This year's surprise team of college football could come from the Western Athletic Conference. And the funny part is it won't even be in the WAC next season.

TCU and RB LaDainian Tomlinson are hoping on making their last season before joining Conference USA a memorable one. The Horned Frogs have a great chance of going undefeated as they are loaded offensively with Heisman hopeful Tomlinson and a great line. They have very good defense and a schedule that favors them. Two years ago it was Tulane that shocked everyone. Last year it was Marshall. This year, TCU?

Of course, there are a few teams that will challenge them. Fresno State is solid and June Jones has Hawaii playing tough, but it should be TCU's show.

Fresno State Bulldogs
1999 record: 8-5
Coach: Pat Hill
Returning starters: 15 (6 offense, 9 defense)

Outlook: The Bulldogs finished tied for first last season and have the talent to do it again this season. Now, the big question is if all that talent will be on the field this fall. Their best wide receivers -- Rodney Wright (academics) and Charles Smith (hamstring) -- missed time this spring. Running backs Paris Gaines (knee) and Akka-Ar Moses (foot) also missed time. Add in RB Derrick Ward, who was dismissed before the spring, but could be back in the fall, and the offense was missing some of its best players. Still, the Bulldogs should be pretty good. If Gaines and Ward are back, this is a pretty good backfield. David Carr takes over at quarterback after redshirting last season. Carr spent every game in the press box with offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to learn the offense. It looks like time well spent, as he was solid this spring. The receivers are deep and talented and that's not even including Wright and Smith. The line returns three starters from a very solid group.

	Season Openers
	Team	Date	Opponent
	Fresno State	9/2	at Ohio State
	Hawaii	9/9	Portland St.
	Nevada	9/2	at Oregon
	Rice	9/2	Houston
	San Jose St.	9/2	at Nebraska
	SMU	9/2	Kansas
	TCU	9/9	at Nevada
	UTEP	9/2	at Oklahoma
	Tulsa	9/2	at N. Carolina

Defensively, the Bulldogs have very few question marks. The line returns three starters and linebackers Tim Skipper, Orlando Huff and Giachino Chiaramonte give Fresno State a very good front seven. Vernon Fox and Anthony Limbrick combine to form the best safety tandem in the WAC and lead a very good secondary.

Question mark: Will they survive the first three games of the season? The Bulldogs open with Ohio State, UCLA and California. Apparently, someone forgot to tell them they didn't play in the Pac-10. If they get through those three games without any major injuries, they should challenge for the WAC title.

Keep an eye on: FS Anthony Limbrick. Limbrick gave up baseball to concentrate on football and it showed this spring. He'll be a force this fall.

Hawaii Rainbows
1999 record: 9-4
Coach: June Jones
Returning starters: 12 (5 offense, 7 defense)

	Wide receiver Channon Harris should give the Rainbows plenty to celebrate this season.

Outlook: Last season, the Rainbows shocked everyone by winning a share of the WAC title and knocking off Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl. Whether Hawaii can repeat depends on the quarterback and right now, Hawaii doesn't have one. A pair of junior college quarterbacks will compete with a pair of returning players in the fall and right now, it's anyone's guess who will take the first snap. There are plenty of talented skill players returning, though. Avion Weaver and Afatia Thompson give the Rainbows two backs that can give opposing defense different looks. Weaver is the faster of the two while Thompson is the strong, bruising one. The receivers are the strength of the offense led by Channon Harris, Ashley Leslie and Craig Stutzmann. The line is being rebuilt and will struggle to be as good as last year's squad.

Defensively, the line will be strong with three returning starters, led by DE Joe Correia. Robert Kemfort is the only returning linebacker, but Joaquin Avila and Anthony Smith received plenty of playing time last season. Also, watch Pisa Tinoisamoa, who returns after missing last year with academic problems, and Keani Alapa, a freshman who has impressed this spring. Safeties Dee Miller and Nate Jackson provide a nice tandem at safety.

Question mark: Who will play QB? Junior college transfers Jared Flint and Nick Rolovich and returnees Mike Harrison and Shawn Withy-Allen all slugged it out this spring and look for incoming freshman Tim Chang and Kevin Gilbride, who sat out last season after transferring from BYU, to join the mix. This will get very interesting.

Keep an eye on: WR Channon Harris. There are peanut venders bigger than the 5-8, 152-pound Harris, but let's see them run the 40 in 4.28. He makes things happen.

