College Football 2011: Predicting the Over-Under Win Total For Every Top 25 Team
The 2010 season is over, so let's take a look at what the 2011 season will bring.
Fifty-six underclassmen left their teams. That shakes up how a few teams will do in 2011.
Some teams took bigger hits than others, but a solid recruiting class can always help a team bounce back.
I'm going by the USA Today Coaches' Top 25 from the end of the season and predicting the over-under. Then I'll tell you why you should bet the over or bet the under.
Let's get it started.
Will North Carolina State Go Over or Under 8.5 Wins in 2011?
1 of 25
Under
Russell Wilson is still questionable about returning to play football again. He's pretty good at baseball.
The Wolfpack are also losing their top wide-outs to graduation. If Wilson doesn't want to play football anymore, it could be a long season for the Wolfpack.
Will Maryland Go Over or Under 8.5 Wins in 2011?
2 of 25
Under
New head coach Randy Edsall inherits a pretty good team. Young quarterback Danny O'Brien will be a sophomore and looking to improve on a solid freshman year.
O'Brien threw for 22 touchdowns. He does lose Torrey Smith to the NFL Draft, which will take a huge hit to the Terrapins. I see a setback year for the Terps. Perhaps a sophomore slump from O'Brien.
The ACC continues to beat up on each other year after year. 2011 won't be any different.
Will Utah Go Over or Under 9 Wins in 2011?
3 of 25
Under
Their first year in the Pac-12 will be an adjustment for the Utes.
They travel to USC, Pittsburgh, Cal and Arizona. They are very fortunate they do not have to play Oregon or Stanford next year.
The Utes used to be a powerhouse in the Mountain West Conference. However, they struggled to get any offense going in their three toughest games against TCU, Notre Dame and Boise State.
2011 will be a struggling year for Utah.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Will South Carolina Go Over or Under 9 Wins in 2011?
4 of 25
Over
They finished the year as SEC East champions for the first time ever. However they would lose their next time games in horrible fashion.
They were embarrassed by Auburn in the SEC Championship game. And in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl they practically handed the game to Florida State.
But Marcus Lattimore returns having a year under his belt. The freshman rushed for over 1,000 yards and will be looking to do the same in 2011.
Connor Shaw heats up the quarterback race against Stephen Garcia. I believe it's Garcia's job to lose. They travel to Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas. They host Navy, Auburn, and Florida.
The SEC East is theirs for the taking once again.
Will Texas A&M Go Over or Under 8.5 Wins in 2011?
5 of 25
Over
The Aggies bring back their top wide-out and running back for 2011. Ryan Tannehill took over as quarterback mid way through the season and started winning.
Tannehill beat Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas. He should be the starter for the entire 2011 season.
Which is good news for the Aggies because once he took over the offense exploded. They averaged 33 points a game for the last six games of the season, which is when Tannehill took over.
Look for the Aggies to continue to roll through 2011.
Will Central Florida Go Over or Under 10 Wins in 2011?
6 of 25
Under
George O'Leary led the Knights to an 11-3 record and beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. His freshman quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey scored a total of 22 touchdowns.
The Knights were 2010 Conference USA Champs. I don't see them repeating this with Case Keenum returning to Houston.
Will Nebraska Go Over or Under 9.5 Wins in 2011?
7 of 25
Under
Nebraska has joined the Big 10 and could have a little setback. They'll be traveling to whole new places and facing different types of teams.
They travel to Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan. They also host Ohio State, Michigan State, and Iowa.
Taylor Martinez had quite the impressive freshman year scoring a total of 22 touchdowns. He was 35 yards shy of rushing for 1,000 yards.
Can they make the transition into the Big 10(technically the Big 12 now)? I'm taking the under.
Will Missouri Go Over or Under 9 Wins in 2011?
8 of 25
Under
Blaine Gabbert is gone. And now Gary Pinkel will have to find a new quarterback to take over. It won't be easy replacing Gabbert.
When you lose a quarterback who is potentially going to be the first one taken in the draft the next season is never easy.
