College Football 2011: The Single Biggest Question Facing Every Top 25 Program
Unfortunately for fans across the country, football is officially over until next fall.
But with analysts already throwing out their top-25 predictions for next year's college football season, it is never too early to look ahead.
Most preseason polls have Oklahoma as the consensus pick heading into the 2011 season. National Championship runner-up Oregon breaks most top-five lists, and the defending champion Tigers of Auburn have been as low as No. 20 in some lists across the country.
Regardless of where these teams are picked to finish the 2011 season, the fact remains that every one of them have major questions heading into the season.
Let's take a look at ESPN writer Mark Schlabach's top-25 list for 2011, and break down the single biggest question facing all 25 programs.
25. West Virginia: How Do The Mountaineers Replace Running Back Noel Devine?
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Noel Devine was one of the most consistent running backs in college football over the past four years.
The speedy tailback rushed for over 900 yards in three straight seasons, including a 1,465-yard, 13-touchdown output in 2009.
Devine was a mainstay in the Mountaineers' backfield since he arrived on campus. Now West Virginia has a big void to fill at the running back position heading into 2011.
24. Mississippi State: Are They Legitimate SEC Contenders?
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The Bulldogs closed out their season with a memorable 52-14 blowout victory over Michigan in the Gator Bowl.
During their 2010 campaign, Mississippi State beat the likes of Florida, Georgia and Kentucky, but they also lost every game against top dogs like Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Arkansas.
With a strong cast returning on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, is this the year that Dan Mullen's team can build off their bowl win and take the next step to contend with the big shots in the SEC? We shall see.
23. Florida: How Will The Gators Fare Under New Head Coach Will Muschamp?
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Urban Meyer shocked the college football world by declaring that this past season would be his last in Gainesville. With that, in comes former Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to take over a program that struggled mightily in 2010.
The Gators return a lot of talent next season, including a wide variety of quarterbacks to choose from, which was one of their many concerns last year.
The question here is how long will it take for Muschamp to get the Gators back to their winning ways. It's always tough to say when you play in the SEC, which will be stacked from top to bottom again in 2011.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Texas: How Will They Recover From a Dreadful 2010 Season?
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The Texas Longhorns failed to make a bowl game in 2010. Yeah, take a minute for it to sink in if it hasn't already, because it's as shocking to everyone as it is to you.
For the first time since 1997, Texas finished under .500 and did not make a bowl game. It was uncharacteristic of one of the most successful college football programs over the past 50 years.
Now, how will the Longhorns recover and get back to their winning ways in 2011? The talent is there, the great coach still remains, now the results just have to come on the field.
21. Arizona State: After a Good 2010 Season, Can ASU Take The Next Step In 2011?
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Arizona State posted a 6-6 record in 2010, but of those six losses, four of them were by four points or less.
The Sun Devils expect to have 21 starters back from a team that was so close to being top-25 in 2010. Dennis Erickson knows what he's doing and has all the pieces in place to make this team a competitor in the Pac-10.
Now can they take that next step and turn those close losses into victories?
20. Virginia Tech: How Will They Replace Tyrod Taylor?
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There might not be a player who meant more to his team over a four-year college career than Tyrod Taylor meant to Virgina Tech.
In his four years playing for the Hokies, Taylor passed for over 7,000 yards and 44 touchdowns. What's even more impressive is that Virgina Tech posted a record of 42-13 during Taylor's four years, including an eye-popping 26-6 in ACC play.
The heir apparent to Taylor is 6'6", 242-pound Logan Thomas. If he can put up half the numbers that Taylor posted in his career, that should be considered a success.
19. Nebraska: How Will They Fare In The Big Ten?
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers will enter their first season playing in the Big Ten Conference. A number of teams made the decision to switch conferences this season, but Nebraska is the biggest.
If Taylor Martinez can find some form of consistency in 2011, then Nebraska's offense should be in good hands. The defense returns some good talent and should be strong.
The Big Ten was good this year, and should be good again next season. It will be interesting to see if Nebraska can compete with the likes of Ohio State and Wisconsin.
18. TCU: How Do They Replace Andy Dalton at Quarterback?
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The best answer to this question is simple: You don't.
Andy Dalton will leave TCU as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in not only school history, but in all of college football.
