College Football Predictions: What Will 2011 Season Bring for Top 25 Programs?
Spring practices for college football teams are just a few short months away, meaning, despite the fact that the season ended a month and a half ago, it's time to start looking forward to the 2011 season.
For this slideshow, I will be using Mark Schlabach's top 25 list that was posted on ESPN.
Now the opening top 25 for 2011 could end up looking much different, but I think it was good place to start.
We will be taking a look at the top 25 and giving out bold predictions for each team.
Let us know what you think.
25. West Virginia Will Finish the Season In the Top 10
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West Virginia is getting an offensive face lift with the addition of Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator and head coach in training.
The Mountaineers play in one of the weaker automatic qualifier conferences in football, meaning they are going to win a ton of games even if they aren't among the best teams in college football.
Even if West Virginia isn't a national title contender, they could still end up being ranked in the top 10 by season's end because of a group of weaker opponents.
24. Mississippi State Will Be the Surprise of the SEC
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Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen deserves a lot more credit than he is getting for the job he has done rebuilding the Bulldogs. Not only are they a team on the rise, but they could be one of the most underrated teams in America.
In 2011, I believe the Bulldogs will build on a strong 2010 season and could end up third in the SEC and a dark horse BCS team.
While they do have the problem that is playing in the same division as Alabama, they also get to bypass Florida.
23. Florida Will Struggle But Still Have a Ton of Buzz Going Into 2012
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The Florida Gators struggled in their first season PTT (Post Tim Tebow), but to make matters worse, living legend Urban Meyer stepped down at the end of the season for health reasons.
The Gators went out and plucked Will Muschamp from Texas to be their head coach. They also added former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis as their offensive coordinator. It looks like the future is bright for the Gators, but there will be some growing pains along the way.
Weis is expected to bring in a more pro-style offense instead of the spread offense Florida has been accustomed too. 2011 will not be the season for Florida to make a leap, but there will still be a lot of excitement surrounding the program going forward.
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22. Texas Will Be Looking for a Replacement for Mack Brown After Next Year
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2010 was the worst season for Texas since the year before Mack Brown was hired. I know that going through a change on the roster like losing Colt McCoy is really tough to plan for, but the Longhorns appeared to almost forget that they would be without the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.
New Florida coach Will Muschamp was tagged as the next head coach of the Longhorns before he moved to the Gators.
I almost feel like the game has passed Brown by, and unless the Longhorns find a guy to take over in the near future, then they could be looking at a tough next couple of years.
21. Arizona State Will Try Three Different Quarterbacks in 2011
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Arizona State has been a schizophrenic team over the last couple of years, and that has a lot to do with uncertainty at the quarterback position. I think that continues in 2011.
Coming into this spring, the Sun Devils will have Steven Threet, Brock Osweiler, and Michael Bercovici battling for the starting quarterback job in 2011.
I think during the season, all three will see time because of inconsistent play and injuries.
20. Virginia Tech Will Step Back in 2011
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The Virginia Tech Hokies will be going into the 2011 season without quarterback Tyrod Taylor or runningback Ryan Williams. While they still have legendary coach Frank Beamer, they will have struggles in 2011.
The good news for the Hokies is that they will be playing in the ACC so they will be able to win a few games but they won't be in another BCS game in 2011.
19. Nebraska Will Finish 6-6 in 2011
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Nebraska is facing a new season in a new conference in 2011. Not only are they going to be learning about a bunch of new teams, but they have the toughest schedule in the Big Ten conference.
I think the Cornhuskers are in for a rude awakening in 2011.
With every team that made a bowl game from the conference in 2010 on the schedule, the Huskers are looking at a season where they could end up being 6-6.
18. TCU Will Nearly Duplicate 2010
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TCU finished 2010 undefeated and winners of the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin. However, they are losing starting quarterback Andy Dalton and will be looking for a new leader on offense.
However, the good news for TCU is that they have Casey Pachall, who pushed Dalton for the starting job in the spring.
While I am not prepared to say that the Horned Frogs are going to go undefeated for the second straight season, I think they could be the best non AQ school next season.
17. Auburn Will Finish Unranked in 2011
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Auburn came into the 2010 season without much fanfare, but with the emergence of Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, the Tigers went on an improbable run to the BCS Championship.
Now that both Newton and Fairley are headed to the NFL, I find it hard to believe that the Tigers will be able to come close to their 2010 performance.
While there are still some good players on the roster, I think that Auburn will be very inconsistent, and they will finish 2011 out of the top 25.
16. Missouri Will Regress in 2011
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While Missouri had some nice moments in the 2010 season, that was due in large part to the fact that Blaine Gabbert was leading the offense.
In 2011, the Tigers will be without Gabbert, and that seems like a tough task for them.
Missouri also faces the 2011 season playing in the Big 12, where they will be playing against every team in the conference. That means they don't get to bypass Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, or Texas A&M this season. Looks like a tough road for next season.
15. Michigan State Will Win the Legends Division
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The Spartans surprised people in 2010, and they were part of a three-way tie for tops in the Big Ten. However, they fell flat in Bowl season against Alabama.
The good news for the Spartans is that they return a lot of key players in 2011, and they also play in the weaker division of the new Big Ten.
I predict that the Spartans will make an appearance in the inaugural Big Ten Championship game out of the Legends division.
14. Notre Dame Is Still a Year Away
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Notre Dame had some nice moments in 2010. They beat USC for the first time since 2001 and had some younger players make some progress in key areas.
In 2011, I think the Irish will continue to step forward, but I think they are still a step away from making a real impact on the college football scene.
