last year the Hokies finished at 10-3, going 6-2 in the ACC.  They ended their season at the Chick-fil-A Bowl with a convincing 37-14 win over Tennessee and a final ranking of 10.  The Hokies enjoyed their success with one of the best defenses in the country, though they had a middling offense led by quarterback Tyrod Taylor.  Last year, they were 7-4-1 against the spread, making them a pretty good bet to take. 

This year, most of the 2009 roster will return for the defending Fiesta Bowl Champion Broncos. Though they have a slightly tougher schedule this year, there is little margin for error for any mid-major team seeking a national championship bid. Probably the most important task for this Boise State team will be making a statement in the first game of their season against Virginia Tech. Last year, Boise State went 9-4 against the spread, making them one of the better bets to take in college football.

They no longer have Tim Tebow, but the Florida Gators are still a top program in the country. With Coach Urban Meyer ultimately deciding that he wanted to return to coach this season, the Gators look to move past Alabama and recapture the SEC crown. Last year, the Gators had an against the spread record of 6-6-1.

Offense

After winning a very close Big 12 championship game against Nebraska, Colt McCoy and company could not get past a powerful Alabama Crimson Tide team in the National Championship Game. In 2010, they look to reload at the quarterback position and make another National Title run.

Iowa just missed out on a Big 10 championship in 2009 and will look to achieve that goal in 2010. Buoyed by one of the country’s best defenses, the Hawkeyes went 10-2 and 7-3-1 against the spread. It is unlikely that Vegas will sleep on them again this season.