Power Ranking College Football's Head Coaches for the 2012 Season

What distinguishes college football from every other major sport in America is that in college football, it's actually the head coaches who are the biggest stars and the most recognizable faces of the sport, instead of the actual players competing on the field.

As players come and go with great frequency year after year, the coaches are the ones who remain and become the face of a program over time.

These days, there are a lot of perks to being the head football coach at a major university, as getting paid a hefty salary to be one of the biggest celebrities on campus seems like a pretty good overall gig.

Still, with all of that fame and money comes a lot of pressure and expectations, and college football fans aren't exactly known for their patience when it comes to head coaches.

The pressure to win at most power programs is immense, and we've seen plenty of coaches thrive under those conditions, but we've also seen plenty of coaches who end up wilting under the pressure.

This year, there are many new faces in new places around college football, as there will be 27 new head coaches at the FBS level.

There will also, however, be plenty of well-known coaches that we've grown accustomed to as well.

So how do all the coaches stack up for the upcoming season?

Here's a look at how I'd personally rank all 121 college football head coaches for 2012.

111-121

111. Robb Akey, Idaho

112. Todd Berry, Louisiana-Monroe

113. Rich Ellerson, Army

114. David Bailiff, Rice

115. Terry Bowden, Akron

116. Mike MacIntyre, San Jose State

117. Dan Enos, Central Michigan

118. DeWayne Walker, New Mexico State

119. Bobby Hauck, UNLV

120. Jeff Quinn, Buffalo

121. Charlie Molnar, UMass

101-110

101. Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State

102. Don Treadwell, Miami (Ohio)

103. Dave Clawson, Bowling Green

104. Willie Taggart, Western Kentucky

105. Mike Price, UTEP

106. Pete Lembo, Ball State

107. Dan McCarney, North Texas

108. Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina

109. Bob Davie, New Mexico

110. Curtis Johnson, Tulane

100. Carl Pelini, Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic may be one of the least desirable jobs at the FBS level, but that didn't stop Carl Pelini from accepting the challenge of trying to build up the Owls into a conference contender in the Sun Belt.

After working under his brother Bo as a defensive coordinator at Nebraska for the past four years, Pelini will now take over for the esteemed Howard Schnellenberger, who spent the last 11 years of his coaching career in Boca Raton, helping guide the Florida Atlantic program in its transition from D-IAA to the highest level of college football.

Schnellenberger is the only coach the team has ever had, but his last season in 2011 was actually the low point of his time at the school, as the Owls finished just 1-11.

Pelini will certainly have his work cut out for him, but he shares the same type of passion and intensity as his brother, and while this job may ultimately serve as just a stepping stone for the up-and-coming coach, he should be able to make a name for himself in the Sun Belt over the next few years.

99. Kevin Wilson, Indiana

Going 1-11 in your first year at a school isn't exactly going to endear you to a fanbase, which is why Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is definitely going to have a lot to prove in 2012.

In fairness to Wilson, expectations weren't high for the Hoosiers this past season. However, that doesn't excuse losses to the likes of Ball State and North Texas.

It's tough to just forget about losses like those, but the fact is, Indiana was extremely young and inexperienced last year, and Wilson has a right to chalk the dismal campaign up to a learning experience.

After last year's poor showing, Wilson is going to face some pressure to at least get the team back to respectability, and be competitive with the other basement-dwellers in the Big Ten.

With a schedule that starts off with Indiana State, UMass and Ball State, the Hoosiers should be 3-0 going into Big Ten play, and if they can knock off one or two mediocre conference opponents along the way, finishing with five wins is definitely in the realm of possibility.

98. Tony Levine, Houston

Being thrust into a head coaching role for a bowl game is never an easy task for an assistant coach, but Tony Levine handled taking over for Kevin Sumlin in the TicketCity Bowl about as well as anyone could have hoped, as he helped guide the Cougars to a 30-14 over what was admittedly a listless Penn State squad.

That win marked the first victory for Levine as Houston's head coach, and it will be interesting to see how many more he'll be able to pile up in 2012 as the team begins life without record-setting quarterback Case Keenum.

No one is expecting the Cougars to come close to approaching the 13 wins they piled up last year, but don't be surprised to see them remain a factor in Conference-USA next season, which will be their last before Levine leads the team into the Big East in 2013.

97. Jim McElwain, Colorado State

Jim McElwain made the most of his resources when he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama over the last four years. While the Tide’s dominating defense got most of the attention, McElwain’s offense also played a big part in helping Alabama win two national championships during his time there.

Sadly for the coach, he won’t have Trent Richardson, Julio Jones, Barrett Jones or any of the type of All-American talent he had at his disposal at Alabama when he guides Colorado State in 2012.

What McElwain will have to work with is a team that finished 3-9 and finished 101st in the country in total offense last season.

Obviously, McElwain will have a lot of work to do in Fort Collins, but the 49-year-old coach has a proven track record of offensive success, and he should be able to turn the Rams around, even though it probably won’t happen overnight.

96. Frank Spaziani, Boston College

Frank Spaziani will certainly be feeling the heat in 2012, as his butt is going to be firmly on the coaching hot seat this season after Boston College's uncharacteristically dreadful 4-8 campaign in 2011.

The Eagles have regressed and gone backwards during Spaziani's three-year tenure in Chestnut Hill, which led some to speculate that he was going to be canned after this past season.

But Spaziani has earned one more opportunity to show that he's a capable coach. However, his leash won't be long. The long-time defensive coordinator will likely have to lead the Golden Eagles back to the postseason in 2012 if he wants to keep his job, but that's a goal they should be able to reach if QB Chase Rettig takes the next step and things break right for Spaziani's squad.

95. Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State

Pat Hill was a mainstay at Fresno State for over a decade, but for as consistent as the Bulldogs were during Hill's tenure, the coach was never able to take the Bulldogs to the next level. Eventually the school ran out of patience and fired him after this past season.

Now it will be Tim DeRuyter who will lead the Bulldogs as they prepare to move from the WAC to the Mountain West.

DeRuyter has experience in the Mountain West from his time at Air Force, where he was the defensive coordinator in the late 2000s before moving on to Texas A&M.

DeRuyter guided the Aggies to a victory over Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, but now he'll really have the chance to prove his worth as he looks to guide Fresno State to that level that Hill was never able to get the team to.

94. Jerry Kill, Minnesota

Jerry Kill experienced some great success at his stops at both Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois, but he certainly wasn't able to replicate it during his first year at Minnesota, as the Golden Gophers finished with just a 3-9 record.

Embarrassing losses to "powerhouse" teams like New Mexico State and North Dakota State didn't exactly look great on their resume. 

Still, all hope is not lost for Kill at Minnesota, as there's some good up-and-coming talent to work with, and he should have the Golden Gophers at least beating the teams they're supposed to beat next season. 

93. Garrick McGee, UAB

After getting a look at him on ESPN's Depth Chart show that showed Arkansas preparing its quarterbacks during this past season, I have to say that former Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee might be one of my new favorite head coaches. 

McGee coached both Tyler Wilson and Ryan Mallett to great success during his time with the Razorbacks, and he'll now head to Birmingham to try to light a spark under the sluggish Blazers. 

Given his type of "let's get the job done, no ifs, ands or buts" type of personality, I think McGee is the perfect coach for the rebuilding job at UAB. 

92. Doc Holliday, Marshall

Back in his first season at Marshall in 2010, Doc Holliday just missed out on making a major statement by upsetting his alma mater West Virginia, as the Mountaineers found a way to survive a scare from the Herd and win 24-21 in front of a national audience during an early season Friday night telecast.

That squandered opportunity could have been a major statement win for Holliday and his program, but alas, it was not to be.

Still, after finishing 5-7 in his first year, the Herd managed to regroup and make it to a bowl game in 2011, beating Florida International in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl to give the school just its seventh bowl win ever.

Holliday has recruited well and he has his program headed in the right direction, and if the offense can maintain more consistency in 2012, it looks like the Herd could make a move up the ladder in Conference-USA next season.

91. Ellis Johnson, Southern Miss

Ellis Johnson's head coaching resume isn't exactly stellar, as he has a combined record of just 17-28 from his stops at Gardner-Webb and The Citadel, but it was Johnson's work as an assistant at places like Clemson, Alabama, Mississippi State and South Carolina that made him such a desirable candidate to replace Larry Fedora at Southern Miss.

At this point in his career, the 60-year-old Johnson knows all the various recruiting trails around the southeast United States, but he won't have to worry about having to add a bunch of talent to the Southern Miss roster, because Fedora left the Golden Eagles stocked with big-time playmakers.

If Johnson can find a replacement for QB Austin Davis (incoming stud recruit Anthony Alford will get a serious look), then Southern Miss should be able to compete for another Conference-USA championship in 2012.

