College Football Rankings 2011: Predicting Next Year's Top 25
It's never too early to be thinking about next season. As we head into the offseason wondering if there will be any professional football in the fall, we are reassured that college football will be a safety net.
College football isn't going anywhere. With that said which teams are going to be really good next year? Does Auburn have any chance at repeating as national champs? Who is the new number one team?
It may only be March and everyone is about to endure some madness, however, that doesn't mean we can't debate who deserves to be ranked at the top to start off the 2011 season.
Here's my Top 25 for the 2011 College Football season. As always, I welcome your thoughts.
25. Michigan Wolverines
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I know what you're thinking. How can a team with a new coach and a horrible defense crack the top 25? Let me stop you right there. The Wolverines are going to be better in 2011.
The defense cannot get any worse, and new head coach Brady Hoke is working with tremendous talent. It's a talent level that he has never seen as a head coach. And of course you cannot forget about the offense. It's the main reason they make the Top 25.
Denard Robinson is going to be electrifying once again next season by posting mind boggling numbers, and he will be a potential Heisman candidate. Robinson won't be running as much to conserve his health and durability over the season. Along with him are running backs Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith, as well as top receiver Roy Roundtree. This team will surprise some people in 2011.
24. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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As long as Dan Mullen is their coach the Bulldogs are going to be relevant. They went 9-4 last season and had an impressive blow out bowl win over Michigan. Can he do it again?
Mullen is lucky enough to have his quarterback, Chris Relf, return. Relf continues to get better with each day, as well as leading rusher Vick Ballard. Both are entering their senior season and you know they'd like to turn some heads in the SEC.
The Bulldogs will have a tough time without defensive coordinator Manny Diaz who left for Texas. They do bring back seven starters on both sides of the ball.
23. West Virginia Mountaineers
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There are only a few teams of worth in the Big East for 2011, and one of them will be West Virginia. The Mountaineers will have to replace Noel Devine, but quarterback Geno Smith will put this team on his back and carry them to victory.
It's not going to take a ton of wins to capture the Big East this year, so realistically the Mountaineers only need eight or nine wins on the season. And even though they lost some solid defense players, West Virginia can accomplish eight or nine wins.
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22. Virginia Tech Hokies
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The Hokies may be losing their top three playmakers on offense, but Frank Beamer is very good at quickly rebuilding. It's the main reason his teams have won four ACC championships in the past seven seasons.
Beamer is a great coach that always manages to do enough to keep his job. He faces a very tough task in replacing Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Luckily for him David Wilson got some valuable playing time due to injuries and will be just fine as the starting running back.
Quarterback is the big issue here and Beamer will have Logan Thomas have a go at it. Thomas will have a solid line that returns four starters protecting him. The Hokies also return seven starters on defense.
21. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Bo Pelini and his Cornhuskers are moving to the Big Ten. The competition will be a bit different, and one wonders what Nebraska's first season in the new conference will look like.
Pelini must convince quarterback Taylor Martinez that he believes in him. Martinez struggled towards the end of the season in 2010, but he is very dangerous with the football. Unfortunately for Nebraska Martinez is very similar to Denard Robinson, which means teams will have a good idea on how to stop him.
Will Pelini be prepared for what will probably feel like his first season all over again? He's going up against teams he's never played against. 2011 is going to be an interesting ride for the Cornhuskers.
20. Auburn Tigers
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Gene Chizik is going to have a very difficult time getting back to the biggest game of them all. The Tigers will surely miss Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, but Chizik did recruit some guys who can contribute right away.
Auburn will rely heavily on their running back duo of Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb. The two will have a hard time at the beginning of the season because new linemen will be starting. The Tigers are losing four starters on the line, but there are a couple of incoming freshman that could see the field immediately.
New recruit Kiehl Frazier will give Barrett Trotter a run for his money as the starting quarterback. But can the Tigers survive with a freshman quarterback?
19. Texas Longhorns
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Head coach Mack Brown suffered his first losing season in 2010 and decided it was time for a change. Brown made drastic changes firing several people and hiring six new assistant coaches, including two new coordinators. The Longhorns went into rebuilding mode with the coaches, but the players are all still intact.
New recruit Malcolm Brown should be the running back the Longhorns have desperately needed. Even though Mack Brown said there will be a quarterback competition this spring I believe it is Garret Gilbert's job to lose.
2011 will be his second year as a starter and he will be much more mature and composed in the pocket. Gilbert was only a sophomore last season and he was still learning a lot. If his receivers can step up and his offensive line gives him good protection Gilbert will do just fine for Texas.
18. Florida Gators
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There's no denying the level of talent on the Florida Gators, but what new head coach Will Muschamp does with it will be the big question. He's hired Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator and together they're implementing a pro-style offense at Florida.
The Gators could have a bit of a setback in 2011 as they adjust to the new system. Can their offensive line block well enough out of an I-formation? We know John Brantley is happy about the new hire because it means he can actually be the quarterback.
