College Football 2012: 50 Burning Questions That Must Be Answered Before Kickoff

With National Signing Day behind us the officially official off season is now upon us.

And what better way to celebrate the closing of one chapter and the pause before the opening of yet another than to present a list of questions we need answered during the interim?

Yes, the following slideshow reels off no fewer than 50 provocative queries that require solutions before the sun rises on September 1, and we get the 2012 college football party started.

Some of these burning  question marks will be answered in the off-season, while others will be carefully dissected and hotly debated but can’t truly be solved until those magnificent pad clad warriors hit the field of honor for yet another gridiron campaign.

Which Conference Will West Virginia Be In?

Despite the fact that the Big East requires a 27-month exit period, many college football prognosticators are predicting that West Virginia will somehow find a way to become Big 12 members for the 2012 football season.

And this is an opinion that seems somewhat bolstered by the fact that the Mountaineers just cancelled their blockbuster Sept. 8 non-conference game with Florida State.

Is West Virginia making room for the nine game Big 12 conference schedule, or is there another explanation for the change and the rumors that have them out of the Big East on a lucrative early release program?

Regardless, before 2012 kicks off, we’ll have our answer, and if heavy weights such as Texas and Oklahoma have anything to do with it…the leather clad Mountaineers will be the newest member of the once Big 12.

Will Miami Be Bowl Eligible or Postseason Banned in 2012?

Despite the allure of what Rivals.com says is the No. 9 nationally ranked 2012 recruiting class, the Miami Hurricanes are still living under the very real cloud of impending NCAA sanctions.

Indeed, what will happen when the hammer comes down on Miami?

Will the Hurricanes even be eligible to play in the 2012 postseason or will it be even worse?

This is yet another conundrum that will be solved before the season begins anew.

Who Will The Starting QB at Notre Dame?

Whether we want to know every minute detail of Notre Dame football or not, we probably will.

And this will no doubt include constant, blow-by-blow coverage of who will be the starting QB for the 2012 Irish.

Will it be Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson, or perhaps five-star super recruit Gunner Kiel?

Like it or not, this will be a nationally covered decision coming into the 2012 season.

Decision 2012 … it has nothing to do with the presidential election!

Will Matt Barkley Be the Heisman Front Runner going into 2012?

Matt Barkley’s decision to return to USC for his senior season may prove to be one of the key components of the outcome of the 2012 season.

If Barkley can continue to build on the improvements he’s shown over three seasons under center in the land of Troy, and do so without the shadow of any bans, he and the Trojans could be national contenders.

And all this potential for success makes Barkley the likely frontrunner for the 2012 early Heisman race.

Will UTSA and Texas State Step Up When They Move Up?

One of the more underplayed conference realignment moves going into 2012 is the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas State (formerly Southwest Texas State) leaving the FCS for the FBS via membership in the WAC.

In 2012 the WAC loses Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada who are all defecting to the Mountain West which sets up the rise of UTSA and Texas State.

The Texas State Bobcats had previously been members of the Southland Conference (1987-2011) and went 6-6 last season under former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione.

UTSA is a start-up program that played its very first football campaign in 2011 to a 4-6 finish as an FCS independent.  The Roadrunners are led by former Miami FL coach Larry Coker.

It will be intriguing to watch these two teams play at the FBS level especially given they’ve come from completely different backgrounds.

How Hot is Derek Dooley’s Coaching Seat?

Despite signing what Rivals.com ranks as the No. 18 best 2012 recruiting class in the nation, Derek Dooley’s coaching chair will likely continue to warm throughout the off season.

And if Dooley and his Vols lose early or again lose often…the thermostat will be cranked up and his days may be numbered before he can completely right the ship at Tennessee.

Dooley was 6-7 in 2010, 5-7 in 2011 (which was made worse by a season ending loss to Kentucky) and his overall mark as a head college football coach is 28-34.

Two early season games likely will set the tone for Dooley and friends in the 2012 season…the opener against NC State in the Georgia Dome and then a Week 3 home date with Florida.

If Tennessee tanks in these games look for hot flames to ferociously lick at the man with the orange pants.

 

Will Terry Bowden and Jim Tressel Takeover the MAC?

Back in 2010 if you had said that Jim Tressel and Terry Bowden would be working at the same Midwestern football program in 2012 most people would assume that Bowden had found a spot on the Ohio State staff.

Proving reality is way better than fiction we know now that this season Terry Bowden will be the head coach and Jim Tressel will be an administrator not at The Ohio State but at The University of Akron.

It is interesting to note that both coaches had early season stops at Akron, Bowden in 1986 as an assistant, and Tressel from 1975-78 as a GA.

And now their career paths very delightfully meet just south of Cleveland Ohio where they will combine to try and revive a program that has won just five games in three long seasons.