90. Jon Embree, Colorado

Colorado didn't exactly set the Pac-12 on fire in its first season in the conference, as the Buffaloes finished just 3-10 in in 2011. The poor performance didn't endear new coach Jon Embree to the Colorado faithful, but in all honesty, most fans were just happy that they no longer had to see Dan Hawkins on the sideline, even if the team wasn't notching many victories.

Embree will be under more pressure in 2012, though, as Colorado fans will at least want to see their team compete for bowl eligibility after watching the Buffaloes miss out on the postseason four years in a row.

Six wins will be the goal, but it won't necessarily be an easy one to obtain.

89. Ron English, Eastern Michigan

Ron English's tenure at Eastern Michigan didn't start off in encouraging fashion, as the Eagles could only muster up two wins in English's first two seasons. However, last season you could see the seeds for success starting to grow.

The Eagles managed to crawl out of the basement of the MAC and reeled off six wins, their highest total since 1995. 

The next step for English and his staff will be to lead the team to a bowl game, something that hasn't been done at Eastern Michigan since 1987. 

While it's a lofty goal, it's also an attainable one, as English seems to now have the Eagles flying in the right direction after a rough first few years. 

88. David Cutcliffe, Duke

If you were to make a list of the least desirable head coaching jobs out of all of the BCS schools, Duke would either be No. 1 or right near the top, as it's been easy to see over these past few decades which sport matters and which sport doesn't in Durham.

There's no question that football plays second fiddle to basketball at Duke, and with good reason, as the football team has been basically irrelevant since its inception. 

Still, you do have to give some credit to David Cutcliffe for the job he's done with the team. 

After averaging fewer than two wins per season in the eight years before his arrival, a stretch that included three winless campaigns, Cutcliffe has at least managed to come in and make the team somewhat competitive, as evidenced by their close contests with Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech last year. 

Sure, the Blue Devils still finished 3-9, and lost to FCS Richmond to start the season, but with QB Sean Renfree coming back, it wouldn't be surprising to see Cutcliffe lead Duke to a four- or five-win season next year, which at a place like Duke is actually a commendable accomplishment. 

87. Norm Chow, Hawaii

For the past decade, Norm Chow has been one of the most notable offensive coordinators in college football, and now, after spending almost 40 years as an assistant, Chow will finally have the opportunity to lead a team, as he's been hired as the new coach at Hawaii. 

Chow, who was born in Honolulu, seems like the perfect coach to lead the Warriors, and it will be interesting to see how the 65-year-old offensive guru fares now that he's finally been handed the keys to a program. 

86. Rocky Long, San Diego State

Rocky Long's first season at San Diego State may have ended in disappointing fashion, as the Aztecs were shockingly upset 32-30 by Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl, but overall, the season was a success. Long led the team to an 8-4 campaign in the regular season, with three of those losses coming to teams that finished ranked in the Top 15—TCU, Boise State and Michigan.

Long may have a tough time replicating that success in 2012, though, since the team's two essential offensive players, QB Ryan Lindley and RB Ronnie Hillman, will both have to be replaced. 

The Aztecs will be looking to make a good audition before they head off to the Big East in 2013, but Long is going to have to plug up some serious holes if they want to reach eight wins again next season.

85. Bill O’Brien, Penn State

Replacing a legend is never easy, especially when that legend happens to be one of the most celebrated figures in the history of college football, Joe Paterno. Add to that the ongoing scandal swirling around Penn State and you can see that Bill O'Brien certainly has a lot on his plate as he prepares to take over the Nittany Lions. 

O'Brien has college coaching experience from his time as an offensive assistant at places like Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Brown, but his lack of head coaching experience has been concerning to some close to the Penn State program. 

Still, there weren't exactly a ton of coaches who were jumping at the chance to replace Paterno at Penn State, but O'Brien has shown that he wants to lead the program through the rough times it's about to face. He proved during his time in New England that he's got a pretty sound offensive mind, which should benefit a Nittany Lions offense that hasn't exactly been all that explosive in recent years. 

84. Bill Cubit, Western Michigan

Western Michigan had only been to two bowl games in the history of the program before Bill Cubit took over, but since his arrival in 2005, the Broncos have been to three bowls in seven years. 

The Broncos had hit a low point in 2004, the final year of the Gary Darnell era, when they went just 1-10, but Cubit has come in and revitalized the program.

With highly touted QB Alex Carder returning, Western Michigan should be right in the hunt to win the MAC's West division in 2012, which is a potential accomplishment that would really earn Cubit some major appreciation.

83. Steve Addazio, Temple

Al Golden left the Temple program in great shape when he departed for Miami last offseason, and Steve Addazio came in and reaped the benefits of that, as the former Florida assistant found instant success in Philadelphia, guiding the Owls to a 9-4 record and a victory in the New Mexico Bowl. 

Now it will be up to Addazio to try to replicate that success without one of the school's best offensive players of all time, RB Bernard Pierce, who left for the NFL a year early. 

Golden certainly left Addazio with the proper pieces to work with, but now it will be up to him to show that he can keep Temple competing for MAC championships on a consistent basis. 

82. Justin Fuente, Memphis

Former Memphis coach Larry Porter only managed to win three games before being fired at Memphis after just two years, which means that the Tigers have only one direction to go, and that's up. The Porter era may have been a disaster, but school officials look like they may have righted that wrong by hiring one of the top assistants in college football, former TCU offensive coordinator Justin Fuente, to replace him. 

The former Oklahoma quarterback helped TCU's offense finish near the top of the Mountain West in total offense over the past few years, and while he may only be 35 years old, he looks like he could be one of the best up-and-coming young head coaches in college football. 

Memphis may be a football wasteland at this point, but Fuente will do his best to turn the Tigers around, and you have to expect that they'll be much more competitive in 2012 than they were under Porter. 

81. Paul Pasqualoni, Connecticut

Many Connecticut fans scratched their heads when Paul Pasqualoni was announced as Randy Edsall's replacement last offseason. 

The 62-year-old Pasqualoni had some great success at Syracuse back in the '90s, but he wasn't exactly the most exciting coaching choice that fans could rally behind. 

Pasqualoni went just 5-7 in his first year at UConn, which broke the Huskies' four-year postseason streak. 

Connecticut fans haven't exactly embraced their new coach just yet, but if he can manage to guide the team back to a bowl game, he should be able to win over some of the Huskies faithful.

80. Darrell Hazell, Kent State

Kent State may have only gone 5-7 in the first season under Darrell Hazell, but the former Ohio State assistant seems like he's got the Golden Flashes moving in the right direction. After losing six out of their first seven games to some tough competition like Alabama, Kansas State and Northern Illinois, Hazell managed to rally his team, as they won four out of their last five contests. 

If Hazell can figure out how to avoid a slow start in 2012, Kent State should have a great chance to finish with its first non-losing season since 2006. 

79. Gus Malzahn, Arkansas State

Gus Malzahn was once thought of as one of the top coaching candidates in the country, which is why many were surprised when Malzahn left his position as Auburn's offensive coordinator and made the move to become the head coach at Arkansas State. 

Malzahn has previously coached at Arkansas high schools and at the University of Arkansas, so he does know the state well, which is why it will be interesting to see how he fares replacing Hugh Freeze, who guided the team to a 10-2 record in 2011. 

Freeze left the program in great condition, and Malzahn should have plenty of talent to work with, especially since star RB Michael Dyer is following him from Auburn to Arkansas State. 

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how Malzahn's unique brand of offense will fare in the Sun Belt Conference. 

78. Bill Blankenship, Tulsa

Bill Blankenship managed to go 8-5 in his first year taking over for Todd Graham at Tulsa, but when you look at the four teams that the Golden Hurricane lost to in the regular season—Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State and Houston—it's easy to see that Tulsa was even better than their record actually indicated. 

Blankenship will have to figure out how to replace QB G.J. Kinne, who was the team's starter for the past three years, but if he can do that, there's no reason Tulsa shouldn't remain a contender in Conference-USA next season. 

77. Kyle Flood, Rutgers

One of the biggest stories on national signing day that no one seemed to be talking about was the job that new Rutgers coach Kyle Flood managed to do, salvaging the Scarlet Knights' 2012 recruiting class after being thrust into the position just a few days before signing day. 

It's that type of crisis management that would lead you to believe that Flood is the perfect type of coach to take the reins from Greg Schiano, who left the school to take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coaching job.

Flood had made it clear that he's not ready to make any excuses and that he expects his team to compete for a Big East championship in 2012, and with all of the key players the Scarlet Knights are bringing back and the talented newcomers they have coming in, it wouldn't be shocking to see him make good on that goal.

76. Mario Cristobal, Florida International

Mario Cristobal's first season at Florida International certainly wasn't a memorable one, as the Golden Panthers finished just 1-11 in 2007. 

But it's the last two seasons that Cristobal can really hang his hat on, as he guided his team to their first-ever bowl games in 2010 and 2011. 

