College Football 2011: The 25 Worst BCS Teams for Next Season
There will be a lot to be excited about in college football next season, but the following 25 teams will most likely not cause any excitement next year.
The following list takes into account factors such as last year's record, upcoming schedule, returning players and recruits.
These teams would also be wise to avoid making plans of being in New Orleans come Jan. 9, 2012, unless they would like to watch the BCS National Championship game from the stands.
25. Iowa Hawkeyes
1 of 25
2010 record: 8-5
At one point last season, Iowa was 7-2 and in contention for the Big Ten championship. The Hawkeyes went on to lose their last three regular season games before defeating Missouri in the Insight Bowl.
While the season ended on a positive note, the offseason began on a sour one.
Recently, 13 players were hospitalized with a rare muscle disorder called rhabdomyolysis, calling into question the workouts that were taking place at Iowa.
On the field, Iowa is also dealing with question marks. Gone is quarterback Ricky Stanzi as well as the school's all-time leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. The defense also lost some key players, including safety Tyler Sash, who left early for the NFL Draft.
The Hawkeyes did bring in a top-30 recruiting class, which is one reason for optimism.
24. California Golden Bears
2 of 25
2010 record: 5-7
The good news for Cal fans is that Jeff Tedford, coming off his first losing season at the school, put together a very good recruiting class, ranked No. 17 by Rivals.com. The list includes cornerback Stefan McClure, which was a position of need heading into this season.
The bad news is the Golden Bears still have a major hole at quarterback.
On the bright side, however, Cal alum Aaron Rodgers just won the Super Bowl, so that's something for Cal fans to hang their hats on.
23. Washington Huskies
3 of 25
2010 record: 7-6
The Huskies ended last season on a four-game winning streak, including a win over Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.
Now UW must move on without Jake Locker, who was the team's starting quarterback for the past four seasons. Keith Price has the inside track to take over for Locker, but Nick Montana could also be given a chance.
The Huskies had the No. 23 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, led by 4-star recruit Kasen Williams. He will make life much easier for whomever takes over at quarterback.
But with change at not only quarterback but also the offensive line, this seems more like a rebuilding year for Washington.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Illinois Illini
4 of 25
2010 record: 7-6
Illinois' 2010 season ended on a positive note with its 38-14 drubbing of Baylor in the Texas Bowl, but most of that momentum will likely be lost due to the fact that the team lost many key players to the NFL.
That includes running back Mikel Leshoure, who ran for 1,697 yards and 17 touchdowns this past season. Senior Jason Ford will have big shoes to fill.
The Illini have 27 members of their recruiting class, but only had the No. 42 class according to Rivals.com. They brought a good amount of players in, but it remains to be seen how many of them will actually be able to contribute.
The defense could also be suspect with the team losing four of their top six tacklers from last season.
This is another team that will just need time to develop.
21. Syracuse Orange
5 of 25
2010 record: 8-5
Syracuse struggled to sign any top recruits, and will also have to deal with the losses of linebackers Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith.
The Orange did add highly regarded running back Adonis Ameen-Moore. Moore is known for his power running style, and will be someone to keep an eye on.
20. Louisville Cardinals
6 of 25
2010 record: 7-6
The Cardinals lost star running back Bilal Powell as well as quarterback Justin Burke. These are just two of the many questions surrounding this Cardinals team.
According to Rivals.com, Louisville had the No. 30 recruiting class.
19. Arizona Wildcats
7 of 25
2010 record: 7-6
The Wildcats finished off last season on a five-game losing streak, including a blowout loss at the hands Oklahoma State.
The biggest question mark facing Arizona is the offensive line, where the Wildcats lost their top seven players. That kind of loss will be tough to recover from in just one year.
Nick Foles was a bright spot for the team last year, and he returns for his senior season.
18. Cincinnati Bearcats
8 of 25
2010 record: 4-8
Fresh of a disappointing season that saw the Bearcats go 4-8, they had the No. 48 recruiting class according to Rivals.com.
The highlight of the class is running back Jameel Poteat, who had committed to Pittsburgh but then changed his mind.
Zach Collaros returns this season, but was very inconsistent last year as a starter. Life will only get more difficult without receiver Armon Binns.
17. Kansas State Wildcats
9 of 25
2010 record: 7-6
The biggest question mark facing the Wildcats this season is the defense. It ranked last in the Big 12 last season, so a big improvement must be made.
Defensive tackle Vaikalafi Lutui will try and fix the problems on defense.
On a positive note, the team landed 5-star recruit Bryce Brown.
16. Oregon State Beavers
10 of 25
2010 record: 5-7
The Beavers lost four of their last five games this past season, and now will have to deal with the loss of Jacquizz Rodgers, who ran for 3,877 yards in his three years at Oregon State.
The team did load up on offensive weapons as part of their recruiting class, including 4-star receiver Brandin Cooks.
Kevin Frahm will also have to step up in place of Stephen Paea at defensive tackle.
There is promise, but they seem too young to make an impact this year.
15. Purdue Boilermakers
11 of 25
2010 record: 4-8
The Boilermakers got off to a 4-2 start last season, but then went on to lose their final six games, including an embarrassing 49-0 loss to Ohio State.
The team only managed 19.7 points per game, good for 105th in the country.
