The last part will have teams 1-5 and my picks on most major and mid-major bowls
6. Ohio State: Had Vince Young stayed, the 'Horns would have been a strong favorite to repeat.  But a talent like Young doesn't materialize overnight (hell, it took Young 1 1/2 seasons to become a star).  Nonetheless, the cupboard is far from bare for the 'Horns.  They have seven starters returning on a tough defense that ranked 8th in scoring and 10th overall.  The schedule is reasonable, with their toughest foes either visiting Austin (Ohio State and Texas A&M) or Dallas (Oklahoma).  If they can beat the Buckeyes and Sooners, a national title run is not out of the question.
7. Louisville: I'm not going to go crazy a la ABC football meathead Aaron Taylor and pick them to go to the BCS title game as he did last year.  But the offense and special teams are strong, and 17 of 22 starters return f rom last year's team, which was good enough to go to a New Year's Day bowl.  The only question is the offensive line, which has to replace three starters.  Local boy Brian Brohm is the best QB to play for the Cardinals since Johnny Unitas.  The defense has been rapidly improving, and the entire back seven returns.  Like so many other teams in the top 10, they have a favorable schedule, with Miami and WVU coming to Lawvul.  This should help bring the Cards to a BCS game for the first time.
8. USC: Despite only one undisputed national crown (2004), the Trojans' 52-5 run over the last 4 1/2 years has been crazy, coming close to Nebraska's run from 1993-97 (when the 'Huskers went 59-3).  But two Heisman winners and five of the first 45 NFL draft picks are gone.  That's a tall order, even with two potential All-America wideouts in Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett, plus three consecutive #1 recruiting classes and tons of young talent on the defensive front seven.  The schedule is absolutely brutal, although Nebraska, Cal and Notre Dame allcome to Los Angeles, and starting QB John David Booty has never seen more than mop-up duty.  Stranger things have happened--and Pete Carroll is certainly capable of making magic--but it looks more and more that USC's run as the nation's best team has come to an end.
9. Florida: You gotta feel bad for the SEC.  The conference is so strong top-to-bottom that they just knock each other out of national title contention.  This appears to be the case Florida, as they have to play both Tennessee and Auburn on the road.  They have talent, to be sure, but it's unclear taht enough players are equipped to play the spread option, most notably pro-style, pocket QB Chris Leak, who will be a very good, if undersized, pro QB but can't handle the quick releases and beatings a spread requires.  A rebuilt secondary won't help matters either.  Look ahead, Gator fans, to 2007, which should be much brighter.
10. Miami: This is more a pick that Florida will beat Florida St. in their season-ending rivalry game than of Miami's prowess.  Also, the Coastal division of the ACC is much weaker this year than the Atlantic (the latter featuring FSU, BC, and Clemson).  However, Larry Coker is fighting for his job, and that should provide extra motivation.  QB Kyle Wright appears to have everything necessary to join the long ranks of great Miami QBs who subsequently flop in the pros.  The defense ranked fourth nationally, and may only be better this year.  It had better be, or else an ACC title will continue to remain elusive (funny how Miami's failure to dominate the ACC seems strangely reminiscent of how Penn State failed to dominate the Big Ten in the early '90s).