In the Empire State, professional football rules over the college game, which has five schools across the state. Two of them, Stony Brook and Fordham are actually I-AA, while the other three, Army, Buffalo and Syracuse have had various levels of success over the recent. The pros can offer the New York Giants and Jets, even if they play their home games in New Jersey, while the Buffalo Bills have a strong hold on Western New York.

Needless to say, sports betting is very popular in the state. Check out our article on whether or not sports betting is legal in New York to learn which laws apply to players and where to bet.

Buffalo Bills 2015

With Rex Ryan now moved to the other end of the state, press conferences will certainly be much more lively. Whether or not that enthusiasm translate to better than the 9-7 record former coach Doug Marrone had is still questionable. E.J. Manuel needs to show improvement at quarterback this season or the word bust will soon be attached to his name. If he can’t play, Matt Cassel is expected to take over.

At running back, the acquisition of LeSean McCoy was a positive surprise, considering his body of work. There should be enough depth to give McCoy a periodic break. Meanwhile, the receiving unit will be led by second-year man Sammy Watkins. Both sides of the line have plenty of talent, while the team’s outside linebackers are a strong unit that Ryan should be able to exploit. The team’s defensive backs are equally noteworthy, which could make it a potential playoff year for the Buffalo Bills.

New York Giants

Head coach Tom Coughlin has had an all-or-nothing tenure with the Giants, and this season appears to be more of nothing, with a middle-of-the-pack finish expected. Neither Eli Manning nor the team’s running game offers much positive support for 2015, though second-year man Odell Beckham and the return of Victor Cruz should make things interesting.

The offensive line has been either injured or underwhelming, while the defensive side has to deal with the absence of Jason Pierre-Paul after his foolish fireworks accident. Linebacker will offer a different look, but it remains to be seen if it’s a good one. In the secondary, there’s plenty of talent, but the corners battled injuries last year and top pick Landon Collins is likely to endure a rough baptism.

New York Jets 2015

After cleaning house in the front office, new head coach Todd Bowles has to find a way to get his offense going for the New York Jets. That might be difficult, considering the options at quarterback are Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith. The running game does have Chris Ivory to get the tough yards, but no one to take it to the house. Among the receiving corps, newcomer Brandon Marshall offers hope for a big-play option, but that assumes the signal caller can get him the ball.

The Jets’ offensive line is getting old while the defensive side is strong. New York has veteran experience in the secondary, but the linebacking crew will be the weak link. Regardless of how well the team does, a break-even season is likely the best fans can hope for in 2015.

Buffalo Bills 2015 Football

New head coach Lance Leipold needs to have great years from quarterback Joe Licata and running back Anthone Taylor. Licata has been prolific throughout his career, while Taylor had a breakthrough campaign in 2014 with 1,403 rushing yards. On defense, the Buffalo Bills go to a normal 4-3 instead of the 3-3-5, but have plenty of holes to fill on the line and at linebacker. The cornerbacks will serve as the focal point of the unit, with Marqus Baker and Boise Ross offering plenty of talent and potential.

College Team Previews Below

Fordham Rams 2015 Football

The Rams come off a Patriot League title, but have to replace 18 starters. Chase Edmonds will again be the key to the running game, and potentially the entire offense. This unit was high-powered in 2014, but also vulnerable to the sack. Meanwhile, the defense has one important comeback story with linebacker Stephen Hodge, who missed the 2014 college football season due to injury after leading the Rams in tackles the year before.

Stony Brook Seawolves 2015 Football

As part of the Colonial Athletic Conference, the Seawolves have Stacey Bedell to provide a good portion of the offense after rushing for 1,070 yards in 2014. Quarterback figures to again be handled by Conor Bednarski, who started the team’s last eight games, throwing for over 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, Victor Ochi gives Stony Brook a great rush at defensive end, having collected 11 sacks last year and 26.5 tackles-for-loss the past two seasons.

Army Black Nights 2015 Football

As always, the Black Knights offense will be ruled by the running game, but that might be an issue for the 2015 college football season, since very little in the way of experience is in the backfield.  The defensive line needs to be totally replaced, but linebackers Jeremy Timpf and Andrew King will be heard from a great deal in 2015. One interesting newcomer to the secondary is Xavier Moss, who used to play on the other side of the ball at wide receiver.

Syracuse Orangement 2015 Football

A weak year that saw the Orangemen doesn’t figure to be much better in 2015, with wholesale changes all over the lineup. While Terrel Hunt returns at quarterback, the duo of Devante McFarlane and George Morris take over at running back. On defense, position shifts to fill specific holes is what head coach Scott Shafer is forced to do to blunt the talent shortage. Defensive end Ron Thompson is one of the standouts, even though he only had 32 tackles, and seven tackles-for-loss in 2014.