He has passed for over 10,000 yards and 71 touchdowns during his four years as the Horned Frogs' starting quarterback. He capped off his final season in the most memorable way, with a victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.
Casey Pachall is next in line to take over, so all we can do is wait and see how this transition goes.
17. Auburn: Do They Have The Pieces To Repeat As Champs?
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Auburn had one of the most memorable seasons in college football history last season.
A perfect 13-0 record, a National Championship, a Heisman Trophy winner, those type of accolades just don't all come together that often, but it did, and it was a season for the ages.
Now with the loss of Cam Newton, Nick Fairley and Darvin Adams, do the Tigers have the pieces to repeat?
All signs point to no, but with how impressive Gene Chizik was in 2010, you really shouldn't put it past them.
16. Missouri: Is James Franklin The Next Great Missouri Quarterback?
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After Chase Daniel came Blaine Gabbert, and now after Gabbert departs for the NFL, in comes sophomore James Franklin.
In limited action this season, Franklin completed 11 of 14 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. He has been tagged as the next big thing to come through Missouri, so the expectations are there.
Missouri has produced some good quarterbacks, now all we can go is wait and see if Franklin will be the next big name.
15. Michigan State: After Winning a Big Ten Title, Can MSU Take The Next Step?
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The Spartans will be coming off an outstanding 2010 campaign where they won their first Big Ten championship in 20 years.
Mark Dantonio's club returns a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but now the question will be are the Spartans ready to take that next step and be a national contender?
After only one bowl appearance from 2002-06, the Spartans have made a bowl game in four straight seasons under Dantonio, but they have yet to win one of those bowl games. In fact, MSU has not won a bowl game since 2001, when they defeated Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Bowl.
Like I said, Sparty has all the pieces in place to take that next step as a contender and finally win a bowl game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins will make sure to put an end to that streak in 2011.
14. Notre Dame: Will Dayne Crist Come Back Healthy?
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This might be a little high in the rankings for the Fighting Irish, considering the program has not won more than eight games in a season since 2006. But nonetheless, Notre Dame will have some questions to answer heading into 2011.
One question that stands out: What type of player will Dayne Crist be after coming back from a season-ending injury?
Crist started the year looking like a very reliable college quarterback, but a ruptured patella tendon in his left knee ended his season. If he can come back healthy and strong in 2011, then the Irish have a chance to win more than eight games.
13. Texas A&M: Can They Find Some Form Of Consistency In 2011?
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There isn't one team in the country who can say that they had the type of up-and-down season like Texas A&M did.
After starting off 3-0 and looking like a legitimate top-25 team, the Aggies lost their first three conference games and looked to be a pretender rather than a contender. But then another run closed out the regular season with six straight wins, including victories over Oklahoma and Nebraska, both of which were ranked in the top-10 for the majority of the season.
Can this team find some form of consistency? They have the talent to be one of the best in 2011.
12. Wisconsin: Who Will Be The Badgers' Next Quarterback?
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Gone is Scott Tolzien, and in come potential replacements. So who will his replacement be?
Jon Budmayr, Joe Brennan and Nate Tice are the three guys that will fight it out in spring practice to see who will be the Badgers' starting quarterback.
Whoever it will be, they have the luxury of handing the ball off to what should be one of the best backfields in the country yet again.
11. South Carolina: Does This Team Have What It Takes to Win It All?
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From the looks on paper, the answer to this question should be yes.
The Gamecocks have one of the most explosive offenses in the country with arguably the best running back and receiver in the country. If Stephen Garcia can continue to build and improve on his 2010 campaign, South Carolina could very well be the top team in college football when it's all said and done.
The talent is there. Will this group be able to deliver on the field? All we can do is wait and see.
10. Ohio State: How Will The Five Suspensions Shape Their Season?
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Not one team has a bigger question to be answered than the Ohio State Buckeyes.
With five of their top players suspended for the first five games of 2011, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, it will be interesting to see how this team fares. Not all of them are pancake games either, as the Buckeyes will have to face Miami (Fla.) and Michigan State.
This should be the biggest question mark heading into 2011. No questions asked.
