College Football Predictions: 2010’s Most Exciting Teams to Watch
We are less than four weeks away from the start of the 2010-11 College Football season. This season marks the last one for Nebraska and Colorado in the Big 12. It is the last year for Utah playing in its Mid-Major conference, as next year it joins the BCS schools in the Pac-10.
Here I am going to take a look at what teams and what makes them compelling this year. Some of the teams that missed out on this slideshow are:
- Texas Tech and the quarterback competition
- Baylor and the rise/fall of Robert Griffin
- West Virginia and Noel Devin's Heisman run
- Colorado and the mid-season firing Dan Hawkings
- Ole Miss and Jared Masoli can he resurrect his football career
So without further babbling from me, let's crack open this slideshow and take a look at some of the most compelling teams for this upcoming season.
Michigan and Rich Rod-Why They Will Not Fire Him.
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First, if you are a fan of West Virginia football you are smiling like a butcher’s dog with the shortcomings of Rich Rodriguez at Michigan.
But, if you are a fan of Michigan well then I am a loss of words. Since Rich Rod took over for Lloyd Carr at Michigan the Wolverines have gone 8-16 Overall with a 3-13 Big Ten record.
Ouch. No I am sorry ouch does not describe it. Good grief. Charlie Brown's favorite phrase, yeah that's better.
Any other coach in those two years would have had their walking papers by now. But why has Rich Rod survived for another year? And why will he not be fired after possibly another disappointing season this year?
One word of why he will keep his job: money.
In 2008, Michigan signed Rodriguez to a six-year $2.5 million per year contract. That's over $5 million for two years and three wins in the Big Ten. What will keep him is the $4 million buyout the University of Michigan will have to pay to fire him. Plus every year Rich coaches his buyout increases by $500,000.
Four more years Michigan fans, four more years.
The Pittsburgh Panthers and Their First Heisman Trophy Winner Since 1976
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Go ahead and grill me why Terrell Pryor or Jake Locker will win the Heisman. Let me know why Jacory Harris will lead the U back to a National Title and win a the Heisman. Or why Landry Jones or Ryan Browles at Oklahoma should win the Heisman. They are all great players and will have great years; but none will have the year that Dion Lewis will have at Pittsburgh.
Lewis last year rushed for 1,799 yards on 329 carries while scoring 17 touchdowns, as a freshman. Now with a spring and summer worth of offseason drills and camps Dion is ready to run for a Heisman.
Pitt's schedule also favors Lewis's chances at the Heisman. With games @Utah, Miami, and @Notre Dame, it will give Lewis the chance to shine against two potential BCS bowl game teams, and a nationally respected team in Notre Dame.
Then on the last game (Dec 4th) of the season Pitt is @Cincinnati. This game could decide the Big-East title and if whom the Heisman voters will go for.
Plus the last time a Pitt Panther won the Heisman Trophy was running back Tony Dorsett in 1976.
Can Washington State Go Defeated This Year?
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Usually the teams who go UN-defeated get all the headlines and all the top stories. Well forget those teams and their winning. I want to see a BCS Conference team go defeated like the Detroit Lions.
I thought about putting Syracuse in this spot. I thought about putting Vanderbilt as my BCS school to lose every game. But none have the out look like the Cougars of Washington State have.
Let's take a look at what the Cougars have done in the last three years as they trend to this hopeful defeated season:
2007: 3-6 Pac-10, 5-7 Overall
2008: 1-8 Pac-10, 2-11 Overall
2009: 0-9 Pac-10, 1-11 Overall
Come on Washington State you know you can lose every game this year!
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
USC Trojans and Lane Kiffin: How Does This Season Go?
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Lane Kiffin brings two things when he comes to your team: controversy and more controversy. He left the Raiders because he wanted to go to Tennessee and whip on the SEC and Urban Meyer. He said that he could not WAIT to beat Florida and sing "Rocky Top" all night long back in Knoxville.
Then Pete Carroll left USC and Lane went from Rocky Top to Tommy Trojan in a heartbeat.
Now back at USC, Kiffin begins his first year as the Trojans head coach. But before he can lead the Trojans back to the top of the Pac10 and back to the Rose Bowl or National Title, sanctions during the off season against USC will prevent any success for Lane this season.
The current controversy that Lane has brought USC is the school beingsued by the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League for hiring Kennedy Pola. Before the season is over what else could Lane get into? Could Lane and UCLA's Head Coach Rick Neuheisel have a war of words before their game at the end of the season? Could Lane have one of those legendary post-game blow up's during a press conference?
Either way ESPN will eat up anything that Lane or the USC Football team does this year and it will make for great television.
Can Alabama Become The First Repeat Champions in The BCS Era
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It is amazing that since the inception of the Bowl Championship Series no school has repeated as National Champion. There have been three teams that have been made it back to the National Title, but lost.
2000: Florida State loses to Oklahoma
2002: Miami loses to Ohio State
2005: USC loses to Texas
The Tide return Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and wide receiver Julio Jones. They also have College Football's best coach in Nick Saban.
But if the Tide look to repeat they will have to survive a brutal SEC schedule. They go to Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU. Plus the have the Gators of Florida at home. Make it through those regular season games and they'll have to face Florida again in the SEC Title game.
Roll Tide and best of luck to you this year, as the world will be watching.
Does Texas Struggle With Garrett Gilbert As Their Quarterback?
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A new year and a new quarterback for the Longhorns mean success right? Well, maybe yes, or maybe no? That is the thing about this year's Texas team. No one really knows what to expect from the Longhorns this year. Garrett could come out and be one of the best Texas quarterbacks ever. Or he could come out and completely stink up the joint and be replaced by the Nebraska game.
If that happens, Gilbert being benched by the Nebraska game, then this is a long, LOOONNNGGG season for Longhorn fans.
But fear not Longhorn fans, under Mack the Horns' have never won less than eight games. So even if Garrett struggles this year, as his first year as a full time starter, the Horns' defense should bail them out.
What Is The Bigger Story At UF This Year-Urban's Health Or No Tebow?
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During the off season two things happened that almost re-shaped the face of College football at the University of Florida. The first is beloved quarterback Tim Tebow graduated and is playing in the NFL. And two was that Urban Meyer almost left the program due to health reasons.
Luckily for Florida only one of the two happened as after Urban's health scare, he decided that he could return to the sidelines to lead this team in their first year post-Tebow.
But what happens after this year? What happens if the new leader of the Florida offense does not live up to the expectations that Tebow left for him? If the team tanks this year; does it take to much of a toll on Urban's health thus resulting him quitting at the end of the year?
So which story line will be talked about more during the season? Will it be Florida’s first year without Tebow or Urban and if he can be healthy enough to finish the year?
Notre Dame: Are They Better This Year Now That Brian Kelly Is Head Coach
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Simply put, no they are not better this year now that they have a new head coach.
And why?
Well, for starters they have a new quarterback and a whole new offensive scheme to run. Sure the Fighting Irish finished fifth overall in passing last year. This speaks to some of Kelly's strengths as while he was the head coach of Cincinnati he and Tony Pike lead a feared passing attack.
But they still have the same Charlie Weis recruited defense that ranked 63rd last year in points against. And they still have the same running attack that finished 84th last year.
Plus their schedule does not help them out either. They open with Purdue and Michigan at home. Two potential wins that will get the supporters on board for the 2010 season. After a road game at Michigan State the Irish head into a three game stretch against potential conference champions in: Stanford (Pac-10), @Boston College (ACC), and Pittsburgh (Big East)
After those four games the Irish could either be 3-3 or 2-4 or 1-5 or just maybe 0-6.
Yikes.
Does Boise St, or TCU Become The First Non-BCS Team to Win a Nat. Title?
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Could this be the year that either TCU or Boise State play in the National Title game? It is possible as Alabama has a brutal schedule thanks to the SEC. Ohio State is a good team that has potential to go undefeated. But, knowing the Buckeyes they will drop a game to either Iowa or Penn State. The Big 12 representative in the BCS will either be Texas or Oklahoma. However, they have to play each other, and I foresee a Longhorns loss the following week they travel to Nebraska.
What I am trying to say is that every team that is either ahead of Boise State or TCU in the preseason Top-25 poll will end up losing a game before the end of the season.
Boise State starts the year in the top five at No. 5 and TCU opens the season at No. 7.
If both of these teams run their tables finishing their regular seasons at 12-0 then we will have two non-BCS schools playing for the National Title. This will be the biggest story of the college football year. Heck if these two teams pull off undefeated regular seasons, this maybe the biggest national title game since USC and Texas.
They did put on a great show in the Fiesta Bowl last year with Boise State winning. These two teams will captivate a spots nation this year as they make their way back to Arizona for the National Title game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