Seriously?

Will the Coaching Carousel Stop at 25?

In 2010, 22 college football programs welcomed a new head coach, a number that dropped to 21 for 2011.

For 2012, the coaching carousel has swirled, stopped and swirled again for 25 leaders, and with seven full months left to go before 2012 kicks off where it stops nobody knows.

Will anyone resign?  Will anyone be ousted?  Will the claws of scandal claim another victim?

Something tells me that the merry-go-round isn’t done spinning quite yet…

 

Who Will Be the Preseason AP No. 1 Team?

In 2011 the AP released their preseason rankings on Aug. 20 meaning we currently have 195 days left to argue who should be the top ranked dog coming into the 2012 season.

Early guesses for a top team would include LSU, USC, Oklahoma or Georgia.

 

 

Who Will Be on the Cover of the Most Preseason Magazines?

Before we know it winter will give way to spring and spring will succumb to the hot wilds of summer.

Then we’ll roll into Target or Wal-Mart and leap delightfully when we see the preseason college football magazines finally hit the stands.

And who will be gracing the cover of the Sporting News, Athlon, Phil Steele and Lindy’s 2012 preview guides?

Candidates for preservation in high gloss (by region) include USC’s Matt Barkley, Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Michigan’s Denard Robinson, South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Kansas State’s Collin Klein.

Other likely cover boys included Tajh Boyd from Clemson, Tyrann Mathieu of LSU, Braxton Miller of Ohio State, Kenjon Barner from Oregon, Landry Jones of Oklahoma and Tyler Wilson of Arkansas.

 

 

 

Will the BCS Announce Any Format Changes?

The current BCS format cannot officially be altered until after the 2013 season but that fact will only serve to ramp up wild discussion about what needs to be tweaked from a system that has few full supporters remaining.

It’s unknown when the BCS will actually announce its future intentions but changes are on the way and it’s just a matter of time.

Will it be a plus one play-off?

Will AQ status be stripped from all conferences and will limits on how many teams each conference can send to the money dance be lifted?

Will a conference championship be required to play in the national championship?

Will the Cotton Bowl be added as the fifth BCS bowl game?

The only thing that is a sure thing in the land of the BCS is that nothing is a sure thing…except for those peachy little dollar signs…

Will the WAC Become the New Sun Belt?

The WAC dates back to 1962 and coming into its 50^th season in 2012 it may face its biggest challenge as a college football conference.

After bidding adieu to Boise State after the 2010 season the WAC says farewell to Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada in 2012 (all to the Mountain West) leaving the once high flying league with only five base and two new members.

In 2012 youthful UTSA and Texas State will join Louisiana Tech, Utah State, San Jose State, New Mexico State and Idaho to make up the new WAC.

And this roll call leads you to believe that perhaps the WAC is moving in the wrong direction and closer towards a Sun Belt type scenario than that of a C-USA situation.

 

Will Texas A&M and Missouri Sell More Season Tickets as SEC Members?

After all the talk 2012 marks the football season where Texas A&M and Missouri at last leave the shackles of the Big 12 for the cash laden shores of the SEC.

And though both shifts are likely to mean more money from a shared TV revenue standpoint how will season tickets be affected by a slate of brand new, high profile and fearsome opponents?

Well, Texas A&M had already set a new season ticket mark going into the much anticipated 2011 season with 42,151 season tickets meaning that anything over this level going into the SEC will indeed be historic.

As for Missouri their 2011 total was in the neighborhood of 31,000 which means there is more room for improvement.

Either way, it will be interesting to re visit the numbers and see how sales are affected by the new SEC schedule vs. the old Big 12 slate…especially in three or four years when the newness begins to fade on the sparkly new paint job.

 

Will Penn State Football Be Able to Focus on Football?

It’s hard to imagine more happening to a single college football program than the level of impact that has crashed around the Penn State program since November of 2011.

Accusations, serious allegations, shocking updates, firings, hiring’s, illness, death and still more unanswered questions.

For all we don’t know we do know that with the NFL season coming to a close via Super Bowl XLVI that new coach Bill O’Brien will completely be focused on Penn State football and therefore begin the process of rebuilding.

But, how much can O’Brien do and how different will Penn State and its vaunted football program be after the mind boggling scandal than it was before?

Will they be allowed to compete, can they compete at the same level and when will they be afforded the luxury of completely focusing on football once again?

And, should they or any other college football program completely focus on football once again?

If nothing else it will be intriguing to watch what happens next…in a rubber necking kind of way.

Who Will be Touted as Texas A&M’s New Rival?

With the 118 year old game against Texas officially off the table who will be the Aggies primary football rival moving forward in the SEC?

The natural assumption for now is Arkansas who the Aggies have played on 68 occasions, mostly dating back to their common affiliation in the old Southwest Conference and now more recently in a neutrally sited three year series from 2009-11.

