College Football Predictions: The 25 Biggest Games of 2011
College football is a fever nearly impossible not to catch. Although the game is in its most dormant state of the calendar—stuck between the BCS National Championship Game and National Signing Day—people are already looking to next season.
Fan bases and analysts are already heaping expectations on teams and predicting who is going to win what conferences.
Here are the 25 biggest games of the 2011 season. Let's hope they all live up to the hype.
25. Miami Hurricanes at Virginia Tech Hokies
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Both Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech are in flux this offseason. The Hurricanes are ushering in a new coach while the Hokies are beginning their post-Tyrod Taylor era.
But is their any question that this ACC rivalry will have plenty of say on who is in the ACC Championship game?
24. West Virginia Mountaineers at Syracuse Orange
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Syracuse football is relevant once again as the Orange won a bowl game in 2010. Now it's time to see if it is ready to challenge for a Big East crown.
To do so, they'll have to knock off West Virginia, far and away the conference's most successful program over the past several years. The Mountaineers look like the early favorite in the Big East for 2011.
23. LSU Tigers at West Virginia Mountaineers, Sept. 10
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The 2010 edition of the Bayou Bengals against the Mountaineers didn't disappoint, with LSU hanging on for a 20-14 win.
A win for either team could propel them to a great season. It's always nice to see high-profile programs take on powerful out-of-conference teams early in the season.
That's exactly the treat we get here.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies, Nov. 24
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This battle for the state of Texas suddenly has a new feel to it than it has had over the past two decades. Texas A&M, not Texas, is the ascendant program.
The Longhorns had a miserable 2010 while the Aggies enjoyed their best season in years. The flop in successes has injected buzz into a rivalry that had lost much of its luster.
21. Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Wolverines, Nov. 26
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Rich Rodriguez has nightmares about Ohio State. Wolverine Nation is hoping that Brady Hoke can sleep like a baby when it comes to the Buckeyes.
Michigan showed significant improvement in 2010 and should get another boost from Hoke. The Buckeyes have a tricky season ahead with suspensions early on for five key players.
As always, "The Game" will mean plenty to Buckeye and Wolverine fans. It could also regain some of its national appeal this season.
20. Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs, Nov. 12
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Mississippi State has made noticeable strides in two seasons under coach Dan Mullen, breaking into the Top 25 rankings in 2010.
But if the Bulldogs want to be taken seriously, they will have to vie for an SEC championship—or at least make a serious run at their first West Division crown since 1998.
Beating Alabama would be a great place to start.
19. Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners, Oct. 8
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Texas will surely bounce back from a rough season in 2010 and make things interesting in the always powerful Red River Rivalry.
Oklahoma is being picked by many as one of the top teams for 2011. Wouldn't Longhorn fans just love watching there burnt orange-clad heroes come up with an upset over their bitter rivals?
18. Florida State Seminoles at Florida Gators, Nov. 26
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All of a sudden, it looks like the Seminoles are showing some life against their biggest rivals. The Gators had enjoyed national prominence and six straight wins over Florida State before the wheels came off in 2010.
Now it's Florida State with high expectations and the Gators trying to find the answer. This game could end up meaning more for the Seminoles, with lofty preseason expectations.
17. Texas A&M Aggies at Oklahoma Sooners, Nov. 11
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Texas A&M versus Oklahoma could be the showdown that ultimately decides the Big 12 Conference champion.
It's nice having the Aggies and the 12th Man back to relevance in college football.
The Big 12 South will be as hotly contested as it has ever been with the Sooners and Aggies, Texas and Oklahoma State and even Texas Tech and Baylor.
16. Oregon Ducks at Arizona Wildcats, Sept. 24
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Nick Foles is back at Arizona. Darron Thomas and LaMichael James are back at Oregon. This could be one of the Ducks rare tests in its quest to three-peat as Pac-10 champions.
Arizona has risen closer and closer to the cusp of greatness and may be ready to break through. To do so, the Wildcats will have to take care of the Ducks.
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Cardinal, Nov. 26
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Is it premature to start thinking about Notre Dame's BCS possibilities? Probably, but you know the inevitable, over-the-top hype machine is going to start up. The Irish will beat South Florida in their opener and just get into the Top 25.
Notre Dame did gain some momentum at the end of the season in 2010 and could be ready to step back up to its expectations. If so, a game against the Cardinal would be crucial to boosting the BCS ranking.
14. Nebraska Cornhuskers at Wisconsin Badgers, Oct. 1
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Welcome to the Big Ten, Nebraska. How about a trip to Camp Randall to take on what is likely the toughest team in the conference?
