per CBSsportsline.com - <a href="http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/5770469" target="_blank">http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/5770469</a>

By Saturday night, conference play will have officially started. Going into the meat of those schedules, here is what to expect while evaluating the best players, coaches and teams from the non-con games.

Best team: North Carolina State, 6-0 and headed for the first double-digit victory season in school history. The honor went to Florida State until Louisville's Miracle in the Monsoon last week. Significant questions remain about the Seminoles, including the long-term prospects for quarterback Chris Rix.

Best player: Philip Rivers, QB, North Carolina State. Second in passing efficiency and yards. Over the past couple of years, Rivers has lost his offensive coordinator (Norm Chow) and favorite receiver (Koren Robinson). It hasn't made a bit of difference.

Best coach: Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech. After nine years out of the college game, Gailey has the Yellow Jackets 4-1 despite misfortune that would melt the souls of other programs. Leading rusher Tony Hollings is out for the season with a knee injury. The same goes for defensive lineman Greg Gathers, out with kidney problems.

Hollings' replacement, Ace Eziemefe, came through last week against North Carolina. Meanwhile, Gailey has deftly handled underachieving quarterback A.J. Suggs. If Notre Dame falters and Tech somehow keeps winning, the national coach of the year will be from the ACC for the second consecutive year.

Storyline: Despite Florida State's recent problems, it is still the Seminoles' title to win. The schedule suggests the 'Noles will lose at least one more game, which would take the ACC out of the national title picture. The Wolfpack could stick their nose into it with a perfect 13-0 season.