The thin line between general competitiveness and low standards is particularly hard to locate facing into this year's Bank of Ireland football championship. But competition appeals more widely to the public than excellence and in that regard an exciting four months lie ahead.

Starting in the champions' province, Munster will be guaranteed a Cork-Kerry match this year because the counties are drawn together in the semi-final. Last season for the first time since 1965, the big two didn't meet.

Clare's familiar open-draw advocacy about how difficult it is for a team to beat both Cork and Kerry in the one championship was proved correct when they were unable to follow up victory over Cork with a similar result against the eventual All-Ireland winners.

This year, Clare must beat Tipperary (a task beyond them in the National League) or Waterford to reach a second final where they will face the winners of the Killarney semi-final. Two things militate against Clare's chances of an upset. First, surprises flagged in advance have diminishing prospects of coming to pass and second, whoever emerges from Killarney will have developed some momentum.

The poor form in both camps is based on a combination of poor league performances (although Cork reached the quarter-finals, they lost two matches en route and, understrength when they got there, were hammered by Donegal) and player discontent.

In Kerry's favour is that their player discontent is confined to less central personalities than Cork's. Larry Tompkins has the managerial prerogative of not compromising with anyone but a continuing standoff which deprives the panel of Colin Corkery (fully fit) and Liam Honahan (at all) won't help prospects in Killarney.

For the second year running Connacht's effective final takes place in the first round with Galway and Mayo meeting in Castlebar (disastrously scheduled to clash with Offaly-Meath in Leinster).

Sligo might take umbrage at the suggestion but, the late charge in last year's provincial final notwithstanding, they are unproven at the top level.

After initial euphoria, Galway's prospects are appraised a little more coolly nowadays and that may be to their advantage. Pat Fallon's injury, however, has swung the pendulum back in their direction - and not just because Fallon was Mayo's most influential player last year. Combined with Jarlath Fallon's return to the Galway panel, his namesake's absence can only calm nerves and with little to choose between the teams, that will be important.

Practically, it's bound to diminish Mayo's expected imperium around the middle. Galway's attacking moves are more penetrative but their forwards have shown little more accuracy than Mayo's.

Ulster is more open than usual as no teams stand out on the basis of their All-Ireland credentials. This may not be an infallible guide - as 1991 shows - but it's a starting point. All the counties who brought the Sam Maguire north in recent years - Down, Donegal and Derry - have rebuilt their teams and, ironically, look in better shape than their successors, Tyrone and Cavan.

The most improved team in the province is Monaghan whose league leap into Division One was overshadowed by the thorough semifinal defeat at the hands of championship opponents Derry who will be favoured to exploit home advantage at Celtic Park.

Donegal's unexpectedly good league showing has revived hopes of a return to championship form. Whereas the team has come on a fair bit, the over-reliance on Tony Boyle in attack and defensive uncertainty suggest that the team needs time to develop further.

Derry's league final defeat must have been depressing for their supporters but they've seen such titles arrive in the past only for summer to yield nothing. Not the finished article by any means, the county has enough material to win Ulster but has been tactically trumped in the last two championships.

Perhaps the biggest danger is Down whose tradition has been to start slowly and pick up momentum. If they beat Tyrone tomorrow, confidence will develop and they could end up facing Derry in the semifinal with the wind at their backs.

Leinster is the highest-quality province with four teams holding realistic ambitions but with two of them about to make an early exit. Offaly have been the star turn since demolishing Meath in last August's Leinster final and then proceeding to sweep to this year's league title.

There is a perennial problem with National League winners: they always look a better championship bet than they actually are. Kerry may have bucked this trend last year but Offaly don't have such a handy road ahead of them and face Meath tomorrow week.

Last year's Leinster final saw Meath well beaten but they still managed 1-15, a total exceeded by winning teams in Leinster finals only once in the last 15 years. Their problem was with a defence that conceded 3-17 but also a defence operating with a second-string fullback line. Restored to full strength, Meath will pose a searching test for their successors.

Dublin and Kildare meet a fortnight later. Dublin's team is in remission after the disasters of the last two seasons despite question marks about Keith Barr's suitability for full back or Dermot Harrington's for centre back to which he brings physique and pace but also an erratic positional sense.

Kildare still have to take a significant championship scalp and after the epic matches with Meath, they now take on Dublin with what might be better described as psychological freight rather than baggage. Laois are best placed to crash the party but may find the momentum of the Dublin-Kildare winners hard to halt.

In the absence of any serious evidence just yet, Meath look to have the right combination of stability, preparation and motivation. My last All-Ireland tip in May lasted 24 hours; at least this will run for a week.