Arkansas offers history (even though A&M is 241-41-3 all-time against the Razorbacks) and has regional allure but the 2012 game betwixt the two is slated for Sept. 29 leaving the sacred Thanksgiving Day game wide open.

Yes, Turkey Day represented the time when the Aggies and Longhorns would meet for both bragging rights and so the A&M War Hymn would have full and total meaning which leaves you wondering who will fill this crucial spot on the Ags dance card.

Well, for 2012 that team is…Missouri.

Texas A&M will host Missouri on Nov. 24 in College Station TX where one of the two new SEC members will try to best the other…in a contest that very well could be a first ever SEC win for either…wow.

Can Clemson Live up to Bigger Expectations?

Coming into the 2011 season Clemson was expected to do no better than vie for a No. 3 finish in the ACC Atlantic which makes their conference championship campaign look even sweeter in retrospect.

Despite the fact that the Tigers looked ultra vulnerable in their Orange Bowl debacle against West Virginia they’ll be predicted to be the much better team that they’ve proven themselves to be in the 2012 season.

And then what?

Yes, what does Clemson do now that everyone expects them to challenge frontrunners such as Florida State, Virginia Tech and Miami FL?

If nothing else it’s a question worth asking and the answers will come via a compelling set of games that kick off with a barnburner opener in the Georgia Dome against Auburn.

 

What Will Urban Meyer Tweet?

One of Urban Meyer’s first moves as the head coach at Ohio State was to ban his players from using Twitter.

So, as a guy who has once tweeted with gusto what might Meyer say if he takes to the world wide web and uses the blue bird social network on behalf of a team of squelched ex tweeters?

“Just had lunch with Bret Bielema…he seemed chaffed until I bought the first second round of chicken wings.”

“The postseason ban means nothing to the Buckeyes; we’ll work just as hard as ever to knock off Miami OH, UCF, Cal and UAB in our first four big non conference match-ups.”

“LL Bean just pulled their classic sweater vest from the 2012 fall catalog…sometimes classics get debunked by better classics that can recruit better.”

 

Will Anyone Take Wazzu or Mike Leach Seriously in the off Season?

The funny thing about Mike Leach and Washington State (as a couple) is that combined they represent far more than a “hopeful” package for the 2012 season.

Yes, the Cougars went 4-8 in 2011 and their only wins were against FCS Idaho State, UNLV, Colorado and Arizona State and yes, Mike Leach has been out of coaching for a couple of years.

But, Washington State is set to return seven offensive starters (including the QB) to a team that ranked No. 9 nationally in passing yards LAST season.

And, they are now going to be led by a guy who, arguably, is one of the best pass offense architects in modern college football.

Coincidence or fate?

Is Washington State a Pac-12 patsy or should opponents fear the Wazzou instead of the Fork?

 

Who Will Be the Starting QB at LSU?

After losing top prospect Gunner Kiel to Notre Dame LSU comes into 2012 with one of the most compelling and perhaps meaningful QB question marks in the nation.

Yes, if LSU truly is the No. 1 preseason ranked team who is their QB?

And, as we found out in the BCS title game, regardless of how good your defense is, you’ve got to have a leader under center that can win the really big one (or at least not lose it).

LSU’s QB options are bleak from an experience standpoint as you’ve got redshirt sophomore Zach Mettenberger on one hand and three-star recruit Jeremy Liggins from Oxford MS on the other.

The Tigers have certainly not pumped out great QBs over the last several years on their way to championships but they’ll need a talented, smart kid at the position if they expect to run the tables again in a stacked SEC.

Who Will Lead the Nation in Rushing?

With Montee Ball coming back to Wisconsin for his senior season in 2012 he’d seem the obvious choice to lead the nation in rushing next season as his 1,923 yards were enough to best all comers in 2011.

But, as we all know, college football is rarely that simple and if Ball looks in his rear facing mirror he may see glimpses SDSU’s of Ronnie Hillman (the No. 3 rusher in 2011 with 1,711 yards as a sophomore) and Nebraska’s Rex Burkhead (who gained 1,357 as a junior to take the No. 16 slot nationally).

And don’t forget names like Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina and Knile Davis from Arkansas…

Can a Non SEC team Win the National Championship?

This just in…the SEC has won the last six BCS national titles.

So, since 2011-12 was not the season when another conference finally stepped up to the proverbial plate what are the chances someone goes for the gusto in 2012-13?

Well, you’ve got to hope that this coming season a non-SEC team will at least be IN the national championship game which mathematically offers a better chance of breaking the streak.

So, who will it be to slay the mighty Goliath…yea, who will be David, armed with but a sling shot and wearing sandals?

Will it take a surprise Trojan horse attack from the West?

