Let's face it, Notre Dame is really the only true independent. Everyone else needs or wants conference alignments. Next season, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee State join the Sun Belt Conference and Louisiana Tech heads for the WAC. Central Florida is begging for a conference to take them, Navy wouldn't mind finding a permanent port and UConn has hopes of eventually joining the Big East.

That leaves the Irish. They used to get by on just being Notre Dame, but the Irish can't do that anymore. They suffered through their first losing season since 1986, and Bob Davie is about as popular in South Bend as Al Michaels is in the Boomer Esiason household.

The Irish will be better and should be back in the postseason. A brutal first half schedule makes a BCS appearance unlikely, but if Davie and the Irish pull that off, suddenly the coach will be the toast of the town.

Central Florida Golden Knights
1999 record: 4-7
Coach: Mike Kruczek
Returning starters: 13 (7 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: The best thing that came out of the spring was the schedule remained the same. Gone are masochistic ways of scheduling the Floridas, Georgias, Purdues of the world. Texas' Mack Brown must have called and told them of the joys of canceling out of difficult openers. The easier schedule is nice because the Golden Knights still have some concerns as they try to move from small independent to annual power. The offense is still explosive with QB Vic Penn posting Daunte Culpepper-like numbers. The running game suffered a setback when Terrence Williams had season-ending ankle surgery this spring. Edward Mack is solid and Moari Howard and Corey Baker give UCF some depth, but they will need to run better this fall to take pressure off Penn. The Golden Knights are deep at receiver with Tyson Hinshaw and Kenny Clark returning. Sophomore Jimmy Fryzel earned the No. 3 slot with a great spring, and watch freshman TE Michael Gaines, who can catch and block with great skill. The line returns one of the best center you'll never hear of in Chris Lorenti. He's 6-5, 320 pounds, and has a nasty habit of flattening defensive linemen. The rest of the line is sketchy, though. They're big, but there's still open competition at every position but center.

	Season Openers
	Team	Date	Opponent
	Cent. Florida	9/2	at Ga. Tech
	Connecticut	9/2	at E. Michigan
	La. Tech	8/26	Miss. Valley St.
	Navy	9/2	Temple
	Notre Dame	9/2	Texas A&M
	La.-Lafayette	9/2	S. Houston St.
	La.-Monroe	9/2	at Minnesota
	MTSU.	9/2	at Illinois

Defensively, the secondary features the most experience, but the coaches are excited about the youngsters as well. Sophomores Asante Samual and Travis Fisher will start at cornerback and both have turned heads this spring. Other underclassmen to watch are LB Antoine Poe, who should start in the middle, and DL Elton Patterson, who will start at end. If this mix of youth and experience gels quickly, the Golden Knights could be solid.

Question mark: Who will run the ball? Mack is solid and averaged five yards a carry last year, but the injured Williams was exciting. UCF needs to run or Penn might as well have a bullseye on his jersey.

Keep an eye on: QB Vic Penn. He was supposed to be challenged by redshirt freshman Ryan Schneider, but Penn wowed Kruczek this spring, ending that little controversy. Penn completed over 60 percent of his passes and threw for over 3,000 yards last year. He could top that this season.

Connecticut Huskies
1999 record: 4-7
Coach: Randy Edsall
Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: Welcome to Division I-A, UConn. Now the fun really begins. While the Huskies didn't load the schedule with big paydays against Nebraska or Kansas State, this is not going to be easy. Quarterback Ryan Tracey, a juco transfer, quickly stole the starting job from Luke Richmond with a great spring. He impressed the coaches with his strong arm and ability to read defenses. Junior RB Taber Small ran big last season against I-AA opposition, but this year might struggle a little against the better competition. The line returns two starters and has some potential, but they are not a strong bunch and will likely be pushed around some this season. The bright spot of the offense is WR John Fitzsimmons. Unfortunately, he will draw constant double teams.

Defensively, the Huskies return some experience, but that group had the experience of allowing 43 or more points six times last season. Senior LB Brandon Smith is a solid linebacker and CB Roy Hopkins is a good cover guy and isn't afraid to mix it up.

Question mark: How will UConn adjust to Division I-A? It will be faster, bigger and harder hitting. They didn't load up on big names this season -- a matchup with Boston College will probably be their toughest game -- but it will be a big change for Edsall and company.