2012 is the season when people need to really start looking out for the Irish.
13. Texas A&M Will Struggle in 2010
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Texas A&M made a nice step forward last season when they put Ryan Tannehill in as the starting quarterback. They shook off three straight losses in the middle of the season and ended on a nice winning streak before losing to LSU.
While I think the Aggies have some still on the roster, I think they will not be able to live up to high expectations.
The schedule is brutal for the Aggies, and some of their opponents are expected to be better in 2011 than they were in 2010.
12. Wisconsin Will Miss Scott Tolzien
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Scott Tolzien wasn't a real marquee quarterback in college football, but after leading Wisconsin to a one-loss regular season and a Rose Bowl berth, the Badgers are going to be trying to find a field general to lead the team in 2011.
Wisconsin might find a nice replacement, but the experience that they will be lacking could spell doom for the team in 2011.
The Badgers will still win their share because of the talent in the running game, but if they can't get enough productivity out of the quarterback position, they won't be going to the Rose Bowl.
11. South Carolina Will Go Undefeated in the SEC East
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In 2010, the Gamecocks made in improbable run the SEC Championship. I think they repeat that performance in 2011.
Not only is South Carolina returning most of their offensive and defensive weapons, but they are also adding a very good recruiting class highlighted by top overall prospect Jadeveon Clowney.
I think the Gamecocks make another SEC Championship performance and don't lose a game to a SEC East opponent.
10. Ohio State Won’t Miss Terrelle Pryor As Much As Daniel Herron
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The Ohio State Buckeyes will be missing starters Terrelle Pryor, Daniel Herron, Mike Adams, DeVier Posey, and Solomon Thomas to start the 2011 season because of suspensions.
While it would seem like Pryor is the biggest loss for the Buckeyes, I think Ohio State will miss Herron more than their starting quarterback.
Instead of Pryor, the Buckeyes will have a group of game managing quarterbacks leading the team. However, Herron had a good season in 2010, and his productivity will be missed to start the season.
9. Stanford Will Have a 2010-Repeat in 2011
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2011 is a good news-bad news situation for the Stanford Cardinal. The good news is that the best player in college football is returning in Andrew Luck. The bad news is, they will be breaking in a new head coach.
Stanford had a great 2010 season. Their only loss was to an Oregon team that barely lost the BCS Championship game.
If Stanford doesn't go undefeated in 2011, I think it will be because of Oregon again.
8. Arkansas Won’t Miss Ryan Mallett One Bit
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Ryan Mallett had a very good 2010 season, and he helped lead Arkansas to a BCS game against Ohio State.
However, in the one game that the giant gun-slinger missed, Tyler Wilson proved more than capable as a replacement.
In fact, I think in 2011 the Razorbacks could continue to improve with Wilson at the helm. He has more mobility than Mallett, and that could come in handy in the SEC.
7. Florida State Will Have a Heisman Candidate in EJ Manuel
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In 2010, Florida State had their first season without Bobby Bowden since 1976. While the Seminoles had some up and down moments, one bright spot was EJ Manuel.
Manuel stepped in a few times for starter Christian Ponder, and he looked good.
While it might sound like a bit of a reach, I think Manuel ends up being a Heisman dark horse in 2011.
6. Oklahoma State Will Win the Big 12
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys were another team that had some very nice moments in the 2010 season. Their offense was among the best in the nation, and they return nearly every one of their offensive weapons.
The only thing standing between the Cowboys and the Big 12 championship crown is Oklahoma.
While the Cowboys will be facing the 2011 season without offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, I don't think that will be too much to overcome.
5. Boise State’s Kellen Moore Will Become the Winningest QB Ever
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In 2009, Colt McCoy became the all-time leader in career wins with 45. Kellen Moore needs to lead Boise State to seven wins in order to match that total. With eight wins, he will break that record.
Boise State will win eight games without trying.
Honestly, when Kellen Moore finishes this season, his number could be higher than anyone could ever reach.
4. LSU Will Turn to Transfer Zach Mettenberger
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LSU's biggest problem in 2010 was quarterback play. If it weren't for some boneheaded plays by the Tigers' signal callers, LSU could have won a national championship last year.
Now, the Tigers get a lift at the position with former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger becoming eligible.
I think at some point in 2011, the Tigers will turn the reigns over to the sophomore.
3. Oregon Will Appear in a Second Straight BCS Championship Game
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Oregon made a big run to the BCS National Championship game in 2010, and they return nearly every key component on the offensive side of the ball, including Heisman finalist LaMichael James.
However, in 2011, the Ducks have a large addition of speed and offensive talent that they are going to be able to throw at teams.
The Ducks are the class of the Pac 12, and I think they will find themselves in the BCS title game for the second straight season.
2. Alabama Will Not Miss Their Key Departures
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The Crimson Tide are losing some very key players to the NFL draft in 2011, including starting quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram, receiver Julio Jones, and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. That is a lot of talent that the Crimson Tide is going to have to replace.
However, Alabama also has one of the deepest rosters in college football, and they will be able to reload in 2011.
I think despite the fact that they are losing a lot of key players, they will be back in the title hunt in 2011.
1. Oklahoma Will Have a Season Changing Injury
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After breaking their streak of poor performances in BCS games, the Oklahoma Sooners have been getting a lot of buzz as a possible Championship favorite. However, the last time they were in this position, they lost quarterback Sam Bradford for the season.
It seems like every time Oklahoma is in a position to make an impact in college football, they have something get in their way.
I think they could be subject that sort of bad karma again in 2011. I think there will be an injury that ruins the 2011 season for the Sooners.
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