College Football 2011: 10 Teams Ripe to Fall Off the Map During 2011 Season
Auburn and Oregon ended a surprising yet extremely exciting college football season two weeks ago with the BCS championship.
As we keep our eyes on recruiting and mock draft all day, let’s look ahead at the 2011 season and see which teams could head in the opposite direction Auburn went in 2010.
Auburn surprised many by going undefeated and vaulting to the top of college football.
However, some top powerhouses have voids that could potentially turn the 2011 season into a nightmare.
Which teams inside the Top 25 could potentially stumble down the BCS rankings and, for some, even end up on the bubble trying to burst their way back into the Top 25?
10. Missouri Tigers
1 of 10
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert and defensive end Aldon Smith will truly prove their worth to the Tigers when they are playing on Sundays and not Saturdays.
Missouri surprised me last season by winning 10 games and staying in the Top 10 for some time. The Tigers have a balanced rushing attack but Gabbert, despite not having great stats, was a smart quarterback who got the job done for the team and will be extremely tough to replace.
They lost a close game to Iowa in the Insight Bowl, but it could be a foreshadowing of things to come: close but no cigar for most of the 2011 season.
9. Ohio State Buckeyes
2 of 10
How could Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes fall off the map?
Well, they won’t. I don’t think we’ll ever see Ohio State fall off the map completely.
Yet with Terrelle Pryor and other players suspended for the first four games of the season, disaster could be in order for Tressel and the Buckeyes.
Ohio State fell out of the Top 10 this season, and we could see them stumble down the rankings if they open the season on a slide.
8. West Virginia Mountaineers
3 of 10
West Virginia is already on the verge of falling off the map despite winning nine games in 2010.
Star running back Noel Devine was hampered by injury during the season, and it’s totally different trying to tame the beast without somebody of his caliber giving his all or motivating the team on the sidelines.
There is something about having star talent by your side that amps up the rest of the team, and the Mountaineers are going to feel those effects next year.
They were beaten up by North Carolina State in the Champs Sports Bowl 23-7, a bad omen for 2011.
Geno Smith had a very good season, but now that teams have footage of him, he’s going to have more trouble than ever.
I could see West Virginia possibly stumbling out of the Top 25 at some point in the middle of next season unless there is some “Devine Intervention.”
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7. Virginia Tech Hokies
4 of 10
The Hokies failed to show up against Andrew Luck and Stanford in the Orange Bowl, which was extremely disconcerting, since they won the final 11 games of the season after opening 0-2.
The Hokies were dominant in the regular season yet were absolutely dominated on the biggest stage of the season.
The Hokies have offensive threats Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans to replace next season, which will prove to be a daunting task for which they are not ready.
The Hokies fall down the ranks next season, as their losses are too much to overcome.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
5 of 10
The Lions continue their recent plunge in 2011. Joe Paterno returns once again, but at this point in his career, the effect has worn off.
The Lions could have a very good defense, but not one I see challenging the top teams in the nation for one of the top ranks in the BCS standings.
Evan Royster is gone and quarterback could very well be an issue for Joe Pa.
Penn State put up a nice fight against Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators in the Outback Bowl, but when quarterback Matthew McGloin is throwing five interceptions in a game Penn State had ample time to prepare for, you just get the gut feeling that the following season could be a troubled one.
The Nittany Lions will not have the offensive firepower in 2011 to make a surge.
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers
6 of 10
Anytime you lose one of the best cornerbacks in football, you could very well fall off the face of the Earth.
That’s how good Prince Amukamara is. He’ll show you that again on Sundays as he’s sure to be a top-10 pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Maybe it’s me, but I’m not sold on Taylor Martinez to lead this team higher in the ranks. Yes, Nebraska did a great job on the ground. Martinez, Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead combined for 2,845 yards and 30 touchdowns.
In 2011, everyone will be well prepared to stop their rushing juggernaut and force Martinez to beat them in the air, which I don’t think he’ll be able to do by any means.
Jake Locker is good, but his Washington Huskies were not this season. For a 10-win Nebraska team, losing to the Huskies in the Holiday Bowl was a big-time disappointment.
The game went as next season could very well go for the Cornhuskers: If the opponent stops them on the ground, it’s going to be a long, disappointing campaign.
4. Auburn Tigers
7 of 10
Does Auburn have a good team? Yes.
But the BCS champions shocked many by going undefeated and fighting for No. 1 all season. Heisman-winning quarterback and physical freak Cam Newton was the No. 1 reason for their success.
He’s heading to the NFL.
Defensive tackle and mean-streak monster Nick Fairley may have been reason No. 2 for their success.
He’s heading to the NFL.
Auburn does have good backups, but without their two stars on each side of the ball leading the units, I predict a major drop-off.
Auburn had a magical run. It ended with the BCS victory.
No, the Tigers won’t just fall off the map since they won in 2010, but they could very well be an afterthought after the first month of the season.
3. Michigan State Spartans
8 of 10
The Spartans were one of college football’s biggest and brightest surprises of the 2010 season.
How then can they be on the verge of a potential fall-off?
Easily.
The Spartans came out of nowhere to shock the nation. At one point in the middle of the season, Michigan State was one of the top teams in college football.
Everything clicked.
Although they fell apart against Iowa, they were able to rebound with three straight wins to close out the season.
Yet in the Capital One Bowl, the Spartans failed to show up. Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide steamrolled the Spartans 49-7.
Alabama had a rather disappointing 2010 season, but the Tide showed the world that Michigan State is not all they’re cracked up to be. That’s what happens when people have time to prepare for an opponent that came out of nowhere.
Michigan State was able to come out of nowhere to exceed expectations in 2010.
In 2011, expectations will be extremely high, as most of the top players return. This time, though, the nation will see them coming and have an entire offseason to prepare for the Spartans.
Never good for a team that was as shocking as Michigan State.
2. Utah Utes
9 of 10
Utah surprised me in 2010, winning 10 games.
Do not expect that to happen again.
As Boise State showed in the MAACO Bowl, the Utes are not ready to play with the big boys of college football just yet.
The Utah offense was so ineffective against Boise State, it was rather embarrassing. They really proved it midway through the season when they were decimated by the TCU Horned Frogs, 47-7.
The following week, they even lost to an up-and-down Notre Dame team. This is not a team I would have any faith in heading into the 2011 season. The Utes had their time in the spotlight when they went 8-0 to start the season.
1. Florida Gators
10 of 10
If you think I’m going to believe in this team with Urban Meyer gone, you’re dead wrong.
The team already fell hard in 2010; next season, they may not even be a Top 25 team when it’s all said and done.
Florida was dominant under Urban Meyer, led by Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. Now that the system will be tweaked, I expect disaster.
It happens to every team. Florida had its ups and it’s now time for the downs.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