Or will Chief Osceola finally plant his spear in January?

And what of the chuck wagon from the Sooner State…is it time for Boomer to ride again to glory?

Or maybe the attack will come from a yet unknown conference where a mascot wears leather pants regardless of the temperature...a mountain man with a jolly countenance and a fluffy beard…

How Far Will Oklahoma State Fall Due to Attrition?

Oklahoma State sizzled its way in 2011 to a first ever Big 12 title and put a cherry on top of a fabulous campaign with a narrow win over Stanford in a wild and wacky BCS Fiesta Bowl.

So, what’s next for the man who is Mike Gundy and his posse of Pokes?

Well, the Cowboys will return only 14 starters in 2012 making them the least experienced team in the Big 12, on paper, coming into the new season.

Scarier still for a team that was No. 2 in points for and No. 61 in points against is that the offense returns only five of the 14 total starters.

While it’s probably safe to assume that the Cowboys won’t totally tank in 2012 it’s also prudent to think that they’ll struggle to find the land of 12-1 again in the next 12 months.

 

Will Jim Mora be the Beneficiary of Rick Neuheisel’s Recruiting?

Though incoming UCLA coach Jim Mora has got to feel pretty good about his No. 13 ranked 2012 recruiting class we all know it’s not likely that this group will really make an impact until 2013 or 2014.

So, would you be surprised to learn that the Bruins 2010 recruiting class was ranked No. 8 and their 2009 class was ranked No. 14?

Yes, technically these are the kids who will be juniors and seniors this season at UCLA.

And what if by some weird twisted act of fate Rick Neuheisel’s coaching legacy at his alma mater winds up being a group of  players that he recruited only to have Mora come in and meld them into a winner?

Hmmmmm…

Will Notre Dame be a Preseason Top 15 Team Again?

There is nothing more apt to get the haters on the Notre Dame Hate train wound up than to give the Irish a top 15 ranking coming into a season.

Yes, they’re talented… yes, they’re well coached and yes, this should be their year but after yet another eight win season when is enough really enough?

Athlon’s preseason magazine ranked Notre Dame No. 6 coming into 2011 while the Sporting News showed caution with a No. 18 ranking and Phil Steele concurred with the former by putting the Irish at No. 6.

So, in 2012 Notre Dame returns only 13 starters from the 8-5 product in 2011 and that means…

They’ll definitely be a Top 25 team and don’t be surprised if their stock doesn’t edge up over the next seven months as the facts are all beat out of our brains and replaced with the mystical magical NBC voodoo that they do.

Notre Dame!  No. 11!

Can Michigan Win the Big Ten?

Ascending to the heights of the BCS for the first time since 2006 and winning the Sugar Bowl somewhat masks the fact that Michigan didn’t even play in the Big Ten title game last season.

Yes, 11-2 is certainly nothing to snort at but what will it take for the Wolverines to win their first conference title since 2004?

Working against Michigan is only 13 returning starters and a schedule that includes non-conference foes Alabama, Air Force and Notre Dame along with conference road trips to Nebraska and Ohio State.

In the Wolverines favor is momentum, a spirited and determined second year head coach and a program stacked with talent that may be poised to finally make a serious move.

What’s the Next Big Scandal in College Football?

One of the biggest lessons of the 2011 calendar year from a college football perspective is that anything can happen…off the field.

A year that began with the shocking news from Columbus that put a rest to the vest continued on with breaking news from Miami’s Ponzi scheme funded infractions and just when we thought it was over the year ended with Penn State’s scandal which is arguably the biggest in American sports history.

So, is it over?

Is the wave of scandal, shocking news and immoral activities done for now?

Unfortunately, history says no and though 2012 might not hit the shame levels of 2011 it’s likely that at least some smaller tremors are upcoming in college football scandal-dom.

Why?

Well, when you combine big money with a passion fueled monster like college football human nature is sure to take over which means somebody, somewhere is doing something they shouldn’t.

And somebody is going to find out about it.

Will the FBS Split into Two Divisions?

Of all the talk about what the BCS will do when its current contract expires at the end of the 2013 season one of the least discussed scenarios has been splitting the FBS in half.

The idea of making two divisions out of one has actually just begun to appear on the horizon and over the last 30 days has received at least a small share of virtual ink.

The concept of splitting the FBS includes the benefit of addressing some of the inherent inequality offered in the current BCS climate by making a break between AQ teams and conferences and their non-AQ counterparts.

With a further subdivision (think FBS I and FBS II) each set of teams would compete more fairly for their own title (with this scheme SMU now actually has an actual shot at a national championship) without restricting programs from the two levels from playing each other.

It’s an interesting concept and it will be intriguing to see if it can gain any momentum in the next 24 months of what should be an environment ripe for change.

Can Texas Return to Full Fledged Longhorn Style Football?

