10 College Football Teams That Will Crumble Under Pressure in 2013

Every year college football teams carry a lot of pressure into the season. With that comes high expectations and, as always, some teams are going to crumble under the weight of those expectations.

Whether it's a game at the end of the year that will end in disappointment or an early-season mishap, the 10 teams on this list are going to lose a game they should not, or one with a lot on the line.

They either overachieved last year and will be over-rated at the beginning of the season, or they just do not have what it takes to live up to their lofty expectations.

Even though the official preseason polls have not come out yet, there are plenty of early predictions giving good indications of just how talented teams are going to be.

With that being said, here are 10 teams that will crumble under pressure this college football season.

No. 10: Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Tajh Boyd and are coming off an impressive victory over LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Expectations are very high entering the 2013 season.

They will likely be ranked in the top 15 when the season begins with a chance to win the ACC and possibly be in the national title conversation if everything goes as planned.

In the end, however, the defense will prove to have too many holes and the running game will miss the departed Andre Ellington a little too much.

This team will drop the season-opener against Georgia and possibly a few more.

No. 9: Texas A&M Aggies

Expectations have not been this high at College Station in quite some time. However, it will be hard for quarterback Johnny Manziel to have the season he did in 2012. It will also be difficult for the Aggies to duplicate the season they put together last year. 

This team is still one of the most talented in the country and has the potential to run the table on its way to a national championship.

The weight of the expectations, combined with a grueling SEC schedule, will doom the Aggies as the spotlight will prove to be a little too bright in 2013.

No. 8: TCU Horned Frogs

TCU is a hot sleeper pick to possibly win the Big 12.

There are just too many question marks surrounding this team for that to happen.

The Horned Frogs will certainly be ranked when the season begins, but the year might hinge on the play of quarterback Casey Pachall. If he can return to old form, this team might be a factor, but that is easier said than done.

Four or more losses are a probability for this team. The big-time might be a little too much to handle, as was the case last season.

No. 7: Ohio State Buckeyes

For Ohio State, the expectations are higher than anywhere in the country, with the possible exception of Alabama.

The Buckeyes have an easy enough schedule to run the table and play for the national championship.

Going undefeated two consecutive seasons is almost unheard of and Ohio State is probably not going to be able to repeat the feat in 2013.

The pressure will continue to grow every week, with each win adding to it.

No. 6: Florida Gators

We all saw what happened last season with the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. Unless there are some improvements on the offensive side of the ball, this team will not live up to expectations in 2013.

The schedule will certainly be very challenging. The improvement of quarterback Jeff Driskel will be one of the keys to their season.

Florida will likely be knocking on the door to the top 10 when the season begins, but it is hard to imagine them being there when the year is over.

No. 5: Oregon Ducks

Oregon will have very high expectations this season. The Ducks return a majority of their offensive firepower and might have the most explosive group in the country.

Looming large on the schedule is the Stanford Cardinal in early November.

We all know what happened last year. This season the game is on the road, which will make things that much more difficult.

Oregon is very likely to be undefeated heading into that game. The pressure will be even higher than last season if that is the case.

Crumbling under such immense pressure seems like a strong possibility.

No. 4: LSU Tigers

LSU lost a ton of talent from the 2012 team, but head coach Les Miles has enough coming back to be a factor in the SEC.

The schedule is not doing the Tigers any favors. Even though this will be a Top 20 team at the beginning of the season, it will not be surprising to see them unranked by the end of the year.

Quarterback Zach Mettenberger is without question the key to the season on offense, but it is hard to envision him excelling under the pressure.

No. 3: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame is a no-brainer to make the list. The Fighting Irish might be ranked as high as No. 10 when the season starts.

While they had an excellent year in 2012, they were likely not even one of the top 10 teams in the country last season. This year they will not be quite as good after losing a playmaker at tight end along with some talented running backs.

Three losses or more is a strong possibility for the Fighting Irish.

No. 2: UCLA Bruins

UCLA shocked a lot of people last season when they reached the Pac-12 championship game.

This season, that is not likely to be the case.

The expectations for the Bruins are not nearly as high as for the other teams on the list, but this might only be a .500 team when all is said and done.

The loss of running back Johnathan Franklin will definitely be felt, particularly at the beginning of the year, and quarterback Brett Hundley will have to learn to cope without him.

No. 1: Louisville Cardinals

The over-hyping of Louisville is without question the most dramatic of any team.

The Cardinals beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl and have now vaulted into the top five, or so it seems.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is one of the best in the nation at his position and head coach Charlie Strong clearly knows what he is doing.

Throw in the fact that the Louisville schedule is easier than any team on this list and the Cardinals have an excellent shot to play for the national championship.

This team, however, is not quite good enough to run the table and play for all the marbles, particularly because the pressure will continue to mount as the season progresses. 

An upset loss will come somewhere along the line.

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