The team brings in a versatile yet underwhelming recruiting class, so things don't look like they will be getting much better this year at Purdue.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
12 of 25
2010 record: 6-7
The Yellow Jackets led the nation in rushing yards last year at 323.3 yards per game. However, they lost both running back Anthony Allen and quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, who together combined for 2,053 rushing yards.
The team signed quarterback Vad Lee as part of their recruiting class, but he likely won't be ready to contribute this year. The class was ranked No. 41 by Rivals.com.
The defense is promising, but will likely struggle early on.
The Jackets lost most of what they did best, meaning they might struggle to even get back to last year's record of 6-7.
13. Mississippi Rebels
13 of 25
2010 record: 4-8
The Rebels' problems began and ended with defense last season as they gave up 35.2 points per game on their way to a 4-8 record, including a 1-7 record in SEC play.
Five-star recruit C.J. Johnson will go a long way in helping to fix the defense. The recruiting class as a whole was ranked No. 18 by Rivals.com, so there is hope for the future.
Still, it will be hard to fix this defense in just one year, meaning the Rebels will likely endure another long year.
12. Colorado Buffaloes
14 of 25
2010 record: 5-7
New coach Jon Embree got off to a late start in recruiting, and in the end it showed.
Offensive lineman Pauley Asiata was the bright spot of the class, and should make an impact right away.
Given time, Embree could turn the Buffaloes in to a contender in the Pac-12. It just won't be this year.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers
15 of 25
2010 record: 3-9
The Gophers managed to win their last two games of the season after enduring a nine-game losing streak during the middle of the season.
To make matters worse, the team lost quarterback Adam Weber to graduation. Weber was a bright spot amidst the losing streak. Jerry Kill, the team's new coach, plans to shift MarQeuis Gray over from wide receiver to play quarterback.
The team also struggled to recruit, with the class being ranked No. 50 by Rivals.com. That, along with a wideout playing quarterback, will likely spell trouble for the Gophers.
10. Iowa State Cyclones
16 of 25
2010 record: 5-7
The Cyclones struggled in pretty much every facet of the game this past season, so an improvement must be made all across the board.
Quarterback Steele Jantz signed out of junior college, and will likely win the starting position. He has a big upside, but doesn't seem to have too many weapons around him.
Jared Brackens will be a key recruit on the defensive side of the ball, as the team lost both starting safeties from last year.
9. UCLA Bruins
17 of 25
2010 record: 4-8
The Bruins ended the season losing six of their last seven games. Their main issue was putting points on the board, only averaging 20 per game.
Furthermore, the recruiting class was somewhat disappointing by UCLA standards. They had the No. 44 class according to Rivals.com.
The team will get a few offensive linemen back from injury to help out, but the team's skill positions leave a lot to be desired.
It will be another disappointing year for UCLA.
8. Indiana Hoosiers
18 of 25
2010 record: 5-7
There probably isn't another team that has as many question marks as the Hoosiers do.
It starts at the quarterback position. Freshman Tre Roberson has a good amount of potential, but will likely struggle early, as he is expected to land the starting gig right away. If Roberson doesn't play like a freshman, this team could be better than expected.
The defense gave up 34 points per game last season, and that must change as well.
An inconsistent quarterback and shaky defense just might be too much to overcome.
7. Kentucky Wildcats
19 of 25
2010 record: 6-7
The Wildcats put up respectable numbers offensively last year, but those numbers will take a hit this year with the loss of Randall Cobb, who left early for the NFL draft.
The team also had a disappointing recruiting class, ranking 11th out of 12 teams in the SEC according to Rivals.com.
They are very young at running back and wide receiver, and will need multiple players to step up to replace Cobb.
It just isn't likely.
6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
20 of 25
2010 record: 4-8
For a team who ended last season on a six-game losing streak, including giving up 69 points at Cincinnati, they did quite well recruiting. The class ranked No. 32 according to Rivals.com.
Running back Savon Huggins highlights the team's incoming freshmen, and he will have to step up right away and carry the load. The Scarlet Knights only managed 20 points per game last season.
Chas Dodd will likely open the season at quarterback.
5. Washington State Cougars
21 of 25
2010 record: 2-10
The Cougars only won two games this past season, including just one in conference play. They gave up almost 36 points per game, and only managed to score just under 20 points per game.
Plus, they had a very disappointing and weak recruiting class.
That about tells the whole story. They might get back to two wins this year.
Maybe.
4. Kansas Jayhawks
22 of 25
2010 record: 3-9
The Jayhawks didn't lose too much from last year's team, but they didn't gain much either.
Only the slightest of improvements can be expected under second-year coach Turner Gill.
3. Duke Blue Devils
23 of 25
2010 record: 3-9
The Blue Devils' best signing was tight end David Reeves.
In other news, their basketball team is really good.
You can't have it all, right?
2. Vanderbilt Commodores
24 of 25
2010 record: 2-10
There is hope here.
The Commodores' recruiting class turned out better than anyone expected, and this program appears headed in the right direction under James Franklin.
Still, last year they were flat-out awful. I don't see that big of a turnaround in just one year.
1. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
25 of 25
2010 record: 3-9
They are in a similar situation to Duke.
Except that whole having a good basketball team thing.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
