Spring practices are in the books and fall camps will be here before you know it so that means getting an early jump on the 2006 NCAA football season. Knowing the teams now will save you time in August and Matt Fargo 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.

#51 Kansas Jayhawks 7-5 SU; 6-5 ATS

Fargos Take Kansas finished 2005 with the most wins since 1995 and expectations are even higher in 2006. On paper, things look very dicey. The Jayhawks will be relying on a freshman quarterback to run the offense while the best defense in the Big XII last season needs to replace eight starters. However, there is not a lot of concern with these issues and coaches are confident that this team will be better that last years Fort Worth Bowl champs. Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier, brother of Kansas St.s Dylan, is an exciting player that possesses both a strong arm and running ability and he will benefit from the return of 4/5 of the offensive line. The Jayhawks had the third best rushing defense in the country last season and the run stuffing should be the strength of the unit once again. The Kansas schedule is the best in the Big XII which will help in trying to get to a bowl game for the third time in four years.

Returning Starters on Offense 7 The emergence of Meier in the spring has everyone in Lawrence buzzing since the quarterback position was a big weakness last year. He is an incredible athlete and once he gets comfortable with the offense, great things could happen. The offensive line is strong and that not only helps Meier but also the running game that struggled again last year. Running back Jon Cornish was a backup last season but ended up leading the team in rushing and the JUCO transfer is ready for a breakout season. He averaged a solid 5.8 ypc in his junior season. The receiving corps can be considered the weakness as there are no superstars but there is plenty of experience to make up for that. The offensive production came down slightly last year from 2004 but it will be better this season.

Returning Starters on Defense 3 This defense was one of the best in the country a season ago and with only three starters coming back, a significant dropoff would be expected. However, the defense should be quicker this year and there is some great experience all over the place. Replacing Charlton Keith on the defensive line will be difficult but the three newcomers are all seniors and all are primed to repeat the solid rushing defense from last year. The linebackers are young but extremely quick and could be even better than last seasons unit. The secondary is the weakness but that might not be a big concern in the Big XII. The Jayhawks allowed 22 ppg last year, 28th in the country but taking out the one game against Texas and that average drops to 18 ppg which would have put them at 14th in the nation. The unit might not be that good but there will not be a huge dropoff like many are expecting.

Schedule This is where Kansas caught a huge break and the favorable schedule helps in many areas. A soft non-conference slate early in the season will help Meier get comfortable in the offense prior to conference action. Three home games against Northwestern St., La-Monroe and South Florida are all wins while a game at Toledo is the only big challenge. Three of the Jayhawks five Big XII North games are on the road but none of them are so overwhelming that they cannot be won. Nebraska. Iowa St. and Missouri are all ranked in front of Kansas but not so much that upsets cannot occur. The biggest break on the schedule is that the Jayhawks miss Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, the top three teams from the South Division.

You can bet on Kansas has an opportunity to either equal or surpass last years win total but it will be up to Meier to take control of the offense. The easy schedule at the beginning of the season is a blessing for that to happen before a run at the wide open Big XII South commences. Memorial Stadium has turned into a mini Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence as the Jayhawks are 9-3 ATS at home over the last two seasons including a 5-1 mark against the number as home underdogs. Kansas has seven home games this year, six of which will be lined and we could see some excellent value based on the fact that many see a decline from Kansas. It could be just the opposite if everyone plays their roles.