Cristobal was offered the Rutgers head coaching job this offseason, but he turned it down because he knows that he has this team on the cusp of competing for a Sun Belt title. If he can elevate FIU to the next level, chances are the big schools will start to come calling for his services soon.  

75. George O’Leary, Central Florida

George O'Leary doesn't exactly have a pristine past, as everyone remembers his resume scandal that cost him the Notre Dame job, but after that embarrassing fiasco, O'Leary has managed to rebound and find his footing in Orlando, where he's led Central Florida to four bowl games in the past seven years. 

O'Leary has built UCF into the type of program that caught the eye of the Big East, which invited the Knights to join the league back in December as part of an expansion plan to help save the conference. 

Admittedly, this past season was a big disappointment for the Knights, as they weren't able to build off their 11-3 campaign from 2010, and finished just 5-7. But UCF will have the type of returning talent to once again make some noise in Conference-USA in 2012, and the Knights will be looking to state their case as to why they truly belong in a BCS conference. 

74. Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette

Last season, first-year coach Mark Hudspeth brought Louisiana-Lafayette fans the most exciting moment in the history of the football program, as he guided the Ragin Cajuns to their first bowl win in 41 years, and he did it in a perfect venue: the New Orleans Bowl. 

The last-second victory over San Diego State in front of the largely pro-Lafayette crowd in the Superdome was enough to send chills down the spine of every Ragin Cajuns fan.

That was a great way for Hudspeth to start off his tenure in Lafayette, and the energetic head coach has managed to now raise expectations around the program, as many will be excepting the Ragin Cajuns to compete for a Sun Belt championship in 2012. 

73. Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech

Nobody gave Louisiana Tech a chance in last year's Poinsettia Bowl against TCU, but Sonny Dykes' squad went to San Diego and gave the Horned Frogs everything they could handle before eventually falling 31-24.

If that effort and performance is indicative of what's to come down in Ruston, then Bulldogs fans should be amped up for year three of the Dykes era.

The son of former Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes is one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football, and he should bring plenty of excitement to the Louisiana Tech program for the next few years. 

72. Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh hasn't exactly done a terrific job of picking head coaches since Walt Harris left for Stanford, as Dave Wannstedt, Mike Haywood and Todd Graham all turned out to be duds. 

Wannstedt was a strong recruiter who could never get the most out of the talent he brought in. Haywood lasted just two weeks before being fired after a domestic assault charge was levied against him. Graham didn't last much longer, skipping town after just one season, without even having the courtesy to say goodbye. 

Now, though, it looks like the Panthers have a quality leader in place with former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. 

Chryst did a terrific job when he was leading the Badgers offense, and he should be able to find the same type of offensive success at Pittsburgh.

71. Tim Beckman, Illinois

The Ron Zook era went downhill in a hurry after Zook took the team to the Rose Bowl in 2007, but if there's one thing that Zook could do right, it's recruit, and he left incoming coach Tim Beckman with some great-looking athletes on both sides of the ball. It will be up to Beckman to coach them up and get them to play hard, but Illini fans should be excited about their new coach, especially since he managed to go 14-2 in MAC play over the past two years. 

Beckman looks like he's perfectly built to succeed in the Big Ten, and he should be able to get the most out of the talented player at Illinois, which is something Zook could never do. 

70. Mike Riley, Oregon State

It wasn't long ago that Oregon State's Mike Riley was considered to be one of the most underrated coaches in college football, but after two subpar campaigns, including last year's terrible 3-9 season, he's now found himself on the coaching hot seat in Corvallis. 

Riley carried the Beavers to the postseason in six out of his first seven seasons, but if he can't get them back there this year, all of the positive energy he built up early in his tenure may start to be forgotten about, as he'll be under increased scrutiny in 2012. 

69. Gary Andersen, Utah State

Gary Andersen broke Utah State's 14-year bowl drought by leading the Aggies to the Potato Bowl this past season. Even though they ultimately came up a point short against Ohio, the 7-6 season can still be deemed a big success for a program that hasn't experienced many winning campaigns recently. 

What's exciting about Utah State is that the team's six losses all came by 10 points or fewer, including a close loss to Auburn in the season opener, a game the Aggies should have won.

There were none of the usual blowouts that fans became accustomed to in Logan, which is a great sign. 

Andersen looks like he could become a hot coaching name this season if he can continue to develop a winning culture around the Utah State program.

68. Doug Marrone, Syracuse

After leading Syracuse to an 8-5 season and a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl in just his second season at the school in 2010, Doug Marrone thought his team could take the next step in 2011. Outside of a big Friday night upset win over West Virginia, the season turned out to be a major disappointment, as the Orange could only muster up a 5-7 record. 

Next season, we'll get to see which Syracuse team was the real version—the one that looked like it was on the brink of being a Big East contender in 2010, or the one that waned in the final part of the 2011 season, losing its last five games. 

67. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss

Mississippi pulled in one of the most surprisingly strong recruiting classes of 2012, and much of the credit has to go to Hugh Freeze, who took over in Oxford after going 10-2 at Arkansas State in 2011.

Former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt didn't leave the program in such great condition, as the Rebels hit rock bottom this past season, finishing just 2-10.

Freeze should be able to add some new life to the team, though, and given the success he's already had on the recruiting trail, you have to believe that the future will be brighter for the Rebels in the coming years with Freeze at the helm instead of Nutt.

66. Frank Solich, Ohio

Frank Solich had the unenviable task of trying to replace legendary coach Tom Osborne, and because of that, he was never fully embraced by Cornhuskers fans during his time at Nebraska.

Solich has definitely been embraced at Ohio, though, especially after the season he just had, leading the Bobcats to a 10-4 record, a MAC East division title and a win over Utah State in the Potato Bowl.

Ohio has averaged nine wins over the last three seasons, and with QB Tyler Tettleton back to lead the offense, the Bobcats should have a great chance to compete for another East title in 2012.

65. Charlie Weis, Kansas

Charlie Weis may have had great success as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, but he hasn't yet been able to replicate that success in the college ranks, as he turned out to be a bust at Notre Dame, and his short-lived stop at Florida this past season wasn't exactly awe-inspiring.

Weis has still been given the chance to revive a desperate Kansas program, though, and it will be interesting to see if he can make the most of his latest opportunity.

Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps, two former 5-star quarterbacks, have already bought into what Weis is selling; now he just has to get Jayhawks fans to buy in as well.

After what they had to endure watching Turner Gill these past two seasons, the bar isn't exactly set all that high for Weis.

64. Larry Blakeney, Troy

Before last season, Larry Blakeney's Troy Trojans had won an outright or shared Sun Belt championship for five straight seasons. However, Blakeney's squad fell off in a big way in 2011 and didn't come close to winning another Sun Belt title, as they went just 3-9 last season.

The uncharacteristically bad season was stunning to see from a team that's remained so consistent, but don't expect the Trojans to stay down for long.

Blakeney should have Troy back in contention to win another Sun Belt title in 2012, as a strong rebound season is to be expected.

63. Dave Christensen, Wyoming

Dave Christensen has only been at Wyoming for three years, but he's already managed to guide the Cowboys to the postseason twice.

Last season marked the high point of his tenure, as Wyoming finished the regular season 8-4 and third in the Mountain West.

Christensen has a great young quarterback to work with for the next few years in freshman Brett Smith, and it wouldn't be surprising if he eventually has the Cowboys challenging for a Mountain West title soon.

62. Joker Phillips, Kentucky

Joker Phillips is only 11-14 in his two years at the University of Kentucky. However, he hasn't exactly had the type of talent at his disposal to compete in the SEC East these past two years.

The Wildcats were young and inexperienced at a lot of key spots this past season, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and because of that, the team failed to make it to the postseason, snapping a five-year bowl streak.

Now that those key offensive players are now a little older and a little wiser, though, it seems as if Kentucky will be ready to start a new bowl streak in 2012, and Phillips should be able to regain the trust of the fans after last year's lackluster season.

61. Matt Campbell, Toledo

The Brad Stevens of college football?

After one game in charge at Toledo, it may be a little too early to bestow that title onto Matt Campbell, but the 32-year-old offensive coordinator-turned-head coach looks like he could be the type of young hotshot coach who could really make a name for himself outside of the spotlight of the BCS.

Under Campbell's watch, the Toledo offense finished in the top 10 nationally in both scoring offense and total offense in 2011. Even without standout WR Eric Page, the Rockets look like they should have one of the top offenses in the country once again in 2012.

60. Jim Mora, UCLA

There were a lot of people out in Pac-12 country who scratched their heads when Jim Mora was announced as UCLA's next head coach back in December. But Mora quickly quieted his doubters with his complete domination on the recruiting trail, as he reeled in one of the best classes in not just the Pac-12, but the entire country.

Bruins fans have to be excited about all of the fresh young talent that Mora will be bringing to UCLA this year. However, since he lacks a lot of experience at the college level, it will be interesting to see how he adapts after years of working in the NFL.

