Guess what? It’s football season.

And with any football season comes plenty of questions. The answers are a little harder to find.

But we’ll give it a shot.

Who will win the AFC North?

It hurts to even think about the possibility, but Cincinnati has a legitimate shot. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will continue to grow together as a lethal passing combo and the Bengals’ defense is very underrated.

The Steelers and Ravens are sliding, but will they slide enough for Cincinnati to slip past them?

This guess is no. Baltimore will nose out the Steelers again.

Will Butler turn around its fortunes on the gridiron?

That day may be coming, but not quite yet. The Golden Tornado will start a lot of younger kids and their schedule is brutal. But the head coach knows how to build a winner and his assistants — though not plentiful — are extremely enthusiastic.

Butler football is finding a good place. Coming out of the gate, it just may not show up on the scoreboard.

What will Pitt’s final year in the Big East be like?

Memorable. Look for the Panthers to be the league’s biggest surprise in their farewell season.

What local high school football conference is the most intriguing?

The revamped Greater Allegheny Conference, which has greatly expanded its geographical reach. Knoch and Mars should both be strong, but WPIAL Class AAA contender Franklin Regional has joined the circuit, as has perennial playoff team Greensburg Salem.

And who knows anything about Hollidaysburg or Derry Area? Keep a watchful eye on that circuit.

Will Karns City regain its stature as a team to beat in District 9?

Count on it. A down year for that program is 7-3. The Gremlins have beefed up their schedule and have likely beefed up their product as well.

Can Slippery Rock University make another run at the PSAC West title?

The jury is out on this one. The Rock lacks experience at a number of positions and has installed a 100 percent no-huddle offense for the 2012 season.

One area this team is strong in is the skilled positions. Offensively, SRU will spread things out and force the defense to choose what mode of attack to stop. SRU is versatile enough to adjust to any defense and that should be fun to watch.

What will be the surprise high school team in the area this season?

A-C Valley. There is new energy in that program, along with better numbers.

Who will win the Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy?

The early favorite in this corner is Seneca Valley multi-purpopse back Forrest Barnes. Moniteau’s Dustin Geagan bares watching, too, whether he’s playing running back or quarterback.

If I jinxed these guys, I apologize.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle