This season’s conference-and-BCS predictions are brought to you by the opening and closing of college football’s probationary prison gates, as offenders coming and going impact various conference races. Out in Pac-12 country, the Southern Cal Trojans are out of jail and title-eligible again, ready to again play for the sport’s highest stakes. In the Midwest Ohio State and Penn State are going downstate; the caveat being neither would likely have been favored even to win their respective divisions. Down in Orlando, Central Florida fans will swelter in Brighthouse Networks Stadium and watch maybe the best outfit in Conference USA play out the string without eligibility for the title.

There are swinging doors located at the coaching offices as well. More than one-fifth of the FBS schools take first-year head coaches into the 2012 season, including brand names like Ohio State, Arkansas and Penn State, where for the first time since 1965 someone other than Joe Paterno will lead the Nittany Lions. A number of the schools with new coaches- Rutgers, Arkansas, Houston- are expected to compete for their division or conference titles, giving back to the races an unpredictability that the sanctions take away.

On to the predictions:

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The curtain is about to go up on the Urban Meyer Era at Ohio State, and the air of anticipation is matched by a fair amount of uncertainty about what to expect. The 2012 Buckeyes have loads of young talent, and their success will hinge on how quickly they adapt to the new coaching regime, and how soon some younger players develop at key positions. I’ve tried to anticipate some of the questions fans may have about this year’s Buckeyes, and throw out my own answers below for your consideration.

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“Telling Quotes” is a weekly recap of the Big Ten’s top stories using five quotes from around the conference (with a moderate Ohio State lean).

Just think -- only two more of these articles will include talk about preseason practice and stuff other than live, tear-inducingly-beautiful football.

With the season just 16 days away, the Buckeyes are grinding through the dog-days of fall camp. If you haven’t been watching, ESPN is giving fans an inside look at fall camp by airing a 30 minute special on ESPNU. Regardless of your feelings for the worldwide leader, few fanbases in the country get an opportunity to watch their team this intimately. The show has been airing at 5:00 pm (EST), so if you haven’t been watching, tune in. You get to watch Urban Meyer yell and stuff.

This week’s quotes include updates on fall practice, then Denard Robinson and Terrelle Pryor try to out-derp each other in a battle for the ages.

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Urban Meyer’s first Ohio State fall camp is approaching the halfway point, and with a little help from ESPN, OSU fans are getting an intimate inside look at everything from the practice routines to the locker rooms. The depth chart is changing as some of the incoming freshmen show their stuff early, and Meyer has been busy implementing some of his own new touches to the time-honored traditions of Ohio State football.

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