It may take Mora some time to get his feet under him, but don't be fooled by recent results. UCLA's definitely got some talent stored in the cupboard, and the Bruins fans will be hoping that Mora can get more out of his players than former coach Rick Neuheisel did.

59. Danny Hope, Purdue

It took Danny Hope three years to finally get Purdue to a bowl game, but now that the Boilermakers have finally broken through and won a postseason game, it could end up being a turning point for the program.

The win over Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was definitely a great moment for Hope and his team, but it actually wasn't the biggest accomplishment of the season, as knocking off Ohio State in overtime turned out to be a huge unexpected victory for Purdue and the biggest win for the program during Hope's tenure.

It's those types of victories that can really help a program build some momentum, and it will be interesting to see if Hope can capitalize on the success his team had this past season and help lead the Boilermakers to a few more statement wins in the Big Ten in 2012.

58. Skip Holtz, South Florida

2011 was supposed to be a big year for South Florida, as the Bulls seemed to have the type of pieces in place to make a run at a Big East championship. 

The year started off with a bang, as the team went into South Bend and stunned Notre Dame by pulling off a huge upset in the season opener before proceeding to sprint out to a 4-0 record.

Things fell apart once Big East play started, though, as the Bulls lost seven of their last eight games, often times in heartbreaking fashion, as five of those losses were by six points or fewer.

As expected, Skip Holtz's squad had the talent to compete in the Big East, but it was apparent that the Bulls just couldn't close out games, something that needs to be addressed this offseason. 

South Florida will once again have the talent to compete in the Big East in 2012, but it will be up to Holtz and his staff to correct the late-game problems that plagued his team last season.

57. Todd Graham, Arizona State

Todd Graham has been college football's ultimate nomad over the last few years, as Arizona State will mark the fourth school that Graham has made a coaching stop at in just the last six years.

After a one-year stint at Rice in 2008, Graham moved on to Tulsa where he put together three double-digit win seasons in four years, a performance which earned him the head coaching job at Pittsburgh. He spent just one season there before deciding he'd rather be spending his time out in the Arizona desert.

Graham will now take over a Sun Devils team that drastically underperformed under former coach Dennis Erickson, but he'll have to do so with a new quarterback, as last year's starter Brock Osweiler made the decision to move on to the NFL a year early instead of staying and having to learn a new offensive system.

It will be interesting to see how Graham fares out in the Pac-12, as his system proved to be more of a miss than a hit during his one year at Pittsburgh. There is talent to work with out in Tempe, though, and the Sun Devils could surprise some folks in the Pac-12 South division in the coming years if Graham can figure out a way to motivate his players and keep them focused, something Erickson never seemed like he was quite able to do.

56. Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

Besides pulling off possibly the biggest upset of the 2011 season on the road at No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, there weren't too many memorable moments from the 2011 season for Texas Tech fans to look back on fondly. The Red Raiders finished just 5-7 and they ended up missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 1999.

Those kinds of results aren't what Texas Tech fans were hoping for when Tommy Tuberville was first hired, and it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a big make-or-break type of season for the former Auburn coach.

Luckily for Tuberville, he's got a lot of talent returning for next season, including the main pieces for a potent passing attack that should be one of the best in the country.

Getting back to the postseason shouldn't be much of a problem, and the Red Raiders may actually turn out to be one of the most surprising squads of the 2012 season.

55. Derek Dooley, Tennessee

When Tennessee hired Derek Dooley to replace Lane Kiffin, there were more than a few Vols fans who were skeptical about the decision. Dooley hadn't exactly done a lot to prove that he was truly deserving of the job, as all he had to show for himself was a 17-20 record from his three years at Louisiana Tech.

After two years in Knoxville, Dooley hasn't done much to show his skeptics that he's anything more than an average coach, as he's managed to win just 11 games in his first two seasons.

Still, the Vols have shown a few glimpses of potential during Dooley's time at the school, and when you take into account the type of grueling schedule they faced in 2011 and the fact that they lost QB Tyler Bray for a substantial amount of time, it's easy to see that things could start looking up in a hurry at Tennessee. Dooley certainly still has a chance to get things turned around in 2012.

54. Randy Edsall, Maryland

When your team's known more for its wacky uniforms than its actual performance on the field, things probably aren't going all that great. That was the case at Maryland in 2011, as Randy Edsall's first season with the Terps was about as bad as it gets.

After knocking off Miami on Labor Day to start off the season, Maryland proceeded to lose 10 of its final 11 games, only managing a win against Towson, an FCS school.

It was certainly a far cry from Edsall's final season at UConn in 2010, when he guided the Huskies to their first-ever BCS bowl appearance.

Hopefully, Edsall now realizes that it's time to start focusing on football, instead of using his players as unpaid fashion models for Under Armour every week.

The Terps were actually a much more talented team than their record indicated last season, but Edsall has to figure out a way to get his players motivated and focused on the things they should be focused on.

If he can do that, then Maryland is capable of having a big bounce-back type of season in 2012.

53. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy

When Paul Johnson left Navy for Georgia Tech, some wondered if the Midshipmen would fall down a few pegs after experiencing so much success under Johnson, but his replacement, Ken Niumatalolo, made sure that didn't happen.

In his first three seasons at the helm at Navy, Niumatalolo averaged nine wins per season and guided the Midshipmen to three straight bowl games.

Although 2011 turned out to be a disappointing year, as the Midshipmen managed to go just 5-7, Niumatalolo will make sure that his team won't stay down for long, and he should have Navy back to playing at a high level next season.

52. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State

Paul Rhoads may only be 18-20 during his three years at Iowa State, but that didn't stop the school from awarding him with a brand new 10-year contract reportedly worth $20 million back in December. 

Obviously, school officials think that Rhoads is the right coach to lead the Cyclones for the foreseeable future, and they may be right.

Rhoads oversaw one of the biggest wins in Iowa State history, when the Cyclones knocked off No. 2 Oklahoma State late in the season.

That win and the victory over in-state rival Iowa definitely got fans excited.

While the Cyclones still have a long way to go before they can start competing for Big 12 championships, they should at least be able to crawl out of the conference basement over the next few years and start working their way up the ranks.

51. Steve Sarkisian, Washington

Steve Sarkisian arrived at Washington talking a pretty big game, but after three seasons in Seattle, his team hasn't exactly been able to back up his tough talk, as the Huskies are just 19-19 over the last three years.

Sarkisian wasn't able to do much with highly touted quarterback Jake Locker when he had him, but now we'll have to see what he can really do with potential breakout star quarterback Keith Price, who looks like he has the makings of a legitimate Heisman contender.

After firing defensive coordinator Nick Holt, Sarkisian's going to have some work to do with a defense that was just flat-out terrible far too often in 2011.

If Sarkisian can plug some of the defense's holes, he should have the type of explosive offense, led by Price, to at least make some noise in the Pac-12 North division next season.

50. Troy Calhoun, Air Force

It's not easy to have consistent success at a school like Air Force, but don't tell that to Troy Calhoun.

Since taking over in 2007, Calhoun has led the Falcons to five straight bowl games and compiled a record of 41-24, winning eight or more games in all but one season.

That type of consistency, especially in a conference like the Mountain West, definitely deserves appreciation.

49. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest

Wake Forest certainly doesn't have the resources of many of the top schools in the ACC, but that only makes what Jim Grobe has been able to do at the school even more remarkable.

Wake Forest isn't the type of program that's built to win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl, but that's just what the Demon Deacons did back in 2006, and since then, Grobe has managed to lead his team to three more bowl games in five years.

Grobe rarely gets any attention, even within his own conference, but he's done about as solid of a job as you can ask for at a place like Wake Forest. There's rarely ever a time when his players don't play hard, even if they are overmatched by better competition.

48. Jeff Tedford, Cal

Jeff Tedford probably won't be sending Steve Sarkisian a Christmas card any time soon, as Tedford can't be happy that Sarkisian stole away his best recruiter Tosh Lupoi. This ended up being a move that was basically a wrecking ball to the top-10 recruiting class that Cal was assembling this year.

While Tedford had to deal with losing out on a few of his main recruiting targets this year, that doesn't mean that things aren't looking up in Berkeley.

With the offensive trio of QB Zach Maynard, RB Isi Sofele and WR Keenan Allen all returning, the Bears look like they should have enough offensive firepower to make a big run in 2012.

After a few mediocre seasons, Tedford could use a big-time campaign to calm some of the storm that's been slowly surrounding him recently, and luckily for him, his team looks like it's capable of delivering that for him.

47. June Jones, SMU

According to the rumors that were buzzing around the Internet, it sounded as if June Jones was about three inches away from becoming Arizona State's next head coach. For whatever reason, the deal ultimately fell through at the last minute and Jones will remain at SMU for another year.