They don't have to face Oklahoma in 2011 but they do travel to Arizona State, and Texas A&M. They'll host Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech.
Will Mississippi State Go Over or Under 8.5 Wins in 2011?
9 of 25
Over
Dan Mullen is an offensive genius. Some say he is the true mastermind behind Florida's National Title runs.
Now that he is a head coach he is proving he belongs in the SEC. He beat Georgia and Florida in the same year, something MSU hadn't done in a long time.
Chris Relf returns looking to create chaos in the SEC West. The Bulldogs aren't a team that will win the conference but they could upset those teams that do.
They travel to Auburn, Georgia, and Arkansas. They'll host LSU, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Will Florida State Go Over or Under 9.5 Wins in 2011?
10 of 25
Over
Jimbo Fisher had a successful first year as the Seminoles head coach. They won ten games, the ACC Atlantic, and the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.
He'll lose Christian Ponder but E.J Manuel takes over at quarterback. Ponder's injuries over the years have given Manuel valuable game experience that will help him in 2011.
Look for the Seminoles to win ten possibly eleven games in 2011. They made the right move in giving Fisher full control.
Will Virginia Tech Go Over or Under 10 Wins in 2011?
11 of 25
Under
They didn't start off 2010 very well but they did finish strong. However I don't see 2011 being a good year for the Hokies.
Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams, and Darren Evans are all gone. Essentially the Hokies entire offense for 2010 will no longer be on the team. That will be very difficult to replace.
Will Michigan State Go Over or Under 10 Wins in 2011?
12 of 25
Over
Kirk Cousins and Edwin Baker return to claim full ownership of the Big 10 title in 2011.
Cousins threw for over 20 touchdowns and Baker rushed for over 1,200 yards. And they'll do it again in 2011.
Mark Dantonio and company will make top ten noise in 2011. They're lucky the Ohio State players are suspended for five games as they play the Buckeyes in week five. However that suspension could be reduced to less than five.
Will Nevada Go Over or Under 9 Wins in 2011?
13 of 25
Over
It won't be easy replacing Colin Kaepernick and leading rusher Vai Taua but the Wolf Pack can still have a strong season in 2011.
Boise State is no longer in the Western Athletic Conference. Nevada's toughest opponent know becomes Hawaii.
Leading receiver Rishard Matthews will still be around and can guide this team to a solid season. After all, they do play in the WAC.
Will Arkansas Go Over or Under 8.5 Wins in 2011?
14 of 25
Under
Tyler Wilson replaces Ryan Mallett as the starting quarterback. Not an easy task to accomplish. He will have Knile Davis and Greg Childs to help ease the pain.
Arkansas toughest road games are at Alabama and at LSU. They'll host Texas A&M, Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.
They could very well lose all of those games. It all depends on good Tyler Wilson can be.
Will Alabama Go Over or Under 9.5 Wins in 2011?
15 of 25
Over
This is Trent Richardson's team now. The departures of Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Greg McElroy leave just Richardson to carry the load. He will shine with the spotlight solely on him.
Nick Saban will bring in another strong recruiting class and Alabama will continue to roll. Their defense will anchor them throughout the season, saving whichever quarterback wins the job.
Tough match ups include hosting LSU and traveling to Penn State, Auburn, Florida, and Mississippi State.
Will Oklahoma State Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
16 of 25
Over
Justin Blackmon deciding to return was phenomenal news for the Cowboys. He and Brandon Weeden will team up and shred through the Big 12.
Kendall Hunter has graduated but watch out for Joseph Randle. The freshman average 5.5 yards per carry. Just the kind of back you want on your team.
Tough match ups include traveling to Texas A&M and Texas. And especially when they host Oklahoma at the end of the season.
Will Wisconsin Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
17 of 25
Under
Scott Tolzien is gone. And so is John Clay.
The Badgers will be led by Montee Ball who scored 18 touchdowns and James White who rushed for over 1,000 yards. There's no question the Badgers will run and run often.
They'll come close to the Big 10 title but the experienced play at quarterback will hurt them a few times this season.
Tough match-ups include traveling to Nebraska, Michigan State, and Ohio State. They're toughest home opponent is Penn State.
Will LSU Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
18 of 25
Over
The mad-hatter is staying. Les Miles may be losing his best running back but LSU will be just fine.
Their tough defense will make crucial plays to lock up wins just like it did this year. However, it will be extremely hard to replace Patrick Peterson.
The quarterback competition could get interesting if Jordan Jefferson doesn't do well. Heavily sough after recruit Zach Mettenberger has a big time arm and could earn the starting spot.
Don't bet against Les. Not many believed in him in 2010 and he overcame a lot of odds with a bit of luck. Don't make the same mistake in 2011.
We'll see what kind of year it will be for LSU as they open their season on a neutral site against the Oregon Ducks.
Will Boise State Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
19 of 25
Over
Kellen Moore returns for his senior season looking to earn a bid to the National Championship game.
The Broncos open the season in the Chick-Fil-A Kick-Off against the Georgia Bulldogs. Boise State made the move to the Mountain West Conference but it isn't much different from previously being in the WAC.
Boise State has a solid shot at making a title run this year. If they beat the Bulldogs in the season opener it will give them great momentum for the rest of the season.
Will Oklahoma Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
20 of 25
Over
Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles return in hopes to dominate the Big 12. They should be able to do it with ease. Jones has matured quite well over the years and having Broyles return will make him much more comfortable in the pocket.
Tough match-ups include traveling to Florida State and Oklahoma State. And although Texas had a down year last season, you never know what can happen in the Red River Rivalry.
Will Ohio State Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
21 of 25
Under
The suspensions of Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Dan Herron, Mike Adams, and Solomon Thomas could ruin the Buckeyes hopes of a national title.
The only games of concern that they would miss would be at Miami and at home against Michigan State. If they can reduce the suspension to possibly four games then they'll get to play against Michigan State.
Can there team rally enough to win the five games they're out? We'll find out how well Jim Tressel has been recruiting.
Will Stanford Go Over or Under 11.5 Wins in 2011?
22 of 25
Over
With the news of Andrew Luck's decision to stay, I think this Cardinal team could go undefeated. Yes they lost head coach Jim Harbaugh but they hired within. The former offensive coordinator David Shaw knows the system well and the Cardinal won't miss a beat in 2011.
Tough match-ups include traveling to USC and Oregon State. They will have to host Oregon, California, and Notre Dame.
Will Oregon Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
23 of 25
Over
LaMichael James and Darron Thomas want revenge. They were this close to a National Title and they're going to do everything they can to get back to the big game.
Tough match-ups include traveling to Arizona and Stanford. They will host Oregon State, California, and USC. The Ducks will also face off against LSU in the first week of the season in Cowboys Stadium.
Will TCU Go Over or Under 11.5 Wins in 2011?
24 of 25
Over
Gary Patterson may be losing his quarterback but his defense can help cover that up. TCU returns one of the best defenses in the country. They played tremendously well against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl and their victory will carry over into 2011.
Replacing Andy Dalton won't be easy but top rushers Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker can also ease the pain. TCU will spend it's last year in the Mountain West in 2011. They hope to close it out with a championship but there's a new team in the conference looking to stir the pot. That would be the Boise State Broncos.
Will Auburn Go Over or Under 10.5 Wins in 2011?
25 of 25
Under
2010 was there year. Mainly because of Cam Newton but they entire team definitely contributed. Newton has left for the NFL as well as Nick Fairely. Two guys that will be extremely hard to replace.
Michael Dyer will be looking to tack on another 1,000 yard rushing season. And his teammate Onterio McCalebb could top 1,000 as well. McCalebb will make up for some of the yardage lost by no longer having Newton on the team.
Tough match-ups include traveling to Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia. In 2010 they only have four away games. 2011 is going to be much harder. Luckily they do get to host Mississippi State and Alabama. Don't be shocked if MSU pulls out the victory this time around.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
