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I just checked the 2-deep rosters for the upcoming bowl games for Boise State and Wisconsin. Here is what's returning next year for them:

Boise State
Offense - 7 starters (lose WR, C, G, TE)
Defense - 7 starters (lose DE, LB, S, CB)
Special Teams - (lose place kicker)

Wisconsin
Offense - 6 starters (lose G, G, T, RB, TE)
Defense - 4 starters (lose DE, DE, DT, DT, CB, S, S)
Special Teams - (lose place kicker)

Losses on defense for Wisconsin are significant. Entire defensive line and 75% of their defensive backfield. Might bode well for Omar and our offense.

Boise has all of their skill players returning to a high-powered offense. Their defense never did scare anyone.

Man, if we could just find some semblance of a defense next year, we could be the "Utah" next year in the BCS mess!

Thanks for the research! The Liberty Bowl will be the first complete game I will see Boise play this year. I have seen bits and pieces, but they have been so far up on most occasions that I have turned the games off. There is no way that I can make it to Wisconsin due to previous wedding plans, but Boise may happen depending on the start of the season, Boise's talent level, and, most importantly, finances.

As for being next season's "Utah", I think our chances are pretty good. We have solid non-conference opponents and possibly playing NIU, UT, and Miami or some combination of these 3 could help our BCS chances. I am dying for a MAC championship and would take an 0-3 non-conference record as long as we win the MAC.

Rollo83 wrote: Losses on defense for Wisconsin are significant. Entire defensive line and 75% of their defensive backfield. Might bode well for Omar and our offense.

They do look like they are taking a big hit on defense but with a BCS team like Wisconsin, you know they probably have some depth from good recruiting. Still though, they won't have much experience so I am going to look for Omar to find their weaknesses for sure!

Not to be cocky or anything, but our offense shouldn't be a concern. Our O-Line showed enough depth to rebound from graduation losses and I'm sure Brandon & Co. have groomed enough WRs to fill the voids.

Our defense, however, that's the wild card. We gave up a lot of points to a number of teams - even in victories against Marshall and Memphis. I've said it before - our defense is either really going to step up next year, or it's going to cause us a lot more pain than this year.

Wisconsin's defense never scared me . . . The decent teams they played beat them or the Badgers were significantly helped out by the referees (see Purdue and the famous non-call on the Orton facemask) . . .

To beat Wisconsin, an offense must throw over the top and run right at them. I think we do both of those things pretty well.

The key to the Boise game could be tackling and making sure we have the ball last . . .

I was rooting for Boise State against Louisville. I got sick of the pundits talking about them getting slaughtered. Its too bad they didn't pull it out.