7 College Football Programs That Already Need to Lower Expectations for 2012

College football always has some one-year wonders; teams will surprise fans one year by winning a lot of games when they were supposed to be a mediocre team squad only to follow it up with a subpar year the next season.

2012 will be no different with key players departing from numerous top teams around the country. Four teams that made BCS games this season may not win more than nine games this fall of 2012.

Many of the teams on this slideshow will struggle because they either have to replace too many key players, they have a much more difficult schedule coming up than they did in 2011 or they simply overachieved last season and expectations have risen too high.

A fair number of the teams you will see on this list are probably not very surprising, but their appearances on the slideshow will undoubtedly spark some heated debates among respective fanbases. Enjoy! 

Michigan Wolverines

In Brady Hoke's first season as the head coach in Ann Arbor, the Michigan Wolverines overachieved this season by finishing with an 11-2 record and a Bowl Championship Series victory over Virginia Tech in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. 

Hoke and his defensive coordinator, Greg Mattison, turned one of the nation's worst defenses in 2010 into a top 20 defense in 2011 with almost all of the same players former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had and undervalued during his tenure with the Wolverines. 

The quick turnaround has Michigan fans excited about what Hoke can do in his second season with potential Heisman Trophy candidate Denard Robinson and 13 other starters returning, but expectations may be too high with key pieces departing and a much tougher schedule on the horizon. 

The Wolverines will be without three of their starting defensive linemen, who were the leaders of team 132, as well as Robinson's jump ball safety net receiver Junior Hemingway and All-American center David Molk in 2012. Tight end will be a position of concern, too, with Kevin Koger and Steve Watson graduating. 

Michigan will also have to play on the road against Ohio State and Nebraska, in addition to opening the season against defending BCS national champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

Hoke has already proven he is most definitely the right guy for the Michigan coaching job, but fans will need to be patient and realize the Wolverines are not set up to repeat the breakout season they had in 2011.

Virginia Tech Hokies

The Virginia Tech Hokies ended their 2011 season on a very low note by losing to Clemson in the Atlantic Coastal Conference Championship Game and against Michigan in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which makes it easy for fans to forget they finished the year with a 10-3 record. 

Quarterback Logan Thomas will be back, but all of the playmakers around him are departing. 

Leading receivers Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin are graduating, star running back David Wilson is leaving early for the NFL and the Hokies will only be returning one of their starting offensive linemen, which is a recipe for disaster when it comes to trying to live up to high expectations in Blacksburg. 

There is some good news for Virginia Tech, though, with nine starters returning on the defensive side of the ball and the ACC likely going to be mediocre again in 2012. 

Unless Thomas and the rest of the newcomers on offense can gel quickly, it will be a tough season for the Hokies.

Kansas State Wildcats

There are 14 starters returning for Kansas State next season, and after a 10-3 mark in 2011—which was one of the biggest surprises in college football—there are likely a lot of people believing the Wildcats are destined to repeat their their success in 2012. 

With dual-threat quarterback Collin Klein coming back for a senior season, the Wildcats' offense should have no problem generating points, but keeping opponents out of the end zone may be an issue with five starters graduating on defense. 

The Wildcats also won a lot of coin-flip games last season, and if Kansas State does not catch a few breaks late in games along the way, they could have easily been an 8-4 team; eight of their 10 wins in 2011 were by a difference of seven points or less. 

The Big 12 also appears to be on the rise with Texas set to return to their winning ways, Iowa State improving, Oklahoma bringing back Landry Jones and Texas Christian figures to be a Top 20 team their first season in a BCS conference. 

Do not expect Kansas State to repeat the outstanding season they had in 2011.

Stanford Cardinal

The Stanford Cardinal appearing on this slideshow should not shock anyone with the departure of two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Andrew Luck departing, but the team will take an even bigger hit with their top three receivers all graduating. 

Running back Stepfan Taylor should be able to have a successful senior season behind an offensive line that returns four starters. 

Make no mistake, though—Stanford's success or failure in 2012 will depend on how well Luck's replacement at quarterback plays.  

Whoever it is will have a tough time filling the big shoes left behind by the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and that job will be even tougher with road games against Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington. 

Fans will find out very quickly exactly how much Luck meant to Stanford and that he was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football the past two seasons despite not having an outstanding supporting cast.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Defense has not been a forte for Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy, but the Cowboys have never failed to light up opposing scoreboards during his tenure either, which is why they have been so successful. 

It could be a different story in 2012, though, with quarterback Brandon Weeden, top receivers Justin Blackmon and Josh Cooper, and three offensive linemen all departing. The defense will also be without key defensive linemen Richetti Jones and Jamie Blatnick this coming season. 

As mentioned in the previous slides, the Big 12 is also going to be much stronger in 2012 with the addition of Texas Christian and the expected revival of Texas after two subpar seasons for the Longhorns, which will only make it tougher for Oklahoma State to repeat as conference champions.

Boise State Broncos

The Boise State Broncos burst onto the national scene when they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl back in 2007, but proved over the last several seasons they were not just a flash in the pan. 

Star quarterback Kellen Moore led to Broncos to more than 50 wins as a four-year starter, and 14 of his teammates are all graduating this spring as well, which does not exactly set Boise State up for success in 2012.

The Mountain West Conference will not be as strong without Texas Christian, but having to replace as many key players as they do means there will likely be some growing pains and the potential to drop a couple of games the Broncos would normally win with even a mildly experienced team. 

Boise State will not be talked about in any of the Bowl Championship Series debates in 2012. Make no mistake, though, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen will have the Broncos wreaking havoc again in a few years.

Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III were one of the best stories in college football in 2011, but the magic is likely over in Waco with RGIII deciding to take his talents to the NFL. 

Top receiver Kendall Wright and stud running back Terrance Ganaway, who ran for 1,547 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2011, are also out of eligibility. 

Some of the nation's top recruits have began to view Baylor as an attractive place to play college football now, but it will take a few years for the Bears to get those top-notch recruits to play at a high level in a Bowl Championship Series conference. 

Do not be surprised if Baylor has a big year in 2013 or 2014, but do not bet on them doing anything spectacular in 2012 considering how awful their defense looked in the Alamo Bowl against Washington; the Bears gave up 56 points and 620 yards of offense in their shootout victory over the Huskies.