Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/160704
✦ opponents overview By Steve Downey Temple Coming off a 4-7 campaign in 2012, the Owls were picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the first year of the American Athletic Conference. Michigan The Wolverines, who finished 8-5 last year, were ranked No. 17 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches preseason polls … U-M was predicted to finish first in the Big Ten's Legends Division in a preseason poll of league media conducted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer (the league no longer releases any type of preseason poll) … Michigan also was predicted to fall to Ohio State in the conference championship game by 11 of 12 media members who picked that matchup. Purdue The Boilermakers had a record of 6-7 in 2012, marking the program's fourth losing season in five years … Purdue was picked to finish fifth out of six teams in the Big Ten's Leaders Division in the aforementioned preseason poll of the league's media. Michigan State The Spartans, who notched a 7-6 mark last season, finished just outside the preseason top 25 in both the AP (26th) and coaches (28th) polls … MSU was projected to finish third in the Big Ten's Legends Division by the conference's media, and one media member had the Spartans falling to Ohio State in the league title game. Oklahoma The Sooners, who posted a 10-3 record in 2012, were ranked No. 16 in both the AP and coaches preseason polls — their lowest preseason ranking since 2000 (No. 19), head coach Bob Stoops' second season (when OU went on to win the national championship) … Oklahoma was pegged to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll by the league's media, notching eight-first place votes and finishing 10 points behind Oklahoma State. Arizona State The Sun Devils, who finished 8-5 last year after winning their final three games of the season for the first time in more than three decades, appeared in the others receiving votes category in both the AP (30th) and coaches (32nd) preseason polls … ASU was selected to finish second in the Pac-12's South Division by the league's media with 10 firstplace votes and 130 points, just behind UCLA (12 and 135). USC Despite last year's disappointing 7-6 showing — only the 13th time in 120 years that Troy lost at least six games — the Trojans were ranked No. 24 in both the AP and coaches preseason polls … USC was picked to finish third in the Pac‑12's South Division by the league's media. Air Force The Falcons, who concluded the 2012 campaign with a 6‑7 record, were projected to place third in the Mountain West's Mountain Division by the league's media. Navy The Midshipmen bounced back from a subpar 2011 season by going 8-5 last year … Navy is slated to join the American Athletic Conference as a football-only member in 2015. Pittsburgh The Panthers, who were 6-7 in 2012, enter their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference … Pitt was predicted to finish fifth out of seven teams in the ACC's Coastal Division by the conference's media. BYU The Cougars, who were 8-5 last season, appeared in the others receiving votes category in both the AP (43rd) and coaches (35th) preseason polls. Stanford The Cardinal was ranked No. 4 in both the AP and coaches preseason polls … Stanford finished second in the media balloting for the Pac-12's North Division with 11 first-place votes and 139 points, just behind No. 3 Oregon (15 and 145) … The Cardinal was picked to be the Pac-12 title game champion by eight voters, again behind only the Ducks (14). Schedule For Aug. 29-Sept. 2 No. 24 USC at Hawaii, 11 p.m., CBSSN (Thurs.) Western Michigan at Michigan State, 8 p.m., BTN (Fri.) Purdue at Cincinnati, 12 p.m., ESPNU Colgate at Air Force, 3 p.m. Temple at No. 14 Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., NBC Central Michigan at No. 17 Michigan, 3:30 p.m., BTN BYU at Virginia, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU Louisiana-Monroe at No. 16 Oklahoma, 7 p.m. ✦ Page 17 Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin Hogan and Stanford open the season as the highest-rated foe on Notre Dame's 2013 schedule, coming in at No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches preseason polls. photo courtesy stanford Pittsburgh at No. 11 Florida State, 8 p.m., ESPN (Mon.) Open Date: Arizona State, Navy and No. 4 Stanford Rankings (Associated Press poll) as of Aug. 28