After nine consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins (2001-09) Texas suffered a five win season in 2010 followed by an eight win campaign in 2011.

Which leads to the question when will the Longhorns be back to the Texas we know and either love or love to hate?

Whether or not Mack Brown is still the guy to get it done in Austin we know for a fact that Texas has the talent to blow the doors off of their proverbial hinges.

Don’t think so?  Well, here’s a peek at the Longhorn’s Rivals.com recruiting rankings from 2009 onwards (which technically represents the four classes who make up the 2012 squad); the No. 5 class from 2009 (this year’s senior class), the No. 3 class from 2010 (this year’s juniors), the No. 3 class form 2011 (this year’s sophomores) and the No. 2 class from 2012 (this year’s freshmen).

It’s easy to make a logical argument that if Texas doesn’t start winning double digit games again, in short order, then the problem lies somewhere in the process of transforming the excessive levels of talent into a living, breathing and winning football team.

Where will ESPN Game Day Be on Opening Weekend?

Though there will no doubt be a lot to look forward to in Week 1 of the 2012 college football season the marquis game is fairly obvious.

Yes, Clemson vs. Auburn in Atlanta is peachy but expect to see the Game Day crew back in Arlington, TX for the opening  Saturday of the season to tee up a blockbuster contest featuring Michigan and Alabama squaring off for a bunch of early season marbles.

 

Will FSU Have the Same Expectations as in 2011?

Florida State was atop many respectable prognosticators pick sheets coming into the 2011 season.

 The Seminoles were expected to, at the very least, take home the ACC Atlantic crown and then make a serious run at a BCS spot and perhaps an appearance in the national title game.

And though the biggest of big hopes might have been squashed in a hard fought loss to Oklahoma in Week 3, subsequent defeats to Clemson and then Wake Forest basically ended Florida State’s quest to meet expectations.

So what about 2012?

Well, with a whopping 18 returning starters look for Florida State to be in the preseason Top 15 and then look for them to once again try to make a run amid high hopes.

The key for the Seminoles might come down to whether they can establish a running game which is exactly what held them back in 2011.

Will Charlie Weis Work at Kansas?

Charlie Weis’ heralded march into Kansas is one of the more compelling coaching changes for the 2012 season.

Can the long time assistant and five year head coach with a 35-27 record at Notre Dame (2005-09) successfully engineer a turn around for a program that has one only 10 games total in the last three seasons?

Yes, can Weis make a winner of a school that other than a 12 win output in 2007 and an eight victory season in 2008 hasn’t had back-to-back eight-plus win seasons since 1904-05?

What’s interesting to note about teams like Iowa State and Kansas, who were formerly members of the Big 12 North division, is that with the new conference alignment now they have to play teams that were formerly from the South (i.e. Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State) on a yearly basis rather than on rotation.

This forgotten fact will make Weis’ huge challenge at Kansas even harder than it already will be…which is almost unfathomable.

 

Can Will Muschamp Survive Another Season at Florida?

Florida’s 7-6 finish in Will Muschamp’s inaugural season as a head coach wasn’t just ugly from a win/loss standpoint it wasn’t pretty from an execution approach either.

Yes, the 2011 Gators inspired very little confidence and even though the lost to a string of very good football teams (Alabama, LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia), Florida is frankly a team that is supposed to be one of those consistently dominant foes (not the ones getting ripped by them).

You have to believe that if the Gators don’t play with an edge and begin to show concrete signs of improvement (early and often) that Will Muschamp will soon be on one of the hottest coaching seats in the nation.

Gator fans were already calling for Muschamp’s head last season which means hiccups at any point in the 2012 campaign could be devastating.

The good news is that the upcoming schedule is far and away an easier slate than that of 2011 and the Gators return 19 starters meaning they’ll be one of the most experienced teams in the country.

 

Who Will Have The Biggest Rebuilding Project?

Attrition and personal turnover are at the heart of why college football is so deliciously fluid.

Eligibility rules and graduation mean that the talent pool at each program is always changing and that the stacked, experienced squads in one year will soon become the youthful, rebuilding teams of the future.

Following are the teams in 2012 who return the least starters from 2011 according to a handy dandy guide provided by College Football Matrix.

Arizona – 10 returning starters.

Arkansas State – 10 returning starters.

Miami FL – 10 returning starters.

Minnesota – 10 returning starters.

New Mexico State – 10 returning starters.

Tulane – 10 returning starters.

Wisconsin – 10 returning starters.

UAB – 10 returning starters.

Air Force – eight returning starters.

Boise State – eight returning starters.

Central Michigan – eight returning starters.

 

Who Will Be the Surprise Team in 2012?

One of the more intriguing questions coming into a season is identifying teams that might shock the nation and make the prognosticators look fallible.

