BCS Rankings: What Will the 2011 Top 25 Look Like?
The 2010-2011 NCAA bowl season gets underway later on this week, with the kickoff of the New Mexico Bowl on December 18.
As we prepare to say goodbye to 2010 and say hello to 2011, it is time we look ahead to the 2011 top 25 rankings.
Surely, Auburn will take a tumble with the (expected) departure of Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton to the NFL. But how will the rest of the rankings shake out?
Since we don't have final recruiting classes in place yet, that makes the list a little more complicated, and it is subject to change based on how recruiting plays out.
So here they are, the first look at the 2011 college football Top 25 rankings.
25. Connecticut Huskies
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The surprise Big East champions in 2010, the Connecticut Huskies will be in a great position to repeat in 2011.
Their offense was predicated on their running game, and returning is their 1,500-yard running back, Jordan Todman.
The defense is solid, and they will get better in 2011. Look for the Huskies to contend with West Virginia for the top spot in the Big East and a shot at the BCS.
24. Auburn Tigers
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If Cam Newton leaves, and there is little reason to believe that he won't, the Tigers will be in dire straits because of what he meant to this team.
More than any other player in America, Cam Newton was the Tigers offense.
Their defense was sketchy at times this year, so if Auburn wants to get back to the top of the rankings in 2011 they will need to improve on the defensive side of the ball.
Expect the Tigers to take a step back next year.
23. West Virginia Mountaineers
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The Mountaineers were an OT loss to Connecticut away from playing in the BCS for the third time.
In a very weak Big East, they still remain the class of the conference year in and year out.
When TCU joins the Big East conference in 2012, the balance of power will change. The continued development of quarterback Geno Smith will determine how far this team is able to climb in 2011. They will be right there with Connecticut for best team in the Big East in 2011.
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22. Florida Gators
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It's been an offseason of change for the Gators with the retiring of coach Urban Meyer (again) and the hiring of Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as his replacement.
The Gators struggled this year, but they are still filled with talent—and they always recruit well.
It will be interesting to see how much of an impact Muschamp has in his first year in Gainesville.
21. Florida State Seminoles
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Quarterback EJ Manuel looked good in limited action in 2010, now he will get his chance full-time in 2011 when QB Christian Ponder graduates.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher has a really good, young defense that ranked 25th in the country in points against, and they will get better with more experience in 2011.
They will be the favorites in the ACC Atlantic Division.
20. Texas Longhorns
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2010 was a very difficult year in Austin, Texas.
They finished 5-7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time in the Mack Brown era. That said, they are still one of the best recruiting teams in the country.
They had the talent this year, but they lacked the experience. 2010 was a year of growing pains; 2011 will be a bounce back year.
Oklahoma is still the class of the Big 12, but Texas won't be far behind next year.
19. South Carolina Gamecocks
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The Gamecocks really came from nowhere to win the SEC East in 2010.
They were blown out by Auburn in the conference title game, but the future looks bright in South Carolina.
Freshman running back Marcus Lattimore has star potential. Quarterback Stephen Garcia made strides this year but needs to be more consistent with his play.
The same can be said for the defense—at times looked good but other times left you shaking your head. Consistent play will be the key if the Gamecocks want to get back to Atlanta in 2011.
18. Utah Utes
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The "other" non-automatic qualifying school.
The Utes don't get the credit they deserve because they aren't TCU or Boise State, but they are up there every year with those teams.
In fact, they were ranked fifth in the BCS at one point this year before stumbling against TCU and Notre Dame in consecutive weeks. They move to the new Pac-12 conference in 2011 and have a favorable schedule that could allow them to make it to the conference championship game.
17. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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I gotta believe that the happiest people to hear that Will Muschamp was named Florida's head coach were the people in Starkville, Mississippi.
Dan Mullen has done a fantastic job in just two years turning things around at Mississippi State.
They have a great running attack led by junior Vick Ballard, and the defense has become one of the better units in the SEC. If they can find consistency at the quarterback position, they can compete for SEC titles very soon.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
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The Razorbacks success or failure in 2011 will depend on new quarterback Tyler Wilson and how he does taking over for Ryan Mallett.
They have never been strong defensively, but they are at least adequate in certain areas.
If the offense can stay close to the level they played at this year, the Razorbacks will be fine. Replacing Mallett will be the biggest challenge for them going into 2011.
15. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Nebraska shifts from the Big 12 to the Big Ten next year, and that seems to be a perfect marriage.
Nebraska just screams Big Ten style of football.
The question for the Cornhuskers is what kind of quarterback is Taylor Martinez going to be?
He showed flashes of greatness in 2010 but really regressed as the year went on. Part of that could have been the injuries he suffered; Cornhuskers fans hope that's what the problem was.
They are going to be strong defensively, as they have been every year with Bo Pelini in charge.
14. Penn State Nittany Lions
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The Outback Bowl between Florida-Penn State is a very intriguing game to watch because it could be a preview of a BCS game in January 2012.
Penn State is loaded with talent, but they are just so young that they need time to get experience and mesh together.
They will start the year in the middle of the Top 25, but if they moved up to the top of the rankings as the year moves on, it wouldn't be a surprise.
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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If the Cowboys can find some semblance of a defense, they would win the Big 12 or at least compete with the big boys like Oklahoma and Texas every year for the title.
Under head coach Mike Gundy, they have put together one of the most exciting offenses in college football and their 4,000-yard passer quarterback Brandon Weeden returns.