Chris Rainey and Jeffery Demps will share the backfield again, and you cannot forget about incoming freshman Jeff Driskel who figures to at least be thrown into the mix for a quarterback race.
17. Georgia Bulldogs
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The Georgia Bulldogs had their first losing season since 1996, but will bounce back strong in 2011. They have a much easier schedule than in years past. They knew they did, which is why Georgia scheduled a game with Boise State in the season opener. They may have just gone 6-7, but they're not afraid of a challenge.
The departures of A.J. Green and Justin Houston will be greatly missed by the Bulldogs. However, Mark Richt pulled in the Dream Team of recruits. Isaiah Crowell, the No. 1 running back in the nation out of high school, will give Georgia some explosiveness on the football field.
The main concern for Georgia is to stay out of trouble this summer. Nobody needs to get arrested but I can almost guarantee that at least one player will. What kind of offseason would it be if a Bulldogs player didn't go to jail?
The defense also figures to get better in its second season in the 3-4 under Todd Grantham. The signing of JUCO defensive tackle John Jenkins will vastly improve the defensive front for the Bulldogs.
16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Brian Kelly had a decent first season as Notre Dame's head coach. With a season under his belt, Kelly is in good position to have a strong sophomore season. All things considered, Kelly did a nice job of closing out 2010 with a four-game win streak.
Quarterback Dayne Crist will be back from injury and has to battle for the job with Tommy Rees. Whoever wins the job will be ecstatic because top wideout Michael Floyd decided to return to the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense. There is no room for error in 2011 because the Fighting Irish take on nine teams that went to bowl games in 2010, plus the USC Trojans.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks
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The Razorbacks may have lost Ryan Mallett, but Tyler Wilson will step up and lead Arkansas to a strong season. Wilson got some great in-game experience and player well in 2010 when Mallett had a concussion in the Auburn game.
Wilson is lucky to have one of the best receiving groups in the nation with Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright. He also has Knile Davis, who emerged as a very good running back in 2010, to hand off too. Can Davis have another 1,000 yard season? He'll need to if Arkansas wants to have a chance in the strong SEC West division.
Bobby Petrino's unit returns eight starters on a defense that must continue to get better. They had a difficult time stopping teams last year, and that has to the change for the Razorbacks to make some noise in the talented SEC.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks
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The Gamecocks have a very strong chance of repeating as SEC East champs. They'll need Marcus Lattimore to be just as good if not better in 2011. They cannot afford for Lattimore to have a sophomore slump.
Steve Spurrier has openly said there will be a quarterback race this spring between Stephen Garcia and Connor Shaw. I believe Garcia will open the season as the starter, but don't be surprised if Spurrier pulls him again if things aren't going well.
The Gamecocks snagged the No.1 recruit in the nation in Jadeveon Clowney. We'll see how much of an impact he has in his first season. Also, don't forget about Alshon Jeffery who could be the best receiver in the nation in 2011 if he stays healthy. Jeffery will be a vital part of the Gamecocks success this season.
13. Texas A&M Aggies
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In 2011, quarterback Ryan Tannehill must play as well as he did in the last weeks of the 2010 season if the Aggies want to have a shot in the loaded Big 12 South.
The Aggies bring back 10 starters on offense, which means this is a team you should not sleep on. The two most important guys returning are running back Cyrus Gray, who will try for another 1,000 yard season, and leading receiver Jeff Fuller who everyone should pay attention to in 2011.
Fuller is 6'4" 215 pound senior who will be looking to make the most of his final college season. Fuller is name you shouldn't forget as he figures to be one of the top guys at his position in the 2012 draft.
The Aggies return nine starters on defense, but will really miss the presence of Von Miller. They'll be in their second season in the 3-4 scheme, which means they'll only continue to get better.
12. Michigan State Spartans
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The Spartans were destroyed in their bowl game and that put a damper on a great 2010 season. In 2011 they will come back with a vengeance and try to win the Big Ten championship. They were co-champions in 2010, but with 12 teams in the league now there will be a championship game.
Michigan State is led by quarterback Kirk Cousins and leading rusher Edwin Baker. The two will pair together nicely and make for a very well-built, balanced offense.
2011 won't be easy for the Spartans as they face a difficult four-game stretch in October: at Ohio State, hosting Michigan and Wisconsin, and traveling to Nebraska. If they can come out 4-0 or at least 3-1 then the Spartans have a good chance at repeating as Big Ten champs.
11. Wisconsin Badgers
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The three-headed monster that was Wisconsin's run game in 2010 is no more. However they will be just fine with James White and Montee Ball carrying the load. Together the two of them accumulated for 32 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards.
The Badgers will have to replace QB Scott Tolzien, but when you have White and Ball in the backfield, the new guy won't have to do too much. On defense Wisconsin will miss defensive J.J. Watt, but the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Chris Borland, returns after missing all of 2010 with shoulder problems.
Luckily for Wisconsin they have an easy early schedule to get acquainted with the new starters. Their first real battle doesn't come until week five when they host Nebraska.
