10 Wild-Card College Football Teams for 2013

Every college football season, there are several teams that it's just hard to get a read on.

Inexperience, difficult schedule and new coaching staff can all be contributing factors that make the difference between an excellent season with a shot at a great bowl game and a miserable season.

The teams on this list have the potential to finish the 2013 season 10-2.

But they also have enough question marks that a 7-5 finish is a very real possibility.

Read on for the biggest wild cards in the 2013 season.

10. Texas Longhorns

Yeah, the Longhorns.

Mack Brown's team is again going to be an enigma.

The experience is definitely there, with 19 starters returning, and Brown has proven before that he can lead a team to a conference title, even a national title.

But many of these players, including quarterback David Ash, have been extremely inconsistent, and if they don't demonstrate better execution, especially defensive fundamentals, this team is going to be mediocre yet again.

On the flip side, with that many returning starters, and a conference that is as wide-open as they come, the Longhorns could find their way back to a BCS game in 2013.

9. Georgia Bulldogs

Fresh off two consecutive SEC East titles, the Bulldogs will be looking to get over the hump and actually win an SEC title game in 2013.

It's not going to be easy, though.

The offense appears to be ready to go, with Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall back at running back, and Aaron Murray returning for his final season to play quarterback.

There are some concerns along the offensive line, but the Dawgs have the talent to see that resolved before the season starts, especially with ten starters returning.

Defensively there are major concerns.

Alec Ogletree, Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo are all playing at the next level, and five other starters from the defense are gone, leaving just three starters returning.

That could be a huge problem, and if the Bulldogs struggle to return to the top of their division in 2013, that will be the reason.

If you can't stop anybody, you can't win. See: West Virginia, 2012.

8. Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers are one of the most intriguing teams in 2013.

They have made three consecutive trips to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl, and lost three straight.

During the offseason, head coach Bret Bielema left for the greener pastures of Arkansas, and stud running back Montee Ball departed for the NFL.

But this team appears to have the talent and experience to make another run at the top of the Big Ten standings, if the cards fall right.

In spite of a new coach and the need to replace the NCAA's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, the Badgers seem to be in good shape.

The team returns 15 starters, eight on offense and seven on defense, and with a few breaks the right way, Gary Andersen could coach his way to a BCS bowl in his first year as head coach.

On the flip side, if the quarterback position does not become more consistent, and if the secondary becomes a liability due to the departure of some serious talent, the team could find itself closer to the bottom of the conference standings than the top.

7. Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels have been heading the right way, and they now have a team just about good enough to compete with the top programs in the SEC West.

They do, that is, if Bo Wallace can figure out how to keep the ball in his team's hands.

Wallace tied for the FBS lead with 17 interceptions last season, and at times looked like a freshman, because he was.

The Rebels will only go as far as Wallace can take them in 2013.

With 18 returning starters, they are only going to get better at just about every other position, but if Wallace can't figure out a way to identify the guys wearing Ole Miss jerseys before he throws the ball, this team will again make a bowl game, but just barely.

If Wallace figures things out, a trip to the Cotton Bowl could be in order next season after a 10-win season.

6. Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern had an excellent season by the program's standards in 2012, winning its first bowl game since 1949.

Things are looking good for Pat Fitzgerald's program, as the team returns just about every key offensive skill position player in 2013, including running back Venric Mark, quarterback Kain Colter, and the Wildcats' top two wide receivers from last season.

While it appears the program is still on the way up, it is, after all, Northwestern.

The program has a long history of futility that it may be getting close to shedding, but that history could also come back to leave this program wallowing in the dust of a .500 season in 2013.

5. Miami Hurricanes

Lost in all the controversy surrounding the Miami Hurricanes program in 2012 was the fact that the team finished second in the ACC Coastal division.

The 2013 season is looking mighty good for this program, as it returns a whopping 19 starters.

The team is loaded with incredible athletic talent, and Al Golden's fingerprints are becoming more and more visible on this team.

But the 'Canes are still muddling through all the controversy and issues surrounding the program. If they are not mentally tough, these issues could lead to a seven- or eight-win season.

However, if things go well, this team has the talent to finish without a blemish in 2013.

4. USC Trojans

Lane Kiffin has done an excellent job recruiting, and the team is loaded with top-flight potential.

And therein lies either the bane or the salvation of the squad.

That much talent can lead to a really great season, especially with a defensive front seven that will be the best in the Pac-12.

On top of that, All-Everything wide receiver Marqise Lee is back, looking to build on his excellent 2012 campaign.

So the potential is there for a Pac-12 South title and trip to the conference championship game, but with inexperienced Max Wittek at quarterback, the potential is also there for another disappointing season, along the lines of 2012.

3. TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs are a huge question mark in the Big 12 next season.

With quarterback Casey Pachall back from rehab, the Horned Frogs will have a full-blown quarterback battle on their hands between Pachall and Trevone Boykin.

However, regardless of which player starts at quarterback, TCU is only returning five starters on offense, meaning the offense has a ton of inexperience to try and cover up.

Defensively, the Horned Frogs are going to be one of the best teams in the country, as they return nine starters on that side of the ball, including stud defensive lineman Stansly Maponga.

However, in the high-scoring Big 12, it will be hard to keep up with other teams if the offense does not find a way to produce at a high level.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Here's the thing with the Irish: their schedule is tough, in spite of what SEC apologists want to tell you.

The team doesn't play an FCS opponent, unless you want to count Big Ten teams.

So every team is an FBS-caliber opponent, looking to give the Irish its best shot.

Even so, the Irish have the talent to finish another undefeated season, including quarterback Everett Golson and defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix.

The pressure to duplicate last season is going to be high, and that might be a bit of an unrealistic expectation, but this team has the talent to have another double-digit win season.

It also had some major weaknesses exposed in the national title game, and it could see those exploited all season long.

10-2 or 8-4 are almost equally likely in the 2013 season for the Irish.

1. Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils are an interesting team, with tons of potential heading into 2013.

The team finished just outside the Top 25 at number 27 in total defense in 2012, and head coach Todd Graham brings back eight starters to the unit.

Defensive tackle Will Sutton leads the bunch, and the man is a force to be reckoned with.

He racked up 24.5 tackles for loss last season, including 12 sacks.

The defense should be stout, but with an offense that's extremely inconsistent at best, it might be difficult to keep up with the explosive offenses the Sun Devils will face in the Pac-12 next season.

We will be able to get a read on how this team's season might look after their non-conference matchup with Wisconsin.