They do lose starting running back Kendall Hunter, who ran for 1,500 yards, but freshman Joseph Randle looked good in limited action and could make up for the loss right away.
Plus, the return of wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who caught over 100 passes and had 18 touchdowns for the vaunted Cowboys offense.
12. Texas A&M
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The Aggies will be dangerous coming into 2011 because they were able to get real significant playing time for backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who played really well in five starts when Jerrod Johnson was benched.
They need to get more consistent on the offensive side of the ball.
The defense played well in 2010 and will look to get better under head coach Mike Sherman in 2011.
11. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Alabama will have to replace some key positions on the offensive side of the ball, like wide receiver Julio Jones and quarterback Greg McElroy, but the Crimson Tide are in a great position to get back to the top of the SEC in 2011.
Running back Trent Richardson will get full-time duty with Mark Ingram likely to go pro.
Richardson might be a better pure running back than Ingram.
The defense, which had to replace a lot of talent in 2010, was stout and with experience they got this year they will be even better going into next year.
10. Missouri Tigers
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The Tigers need to get better on offense in 2011, if they can they can dethrone Oklahoma atop the Big 12.
They can play with anyone in the country on any given week.
The Missouri defense is great and probably the most underrated unit in the country; they finished sixth in the country this year in points allowed.
If they can play like they did against Oklahoma earlier in 2010 every single week, they will be among the elite teams in the country in 2011.
9. Michigan State Spartans
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Michigan State could be out for revenge in 2011 since they were snubbed by the BCS in 2010.
They finished tied atop of the Big Ten with Ohio State and Wisconsin, but since they had the lowest BCS ranking of the three teams, they got left out of the BCS.
Look for Michigan State to continue to do more of what they did in 2010, led by quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Edwin Baker.
Head coach Mark Dantonio has done a great job in East Lansing making the Spartans into a real powerhouse in the Big Ten.
8. Virginia Tech Hokies
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Frank Beamer's team deserves a lot of credit, after starting 2010 0-2, they finished the year with 11 straight victories and another ACC championship.
They need to replace quarterback Tyrod Taylor heading into 2011, which will be a big question mark for them.
They are always great on defense and special teams has always been an area that the Hokies excel.
Another ACC title in 2011 would not be a surprise to anyone.
7. Boise State Broncos
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Quarterback Kellen Moore will come back for what seems like his 12th year at Boise State. The Broncos are moving to the Mountain West conference in 2011, and the competition will get a little bit better.
That move will help the Broncos in their quest to get to a BCS championship game.
They suffered a heartbreaking loss to end the season against Nevada which ruined any hope they had to get into the BCS in 2010.
Can the Broncos put together another undefeated season and finally break that BCS championship non-automatic qualifying stranglehold? I wouldn't put it past them.
6. LSU Tigers
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I don't think that Les Miles gets the credit he deserves as a coach.
He has LSU at the top of the SEC every single year, he is a great recruiter, and he has won a national championship.
Cynics will say that he won the title with Nick Saban's players. There could be some truth to that, but he was able to coach them to the title.
Losing All-American cornerback Patrick Peterson will sting, but the Tigers load up on defense every year so that they can make up for his loss in other areas.
5. TCU Horned Frogs
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The loss of quarterback Andy Dalton will sting, but head coach Gary Patterson is such a great defensive mind and they have a ton of defensive talent that it won't be too much for the Horned Frogs to overcome.
The offense could regress a little bit with a new quarterback coming into the fold.
But every year TCU is at the top in almost every defensive category.
Could 2011 be the year that a non-automatic qualifying school gets into the BCS national championship?
4. Wisconsin Badgers
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Who would have thought that Wisconsin would become the Oregon Ducks of the midwest?
They have become an offensive machine posting at least 70 points in three different games this season. Granted those games were against Austin Peay, IU and Northwestern but still impressive.
They return their top two rushers, starting quarterback and their defense is filled with sophomores and juniors who will have one more year of experience.
The Badgers will be dangerous in 2011.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
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Bob Stoops continues to churn out great teams year after year, and 2011 will be another great year for the Sooners.
Quarterback Landry Jones was really, really good for Oklahoma this year and will continue to get better as the great recruits keep coming in.
Oklahoma's biggest weakness this year was their running game, as they ranked 77th in the country.
So what does Bob Stoops do?
He went out and scored a five-star running back recruit, Brandon Williams, from Texas no less—which has to feel even better for Sooner fans and coaches.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will probably be the front-runner for the 2011 Heisman trophy award.
As for the team surrounding him, they are always one of the elite teams in the country, and 2011 will be no different.
The loss of defensive end Cameron Heyward will be tough, but Ohio State is so good at plugging holes with their freshmen and sophomores every year that the loss might not be too severe for them to overcome.
1. Oregon Ducks
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The Ducks come into 2011 as the top team in college football.
Their Heisman finalist running back, LaMichael James returns and they will have quarterback Darron Thomas, who has improved a lot as the season has gone on. That offense under head coach Chip Kelly will always put up a ton of points.
The biggest question surrounding Oregon is how would their defense play?
They have answered those questions this year. They have stepped up and played terrific on defense, and it has helped to make the offense even better.
This team is loaded with sophomores and juniors on both sides of the ball.
As of right now, the Oregon Ducks will be the No.1 team going into 2011.
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