The Huskies, one of the newest teams to Division I in college football, struggled through another season in 2001, going 2-9. This year the Huskies have a couple of winnable games on the schedule but have basically no chance of a .500 record. Uconn plays Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, Vanderbilt, and Iowa State, all from major conferences, this season and will likely lose all of those games. Eight offensive and ten defensive starters return from last year’s team and will provide experience to the 2002 Connecticut Huskies.

Navy struggled through a depressing 0-10 season in 2001, and the future doesn’t look much brighter. Only nine total starters return to provide the team with experience, five on offense and four on defense. There don’t appear to be any sure-wins on the schedule this season, but they do have winnable games against Duke, Rice, Connecticut, and Army. Games against NC State, Boston College, and Notre Dame will be virtually impossible to win for Navy and new coach Paul Johnson, who takes over for Charlie Weatherbie. If Navy wins every game it has a chance to, the Midshipmen could go .500, but I expect a season with only a two or three wins in 2002.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are by far the best Independent team in 2002. A total of fifteen starters return from the 2001 team that went 5-6 overall. Eight of those players are from the offensive side of the ball while seven are from the defense. The Irish’s schedule is very tough, as always. There are a couple sure-wins mixed in with more than a half-dozen extremely difficult matchups. Games against Maryland, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, Southern Cal, Florida State, and Pittsburgh will make the difference between a successful, bowl-bound ND team and a team that has a losing record. With new coach Tyrone Willingham in control, expect the Irish to be improved from last season and finish right at or just above the .500 mark.

USF was a team that I thought would be successful last season, and they were. Eight starters from each side of the ball return from the Bulls team that went 8-3 overall. South Florida is upgrading its schedule and will play some very tough teams in ’02. There are still, however, some very winnable games, such as Florida Atlantic and Charleston Southern, on the schedule. Houston, Northern Illinois, North Texas, Memphis, and Bowling Green are tough tests for USF, the Bulls could win as many as three or four of these games. Arkansas, Oklahoma, Southern Mississippi, and East Carolina will be tough games for the Bulls to capture wins, but I expect USF to again have a successful season and have a record close to .500.

In their first season as a D-I team, the Trojans had a winning record at 7-4. Nine offensive and eight defensive starters return which should help TSU to another good season in 2002. Both kickers also return. The schedule is even stronger this year than last, with games against Nebraska, Iowa State, Missouri, Mississippi State (whom TSU upset last season), Marshall, and Arkansas. An in-state matchup with UAB is also on the schedule for 2002. The Trojans should pick up wins against Southern Utah, Florida Atlantic, Florida A&M, and Utah State, giving them a chance for a .500+ record in ’02. I expect TSU to be right around the .500 mark this season, possibly one game worse this year than last.

The Aggies had a sub-.500 season in ’01, going 4-7 overall. Only ten starters, four from the offense and six from the defense, return from last year’s team. The schedule is not brutal but does provide a challenge. Games against Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, and Middle Tennessee will be very tough to win. Matchups with Idaho State, Boise State, New Mexico, LA-Monroe, and New Mexico State could be won by USU if the team comes together. I expect 2002 to be about the same as the 2001 season. The Aggies won’t be terrible, but I don’t think Utah State is in store for a winning season in 2002.