A year ago, the Ducks were ranked No. 3 in the nation according to the AP Poll heading into the season. Should the AP mirror Staples' poll ahead of the season, it would be the second-straight year where Oregon is inside the top 10, and the seventh time since 2011.

Spring storyline: The Nittany Lions snagged Jim Knowles, who just coordinated the No. 1 defense in college football last season at Ohio State. Penn State made him the highest-paid coordinator in the country ($3.1 million). Knowles will begin molding the Nittany Lions defense this spring, with plenty of talent to deploy.