Considering what Jones has managed to do during his time with the Mustangs, that may not necessarily be a bad thing, though.

After starting off 1-11 in his first season back in 2008, Jones managed to lift SMU out of its two-decade-long malaise, and since then, he's guided the Mustangs to three consecutive winning seasons and three straight bowl games.

Before Jones arrived at SMU, no one would have ever thought that the Mustangs would get an invitation from a BCS conference, but Jones has helped to make that possible, as the Big East came calling and invited the school to join the league back in December.

46. Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois

Even though he only has one season of head coaching experience under his belt, Northern Illinois' Dave Doeren is quickly becoming one of the hottest coaching names in college football.

In his rookie season, Doeren led the Huskies to an 11-3 season, a MAC championship and a victory in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. 

If he can keep it up in 2012, Doeren seems like he could be the next hot MAC coach that BCS schools come running after.

45. Butch Jones, Cincinnati

Butch Jones didn't do such a great job of making Cincinnati fans forget about Brian Kelly, as the Bearcats plummeted in the Big East standings in Jones' first year at the helm, finishing just 4-8 in 2010.

Jones made up for it in a big way in 2011, though, as he guided the Bearcats to a 10-3 record and earned a share of the Big East championship.

Last season, there were times when Cincinnati actually resembled the overwhelming squads that we saw during the Brian Kelly era. However, there were also times when the Bearcats were just too inconsistent.

If Jones can get his team to play at a high level for a full season, Cincinnati should have a great shot to make it back to a BCS bowl game in the coming years.

44. Tom O’Brien, North Carolina State

It may have taken a few years for Tom O'Brien's coaching style and personality to mesh at North Carolina State, but judging from the past two seasons, it seems that the Wolfpack are finally starting to buy into what O'Brien's selling.

O'Brien has guided his team to 17 wins and back-to-back bowl victories over the past two years.

The coach's decisions start Mike Glennon at quarterback and let Russell Wilson transfer to Wisconsin were heavily questioned in 2011, but given what we saw out of Glennon in his first season as a starter, especially late in the year, it looks like that will ultimately be a decision that pays off.

With Glennon back at the helm, North Carolina State looks like the type of team that could catch a few teams off guard in the ACC in 2012.

43. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU

BYU's first season of independence turned out to be a big success, as the Cougars finished 10-3 in 2011.

That marks the fifth double-digit-win season that BYU has put up in the seven years that Bronco Mendenhall has been leading the team.

That type of consistent dominance is why school officials felt confident enough to test the waters of independence, and ultimately stay there, even though the Big East came calling back in December.

Even though he rarely gets mentioned among the top coaches in America, Mendenhall has really done a terrific job during his time in Provo, and it will be interesting to see where he can guide the Cougars from here, as they continue their quest to become the Notre Dame of the West.

42. James Franklin, Vanderbilt

James Franklin is only the third African-American coach in the history of the SEC, and after the success he had in his rookie season in 2011, Vanderbilt is definitely happy they bucked a rather suspect trend and made him the team's new leader for the future.

The Commodores may have finished just 6-7 in 2011, but Franklin did lead the team to just its fifth bowl game in school history.

What's encouraging about Vanderbilt is how competitive the team was under Franklin, as the Commodores came close to upsetting Arkansas, and besides blowout losses to Alabama and South Carolina, even when they did go down, they always managed to keep every game within one score.

Franklin may never have Vanderbilt competing for an SEC East title, but he will have his team playing hard and competing week in and week out, and the Commodores will no longer be just a pushover.

41. Chris Ault, Nevada

Nevada's Chris Ault is probably the best college football coach that no one seems to ever talk about. Maybe that's because Ault chose to stay at one school for the entire duration of his coaching career, something you rarely see in big-time college athletics these days. But you certainly can't argue with the type of success that Ault has had during his time at Nevada, as the 65-year-old coach has compiled a total record of 226-103-1.

Without Ault, Nevada football certainly wouldn't be where it's at today, and you could even speculate that there might not even be a Nevada football team right now without Ault.

Ault has quietly been one of the most innovative coaches in the sport, as his pistol offense has really opened a lot of coaches' eyes. Many have begun to implement different forms of the pistol into their own offensive systems.

Even though he's managed to do so much for the game, Ault still remains one of college football's most undervalued commodities.

40. Larry Fedora, North Carolina

Even though the North Carolina program endured its fair share of turmoil during the Butch Davis era, Tar Heels fans do have to thank Davis for one thing, which is that he brought in a ton of talented recruits over the last few years.

Former Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora is going to walk into a team that's stocked full of explosive and athletic players on both sides of the ball, and he should have plenty of pieces to work with in Chapel Hill in 2012.

Fedora was one of the hottest coaching names on the market this past December, and judging from the success he was able to have with the Golden Eagles over the last few years, including a 12-2 campaign and a Conference-USA championship in 2011, it looks like he could be the perfect coach to turn North Carolina into a real contender in the ACC.

39. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

Pat Fitzgerald was thrust into the Northwestern head coaching position under sad circumstances after his former boss and mentor Randy Walker died of a sudden heart attack during the summer before the start of the 2006 season.

Since taking over in Evanston, Fitzgerald has proved to be a worthy replacement to lead his alma mater, as he's guided the Wildcats to four consecutive bowl games. 

Northwestern may be one of the most difficult BCS schools to win at, but that hasn't stopped Fitzgerald from finding success at the school for which he was once a star linebacker.

Even after a somewhat disappointing 6-7 campaign in 2011, it looks like Fitzgerald has the Northwestern program trending upwards and he looks like the right coach to lead the Wildcats, as they try to claw their up through the ranks in the Big Ten in the coming years.

38. Mike London, Virginia

Virginia made a major move in the ACC in 2011, as the Cavaliers managed to double their win total from the previous season, finishing with eight victories and a second-place finish in the ACC Coastal division.

Mike London definitely looks like he has the program on the rise, and Virginia seems like it's going to be a real contender in the ACC in the years to come.

London has been recruiting well since returning to Charlottesville after a short yet very successful two-year run at Richmond, and he looks like he's bringing in the type of athletes that should be able to make some serious noise in the ACC.

Virginia may not be ready to truly compete with the top teams in the ACC next season, but it doesn't seem like it will take very long for the Cavs to move up to the next tier in the conference.

37. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Mike Sherman's tenure at Texas A&M had its share of bright spots, but for the most part, the bad ultimately ended up outweighing the good. Sherman was let go at the end of what turned out to be a hugely disappointing 6-6 campaign.

The reins have now been handed to former Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who became a hot name in college football coaching circles after he guided the Cougars to 12 wins in 2011.

Sumlin's offensive style should work well at A&M, and he's the type of quality leader who should have no problem guiding the Aggies into the SEC next season.

Sumlin already showed off his recruiting prowess, as he landed highly touted prospects like QB Matt Davis, RB Trey Williams and WR Thomas Johnson to be the future centerpieces of his offense.

There will certainly be some growing pains for A&M as the team tries to find its footing in the SEC next season, but Sumlin looks like he could have the Aggies competing in their new conference sooner rather than later.

36. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Following in the footsteps of a great coach like Urban Meyer is never easy, but Kyle Whittingham has sure made it look that way.

Since taking over for Meyer back in 2005, Whittingham has led the Utes to seven straight bowl games, winning six of them, including a huge victory over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

During his time in Salt Lake City, Whittingham has compiled a record of 66-25 and guided the Utes to three double-digit-win seasons.

The scary part is, Whittingham could possibly have one of his best teams yet for the 2012 season.

35. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Paul Johnson started off on a great foot at Georgia Tech, as his triple-option offense proved to be too much for the ACC to handle early on. The Yellow Jackets ended up winning the ACC Coastal division in the first two years of Johnson's tenure, and made it to the Orange Bowl in 2009.

Since then, though, it seems as if the conference has caught up to Georgia Tech, as Johnson's squad has gone just 14-12 over the past two years.

The fact that Johnson has gone 0-for-4 in bowl games during his time in Atlanta doesn't reflect well on him as a head coach, but Georgia Tech will return enough pieces to be a factor in the Coastal division once again in 2012, and Johnson will definitely be capable of getting his first postseason victory with the school next season.

34. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

Some people, including myself, thought that Mississippi State was ready to take the next step in the SEC in 2011 after the Bulldogs posted a 9-4 mark the previous season, but Dan Mullen's third year in Starkville turned out to be a disappointment. His squad couldn't capitalize on its success from a year before and finished the season just 7-6.

Still, you have to admire the work that Mullen is doing at Mississippi State, which by all accounts is one of the toughest schools to find success at in the SEC, as Mullen has remained committed to turning the Bulldogs into a consistent winner and spurned advances from other more notable schools.

Mullen may never be able to get Mississippi State to the level of SEC West powerhouses like LSU or Alabama, but he definitely has the chance to turn the Bulldogs into a feisty bunch that can compete with any opponent on any given Saturday.

He's still got some work to do, but it looks as if Mullen has the program headed in the right direction.

33. Mike Leach, Washington State

After being unceremoniously terminated by Texas Tech following the Adam James scandal, some thought that Mike Leach may be permanently blacklisted from coaching at a BCS school ever again. But after just a year away from the game, Leach is back and ready to unleash his high-powered passing attack on the Pac-12 as the head coach at Washington State.

After falling off the college football map during the Paul Wulff era, the Cougars were in desperate need of a shot of life and Leach should provide exactly that.

With QB Jeff Tuel and WR Marquess Wilson both returning, Leach will have two solid offensive weapons to exploit in his offense.

Don't be surprised if Leach and the Cougars end up shocking a few higher-ranked conference foes in 2012.

32. Charlie Strong, Louisville

Charlie Strong has only managed to go 7-6 in each of his first two seasons at Louisville, but the future definitely looks bright, as Strong has done a great job of stabilizing the program and preparing the Cardinals for future success.

Strong has been one of the most under-the-radar recruiters in the country over the past few years, and he's been bringing in the type of talent that should have Louisville ready to compete for a Big East championship in 2012.

The former Florida assistant is one of the rising coaching stars in college football, and if he puts together that one big year that his team's capable of, you could start to see some prominent programs come chasing after his services.

31. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

Kirk Ferentz is one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football, as he's been at Iowa for the past 13 years.

During that time, Ferentz has won two Big Ten championships and taken the team to two Orange Bowls. However, outside of a strong three-year run from 2002-2004, the Hawkeyes haven't exactly been a consistent factor in the Big Ten on a yearly basis.

Since 2004, Iowa has only finished ranked in the Top 25 twice, and the Hawkeyes have only topped seven wins three times since then.

Still, you have to appreciate the work that Ferentz has done in Iowa City, as he's consistently churned out some talented pro prospects in recent years, and he's managed to compete with some of the bigger-name schools in the Big Ten that have the benefit of more resources for their programs.

30. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona

Now that he's had some time to reflect, Rich Rodriguez obviously knows he made a big mistake leaving his alma mater West Virginia to take the job at Michigan, as his coaching style and system just proved to be a bad fit in Ann Arbor.

Just because he ultimately failed with the Wolverines, though, shouldn't overshadow all that Rodriguez was able to accomplish previously during his coaching career, and it doesn't mean that he isn't a great coach.

Rodriguez will now get a chance to redeem himself out in the desert at Arizona, a place where his spread offense should be much more welcome. 

While he won't be able to walk right in and turn the Wildcats into an instant contender, Arizona seems like a great place for Rodriguez to build his legacy back up over the next few years.

29. Will Muschamp, Florida

Will Muschamp's first season at Florida didn't exactly make people forget about all of the previous success that his predecessor Urban Meyer had in Gainesville, as the Gators struggled mightily to maintain consistency down the stretch and they finished the year just 7-6.

Muschamp knew that he had to make up for the lack of victories on the field by scoring some major victories on the recruiting trail, and he did just that, as Florida reeled in one of this year's top-rated recruiting classes, one that looks full of future impact players.

With the type of talent Florida has coming back on defense, this is a team that looks like it should be able to compete in the SEC East just as long as the offense can gel and produce at a higher rate than it did in 2011.

28. David Shaw, Stanford

We really won't get to tell just how good of a coach David Shaw really is until next season, as Shaw will have the tough task of having to replace Andrew Luck, one of the best quarterbacks in college football history.

Last year, Shaw certainly had a great start in Palo Alto, as he took over for Jim Harbaugh and helped lead the Cardinal to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

Still, without Luck and probably future first-round picks on the offensive line like David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin, you have to expect that the offense will come back down to Earth in 2012. Then we'll really get to see just how great of an offensive mind Shaw actually is. 

Judging from the type of monster recruiting class that Stanford brought in this year, it looks like Shaw means business at Stanford, and while losing Luck's obviously a big blow, don't be shocked if you see the Cardinal right in the hunt with Oregon and Cal to win the Pac-12 North title next season.

27. Art Briles, Baylor

Art Briles set up the foundation for success at Houston, which really allowed the Cougars to have a huge year in 2011, and it looks like he's well on his way to setting up that same type of winning foundation at Baylor, as the Bears enjoyed one of their best seasons in school history last year, racking up 10 wins.

Most chalked those victories up to the sensational play of Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, but if you look at the complete offense that Briles assembled in Waco, you'll see that Briles knows how to add some truly dangerous weapons to the mix.

Briles has really done a great job bringing in explosive athletes over the last few years, and if he can figure out how to solve some of the defense's woes and make up for the loss of Griffin and receiver Kendall Wright, we may not see Baylor slip as far some think they will without RG3.

26. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Clemson’s 2011 season certainly didn’t end the way that Dabo Swinney was hoping, as the Tigers got absolutely throttled 70-33 by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl.

Even though the embarrassing performance will leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth going into the offseason, there was still a lot of good from the 2011 season to look back on.

Clemson managed to transform from preseason unranked afterthought into ACC champion and earn the school's first-ever BCS bowl bid. The Tigers did it with a roster that features a bunch of players that will be back for the 2012 season. 

Yes, Swinney looks a little foolish now for saying things like this, but you have to give the coach credit for recruiting well these past few years and bringing a renewed energy to the program. From the looks of things, it appears that the Tigers will be right back in the ACC title hunt next season.

25. Gary Pinkel, Missouri

Before the start of the 2010 season, Missouri had won a grand total of 40 games in four years, which was one of the most overlooked accomplishments in all of college football.

It's true, the Tigers rarely receive the type of national attention they deserve, but now that they're moving to the SEC, that could change in the coming years. They'll have the chance to prove themselves against the top competition that college football has to offer.

Gary Pinkel has truly done a terrific job of building Missouri into what it is today, and not only is he racking up wins, he's also producing some highly rated NFL draft prospects on an almost yearly basis.

Pinkel has a bunch of talent returning for the 2012 season, including potential breakout star quarterback James Franklin, but it seems like the biggest celebrity will be freshman wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the most decorated football prospect in the history of the state of Missouri.

Landing Green-Beckham really helped build some momentum for the Tigers' upcoming campaign, and it will be interesting to see how Pinkel and his team fare in the SEC in 2012.

24. Mack Brown, Texas

Mack Brown may be the highest-paid coach in the country, but judging from his team's performance over the last two years, he certainly hasn't deserved his $5.1 million salary.

After nearly a decade of dominance, the Longhorns have regressed and fallen back to the pack in the Big 12, as the last two years have been filled with mediocrity and uneven play.

Is the talent there?

Yes. The Longhorns are still bringing in top-rated recruiting classes on a yearly basis (which admittedly isn't exactly all that hard to do when you're the biggest school in the most talent-packed state in the country).

But Brown hasn't been able to get the most out of that talent in recent years, and some are wondering if he's simply lost his touch.

2012 will be a put-up-or-shut-up season for Brown and the Longhorns, and it will be interesting to see if the coach will be able to get his players to finally start playing up to their potential.

23. Bo Pelini, Nebraska

Bo Pelini's angry face is one of college football's true treasures, as it usually doesn't take very long for Pelini to break out his patented snarl.

Pelini hasn't actually had a whole lot to be angry about during his time at Nebraska, as his team has won 38 games in his four years as head coach in Lincoln.

Still, with such high expectations going into 2011, many thought that Nebraska was a favorite to make it to the first-ever Big Ten championship game, but the Cornhuskers turned out to be a disappointment as they finished just 9-4.

With the backfield duo of QB Taylor Martinez and RB Rex Burkhead both returning, though, Pelini's squad will once again be among the favorites to represent the Legends division in the Big Ten championship game in 2012.

22. Bill Snyder, Kansas State

Few coaches have done for their program what Bill Snyder has managed to do for Kansas State.

Snyder's first season in Manhattan, a 1-10 campaign back in 1989, seems like a distant memory after all of the success he's experienced since then.

The 72-year-old coach has gone on to compile a record of 159-83-1 during his time at Kansas State, but he may have done the best coaching job of his illustrious career this past season when he led a Wildcats team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten to a surprising 10-win season and a Top 15 ranking.

Snyder has been one of the most under-appreciated coaches in college football for quite some time, but last year, he was able to show everyone just how valuable he really is to the Wildcats.

21. Mark Richt, Georgia

I can't say I've understood all of the criticism that Georgia coach Mark Richt has had to endure over the past few years, but I will say that I was glad that Richt got to stick it to his naysayers when he led Georgia to a 10-win season and captured his fifth SEC East division title this past season. 

It marked the seventh double-digit-win season that Richt's had with the Bulldogs.

With QB Aaron Murray and a host of other key players coming back on both sides of the ball, Richt looks like he'll once again have the opportunity to notch another double-digit-win campaign and win another SEC East title in 2012. That would hopefully be enough to get him off the mythical coaching hot seat that some people have decided to stick him on for some reason.

20. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Many wondered if Michigan State's 11-win campaign in 2010 was simply a fluke, but Mark Dantonio and the Spartans proved this past season that it sure wasn't, as they managed to reach the 11-win plateau for the second straight year in 2011. 

It's taken a few years for Dantonio to turn Michigan State into a contender in the Big Ten, but now that he has, it doesn't look like the Spartans will be going anywhere for a while, given the type of talent he's been bringing in through recruiting recently.

With four straight wins over in-state rival Michigan and a Big Ten Legends division title under his belt, Dantonio certainly has Spartans fans pumped up about what he's doing in East Lansing.

19. Al Golden, Miami

When Al Golden agreed to become Miami's next head coach last offseason, he probably wasn't expecting to have to face one of the biggest scandals in college football history before he even got to take the sideline, but that's just what happened when the news of the Nevin Shapiro scandal broke.

Keeping his team focused was no easy feat for Golden, but he managed to do some much-needed damage control and guide his team through a season full of suspensions and injuries to finish the year off at 6-6.

Golden deserves to be commended for the job he did this past season, and he deserves appreciation for the remarkable work he did on the recruiting trail in 2012, as he reeled in some major catches even with the threat of looming NCAA sanctions hanging over the program. 

Golden looks like he possesses the perfect type of personality that Miami needs right now to guide the Hurricanes through these uncertain times, and after the job he did salvaging the Temple program, there's no reason to believe he won't be capable of doing the same thing in Coral Gables. 

18. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

While the transition from Bill Stewart to Dana Holgorsen certainly couldn't be described as smooth, Holgorsen did manage to make the most of his first season after being unexpectedly thrown into the head coaching role a year earlier than expected. 

It may have taken a while for Holgorsen's offensive genius to shine through, but once it did, it did in a big way. The Mountaineers set the bowl scoring record by scoring 70 points on Clemson in the Orange Bowl to cap off a successful 10-3 season. 

By winning the Big East and taking his team to a BCS bowl game in his first season in Morgantown, Holgorsen certainly pleased a West Virginia fanbase that had grown impatient with Stewart.

Holgorsen looks like the perfect coach to lead West Virginia into the Big 12, whether that takes place in 2012 or later. 

17. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

The Old Ball Coach seems like he's lost a step since returning to the college game after a failed venture with the Washington Redskins.

While he may not be one of the biggest coaching names in college anymore like he was when he was at Florida, over these past two years, Steve Spurrier's managed to finally take South Carolina to the level that Gamecock fans were hoping he could, as he's racked up 20 wins in the past two seasons. 

South Carolina once again looks like it will be right in the mix in the SEC East in 2012, and Spurrier still looks like he has a few tricks up his sleeve. 

16. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

Bret Bielema has gone 60-19 during his five years at Wisconsin, but even with all of that success, there's still somewhat of an empty feeling in Madison, as it just seems like the Badgers could have done more.

When it comes to beating up on bad and mediocre teams on your home field, there's nobody you'd probably rather have than Bielema, but when it comes to winning bowl games and pressure-packed road games, he's probably one of the last coaches you would want leading your team. 

Wisconsin's road woes were on full display this past season, when the Badgers lost at Michigan State and Ohio State in consecutive weeks. 

Bielema may be flirting with being a great college coach, but he first has to prove that he can guide his team to success in big spots before he can reach that next tier. 

15. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

Going 8-5 isn't going to win you a ton of supporters at a place like Notre Dame, but just because Brian Kelly has only been able to notch two eight-win seasons in his first two years in South Bend, that doesn't mean that the future isn't bright for the Irish. 

Kelly has experienced more lows than highs at this point in his tenure, but he's also been recruiting some big-time talent these past few years, which should start to pay major dividends in the years to come. 

After two mediocre seasons, Kelly knows that 2012 is going to be a big make-or-break type of year for him and his team. Luckily for him, he's got some great players returning such as LB Manti Te'o, TE Tyler Eifert and RB Cierre Wood. 

The expectations for 2012 will be high once again, as winning 10 or more games and making it to a BCS bowl game will be two major goals. Unlike the last two years, this new edition of the Irish is definitely capable of reaching those heights. 

14. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

The bloom fell off the rose for Jimbo Fisher in his second season at Florida State, as the Seminoles turned out to be one of the most disappointing teams of 2011. After starting off the year as a Top Five-ranked national title contender, the Seminoles struggled during the middle of the season and finished with just nine wins. 

Still, with the way Fisher's been recruiting since he took over as head coach at Florida State, the talent level in Tallahassee is only continuing to increase, and if you look at the type of playmakers that are returning on both sides of the ball for 2012, the 'Noles will likely once again enter next season as a Top 10-ranked title contender. 

Fisher will have to prove that he can live up to the hype he acquired after the 2010 season, but with the type of talent that Florida State has coming back, the Seminoles definitely have the chance to make a big run in 2012. 

13. Brady Hoke, Michigan

While many seem to overlook the fact that Rich Rodriguez—who admittedly isn't exactly a popular guy in Ann Arbor—brought in most of the talent that Brady Hoke had to work with when he guided the Wolverines to an 11-2 season and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2011, you do have to give a lot of credit to Hoke because he was able to add the one final piece to the puzzle that Rodriguez never could—defense!

Michigan finished sixth nationally in scoring defense last season, and that was a huge part of the team's success. 

Hoke stepped into a tough situation with pieces that didn't necessarily fit his systems, but he still found a way to revitalize the program and make Michigan relevant in the Big Ten again.

After pulling in a top-10 recruiting class on national signing day, it should be interesting to see what Hoke can do for an encore in 2012, but the point is he was able to win the Michigan faithful over right from the get-go, something that Rodriguez could never do. 

12. Lane Kiffin, USC

Lane Kiffin is still viewed as a villain by many college football fans for his ungracious exit from Tennessee after just one year, but if you compare the outlook for USC and the Vols for the foreseeable future, it’s hard to say that he didn’t make the right choice. 

Although they weren’t allowed to compete in the Pac-12 championship or a BCS bowl game last season because of the postseason ban handed down by the NCAA, USC still managed to run away with the Pac-12 South division and prove that they were once again one of college football’s elite teams, as the Trojans finished 10-2 and beat eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon on its home field.

With the way Kiffin and Ed Orgeron have been recruiting since they arrived in Los Angeles, the talent level at USC is starting to resemble those absolutely stacked teams that we saw during the heyday of the Pete Carroll era.

The Trojans will likely enter the 2012 season as the No. 2-ranked team in the country, and it will be interesting to see if Kiffin’s squad will be able to live up to the hype.

If the 36-year-old head coach can lead USC down to Miami in January, it will certainly help quiet many of his critics.  

11. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

Arkansas' Bobby Petrino is one of the best offensive minds in the college game today, and the proof is in the productivity that the Razorbacks have had on offense in recent years. Under Petrino, they've had one of the top offenses in the SEC over the last three years, finishing first in total offense in 2011, second in 2010 and third in 2009.

That type of offensive success has helped the Razorbacks become a true factor in the SEC West over the past few years.

Although Petrino was heavily criticized for the way he left the Atlanta Falcons, you have to appreciate the type of success that he's had at the college level at both Louisville and Arkansas.

With QB Tyler Wilson, RB Knile Davis, WR Cobi Hamilton and TE Chris Gragg all coming back, along with a strong and experienced offensive line, it looks like the Razorbacks should have one of the most dangerous offenses in the country for the 2012 season, and if Petrino manages to lead Arkansas to an SEC title, he may finally start getting the credit he deserves as one of the best coaches in college football.

10. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

For a while, Mike Gundy was simply known for his infamous "I'm a man!" tirade, but now after guiding Oklahoma State to a 12-1 season and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl in 2011, Gundy has shown that he's certainly not just some coaching sideshow.

The former Cowboys quarterback has taken his team to the top of the Big 12, and from the looks of things, it seems like the Cowboys plan to stay there for a while.

Gundy has slowly but surely been building Oklahoma State into a force to be reckoned with, and it now looks like the program is at the type of level where the Cowboys can annually compete for conference championships and BCS bowl berths year in and year out.

Figuring out how to replace the dynamic and ultra-productive passing combo of QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon will be challenging, but Gundy and his staff have recruited well in recent years. This team definitely still has the talent left with impact players like RB Joseph Randle leading the offense and CB Justin Gilbert leading the way on defense to compete for another Big 12 championship in 2012.

9. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

When Virginia Tech first moved from the Big East to the ACC back in 2004, many wondered how Frank Beamer and the Hokies would handle the transition.

Well, all Beamer has done in the ACC is lead his team to eight consecutive double-digit-win campaigns, five BCS bowl game appearances and four conference championships.

I guess they've been able to handle all that rugged ACC competition fairly well, eh?

Because Virginia Tech isn't a glitzy, glamor program like Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan or USC, Beamer rarely gets talked about in the conversation for best coach in college football, but his consistent success speaks volumes.

It also helps that Beamer has been a great ambassador for his school, and has been a big part of the healing process that's gone on since the tragic shooting back in 2007.

With 251 total victories, Beamer is currently the winningest coach at the FBS level, and the impact that he's left on Virginia Tech is something that's truly special.

8. Gene Chizik, Auburn

When Gene Chizik was hired at Auburn, he wasn't exactly embraced with open arms, as many Tigers fans wondered what was so appealing about a coach who had just gone 5-19 in two years at Iowa State.

What the naysayers failed to realize, though, is that the former Auburn and Texas defensive coordinator was a terrific recruiter, who could flourish at a big-time program (something Iowa State certainly wasn't).

Chizik's recruiting prowess has paid huge dividends at Auburn in his first three years, as he's won a total of 30 games and brought home an all-important BCS championship.

Cam Newton may have been the most important player that Chizik brought to Auburn, but he definitely isn't the only top talent that the coach has reeled in during his time with the Tigers, as Chizik has had some outstanding recruiting classes over the last three years.

Auburn may have been inexperienced at some key spots last year, but now that all of those young, talented players have had a year to grow up and get a good feel for what life is like in the SEC, the Tigers should once again be a major factor in the conference in 2012.

7. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

After starting off the season as the consensus No. 1-ranked team in the country, Oklahoma once again failed to live up to expectations, as the Sooners turned out to be the most disappointing team of 2011.

Bob Stoops may have piled up a ton of wins during his time in Norman, as he's racked up 139 victories in 13 years, but there have been more than a few instances where his team has failed to get the job done on the big stage, which has earned him the nickname of "Big Game Bob."

Still, when you can lead your team to 10 double-digit-win seasons, seven conference championships and a national title, that certainly says something about what type of coach you are.

Sure, Stoops may not be your top choice if you have to win a big, pressure-packed game, but his sustained success for over a decade is definitely impressive, and he's managed to solidify his spot as one of the top coaches in college football today.

6. Chris Petersen, Boise State

No matter what your opinion is about where Boise State’s place truly is on the college football food chain, you have to marvel at the type of consistent success that coach Chris Petersen has had these past few years, as he’s transformed the Broncos from that cute little team that plays on the blue turf into one of college football’s most recognizable brands.

Petersen has compiled an extraordinary 73-6 record during his six years as the head coach at Boise State, and the Broncos have finished with a Top 10 ranking four times under his watch.

After guiding the team to an undefeated season capped off by a huge, attention-grabbing win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in his first year, Petersen has been able to ride the momentum from that campaign and turn Boise State into an annual national title contender.

Petersen will undoubtedly have the toughest job of his coaching career awaiting him in 2012, as he’ll have to figure out a way to replace college football’s winningest quarterback of all time, Kellen Moore, along with future pro players like RB Doug Martin, OT Nate Potter, DT Billy Winn, DE Shea McClellin and S George Iloka,.

But even though the Broncos may take a step back next season, don’t expect them to fall too far, because Petersen and his staff always do a great job of preparing their team for success, and that’s certainly showed during the tremendous run they’ve been on over the last few years.

5. Les Miles, LSU

This past season, LSU coach Les Miles managed to quiet many of his critics, as Miles’ squad went on a dominating 13-0 run through the SEC and wound up in the BCS Championship Game.

But after accumulating so much respect throughout the regular season, Miles seemingly gave it all away in the national title game as his team looked unmotivated and unprepared for the big stage. The Tigers got taken to the woodshed by Alabama in what turned out to be an embarrassing performance for the program.

All of Miles’ critics who had disappeared when the Tigers were soaking up the spotlight as the No. 1 team in college football soon came crawling back out of the woodwork after the beatdown in New Orleans.

Some still say that Miles backed his way into a BCS championship in 2007, and he simply did it with all of the talent that Nick Saban gave him, but while that certainly can be debated, the fact is Miles is still 75-18 during his time in Baton Rouge.

Yes, he’s a little quirky and yes he’s certainly been the beneficiary of getting lucky on a few of the gutsy calls he’s made over the last few years, but when it comes right down to it, LSU is set to enter the 2012 season as the No. 1-ranked team in college football, which means Miles must be doing something right.

Miles is a coach that players love to play for, and while the devastating loss in the BCS Championship Game was certainly a black eye for the team, the Tigers will have a great chance to redeem themselves in 2012.

4. Gary Patterson, TCU

The most underrated coach in college football is without a doubt TCU’s Gary Patterson.

Yes, TCU has started to receive some national attention in recent years, especially after the Horned Frogs went out to Pasadena and won the Rose Bowl. But even with that, Patterson still doesn’t receive the type of praise that he deserves for what he’s been able to accomplish down in Fort Worth.

Since the Horned Frogs moved from Conference-USA to the Mountain West back in 2005, the team has won 11 or more games six out of seven years, which is a truly remarkable feat, even for a non-AQ school.

During his time at TCU, Patterson has compiled a 109-30 overall record and he’s guided his team to the postseason in all but one of the years he’s been there.

He’s helped carry TCU up the college football ladder, and all that hard work has finally paid off, as Patterson will now have the chance to lead the Horned Frogs into their new home in the Big 12.

It will be fascinating to see how Patterson’s team handles the step up in competition, but with the way he and his staff coach, and with the way they’ve been recruiting over the past few years, don’t be surprised if TCU gives some of the Big 12’s big boys a real run for their money in 2012.

3. Urban Meyer, Ohio State

Urban Meyer may have won two national championships during his time in Florida, but he didn't exactly please a lot of folks in Gainesville after he up and left the Gators after the 2010 season because of health issues, only to conveniently get healthy enough within a year to take over the coaching vacancy at Ohio State, the school where he started his college coaching career back in the mid-'80s.

No matter what you think about Meyer and the way he left the Gators, it's hard not to respect all that he accomplished on the field during coaching stops at Bowling Green, Utah and of course, Florida.

Meyer worked his way up the coaching ladder the exact way you're supposed to, and he's had tremendous success every step of the way. 

You won't find many resumes as impressive as Meyer's, as it includes two national championships, four conference championships and a 7-1 postseason record.

Meyer's .819 winning percentage is the best among any active college coach who has coached at least 100 games.

After a disappointing 6-7 campaign, Ohio State needs a coach that can come in, stabilize the ship and help the program heal after a devastating scandal, and Meyer looks like just the guy for the job. 

Judging from the way Meyer has been dominating on the recruiting trail in just the few months he's been in Columbus, it looks like the Buckeyes are going to have plenty of talent to work with over the next few years, and it shouldn't take long for them to ascend back to the top of the Big Ten.

2. Chip Kelly, Oregon

It’s not often that you see a coach arrive at a school and proceed to lead his team to three straight conference championships and three straight BCS bowl games, including an appearance in the BCS Championship Game, but that’s just what Oregon’s Chip Kelly has done in Eugene in his first three years as the leader of the Ducks.

Kelly has managed to compile a 34-6 record at Oregon, with many of those 36 wins being of the blowout variety, as his spread offense has been one of the most explosive and unstoppable in the country.

This past season, the offensive guru was finally able to bring some BCS bowl hardware back to Eugene, as he led the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years.

After turning down a head coaching offer from the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelly will return to Oregon to lead his new-look offense that includes QB Bryan Bennett and RBs De’Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner. While the Ducks may miss QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMichael James, Kelly has shown that he has no problem molding great athletes into star offensive playmakers, and he should once again have Oregon right in the thick of both the Pac-12 and national title races.

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

Nick Saban may be one of the most despised men in college football, and he’s certainly given his critics plenty of ammo to work with, especially with the way he handled his exit from Miami. Whether you like the guy or simply can’t stand him, you can’t argue with his results.

After enduring a transition season in 2007, Saban followed the same formula for success he did at LSU, as he guided the Tide to four consecutive double-digit-win campaigns, which included two BCS championships, an SEC championship and three BCS bowl appearances.

Under Saban’s watch, Alabama has averaged 12 wins a season over the last four years in college football’s toughest conference, and that type of consistent dominance is just astounding.

Not only is Saban winning football games, he’s also recruiting at a level that no other coach can compare to, as he just got done reeling in another No. 1-rated class this year.

What’s even more important is that he’s making the most of that talent, as Alabama has become an absolute pro-prospect factory these past few years. The Tide have had 16 players drafted over the past three years, including seven first-round picks, and there will be plenty more Alabama alumni selected in the upcoming 2012 NFL draft.

So yes, Nick Saban may be a hard guy to like and a hard guy to root for, but you can’t argue with the type of success he’s had over the past decade. Now that he has three national titles on his resume, he’s put himself up there with some of the sport’s all-time greats.