And so who could be those teams in 2012?

Yes, who will be the 2012 version of 2011 Clemson, Michigan and Kansas State, squads that overachieved and found the glory without the benefit of a lofty early season ranking?

Teams to consider for “surprise” status could include Maryland, Texas Tech, Bowling Green, Indiana, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UCLA, South Florida and FIU.

In terms of who could make a shocking foray into the realm of the BCS title game think Georgia, Texas, Michigan or Florida.

Which Second Year Head Coach Will Get Canned?

College football is definitely in tune with a world that is becoming more impatient by the minute.

Yes, we want it all and we want it all right now.

From a college football perspective this adage is no more evident than it is when we see the rise of second year coaches getting fired after only two seasons on the sidelines.

Really, what’s two seasons in college football and what can you realistically expect to do?

That might be exactly what guys like Kansas’ Turner Gill, Memphis’ Larry Porter and Akron’s Rob Ianello were thinking when they got canned after the 2011 season which was only their second campaign at their current role.

Second year coaches at risk in 2012 include Florida’s Will Muschamp, Indiana’s Kevin Wilson and Maryland’s Randy Edsall.

Win now or go home.

 

Will a 2012 College Football Game Be Played Internationally?

Yes, a 2012 college football game will be played in a foreign country.

Seriously?

Yes, in case you haven’t heard Notre Dame is scheduled to open up their 2012 campaign with a game against Navy in Dublin, Ireland at Aviva Stadium.

 

Can Virginia Continue its Rise?

After going 5-7 in 2008, 3-9 in 2009 and then 4-8 in 2010 Virginia’s 8-5 finish in 2011 must have seemed like sweet nectar to the Cavalier fanbase.

Which leads to the burning question…will the success continue in the land of milk and honey or tank?

Well, Virginia returns only 13 starters from its 2011 team and the really bad news is that only four return to a defense that was one of the real building blocks of the successful season.

The other bit of disparaging news is that even though the ACC hasn’t released its in-conference schedule for 2012 we do know that the Cavaliers non-conference slate includes a home game vs. Penn State and a road trip to TCU.

2012 might not be the year the Virginia knocks down the ACC door but look for this young team to continue to play well and then mark your calendars for 2013 and 2014 when the Cavaliers might shock the world.

 

Can Hugh Freeze Save Ole Miss Football?

Do you remember the dude who was Michael Lewis’ high school coach in the movie The Blind Side?

Well, ironically that guy is Hugh Freeze, former coach of Briarcrest HS in Tennessee, former coach of NAIA Lambuth (who went 20-5 in two seasons with Freeze), former coach of Arkansas State (who went 10-2 in 2011 with Freeze) and new head coach at Ole Miss.

The point is this guy is more than a one hit wonder from Arkansas State and more than the guy from the movie who Sandra Bullock slapped right on the buttocks.

But, can he bring Ole Miss out of football Hell?

Well, if he does…if he masters the SEC West  (which now includes Texas A&M) and comes even deliciously close to leading the Rebels to their first conference title since 1963 then Hugh Freeze is the next hot coaching commodity in college football.

 So, what will it be Hugh…hot seat or hot commodity?

Can Baylor Win Without RGIII?

How good was Baylor’s 10-3 season in 2011?

Well, previously the Bears had only reached the double digit win total once in program history (they began fielding a team in 1899), and that was in 1980 when they went 10-2.

Yes, 2011 was pretty damn good.

Along with 10 wins, Baylor won their first bowl game since beating Arizona 20-15 in the 1992 Sun Bowl, and of course they captured their first ever Heisman Trophy via the astounding Robert Griffin III.

So, with RGIII gone, how will Baylor respond?

Will they morph back into three-and-four-win Baylor, or will they fill the holes, live on hope and belief and become a consistent force to be reckoned with?

Stay tuned…

 

Can Anyone Dominate the Big East?

In the 20 year history of the Big East the only team that has really dominated it from a football perspective is Miami FL and they left in 2003.

Other than that you’ve got West Virginia (they’ve taken a share of five titles since the Hurricanes bolted for the ACC) and they’re leaving ASAP.

In the last eight seasons there have been four times that the Big East title has been split.

In 2004 it was four teams, in 2007 two teams and in both 2010 and 2011 three teams had a share of the championship.

And this of course leads to a watered down conference with nobody reaching the national championship.

The Big East is obviously on the brink of major change:  West Virginia, Syracuse and Pitt have one foot out the door while Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, UCF and Houston are slated to join in 2013.

And then Navy in 2015.

But none of this adds any confidence to there being a true leader in the conference and really the situation in the Big East represents one of the strongest arguments for NOT guaranteeing an automatic BCS bid to “BCS” conferences based on name alone.

