10 College Football Teams with Losing Records That Will Breakout Next Season

Every college football team except Alabama needs to improve in 2012, but some teams are more desperate for change.

These players and coaches are the ones most likely spending the offseason singing Counting Crows lyrics, hoping "this year will be better than the last."

With new coaches, an influx of talent, or a solid group of returning players, many teams can turn around their fortunes in a hurry.

About half of the schools across the nation finished last season with a losing record, but these 10 programs have a good chance to surprise people in the upcoming year.

Iowa State

2011 Record: 6-7

Iowa State football is not known for winning seasons, but coach Paul Rhoads is ready to turn that around.

The country took notice when the Cyclones defeated then undefeated Oklahoma State in double overtime, allowing the SEC to take over the national championship game.

While this was the high-point of the season, the team was also able to grab other quality wins against Connecticut and Iowa. 

In addition, they should be led by an improved Jared Barnett at quarterback, the freshman that started the last two months of the season. The dual-threat quarterback will be able to get wins by himself in one of the toughest conferences in the country. 

Ohio State

2011 Record: 6-7

It is amazing how quickly a quality coach can change the future of a program.

Urban Meyer was hired at Ohio State, and all of a sudden the 6-7 previous season was almost completely forgotten.

The coach put together one of the best recruiting classes in the nation led by defensive linemen Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington.

Although the Buckeyes have to wait a year before participating in the postseason, Meyer will have the team ready to compete in the Big Ten and with the rest of the nation within a few years. 

South Florida

2011 Record: 5-7

Last year did not end well for South Florida, but with one of the best young coaches in the country the team is in good shape.

South Florida hired Skip Holtz from East Carolina two years ago, and he has brought in a team that has the talent to compete.

A couple of breaks would have changed the season dramatically, as the Bulls lost four of their seven games by only three points.

If the team can get over the hump and win those close games, South Florida will be one of the best teams in the Big East as soon as next season.

Wake Forest

2011 Record: 6-7

Wake Forest did not fare well in non-conference games last season.

The team lost to Notre Dame and Syracuse before ending the year with SEC losses to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. 

Fortunately, the Demon Deacons were much more successful within the ACC. At 5-3, they were only a three-point loss to Clemson away from being in the conference championship game.

Sophomore Tanner Price is developing into a solid quarterback, and next season could be one of the best in the conference at his position.

Wake Forest is still far from elite, but they can compete next season in a weak ACC.

Connecticut

2011 Record: 5-7

The Big East will be wide open next season, and the University of Connecticut has as much of a chance to win as anyone else.

Running back Lyle McCombs had a great freshman campaign with 1,151 rushing yards. He should be able to improve along with a solid group on defense to form a competitive team.

In any case, the program seems to be in better shape than Maryland under former coach Randy Edsall.

Vanderbilt

2011 Record: 6-7

It is incredibly difficult to compete in the SEC, especially when the school has shown little success in recent history.

Fortunately for Vanderbilt, James Franklin is a good coach and an excellent recruiter.

The team was able to win six games last year before finishing with the No. 29 recruiting class in the nation.

The Commodores are finally gaining respect on the football field, and with the influx of new talent they will consistently be able to find themselves in bowl games every year.

UCLA

2011 Record: 6-8

UCLA finished last season with a rare record of 6-8, playing in a bowl game despite having a losing record at that point. 

In reality, the Bruins should not have participated in the Pac-12 Championship, but were given the opportunity after finishing second in the South division behind ineligible USC.

Next season, UCLA will be led by new coach, Jim Mora Jr. Although most of his experience is at the NFL level, Mora has already proven he can get it done in recruiting, finishing with the No. 13 class in the country.

The key will be for the new coach to create a system on the field that will be able to compete with the high-powered offenses in the Pac-12.

Tennessee

2011 Record: 5-7

Tennessee could not get much going on offense this season, but this once-proud program will not be down for too much longer.

The key for next season will be the health of Tyler Bray, the highly touted quarterback from California.

If Bray stays on the field and improves his consistency, he can pair with receiver Da'Rick Rogers to form one of the best young combos in the nation.

With a solid defense already in place, Tennessee can make a quick turnaround. 

Army

2011 Record: 3-9

Army has more to improve than other teams on this list, but there is a lot to like with this team.

The Black Knights led the nation with 346.5 rushing yards per game last season. If they can control the clock better with the run game, it will help the struggling defense.

The team also returns the top seven rushers from last season, including quarterback Trent Steelman and running back Raymond Maples. 

Not too many teams are able to stop the triple option on a consistent basis, so Army will be able to beat a lot of teams if it is able, even slightly, to improve the defense.

Texas Tech

2011 Record: 5-7

The Big 12 was one of the toughest conferences in the country in 2011, but the conference is losing enough top talent to set a few teams back next season.

Texas Tech was ranked as high as No. 20 last season after defeating Oklahoma on the road. However, the team was unable to grab another win for the rest of the year.

Fortunately, the Red Raiders return starting quarterback Seth Doege. The junior finished the year with over 4,000 passing yards and completed over 68 percent of his passes.

If Tommy Tuberville is able to fix the weak defense, Texas Tech can be back near the top of the Big 12 next season.