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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The Cowboys are in great position to win the Big 12 in 2011. Their biggest challenges will be at Texas A&M and against Oklahoma. If they manage to not slip up anywhere else and win both of those games, we could be looking at a national championship team.
However, the level of difficulty for accomplishing that these days is very high. The Cowboys are lucky that quarterback Brandon Weeden and the 2010 Biletnikoff Award Winner Justin Blackmon are returning. Oklahoma State must replace Kendall Hunter, which means incoming freshman Herschel Sims could get early playing time.
The Cowboys lose six defensive starters meaning new guys will have to step up if they expect to go far. Can Weeden and Blackmon do it alone? It's going to be very hard since teams will be scheming against Blackmon.
9. TCU Horned Frogs
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The Mountain West Conference just got a whole lot more interesting. This will be TCU's final stand in the conference and you know they want to go out on top. However they will have to defeat Boise State to continue their reign in the MWC.
The Horned Frogs are losing a lot of talent, but Gary Patterson always produces a strong team. He has recruited well and we can count on him having a top 10 defense once again. Linebackers Tank Carder and Tanner Brock are returning to lead the way for TCU.
Their two best receivers are gone as well as quarterback Andy Dalton. But their top three rushers return, which means they'll be focusing on a solid run game until the new QB is settled. That new QB would be Casey Pachall, and Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker and Waymon James will all run well enough for him to get comfortable in the pocket.
8. Boise State Broncos
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The Broncos are making the switch to the Mountain West Conference, which means they're still playing sub-par teams. Their only challenge will be TCU this fall.
Kellen Moore returns for one last season and the hopes of a chance at the national title. The good news for him is that running back Doug Martin will still be there, but the bad news is that his top-two receiver in Titus Young and Austin Pettis will not.
The offense should be fine as well as the defense. Head coach Chris Petersen has recruited well and because they demolish teams from time to time his back ups gain great experience, making them ready for whenever called upon to start.
We'll learn a lot about this team in week one when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Georgia Dome.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes
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The five suspended players for the Buckeyes could get their ban reduced from five games to three or four. As we wait for word on that, we debate whether or not this team can survive the first few games without Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey. Three offensive playmakers out early could cost this team the entire season.
I believe the suspension will be reduced by one game, meaning that their first game back will be a tough one against Michigan State. They should do just fine in the other games, except maybe at Miami. But winning the Big Ten is still a strong possibility for the Buckeyes.
6. Stanford Cardinal
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The surprise return of Andrew Luck means the Cardinal will be relevant in 2011. They may have lost head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, but former offensive coordinator David Shaw takes over meaning Stanford shouldn't slip too much.
If the Cardinal can get past Oregon, then the road to the Pac-12 Championship and possibly National Championship looks really good. However with seven defensive starters and three offensive lineman gone Shaw will have a tough time making sure this team can make crucial stops.
Stepfan Taylor returns and gives Luck some insurance in the backfield. Can the best quarterback in the nation lead his team to victory in every game? He's going to have to if they want a chance at the title.
5. Florida State Seminoles
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Posting the No. 1 recruiting class is proof that Jimbo Fisher has Florida State back in the conversation for a title hunt. The loss of Christian Ponder will sting, but E.J. Manuel gained great experience the times he filled in for an injured Ponder.
Nine starters are returning on offense as well as on defense. The Seminoles are blessed with an easy schedule as they don't have to play Georgia Tech, North Carolina, or Virginia Tech at all during the regular season. If Fisher and his gang can somehow manage to beat Oklahoma when they come to town on Sept. 17th they have a strong chance of contending for the national title.
4. LSU Tigers
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Les Miles knows how to win, and in 2010 he did so with only a decent passing game. New offensive coordinato Steve Kragthorpe will have his hands full trying to better the play of Jordan Jefferson. He does have the option of letting JUCO recruit Zach Mettenberger have his go at the starting QB role.
LSU returns 10 starters on offense, the loss being leading rusher Stevan Ridley, and eight on defense. It will be very hard to replace Drake Nevis and Patrick Peterson.
We'll see what this team can do in week one when they travel to Arlington,Texas, to take on the Oregon Ducks in Cowboys Stadium.
3. Oregon Ducks
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The Ducks were so close to winning it at all last year that the emotional loss could set them back in 2011. Or it could give them all the motivation they need to bring home the title. Either way they have a difficult schedule to get through.
Oregon's offense will once again be dominant and explosive. Quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James are going to do everything they can to ensure they get back to the championship game. They will be joined by highly recruited DeAnthony Thomas, who is expected to be a difference maker in the return game as well as in the offense.
The Ducks must have new defenders step up and make plays. A Top Five matchup between Oregon and LSU in week one will tell us what we need to know about both teams.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
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The Crimson Tide now belongs to Trent Richardson. He is the only proven playmaker the Tide has on offensive and they will need him to be all that and more if they expect to do big things in 2011.
The loss of Julio Jones, