50 College Football Teams to Root Against in 2012, and 50 Reasons Why

One of the great things about college football is that the sport is loved from coast to coast, and with that comes the passions of all of its fans. 

Fans from around the world unite behind their teams on Saturdays in the fall, but groups of fans have also found various reasons to cheer against other teams.

For some it may be the success of a program or past infractions or pure jealousy. This feeling begins to eat away at some fans, and turns it into full-blown hate.

Before we enter the 2012 season, here are 50 teams that people love to hate on and the reasons why. 

Buffalo

Buffalo was a great story when Turner Gill was leading the team to new heights that it had never seen before. But since Gill has left, we are left with a shell of a program he had built up, and the team's own fans have to have a certain amount of contempt and hate for what has happened since Gill's departure. 

Northwestern

While you may not even give Northwestern a second thought, one thing that is getting tiresome about the Wildcats is the constant story about not winning a bowl game in so many years. This is even getting to the point that their own fans have to be ready to turn on the program as well. 

Akron

The only reason that people have an issue with small Ohio schools like Akron is that they are part of the weak out-of-conference schedule that usually is seen on Ohio State's slate. While I am sure that the money to come to the Horseshoe is nice, it has to be getting old. 

Arizona State

While the program as a whole may not be hated, the way that Todd Graham has bounced from spot to spot makes him a target. After accepting the Pittsburgh job just last year, Graham quickly made a move to ASU this year, which wouldn't sit well with any fan.

Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic is a team that gets on the radar because it didn't do more for Howard Schnellenberger in his final year. Schnellenberger was a great coach who started the rise of the Miami program, and it seemed like the Owls didn't put any stock into 2011 being his final season. 

Ohio State

Ohio State is another school that has a rich history and a long list of haters around the world. In another example of love them or hate them, the Buckeyes now have Urban Meyer, another polarizing figure in college football, as their coach.

Nebraska

In the '90s Nebraska use to put some pretty epic beatdowns on teams around the nation. While it has been almost two decades, teams have not forgotten how the Huskers of old acted and look forward to the chance of exacting their revenge. 

Duke

A perfect example of the love/hate relationship some teams see is the Duke basketball team. The hatred for that team is so great that despite the lack of success of the football team, fans still don’t mind seeing them lose on the gridiron as well.

Florida

If you weren't living under a rock during the Tim Tebow era, then you should not be surprised to see the Gators on this list. Tebow’s impact alone caused fans around the nation to write off the Gators and hope for them to lose week in and week out.

TCU

TCU has some similarities to Boise State, but people will have to cut them slack come the 2012 season. The Horned Frogs were one of the non-BCS teams that would try to bust into the title game, but now that the team is in the Big 12, its schedule will carry much more legitimacy and allow some fans to ease up.

Miami

The hatred for “The U” goes way back, as the team was one of the original villains in college football. With its outlandish celebrations and disrespectful attitude, Miami gained a reputation in the '70s and '80s that has yet to go away today.

Clemson

Last year the Clemson Tigers raised a lot of people's hopes when they came out of the gate on fire. Towards the end of the season, the Tigers looked like title contenders, but a late-season collapse took their title hopes and fans' excitement to rock bottom. 

Florida State

The Florida State Seminoles continually seem to have high hopes going into the season and yet never seem to rise to those expectations. With all of the hype that surrounds the program, some fans are immediately against the 'Noles because of how much they have to hear about them. 

Iowa State

Last year Oklahoma State was only a couple steps away from an appearance in the national title but had to get past a road game against Iowa State. With a win, Iowa State ruined the Cowboys' chances and gave the nation a rematch in the title game. 

Oklahoma

Much like Florida State, Oklahoma seems to always be loaded with talent, and yet it hasn't found a way to capitalize on it for a while now. With Bob Stoops at the helm, fans are tired of hearing about how good the team is going to be and watch it fail to meet those expectations. 

Temple

For teams in the Big East, get use to not liking the Temple Owls because this is a team that has the ability to be a thorn in all of their sides. Temple is a team that is on the rise and will make life difficult on the rest of the conference. 

Mississippi State

Since arriving at Mississippi State, Dan Mullen has been very outspoken and confident. The problem with Mullen is while he is confident and outspoken, his team's play on the field has not backed it up. While he has owned the Egg Bowl, it is time for him to put up or shut up. 

Indiana

While you may not think of Indiana as a hated team, the Big 10 sure doesn't appreciate its lack of competitiveness. Indiana was dreadful last year, and with its lack of talent, the strength of the conference was hurt rather than helped. 

Southern Miss

At the end of the 2011 season, Houston had a chance to head to a BCS bowl game and prove what Case Keenum could do against a big-time defense. Instead of that matchup happening, Southern Miss stepped in a ruined the Cougars' chances by taking them down in the conference title game. 

SMU

SMU is most known for the death penalty punishment that it received for its off-the-field issues. While it was been years since that issue was alive and well, fans have good memories and may forever hold this against the Mustangs. 

Oregon State

Oregon State has consistently been the thorn in the side of many teams on the West Coast. While rarely reaching a high level themselves, the Beavers have found a way over the past decade to knock off top teams and make life miserable in the Pac-12. 

Memphis

Straight to the point, Memphis is awful and should be hated by even its own fans for not getting better. The Tigers' depth and talent is seriously lacking, and the only people tuning in to their games are friends and family at this point. 

UNLV

Sometimes jealousy can be mistaken for hatred. In the case of UNLV, this is very true. When it comes to the Rebels, it is hard not to be envious of a team that is outside of Las Vegas. 

Oregon

While there are various reasons why people have issues with the Ducks, one of the main points that people complain about is the focus being on what they wear rather than being on their program. Some fans who like tradition are sick of the uniform changes and have no patience for the Ducks.

Hawaii

Much like UNLV, Hawaii is going to be envied by all as its home is in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Living and playing in Hawaii has to be an experience that any fan or player would be jealous of. 

Georgia

The reason to hate the Georgia Bulldogs is because they do not realize how good of a coach they truly have. Just a year ago, fans were ready to run Mark Richt out of town, but a 10-game winning streak turned things around, at least for now. 

New Mexico

Like Memphis, New Mexico is a program that isn't getting better any time soon. The Lobos struggle to add any sort of depth or talent to the roster, and if you see them on your schedule, you know it is a game that will get boring really quickly.

Stanford

One reason there is some distaste for Stanford is it is a team that failed to realize its potential. For two straight years the Cardinal had a shot at going to the national title game, and for two straight years they let Oregon get in the way. With Andrew Luck at quarterback, the sky should have been the limit. 

Washington

The Huskies went through some sanctions of their own in the past and led people to make lifelong judgements that this program was full of cheaters. While Washington tries to get back to competitive form, the negative perception in some fans' eyes is still there. 

UCLA

Any time you can call Southern California home, you are going to run into some haters. On top of a gorgeous area to be in, UCLA has all of the recruiting tools you could ask for, and they are constant overachievers. To be honest, the hate may come from their fans more than anyone else.

Arizona

Now home to head coach Rich Rodriguez, the Wildcats are going to feel some of the heat from this hire. Fans in both Michigan and West Virginia are not shy about their dislike for Rich Rod are not afraid to express it. 

South Carolina

Much like at Nebraska, South Carolina is going to get some heat for running up the score, even though they weren't the school to do it. With Steve Spurrier as the Gamecocks' head coach, certain fans are still rabid for revenge for the scores he used to put up as Florida's head coach. 

Tennessee

The one thing that has and continues to drive people crazy that are outside of the Tennessee program is the amount of times you have to hear the band fire up Rocky Top. While its persistence is to be commended, the amount of times you hear this tune is maddening. 

Ole Miss

Sometimes I am not sure if we should hate the Ole Miss Rebels or feel bad for them, but for the most part, the feelings fall somewhere in the middle. Ole Miss has a proud tradition but is in the SEC basement and does not appear to be doing anything about it. 

Georgia Tech

If you like running, then Georgia Tech is the team for you. On the other hand, if you like to see teams air the ball out, then Georgia Tech is a team you cannot stand. With their style of play, you either love or hate watching the Yellow Jackets go to work. 

Texas A&M

Last season, more of their own fans probably had some level of hate for the Aggies than other fans. With their constant second half collapses, the Aggies were constantly in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. 

Missouri

Joining Texas A&M in the SEC this year is Missouri. Big 12 teams will not be happy with either school after they bolted conferences, and for some fans, they cannot wait to see Missouri play a SEC schedule because the belief is they are about to get what they have coming for them. 

Alabama

Any time you are on the top of the mountain, you are a target for hate and jealousy. Alabama has been a top team for a while now, and with the success has come detractors of both the program as well as the SEC.

Kansas

So good in basketball that there is enough hate to flow over to the football team. On top of that, the hiring of Charlie Weis as the team's new head coach will also bring its share of detractors. 

Louisville

Louisville won a share of the Big East title last year, and as a part of that group, people are going to grow to dislike the team because of the negative perception of the Big East and its automatic bid to a BCS game. 

Texas

Texas is a team that likely got in the way of the creation of power conferences. Power conferences would have created some outstanding conference games, but instead the Longhorn Network caused Texas to hold back and block this transformation in college football.

Penn State

Let’s face it: for what has happened at Penn State and the stories that have come out, some fans are going to be unwilling to give the Nittany Lions a second look. While the extent of all that happened isn't known, some have already prejudged the program for good.

Auburn

Auburn had a down year last season after winning the national title in 2010. Many believe that to earn that title, the team broke the rules with Cam Newton and allowed some things that were clear violations. With the negative press that was swirling around Cam and the Tigers, many fans developed distaste for Auburn. 

Cal

Cal is another team out on the West Coast that gets to enjoy warm weather, great beaches, beautiful women and much more. Even if the Golden Bears haven't done anything on the field to have you turn against them, fans are still jealous of the lifestyle they live. 

LSU

Much like other teams in the SEC, LSU has some elements to its program that turns other fans off. Along with its conference's attitude, fans saw the team lay down in the BCS title game and allow a team that didn’t even win its conference to win the BCS National Championship.

Utah

Utah is another program that would beg to be let into the national title picture while playing a weak schedule. This is an attitude that has never helped a program out with fans around the nation and only led to a bit of a chuckle when the Utes failed to win the Pac-12 South last year. 

Michigan

Much like Notre Dame, the Michigan Wolverines have a large fan base, but they have also done a nice job of putting themselves into a position as a love/hate type team. When Rich Rodriguez coached them in their down years, not much was heard, but you can guarantee that after the success they had last year, Big Blue will be as loud as ever.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish fans make it really hard for other fans to like them or even tolerate. There is a sense of entitlement among the Irish fans that is a complete turnoff and has turned the Irish into a team that you either love or hate.

Boise State

For years the Broncos were knocking on the BCS door begging to be let in. The problem with Boise State’s argument was that its schedule was awful. With Kellen Moore gone, Boise State will likely have a down year, which should make many fans very happy.

USC

ESPN tends to have a love affair with the Trojans, and it can drive fans crazy. While USC was on probation, it was out of the spotlight. But now that Matt Barkley and company are back in contention, the hype has already begun for the upcoming season.