College Football Predictions: 10 Things to Get Excited About Heading Into 2011
The Super Bowl is officially over and the only guaranteed football we have for 2011 is at the collegiate level; there will be an NFL Scouting Combine and an NFL Draft but that is it.
National Signing Day has come and gone, but we still have one major decision that could change the landscape for next season.
There is no shortage of story lines for the 2011 season and with new faces in new places, as well as some re-emerging programs, there is bound to be fireworks early and often.
The 2011 college football season is a bit far off but here are 10 things to get excited about as it draws closer.
10. Boise State in the Mountain West Conference
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Boise State is joining the Mountain West Conference in 2011. For only one season we will get to see action between the Broncos and the TCU Horned Frogs in regular season play as conference rivals.
The Rose Bowl champions lost a lot of talent this season and will certainly not be the same dominant team we saw play this season.
Boise State also lost some talent but returns Kellen Moore under center and his presence alone gives the Broncos the edge in the battle for the Mountain West.
The Broncos will take on Georgia in the Georgia Dome in their season opener and then will play the Mountain West Conference schedule. It will be fun to see how they fare this season.
9. The New Pac-12
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Colorado and Utah are joining the Pac-10 Conference, creating a the new Pac-12.
New divisions, with a conference championship game at season's end, will create more bitter rivalries between teams that are accustomed to doing battle in the two new divisions.
The Pac-12 North division will be Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford and California.
The Pac-12 South division will be USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.
Both newcomers will have to gear up quickly to battle with USC, Arizona and Arizona State this season.
A new Pac-12 Championship Game is something to get excited about.
8. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish may finally get it this season, and whether you love or hate the Irish, it's an exciting thing for the new season.
The return of wide receiver Michael Floyd is a huge help to the Irish offense. They landed a top 10 recruiting class and Kelly's system should take hold after Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees decide who the starting quarterback will be.
The Irish closed out the 2010 season with a thumping of Miami in the Sun Bowl and should come into this season on a high note.
They play Michigan State and USC at home this season and close out the season against Stanford in Palo Alto, a game that could have late-season ramifications for postseason play.
Again, love or hate the Irish, they may finally put some things together this season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Incoming Freshmen
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Jadeveon Clowney, the nation's top recruit, has not yet announced where he will be playing football next season but almost everyone else has.
Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Texas, USC and Georgia all landed some serious talent that could make them even better programs early in 2011 and there are certainly a ton of incoming freshmen that will make their presence felt across the country.
Georgia's new running back, Isaiah Crowell, should be an early player, Florida's quarterback Jeff Driskel could push for playing time in Gainesville.
Clemson linebacker Tony Steward is ready to go, running back Aaron Green of Nebraska should get carries in the Cornhusker backfield, Malcolm Brown will get touches at running back for Texas and USC receiver George Farmer will get early looks as well.
There will certainly be a bunch of other freshmen that leave their marks on 2011 and it will be exciting to watch these young players grow.
6. SEC Quarterback Controversy
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The nation's best conference has some serious questions at the quarterback position for some of it's top teams.
Alabama, LSU and Florida will have some tough decisions to make under center and it could take all summer for us to figure these gigs out.
The Crimson Tide will decide between A.J. McCarron and Phillip Simms while LSU coach Les Miles will have to decide whether to stick with Jordan Jefferson or go with highly-regarded JUCO transfer Zach Mettenberger.
Miles is no stranger to using a dual-quarterback system but Bama's Nick Saban will likely pick one and stick with him.
Florida's quarterback situation is quite crazy. New offensive coordinator Charlie Weis will have as many as four quarterbacks to play with, consisting of John Brantley, Trey Burton, Jordan Reed and freshman Jeff Driskel.
New head coach Will Muschamp has a lot of talent and he is bringing in a few more stars, but figuring out the quarterback position will likely rest with Weis and it will be a big decision.
5. Oregon Vs. LSU and Florida State Vs. Oklahoma
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Two early non-conference battles between four of the nation's top teams could have serious title ramifications.
Oklahoma is the early preseason No. 1 team and will have to prove it belongs there with a trip to Florida State on September 17, 2011.
This is likely the toughest road game of the season for the Sooners, which feel they are one of the early-season favorites for the title.
Florida State is the early ACC favorite this season and could get involved in the national title picture with a big win over the Sooners at home.
Oregon, the loser of this season's BCS title game, will have a long road back to another title game and it will start in Arlington, Texas against LSU.
The Tigers believe they have the talent to make a run through the SEC and believe they can keep the national championship trophy in the conference for another season in 2011. Beating Oregon at a neutral site will be a great start.
4. The New Big Ten
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Nebraska makes the jump to the Big Ten and joins the Legends Division.
The Blackshirts will regularly battle Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota.
In 2011 they will travel to Wisconsin, then play Ohio State at home in early October.
New rivalries among the Cornhuskers and all the Big Ten teams will make for an exciting topic throughout much of the season.
If Nebraska can beat the Badgers and the Buckeyes in back-to-back weeks, they could likely take the Big Ten title in their first season in the conference.
3. Top Returning Talent
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While a lot of underclassmen made the move towards the NFL in the face of a potential work stoppage, a solid amount of talent returned to play football on Saturdays.
Oklahoma got leading receiver Ryan Broyles and linebacker Travis Lewis back.
Alabama lost a lot of talent but has safety Mark Barron and linebacker Dont'a Hightower returning to lead the Tide defense.
Oregon has Darron Thomas and LaMichael James in the backfield, USC has Matt Barkley at quarterback, Notre Dame got receiver Michael Floyd back, Ohio State has Terrelle Pryor (after a five game suspension).
Boise State has Kellen Moore, Oklahoma State has quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon and Texas A&M returns three big-time starters in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Cyrus Gray and wide receiver Jeff Fuller.
All of these playmakers have their programs in the preseason Top 25 and will continue to play solid football in 2011.
There is also that quarterback out on The Farm...
2. Andrew Luck
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Considered the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the country this season, Andrew Luck decided to return to college and complete his education.
The early favorite for the Heisman Trophy, Luck will have a big obstacle to overcome without the guidance of former coach Jim Harbaugh, but he is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning.
His love for the game and desire to get better is something to watch and to have him on the field in 2011 will be a huge plus for college football.
1. The Only Game
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The potential work stoppage in the NFL is very, very real.
While nobody truly benefits from there being no NFL football in 2011, the college game stands to be the only real thing around.
Increased exposure, added emphasis on the game, and a plethora of new fans who have "never been fans of the college game" or "don't do the college game," will have no choice if the NFL is really not playing on Sundays.
Again, nobody benefits without NFL football, but at least we would have extra coverage of the college game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