The Big East may well be the lynch pin to reform in the BCS and for the sake of its members (present and future) you have to hope nobody gets left in the lurch when the smoke clears.

 

Will Indiana Win a Conference Game in 2012?

It’s difficult to imagine a more gut wrenching season than what Indiana fans experienced in 2011.

A 1-11 overall finish, a 0-8 mark in Big Ten play, a singular three-point win over FCS South Carolina State in Week 2 and losses to Ball State and North Texas.

Ouch.

So, will things get better in Kevin Wilson’s second season in Bloomington or should Hoosier fans completely avoid the television again in 2012?

The good news is Indiana returns a full 19 starters from its very bad showing in 2011 so at least the experience will be there even though it was a bad experience for everyone involved.

The other upside is that rather than travelling to Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State as they did in 2011, Indiana will have all four foes at home.

Additionally, momentum could be built with a possible 3-0 start with winnable games vs. FCS Indiana State, at UMass (who joins the MAC this season) and then Ball State in Bloomington.

Then Indiana will have to find a way to win a conference game with the best opportunities likely being at Northwestern in Week 5 (after a bye), at Illinois in Week 8 or at Purdue Thanksgiving weekend.

 

What Will the C-USA/MWC pact Look Like?

Though things may not work out for the 2012 season, the super duper conference pact being worked out between Conference USA and the Mountain West could be in the cards for the 2013 campaign.

The accord would be mostly about TV money, may include other sports, and may or may not produce a championship game in football that would seek a BCS spot moving forward.

Though the agreement originally was to include 20-22 teams, it’s impossible to know who might be in which conference until the realignment picture for 2013 comes into focus

And this process could include a myriad of programs from the sinking ship of the WAC applying for a lifeline.

Regardless, this could be the first “super conference” in college football, and if it is a successful model for BCS inclusion (even if we’re talking one guaranteed bid for a champion), it may set a precedent and provide a model for other non-AQ conferences to stay afloat in the FBS.

Could the MAC/WAC pact be next or is a Sun Belt/WAC consortium more likely?

 

Will BYU Join a Conference?

Speaking of realignment, what’s next for BYU and their quest for a straight shot to a national title and BCS inclusion?

Though independence gives the Cougars more freedom from a financial standpoint it does absolutely nothing for their postseason hopes.

The only independent team with a guaranteed BCS deal is Notre Dame, and until BYU manages to work out a similar covenant, they are destined to be tied into the likes of the Armed Forces Bowl.

Possible homes for BYU include the Big 12, which is likely to expand again, the Pac-12, which may go all super on us, and even the Big East, if they make their insane geographic footprint even larger.

Will USC play Oregon in the 2012 Pac-12 Title Game?

All the stars seem to be aligning for USC to be the team to beat in the second year of the Pac-12 South division, which will come as a relief for those who didn’t find pleasure in watching Oregon destroy UCLA in the first ever championship game pitting North vs. South.

If nothing else, and regardless of if the Ducks can quack their way back to the top, the second Pac-12 championship game would have to sink really low to be less compelling than its first edition, which actually helped the ratings of the MAC title game played the same evening.

Is Conference Realignment Over?

The past two seasons have paid witness to major shifts on the conference landscape of college football.

Often ignoring geographic sensibilities and long standing historic rivalries, the domino effect of realignment is well underway and simple concepts of gravity foretell further shifts before it’s all said and done.

Simply put, every team who flees must be replaced with another until that fatal day when one of the current conferences ceases to exist and another goes super duper huge.

Which Teams Will Open Up Against an FCS Foe?

Even though a slew of programs are yet to have finalized their 2012 slate, we do know that 32 FBS teams are set to open up their 2012 campaign against an FCS foe.

Since FBS teams held a 90-7 advantage over FCS teams in 2011, the FBS programs involved in the following Week 1 blockbusters have a better than 93 percent chance at victory.

Here’s a quick guide to “Must Not See TV” the weekend of Aug. 30-Sept. 1 2012.

Air Force vs. Idaho State

Arizona State vs. Northern Arizona

Arkansas vs. Jacksonville State

Central Michigan vs. Southeastern Missouri State

East Carolina vs. Appalachian State

Eastern Michigan vs. Illinois State

FAU vs. Wagner

Florida State vs. Murray State

Fresno State vs. Weber State

Idaho vs. Eastern Washington

Indiana vs. Indiana State

Kansas vs. South Dakota State

Kent State vs. Towson

Louisiana Tech vs. Lamar

Maryland vs. William & Mary

Memphis vs. UT Martin

Mississippi vs. Central Arkansas

Mississippi State vs. Jackson State

New Mexico State vs. Sacramento State

North Carolina vs. Elon

Oregon State vs. Nicholls State

Pittsburgh vs. Youngstown State

Purdue vs. Eastern Kentucky

South Florida vs. Chattanooga

Temple vs. Villanova

Texas A&M vs. McNeese State

Texas Tech vs. Northwestern State

Utah vs. Northern Colorado

Utah State vs. Southern Utah

Virginia vs. Richmond

Western Kentucky vs. Austin Peay

Wisconsin vs. Northern Iowa

Which Games Should I Watch in Week 1?