Keep an eye on: WR John Fitzsimmons. The 6-2 senior is big and runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. He will attract all kinds of attention from opposing defenses, but is good enough to still break free a few times.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
1999 record: 8-3
Coach: Jack Bicknell III
Returning starters: 11 (6 offense, 5 defense)

Outlook: Give the Bulldogs this -- they're brave. At Kansas State. At Penn State. At Auburn. At Miami. At Hawaii. Yikes. Who did Bicknell tick off to deserve this? But this spring showed LTU will give those teams some headaches in exchange for those big paychecks. Junior QB Brian Stallworth is a scary guy to see under center. While he doesn't have former Bulldog Tim Rattay's maturity and knowledge of the offense yet, he's a better runner, has a good arm and makes things happen. He'll get some help from a talented group of wideouts, highlighted by Season Congelosi, Delwyn Daigre and James Jordan. The running backs are little more of a question mark, but watch for John Simon to get a few more carries this fall. The line has issues. Damon Lavergne has a huge fan in Bicknell, and converted guard Shawn Murff took the center position easily this spring. But after that, let the shuffling begin.

Defensively, they improved under coordinator Tom Masella, but there is still some work to be done considering who they will be lining up against. The front four is deep with DE Curtis Randall, who should be the star of this unit, leading the way. Add in experience at all positions and three juco imports this fall, and this becomes the strength of this team. Bobby Gray may be undersized at just 209 pounds to play middle linebacker, but he can lay the wood on people. He's quick and has adjusted nicely moving from his rover position to linebacker. The secondary is strong at the corners -- Masella can choose from four players and not miss a step -- and FS Michael John Lenard might just be their best player.

Question mark: Will they live through the schedule? The Bulldogs aren't a deep team and if they suffer any serious injuries in those big money games, their season could be done.

Keep an eye on: QB Brian Stallworth. He'll frustrate a defense or two this season with his running ability, and those that come off receivers too soon to prevent the run will pay because of Stallworth's strong arm.

Navy Midshipmen
1999 Record: 5-7
Coach: Charlie Weatherbie
Returning starters: 11 (5 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: Navy took a hit this spring when starting QB Brian Madden suffered a season-ending knee injury, but Brian Broadwater, who was the starter last season before injuring his clavicle, is healthy and throwing well this spring. It will change the complexion of the Navy offense some since Broadwater is a much better passer than runner. He'll team up with Brian Williams and Brandon Rampani, two first-year starters who were impressive this spring. The running game will suffer the most without Madden. He rushed for almost 900 yards and forced defenses to respect the option. Running back Dre Brittingham looked like the starter, but now has legal problems putting a question mark on his season. The line is strong, led by RT Hoot Stahl, who is as big as a carrier.

Defensively, the line plays hard, but is small. They might be pushed around some in the trenches, which means the linebackers will have to make a load of tackles. OLB Shaka Martin has a pit bull's mentality, and there is depth at this position. The secondary is strong with FS Chris Lapore, who should be considered for someone's all-america team.

Question mark: Will Broadwater be good enough? He brings more of a passing touch to the offense and Navy will need every yard of it.

Keep an eye on: FS Chris Lapore. Lapore is a solid safety who can help on the run or the pass. He'll anchor this defense.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1999 record: 5-7
Coach: Bob Davie
Returning starters: 12 (7 offense, 5 defense)

	Expect Notre Dame to utilize QB Arnaz Battle's running ability.

Outlook: Here was Bob Davie's goal for the Irish entering spring football: To improve as a football team. Wow. Good thing he cleared that up because word was they were trying to improve as a canasta team. After suffering through their first losing season since 1986 and the first seven loss season since 1963, the Irish need a good season to save Davie's job, despite his obvious vision for the future. The offense could be explosive, but it all depends on QB Arnaz Battle. He has the tools, but does he have the smarts and confidence? Battle will have plenty of help around him, though. Junior RB Tony Fisher is the starter, but sophomore Julius Jones is dangerous both running and receiving and will get his touches. The receivers return six of their top eight from last season, but no real stars. However, TE Jabari Holloway is a weapon the Irish will use more this season. The line was a headache all last season, but this spring they showed they could be a very good unit. Four starters return and sophomore C Jeff Faine has turned heads.

Defensively, even Touchdown Jesus couldn't help the Irish last year and there's no miracle cure here yet. Notre Dame tweaked its defensive line a little, playing two ends, a tackle and a nose guard instead of the two tackle, two end set it used in the past. Grant Irons is a lock at the end and will be a leader on this squad, but where the Irish suffer is experience. Davie loves to rotate his linemen, which means untested freshmen and sophomores see a lot of playing time. Linebacker was a weak link last season and while two starters return, there are still questions. Anthony Denman is solid, but Rocky Boinan and Tyreo Harrison haven't proven they can handle the job on a consistent basis. Worse, the backups are young and unproven. The secondary was lit up more than the candles in The Grotto last season, but received a boost with Tony Driver returning to safety after a one-year stint at running back. The Irish also welcome back CB Brock Williams, who missed last season with a knee injury to make this a pretty good group.