Nevada Wolf Pack
1999 record: 3-8
Coach: Chris Tormey
Returning starters: 6 (3 offense, 3 defense)

Outlook: Nevada, who won six conference championships as a member of the Big West, joins the WAC hoping to have that kind of success, but it won't be easy. Tormey will tweak the offense some, but David Neill will be the main focus. Neill has thrown for over 3,000 yards twice and isn't afraid to run the ball as well. Mo Jones and Jermaine Brown have experience, but watch TCU transfer Michael Crawford and redshirt freshman Nate Burleson, who has 4.4 speed and a 39" vertical jump. Adrien Dugas will take over at running back for workhorse Chris Lemon, who had over 4,000 yards in his career. The line is perhaps the biggest project, with just one starter returning.

Defensively, Nevada will switch to an attacking style eight-man front. The Wolfpack had to do something after struggling last season. Horacio Leyva is the best returning lineman and should have another good season. Josh Smith is the lone returning linebacker and was fourth on the team in tackles last season. The secondary is being completely rebuilt.

Question mark: Will Neill make it through the season? With a line being overhauled, he'll have to use every bit of his running skills to survive.

Keep an eye on: QB David Neill. Neill look sready for a monster year. He had a great spring and will be the best passer in the WAC.

Rice Owls
1999 record: 5-6
Coach: Ken Hatfield
Returning starters: 14 (5 offense, 9 defense)

Outlook: Usually, the spread option is all anyone ever mentions about Rice. This year, it will be the defense that has them talking. The Owls return nine starters and should be one of the best units in the conference. The line is anchored by nose guard B.J. Forguson, who is quick and strong and at 290-pounds, is tough to move around. Dan Dawson returns at linebacker after missing the end of the season with a broken leg. Dawson missed the spring workouts, but should be ready in the fall. He's teamed with Joe Bob Thompson and Rashard Pittman. The secondary returns all four starters, including second team all-WAC safety Jason Hebert.

The offense will be difficult for opposing teams, but not the force it has been in the past. Quarterback remains a bit of a question mark, but Jeremy Hurd took every snap during the 15 spring workouts and coaches are hoping it pays off this fall. Of course, the fact Corey Evans and Kyle Herm were hurt gave Hurd the extra chances and this should be a battle in the fall. Fullback Jamie Tyler was nicked up in the spring, but should be back banging out the tough yards between the tackles in the fall. Leroy Bradley is a breakaway threat at running back. The line has eight letterman back, but that's just a nice way of saying a lot of people who played a little are back.

Question mark: Who will be the QB? Hurd had his own personal audition in the spring and did some good things, but Evans will challenge him in the fall.

Keep an eye on: LB Dan Dawson. He's the leader of this defense. He has speed and always seems to be around the ball. His return is a huge boost to the Owls.

San Jose State Spartans
1999 record: 3-7
Coach: Dave Baldwin
Returning starters: 13 (8 offense, 5 defense)

Outlook: San Jose State did everything but post a want ad in the student newspaper looking for a quarterback. This spring, Baldwin auditioned five QBs this spring and it looks like Marcus Arroyo will be the starter. Arroyo's a lucky guy since the Spartans have a slew of skill players around him. Walking Bailey, Casey LeBlanc and Shawn Green combined to catch 90 passes between them last season and juco transfers Rashied Davis and Edell Shepherd add a dimension of speed to the team. Running back Deonce Whitaker missed the spring recovering from neck surgery but is expected back in the fall. Whitaker was on pace for over 1,700 yards last year before injuries slowed him down. The line should be improved over the one that allowed 39 sacks last season.

Defensively, new coordinator Paul Arslanian has his hands full. The Spartans were ranked 113 out of 114 teams in total defense and it's not that much better this year. The line needs four new starters, but should get a lift from several juco transfers arriving in the fall. The lone bright spot on the defense is LB Josh Parry. He is the leader of the defense and will be counted on to carry a big load this fall. The secondary will be better, highlighted by CB Dorae Lewis.

Question mark: Will the defense improve? It was so bad last season, it just has to get better, right? Not so fast. The line is a big question mark and outside Parry, there are no sure things. This group needs some confidence, but opening with Nebraska and Stanford isn't the way to get it.

Keep an eye on: RB Deonce Whitaker. Whitaker was having a breakthrough year before injuries slowed him down. When healthy, he's a player who makes a difference.

SMU Mustangs
1999 record: 4-6
Coach: Mike Cavan
Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: It's getting exciting at SMU. The Mustangs have a new offense to run in a new stadium. Not too shabby. Offensive coordinator Larry Kueck, who comes over from Southern Miss, gets rid SMU's predictable run-based offense and airs it out a little. Josh McCown has shown signs of being a great quarterback in his 15 starts, but has also had his share of problems. He could have a great season with this new offense if he gets a little more accurate. SMU's two best receivers from last season return in Chris Cunningham and Cody Cardwell and get an added boost from converted running back Johnnie Freeman. Running back Kris Briggs is a powerful runner and will run behind a line that returns four starters.

