Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Questions, questions, everybody has questions with the start of football about six weeks away. The North Division should have as many as any other place in college football, so here are some major ones that the teams need to settle for success in 2008.
1. Can linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Van Alexander return to health to provide Missouri with two needed playmakers to help spark continued defensive improvement?
2. Can heralded junior-college transfer Jocques Crawford emerge as a candidate to replace Brandon McAnderson, who rushed for 1,125 yards and was Kansas' most reliable offensive threat in 2007?
3. Will Bo Pelini be able to cook up some playmaking production for his Nebraska defense after the Cornhuskers' struggles last season? Nebraska produced only 13 sacks and 11 turnovers last season. If that total doesn't improve, don't look for as many Nebraska fans to be wearing those "ReBOrn" T-shirts as you see around Lincoln today.
4. Can Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins become a more efficient leader and steer away from the mistakes that proved troublesome last season? Hawkins completed 22 touchdown passes, but was intercepted 17 times. That ratio must improve or Hawkins' dad, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, will be feeling most of the heat.
5. Are there enough offensive replacements on Iowa State's roster to make up for the loss of the pitch-and-catch tandem of quarterback Brett Meier and wide receiver Todd Blythe? The duo combined to rewrite the Cyclones' record book during their careers. Either Austin Arnaud or Phillip Bates will get the first crack at quarterback and Marquis Hamilton has the kind of big body required to replace Blythe.
6. Will the arrival of 19 junior-college players prove to be a quick fix for Kansas State coach Ron Prince, or will it be his last gasp at trying to start his program? Or, for that matter, will there be any future seasons for Prince, who finished with a thud last year with a season-ending four-game losing streak?
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