Question mark: Will the defense be any better this year? Last year, the Irish looked like they were running in mud as opponents just breezed by them. Notre Dame's defense must play better.

Keep an eye on: QB Arnaz Battle. Battle looks like a great option QB, but teams will be stacked up daring him to beat them with the pass. If Notre Dame wants to go to the postseason, Battle better be able to.

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
1999 record: 2-9
Coach: Jerry Baldwin
Returning starters: 17 (10 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: The biggest concern of the spring was getting the offensive line better, and, to a degree, it worked. The Ragin' Cajuns return four starters who really improved over the course of the spring. That said, this isn't exactly the Nebraska offensive line -- it is still going to get pushed around a bit. But any improvement makes QB Derek Dyers happy. Dyer was sacked 42 times last year, but he looked more comfortable this spring and knows when to throw it away and when to run. Baldwin thought his receivers would be a strength, but they had such a miserable spring, he's forced to rethink that philosophy. A bright spot was TE Brian Jones, who snagged the starting nod from Richard Sandusky. And though he's just 206 pounds, Jones is a good target for Dyer. John Bernard and Darren Brister will handle the running duties.

Defensively, the strength is in the safeties. Kyle Hebert and Matt Cieslak are very good and will be a strong safety net for the defense. The line is small and the linebackers return two seniors, but this front seven will need to get stronger.

Question mark: What happened to the receivers? Desmond Williams and Marcus Wilridge were supposed to be go-to guys, but lackluster springs allowed sophomores James Stewart and Corey Scott to play their way into the mix. The Cajuns will need Williams and Wilridge to wake up by the fall.

Keep an eye on: QB Jon Van Cleave. The incoming freshman chose the Cajuns over Ohio State, Colorado and Miami, and will challenge Dyer in the fall. He threw for 30 TDs and nearly 2,500 yards his senior year in high school and could be the starter before the end of the season.

Louisiana-Monroe Indians
1999 record: 5-6
Coach: Bobby Keasler
Returning starters: 12 (6 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: In their final season as an independent before moving to the Sun Belt Conference in 2001, the Indians are getting better. This spring, QB Andy Chance not only improved as a player, but as a leader. Arkansas transfer Mark Henderson, who has been plagued by academic troubles, ran well this spring and will be the main running back. The receivers aren't fast, but they don't need to be in this spread offense that relies on cuts and picks. The line needs to do a better job than last season, in which they allowed 38 sacks. They played better during spring drills and looked stronger.

Defensively, SS Cedric Robinson leads the Indians. Robinson will blitz more and is a playmaker they desperately need. The front seven returns five starters, and Keasler has a bushel of underclassmen to fill the rest of the holes.

Question mark: How quickly will the young players adjust? The Indians are loaded with players who redshirted last season. Their transition time will be the key to a winning season.

Keep an eye on: QB Andy Chance. The sophomore can run and throw, and the Indians will only go as far as he takes them.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
1999 record: 3-8
Coach: Andy McCollum
Returning starters: 18 (10 offense, 8 defense)

Outlook: The best news out of this spring? There were enough players to have a two-deep roster. Really. Last season, MTSU had maybe 40 players and this year they added another 25 or so. Maybe they are getting closer to being a real Division I-A team. The benefit of this is that the offensive line is going to be better. All five starters return and there is more help in juco transfer David Coy. The offense features decent skill players, led by WRs Kendall Newson, Tyron Calico and Hansford Johnson. Wes Counts is the QB -- for now. But Ole Miss transfer Lance Phillips and juco transfer Jason Johnson will battle hard in the fall for this offense to work.

Defensively, there are some good prospects, but will it be tough enough? Sophomore DE Curtis Daniely and LB Marcus Harvey are solid players. McCollom tried to change the attitude more than anything else this spring to make the Blue Raiders tougher.

Question mark: Who will be the QB? Counts was less than impressive last season and is clinging to the job going into the fall. MTSU runs a wide open offense and needs a good quarterback, so don't be surprised if he's not the starter by the season opener.

Keep an eye on: TE Brett Bucher. The N.C. State transfer showed good hands and good pop blocking this spring. He'll have the job outright before too long.

Joe Wojciechowski is the college football editor at ESPN.com