Defensively, the Mustangs lost a lot, but still have some good players. Marcus Pratt and Kevin Aldridge are quick at the defensive end spots and have the ability to make plays. Vic Viloria is just a sophomore, but coaches are expecting big things from him this season. Cornerback Kevin Garrett, who was the WAC freshman defensive player of the year, leads the secondary.

Question mark: Will the new offense help? It will be fun to watch and, with the speed the Mustangs have on the outside, could be productive. The big concern is how the players respond if it doesn't have immediate success.

Keep an eye on: QB Josh McCown. This offense gives McCown the chance to be one of the top QBs in the conference. He has shown he can do it and if he controls himself, should have a good season.

TCU Horned Frogs
1999 record: 8-4
Coach: Dennis Franchione
Returning starters: 18 (10 offense, 8 defense)

Outlook: TCU could be this season's Tulane or Marshall as an undefeated season isn't out of the question. They are simply loaded on both sides of the ball. Offensively, it begins with RB LaDainian Tomlinson. He set the bar pretty high last season when he rushed for 406 yards against UTEP last season. Oh yeah, he also had a 300-yard game as well as a 269-yard effort. Yikes. He was the NCAA's leading rusher last season and is capable of breaking off a 2,000-yard season. Quarterback Casey Printers, who split time last season, returns to run the offense solo this time. He'll have good receivers in the speedy LaTarence Dunbar and sure-handed Tim Maiden. TCU also features the best line in the conference with all five starters.

Defensively, the Horned Frogs could overshadow the offense. Defensive end Aaron Schobel and DT Shawn Worthen make this line the best in the conference. Shannon Brazzell and Chad Bayer are dominating linebackers and the secondary features a pair of safeties in Russell Gary and Curtis Fuller who can help the run, yet are good enough on the pass support that TCU hardly ever gets burned deep.

Question mark: Can TCU go undefeated? This season sets up the Horned Frogs for a magical run. They have a great running back, a very good line, a great defense and the schedule in on their side as well. If ever it was going to happen, this is the year.

Keep an eye on: RB LaDainian Tomlinson. People scoffed when he had the big game against UTEP, but this guy would be a household name if he was in the Big-10 or SEC. He's a major player in the Heisman Trophy race.

UTEP Miners
1999 record: 5-7
Coach: Gary Nord
Returning starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: The Miners have the offense to put a lot of points on the board. Unfortunately, they need it since they have a defense that allows others to do the same. Quarterback Rocky Perez takes over the position after sharing time last season. He'll have a great target in two-year All-WAC tight end Brian Natkin, who had 59 catches and 648 yards last season. He'll also have talent on the outside in WRs Lee Mays and Allan Ray. The line returns four starters and should be very good. The running back situation is a little tougher to read. Javier Sanchez enters the fall No. 1, but will get competition from junior college transfer John James and incoming freshman Robert Rodriguez.

Defensively, the Miners need to get better in a hurry. UTEP is switching to a 4-4 defense, but the line is being rebuilt and the linebackers aren't much better. The secondary returns in tact, but they are coming from a team that allowed over 30 points and 400 yards a game.

Question mark: Will the defense stop anyone? New coordinator Larry Hoefer has some fresh faces to plug in the holes, but unless this group improves quickly, it won't matter how much better the offense is this season.

Keep an eye on: TE Brian Natkin. When in doubt, UTEP always seems to look for Natkin and with good reason. He has soft hands and has a great sense for the first down marker. He's the greatest safety net around.

Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
1999 record: 2-9
Coach: Keith Burns
Returning starters: 13 (5 offense, 8 defense)

Outlook: Burns said he's not interested in rebuilding, but he may not have a choice. Tulsa has some issues on both sides of the ball. Josh Blankenship will start at QB, but Michael Wall will push for the job. After all, it was Wall's until he hurt his knee last season, giving Blankenship the opportunity. The backfield in inexperienced and the receivers, while talented, are also very young. The line returns three starters, including C Steve Schiller and G Steve Wiedower.

Defensively, the Golden Hurricanes return eight starters, but that is from a defense that allowed nearly 28 points and over 350 yards a game. The biggest area of concern is the line. Tulsa is always undersized and this year will be no exception. The linebackers are solid, led by Ashon Farley, who has led the Golden Hurricanes in tackles the past two seasons. The secondary has five players with starting experience back and should be better this season.

Question mark: Will the defensive line push back? With only one player weighing in over 265 pounds, Tulsa's linebackers and secondary are forced to make a lot of plays. If the defensive line doesn't get a little stronger push, this defense will be in trouble.

Keep an eye on: LB Ashon Farley. Farley is just 5-11, 22-pounds, but he is always around the ball. He helps Tulsa overcome a lot of little mistakes with his knack for finding the ball.

Joe Wojciechowski is the college football editor at ESPN.com