The Cornhuskers better make sure their run defense is ready to go if they want their first go-around in the Big Ten to be successful. Can't wait for this game.
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys At. Texas A&M Aggies, Sept. 24
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This game ranks high because of the novelty. Having the Cowboys and the Aggies with such high expectations and playing each other in a huge game is rare.
With Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden slinging the rock for Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, respectively, this should end up a shootout.
12. Ohio State Buckeyes at Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oct. 8
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If Nebraska is looking for a big win in its first Big Ten home game, it can notch one when Ohio State visits.
This game has to have Buckeye fans a little leery, especially if the Cornhuskers have Taylor Martinez playing at his best.
Nebraska is renowned for its great fans. They may be a little less nice on this day.
11. Missouri Tigers at Arizona State Sun Devils, Sept. 10
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This should be a good out-of-conference game for both teams looking for an early season boost. Missouri is looking to sustain momentum and Arizona State is trying to get some.
The Sun Devils have a lot of talent but so do the Tigers. Whoever comes out on the right side of this one will have confidence to go along with their expected top-25 rankings.
10.Georgia Bulldogs at Boise State Broncos (Atlanta), Sept. 3
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If Boise State wants to be in BCS discussions again, it will need to beat Georgia in a virtual home game for the Bulldogs.
Moving to the Mountain West helps the Broncos' reputation and playing high-profile teams in those teams' own backyards and winning does as well.
Mark Richt could use a win here to wash away the shortcomings of 2010.
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys at Missouri Tigers, Oct. 22
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Missouri and Oklahoma State are two Big 12 programs that have made themselves mainstays in the public consciousness over the past few seasons.
The Cowboys are as high as they've ever been. Mizzou is considered to have enough talent to offset the loss of star quarterback Blaine Gabbert to the NFL Draft.
This should be a fantastic Big 12 North vs. Big 12 South game.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers, Nov. 26
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Auburn is going to take a step back. Sorry, Tiger fans, Cam Newton and Nick Fairley were everything to this team.
But a step back from national champions doesn't mean a team falls off the face of the Earth. Auburn will still have a good team.
With Alabama possibly getting back in national title contention, this could be one of the most crucial games of the year.
7. Oklahoma Sooners at Florida State Seminoles, Sept. 17
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There are some seriously high expectations circulating for Florida State for 2011—maybe too high.
This game is the Seminoles' chance to prove that the expectations aren't too high.
Of course, the Sooners have extremely high aspirations as well. This could be one of the first top-10 match-ups of the season.
6. LSU Tigers at Oregon Ducks (Dallas), Sept. 3
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LSU could have made an argument with Boise State as being the most deserving team left out of the BCS last season.
The Tigers get a ton of talent back and will have quarterback Jordan Jefferson—who looked pretty good in the Cotton Bowl—back with another year under his belt.
Oregon will be looking to exact revenge against the SEC for its BCS title game loss to Auburn.
5. Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio State Buckeyes, Oct. 29
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Ohio State may have an uphill battle to claim its eighth straight Big Ten title. After five key players miss five games due to suspensions, including their Big Ten opener against Michigan State, Ohio State has to visit Nebraska and could be in an 0-2 hole.
However, if the Buckeyes somehow go 2-0 or 1-1 in those first two games, their matchup with Wisconsin will have gigantic implications.
The Badgers will still be in the conference hunt at this point, making it a big game either way.
4. Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan State Spartans, Oct. 22
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After further review, the Big Ten is sticking with its Legends and Leaders division names. Ugh.
Anyway, Michigan State and Wisconsin could be playing a preview of the Big Ten Conference championship game.
The Spartans are the favorite in the Legends division and the Badgers are the favorite in the Leaders divisions. That just sounds so dumb, but it's what we have to live with.
3. Oregon Ducks at Stanford Cardinal, Sept. Nov. 11
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Stanford is going to do what it can to carry on without Jim Harbaugh. The Cardinal has Andrew Luck back, so that's a great and unexpected start.
The Stanford and Oregon game could be as close to a Pac-10 championship game as we'll get in 2011. Both offenses will be ready to go. Whoever brings the most defense should win.
2. Oklahoma Sooners at Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nov. 26
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Oklahoma State has quarterback Brandon Tweeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, key components to its explosive offense, back in 2011.
Oklahoma has Landry Jones and a slew of talented offensive players. Bedlam will be rocking. Could this decide a national title game participant?
1. LSU Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide, Nov. 5
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The fifth Nick Saban Bowl is going to be as heated as the first four. Both teams could very well be in the top five and looking to get in each others' way to an SEC title and possibly a national title.
What has become one of the most fervent and fun rivalries in all of college football won't get any less fantastic in 2011. It could be the best game we see all year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