Now that we’ve given you a list of what not to watch, here’s a brief glimpse at some of the better 2012 Week 1 clashes.

Don’t miss these:

Friday,     Aug. 31             Boise St. at Michigan St.                East Lansing, MI

Saturday, Sept. 1              Michigan vs. Alabama                    Arlington, TX

Saturday, Sept. 1              Clemson vs. Auburn                       Atlanta, GA

Saturday, Sept. 1              Navy vs. Notre Dame                     Dublin, Ireland

Saturday, Sept. 1              NC State vs. Tennessee                 Atlanta, GA

 

Who Will Start in the Top 10 and Finish Out of the Top 25?

The team that wins the award for tanking the hardest in 2011 is Texas A&M, who came into the season ranked at No. 9 in the Coach’s Poll, and fell completely out of the rankings by season's end.

So, who is THAT team in 2012…the team that nobody wants to be?

Well, my guess at this very early juncture would be someone like West Virginia, who will have amped up (and perhaps unrealistic) expectations after pounding Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

The Mountaineers return 16 starters in 2012, but this is still the team that gave up 49 points to Syracuse, 38 points to Louisville, and returns only six defensive starters.

And all this gets even more interesting if West Virginia winds up in the Big 12 next season where things could get even trickier with teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, replacing games against Syracuse, UConn and Rutgers.

Can Nebraska Win the Big Ten?

Now that the Cornhuskers’ historic, first ever Big Ten season is in the books, what happens next?

Can Nebraska make a realistic at the Legends division and leave Michigan State, Michigan and Iowa in the throes of defeat on their way to the top?

An interesting approach to the Cornhuskers' odds at a first ever Big Ten title (and their first conference championship since 1999) is recruiting rankings which lay at the soul of any talent pool analysis.

Here’s who, according to the past four year Rivals.com rankings, makes up the 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team:

The No. 27 class of 2009 (technically the senior class), the No. 22 class from 2010 (the juniors), the No. 15 class from 2011 (the sophomores) and the No. 25 class from 2012 (the true freshmen).

Now, these aren’t poor rankings but when you stack them against the competition, they have a different and now relative meaning.

Michigan’s rankings from the same period are as follows: the No. 8 class from 2009, the No. 20 class from 2010, the No. 21 class from 2011 and the No. 7 class from 2012

And what about Ohio State? The No. 3 class from 2009, the No. 25 class from 2010, the No. 11 class from 2011 and the No. 4 class from 2012.

Despite Nebraska’s long standing history of winning, they haven’t recruited with the Top dogs, and they have not won a conference title since they won the Big 12 in 1999.

Though it seems almost ridiculous to say this, Nebraska might be considered more of a dark horse in the Legends division than a front runner.

This doesn’t mean they can’t and won’t win a divisional or conference crown; it just means it might be more difficult than it looks on the surface.

 

Can Oklahoma Make it to the National Championship?

After being anointed the preseason No. 1 team in both the AP and USA Today polls it took Oklahoma almost the entire season to eventually fade to a 10-3 finish and a final ranking of No. 16.

With a whopping 19 returning starters, the Sooners will no doubt start 2012 back in the Top Ten, but will more than likely not have the No. 1 target painted on their backs.

So, can they make it to the title game for the first time since getting whipped by USC back in 2005?

If Landry Jones can throw as sharp a ball as he did before Ryan Broyles went out in November, and if the Sooners can shore up a pass defense that was ranked No. 79 nationally, then a title run is a definite possibility.

What also provocatively stands in Oklahoma’s way of perfection in 2012 is a saucy little non-conference meeting with Notre Dame scheduled for October 27 in Norman.

The two traditional powerhouses have met only nine times in history with the Irish holding an eye popping 1-8 advantage; Oklahoma has never beaten Notre Dame in Norman, and the only time they’ve ever bested the Irish was back in 1956 when they blanked them 40-0 in South Bend.

Which Coaches Will Start the Season on the Hot Seat?

And on a negative note, the following is the short list of who will need to start convincing everyone quickly that they’re still the guy to get it done.

As a note, this list doesn’t include any of the coaches we mentioned earlier in this scintillating presentation.

These are the guys who need to start winning, soon.

Mike Riley, Oregon State

Frank Spaziani, Boston College

Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

Robb Akey, Idaho

Dan Enos, Central Michigan

Jeff Tedford, Cal

David Cutcliffe, Duke

Rich Ellerson, Army