College Football 2011: 10 Hoops Schools Who Will Have a Better Football Season
Some schools are known for dominating the hard court as opposed to the gridiron. However this year some of those hoop schools are struggling.
Which schools that are known more for basketball will have a better football season in 2011? Some of these schools are pretty similar in both sports but have had more recent success on the court.
Here are 10 hoops schools in no particular order that will have a better season in football.
10. Maryland Terrapins
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Maryland's basketball team is currently in sixth place in the ACC. They're .500 in the division and 17-10 overall. This is a team that will not be making the big dance.
New football head coach Randy Edsall inherits a Terrapin team on the rise. They were one win away from being ACC Atlantic champs. 2011 looks promising as quarterback Danny O'Brien had an outstanding freshman year. He threw for over 2,400 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Maryland loses top wideout Torrey Smith to the NFL draft and will need someone to step up at that position. However with a strong new coach Maryland is on the upswing.
9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
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The Demon Deacons are in last place in the ACC. They're playing some awful basketball this year with a record of 8-20. Wake Forest is typically towards the bottom of the ACC in football, not in basketball.
Point and case, they were in last place in football in 2010. However the Demon Deacons are a young team that will greatly improve in 2011. They were lead by a freshman quarterback and running back.
Tanner Price had a decent first season but will get better as the years go on. Wake Forest also returns its top two wideouts and all starters on defense.
8. Arizona Wildcats
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The Wildcats are in first place in the Pac-10 and ESPN's Joe Lunardi is projecting them as a No. 5 seed. However I don't think Arizona has what it takes to make a run in the tournament.
Arizona's football team will have a better 2011 than their basketball team. Nick Foles will be healthy and you can make the argument that he'll be the best quarterback out West next season.
Arizona is returning all their top offensive playmakers and you need to pay attention to Juron Criner next season. Criner has 82 receptions for over 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. San Diego State Aztecs
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The Aztecs are playing great basketball this year, but the level of talent they play against is nothing like what they will see in the tournament. The Aztecs are 0-6 in their tournament play history.
Their football team may have just lost their head coach to Michigan but they're still in good shape with Rocky Long controlling the team. Quarterback Ryan Lindley had a stellar year throwing for over 3,800 yards and 28 touchdowns. He will be a senior next year and will definitely lead his team to another bowl game.
The Aztecs also return freshman sensation running back Ronnie Hillman who ran for over 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns. 2011 will be a bright year for the Aztecs football team.
6. Brigham Young Cougars
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The Cougars are led by Jimmer Fredette once again and will no doubt be a No. 3 seed or better in the tournament. The Cougars have made the tournament the last four years in a row but never went past the second round.
I believe they're headed for the same fate in 2011 because they just don't play against that many quality teams.
Their football team hit a setback last season, but that was expected with a freshman quarterback. Jake Heaps had a solid first season running the team as he threw for over 2,300 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Also returning for the Cougars in 2011 are top rusher JJ Di Luigi and leading receiver Cody Hoffman, who was also a freshman last year. They're a young team with a lot of promise for 2011.
5. Indiana Hoosiers
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Indiana is in second to last place in the Big Ten this season. In football they were dead last this past season. The Hoosiers faced probation the past couple of years in basketball, and are in the process of rebuilding to a national powerhouse like so many people know them as.
The football team will need to replace quarterback Ben Chappell, but luckily for them they return just about every other offensive starter. They'll rely on Edward Wright-Baker to lead their team, which means they'll probably be running the ball much more often. Wright-Baker has very little experience.
However they return most of their defensive starters and will continue to improve throughout the season. They were 5-7 this past year but will have a better record in 2011.
4. Connecticut Huskies
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The Big East is one heck of a basketball conference. Unfortunately it is the joke of the major football conferences. The Huskies are 8-6 in conference play and 20-6 overall. Joe Lunardi is projecting them as a No. 4 seed. However, this team is very inconsistent which will hurt them in the big dance.
The football team loses its quarterback and top running back, but will be just fine with Cody Endres running the plays. Endres has the experience and will be looking to repeat as Big East champs. The division is weak and is there for the taking.
3. Baylor Bears
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The Bears tend to fair much better in basketball than in football. 2011 is going to be a little bit different. Baylor is on the bubble right now and could very well miss the tournament this year. Lunardi has them as one of the last four teams out.
Their football team however is on the rise. They're led by Robert Griffin III who threw for over 3,500 yards and had a total of 30 touchdowns. The Bears are losing some key players on both sides of the ball, but will fair much better than the hoops team in 2011.
Baylor is upset about their bowl loss to Illinois and will no doubt be looking for revenge in 2011. Don't be surprised if they pull a few upsets on the more recognized Big 12 teams.
2. UCLA Bruins
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The Bruins are in second place in the Pac-10 and will definitely make the big dance come March. However, they're not a very strong team and will most likely lose in the first round.
The football team went 4-8 last season and is losing some top defenders in Akeem Ayers and Rahim Moore. Rick Neuheisel knows this may be his last season as UCLA's head coach, therefore they're going to step their game up. Neuheisel's team has hit the injury bug quite often and if they stay healthy in 2011 they could shock a few teams.
Leading rusher Johnathan Franklin returns as a Junior. He ran for over 1,100 yards last season and scored 8 touchdowns. Quarterbacks Richard Brehaut and Kevin Prince are likely to battle for the job once again, but Brehaut played the majority of last season. He has more experience which should land him the job.
1. Michigan State Spartans
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The Spartans have made some great runs in the tournament the past couple of years. They have also been invited to the big dance every year since 1998. Tom Izzo is a phenomenal coach, but this year his team lacks the depth to make another big run.
The football team recently won a share of the Big Ten title. In the 2011 season they're looking to win a completely different title along with the Big Ten. The Spartans lose their top wide-out to the draft, but their other two playmakers will be back. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Edwin Baker will lead this team to a strong showing in 2011. They were destroyed by Alabama in their bowl game and will show the nation that they're a much better team than that.
Cousins threw for over 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010. Baker ran for 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns. These two are doing their part to make sure people view Michigan State as a well-rounded sports school, not just a basketball powerhouse.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
