Fall camps are under way and the regular season will be here soon so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time and author is here to help you get a grasp of what to expect this upcoming year. We go from worst to first in this 2006 College Football Preview.

#5 Florida Gators 9-3 SU; 5-6-1 ATS

Fargos Take If there is one coach under the microscope this season, its Floridas head man Urban Meyer. He came into Gainesville last season with some of the highest expectations from Florida faithful and while the 9-3 season was a success to some, it wasnt good enough. It wasnt good enough for Meyer either as he said during the offseason that the Gators were not even close to where he wants them to be. With a year in the new system, Floridas expectations are even greater this season and the goal is the National Championship. The second year of the west coast offense is the best under Meyer as Utah went undefeated in year two in 2004 while Bowling Green went 9-3 in his second year with the Falcons. Quarterback Chris Leak struggled last season but it was his third different offense in three years so coming into 2006 with knowledge is huge. He reportedly looked spectacular in spring drills. As good as the Gators have been over the last five years, they have not gone to the SEC Championship game but that string can come to end finally this season.

Returning Starters on Offense 6 Leak struggled learning the new offense last year but he still finished with excellent numbers. He threw for 2,639 yards while tossing 20 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Those numbers should be much better this time around especially with the talent around him. Leading receiver Chad Jackson has departed but the next seven pass catchers all return led by a trio of senior wideouts in Dallas Baker, Andre Caldwell and Jemalle Cornelius. At tailback, sophomores Kestahn Moore and Markus Manson are exciting players who are on their way to stardom but its up to senior DeShawn Wynn to bring in that necessary leadership. The offensive line needs to replace four starters but that should not hurt the offense as its easier to learn blocking techniques in this offense as opposed to the more traditional offense. Florida finished a disappointing 61st in total offense last season but that number will improve dramatically in 2006.

Returning Starters on Defense 6 The Gators had one of the top defenses in the country last season, finishing 9th overall and 18th in scoring. With five starters returning to the front seven, its no wonder that Florida is pegged as the best defense in the SEC heading into 2006. The biggest concern is in the secondary where three starters need to be replaced including both corners. However, Reggie Lewis and Avery Atkins could emerge as a strong combo while strong safety Reggie Nelson is ready for a breakout season. If this unit comes together quickly, the Gators will be tough to move the ball against. Marcus Thomas and Jarvis Moss are All-SEC selections on the line while Brandon Siler and Earl Everett form the best linebacker combo in the conference and are also All-SEC contenders. The defense carried the team for much of last season and could do it again this year although that likely wont be necessary.

Schedule The schedule is brutal but if everything falls into place as it should, the Gators should survive. Two non-conference home games against Southern Mississippi and Central Florida start the season and those two are not cakewalks. A trip to Tennessee follows with three more home games right after that. Kentucky, Alabama and LSU all invade Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the latter two being very tough tests. If those arent bad enough, the Gators go to Auburn next and then play Georgia in Jacksonville following that. Florida gets a break after that with games against Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Western Carolina. The season finale is at rival Florida St. In total, there are four games on the schedule that could go either way (LSU, Auburn, Georgia and Florida St.) with the latter three all being away from home.

You can bet on The main reason that the Gators are ranked higher than the other powers in the SEC is because of the reputation of Meyer. He has shown dramatic improvements in his second year as coach in his last two programs with the teams going a combined 21-3. Granted, those teams did not play in the SEC but he didnt possess SEC talent on his squad as well. Special things can happen at Florida in 2006. The Gators are 9-2 as a road underdog since 2002 and they will likely be in that role at least a couple of times this season. If Tennessee ousts California in its opener, the Volunteers could be slight favorites and add another difficult road game to the slate. The underdog has covered seven of the last 10 meetings in that series.