College Football Predictions: 10 Teams Likely to Choke in 2011
Whenever sports fans hear the word choke or choking, they tend to think about Reggie Miller or Latrell Sprewell or even Bobby Knight.
But we're not here to talk about the physical act of choking. Rather, we're here to talk about that "other" form of choking.
As defined by urbandictionary.com, a "choke artist" is "completely failing to succeed. Building up a season full of hype and sh*****g the bed unmercifully."
So when the 2011 college football season rolls around, who will be the teams that, um, "crap the bed unmercifully?"
Well, let's take a look at the top 10 teams who are most likely to be gasping for air at season's end.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes
1 of 10
Ohio State will find itself in a tricky situation in 2011, with five key players—including DeVier Posey and Terrelle Pryor—missing the first five games because of suspension.
Sure, the Buckeyes play powder puffs like Akron and Colorado during that span, but they also have to go on the road to face Miami in addition to hosting Michigan State.
Not to mention that the first game back for the suspended players will be against Nebraska in Lincoln, and Ohio State still has to take on Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan later in the season.
If the Buckeyes slip up early on and Pryor's a bit rusty in his first game back, then this could be a rough season for Jim Tressel's bunch.
9. Boise State Broncos
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In Boise State's first year in the Mountain West, Kellen Moore will be without his two favorite targets, Titus Young and Austin Pettis, which could make for a rough transition to 2011.
The Broncos have the potential to start the season off with a loss, as they'll take on an up-and-coming Georgia team in the Chick-Fil-A College Kickoff.
Boise State also has the much-anticipated rematch with Nevada, potential trap games against Air Force and San Diego State and a huge conference showdown with fellow non-AQ powerhouse TCU.
Though the Broncos will likely be good once again in 2011, the team's schedule is less favorable than it has been in recent years when they played in the WAC.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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One of the most talked about stories in 2011 will be how Nebraska performs in its first season in the Big Ten...and the Cornhuskers might not fare all that well.
Bo Pelini's squad will get another shot at Washington in Week 3—remember their terrible Holiday Bowl performance?—but the team's schedule really gets juicy in early October.
Nebraska will have to go on the road to face Wisconsin, then host Ohio State and Michigan State in a four-game span before finishing the season with road games at Penn State and Michigan and a home game against Iowa.
It could be a rude welcome for the Cornhuskers in their new conference.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Virginia Tech Hokies
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It's not Virginia Tech's schedule that should worry Hokie fans in 2011, as the team doesn't play in a very tough conference or have any really difficult non-conference games.
But the Hokies will be trying to do what no team likes to do: replace a ton of offensive star power.
Virginia Tech lost quarterback Tyrod Taylor to graduation and running backs Darren Evans and Ryan Williams to the NFL.
Those players were arguably the Hokies' top three offensive weapons in 2010, and they can't simply be replaced overnight.
If several players can't step up in their absence, it could be a long season for Va. Tech (maybe not one that sees them lose to James Madison, though).
6. Oregon Ducks
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Looking at Oregon's 2011 schedule, there are plenty of potential slip-ups in Pac-10 play, like road games at Arizona and Stanford or home games against USC and Oregon State.
But the game to circle is the Sept. 3 clash with the LSU Tigers.
Both squads will likely enter the season as Top Five preseason teams and will be among the early national title contenders.
However, Oregon's time at the top could be relatively short-lived if the Ducks fall victim to defeat in the team's first game of the season.
You could say the same thing for LSU, too.
5. Texas A&M Aggies
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After Texas A&M won its final six regular season games in 2010, fans and analysts across the country were jumping on the Aggies bandwagon.
In fact, Texas A&M will probably be ranked in the Top Five of the preseason polls despite a poor showing against LSU in the Cotton Bowl in the team's 2010 finale.
But the Aggies really are setting themselves up for failure.
They've got to face Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas at home, Arkansas at a neutral site and Texas Tech, Kansas State and Oklahoma on the road.
Anyone else see Texas A&M losing at least two of those games?
4. Connecticut Huskies
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After making a magical run to the BCS in 2010, Connecticut was destroyed by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, and Randy Edsall bolted the school to accept the head coaching position at Maryland.
The Huskies will be transitioning to the Paul Pasqualoni era, and he appears to be a good fit for a UConn school that plays in a weak Big East conference.
But you have to wonder if Connecticut will perform like it did in conference play last season or like it did against Oklahoma.
If it's the latter, then Husky fans might want to brace themselves—the 2011 season could be a step back toward the bottom of the Big East.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
8 of 10
It's Notre Dame. Come on, you know you're expecting the team's season to end in disaster.
In all seriousness, though, the Fighting Irish will be thrown into the fire right away, with September games against South Florida, Michigan, Michigan State and Pittsburgh.
A 2-2 or even 1-3 record certainly isn't out of the question there.
Then, Notre Dame still has October games against USC and Navy before finishing the season off with November games against Maryland, Boston College and Stanford.
Brian Kelly is well-known for showing constant improvement at his schools, but a 6-6 or 7-5 season at Notre Dame is a very real possibility.
2. Florida State Seminoles
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The expectations in Tallahassee are quite lofty for 2011.
After Florida State raked in its third-straight top 10 recruiting class—and the No. 1 overall class of 2011, according to ESPN—great things are expected of Jimbo Fisher's team this season.
But the Seminoles have had just one 10-win season since 2004 and have two huge stumbling blocks that could prevent them from a run at a national championship.
Florida State takes on Oklahoma in its third game of the season—one year after the Sooners destroyed the Seminoles, 47-17—and Florida in the regular-season finale.
A loss in one or both of those games could end the Seminoles' national championship aspirations.
1. Auburn Tigers
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Though Auburn did land the No. 3 recruiting class for 2011, according to ESPN, Cam Newton is gone, Nick Fairley's gone and so are underrated contributors like Mario Fannin, Darvin Adams and Kodi Burns.
Those huge losses, coupled with the Tigers' schedule, spell doom for Auburn.
They'll host Mississippi State, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama, while going on the road to take on Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia.
While they're attempting to win those games, Newton will be slinging passes in the NFL.
Auburn may go from playing for a national championship in 2010 to struggling for a decent bowl bid in 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