9. Stanford: How Will The Cardinal Respond After The Departure of Jim Harbaugh?
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In one of the biggest stories of the offseason, former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh decided to bolt from Palo Alto and take the next step to the NFL.
The good news is that All-American quarterback Andrew Luck decided to return, and should be the top quarterback in the country heading into 2011.
So how will the Cardinal fare with a new coach? Former offensive coordinator David Shaw takes over the position, which should be a smooth transition for Luck and the gang.
8. Arkansas: Will The Razorbacks Turn Into a Run-First Team Now?
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The Arkansas Razorbacks aired it out as much as any team in the country last season. With a guy who possesses a cannon arm like Ryan Mallett behind center, that was a perfect option for them.
But with Mallett moving onto the pros and running back Knile Davis coming off a spectacular 2010 campaign and returning next season, will Arkansas shift their focus to being more of a run-first team?
If Davis put up over 1,300 yards in an offense that was pass-first, it is scary to think about the type of numbers he could post in a running offense.
7. Florida State: Is E.J. Manuel Worth The Hype?
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It might be fair to say that E.J. Manuel has been the most popular backup quarterback in college football history during his first two years in Tuscaloosa.
Now with Christian Ponder moving onto the NFL, this will be Manuel's team and he will have his chance to show the college football world just how good he is.
With all the hype that he has received since coming out of high school, Jimbo Fisher and crew better hope that he is as good as everyone thinks.
6. Oklahoma State: Is This The Year That The Cowboys Take The Next Step?
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Oklahoma State very well could be one of the most talented teams in college football.
Quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon made the decision to return to school this year with a vision of leading this team to big things in Stillwater.
The Cowboys have ran off 29 combined wins over the past three seasons and were just one win away from making a BCS bowl this past year. Saddle up folks, the best game of 2011 could be an interstate rivalry.
5. Boise State: How Do They Replace Two Outstanding Wide Receivers?
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The Broncos return the majority of a defense that ranked second in the nation in points allowed.
Also back is All-American Kellen Moore and running back Doug Martin. But the biggest hole the Broncos might have a very difficult time replacing are ones left by receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young.
The duo of Pettis and Young combined for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2010. They made Moore's job as easy as could be. It will be very interesting to see who Moore calls on to step up and fill that giant void.
4. LSU: Is This Les Miles' Best Team Yet?
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The Tigers are loaded from top to bottom, with eight starters back on offense and at least seven starters back on D.
Les Miles led the Tigers to the 2007 National Championship with a team that finished the season with two losses. But with all that he has returning this year, could this team be the best in his seven years coaching at LSU?
LSU has to be looked at as a serious national title contender heading into the season. If they are able to win it all, maybe that will finally get people to jump on the Les Miles bandwagon in Baton Rouge.
3. Oregon: Can The Ducks Put The Title Game Behind Them and Win It All?
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Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks were oh so close this past season. They finished the year with an undefeated record and came up just short in a memorable National Championship game.
Losing three offensive lineman and two starting linebackers hurts, but the Ducks return a ton of talent at the skill positions including both Darron Thomas and LaMichael James.
In fact, with another outstanding recruiting class coming in this season, Oregon might have even more team speed in 2011. Now that's a scary thought.
2. Alabama: How Do They Replace So Many Big Losses and Who Will Start at QB?
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Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy, Julio Jones, Marcell Dareus. The list can continue if need be.
These are all the valuable pieces that Nick Saban will have to replace heading into the 2011 season. His offense will have a completely new look to it, and his defense will be without their best interior playmaker.
The big question here is who will start at quarterback?
The leading candidates are Phillip Sims and A.J. McCarron, both of who were highly recruited players coming out of high school. This should be the best position battle in all of college football.
1. Oklahoma: Are They a Legitimate No. 1 Team?
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The Oklahoma Sooners seem to be the popular pick as the No. 1 team in the country heading into 2011. But the question here has to be why?
For starters, quarterback Landry Jones, wide receiver Ryan Broyles and linebacker Travis Lewis all return and are amongst the best players at all three positions.
Bob Stoops has been grooming this crew of stars for this upcoming season, and now that it is fast approaching, the college football world awaits to see how they will react with that No. 1 ranking attached to their name.
As the Black Eyed Peas say, let's get it started!
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
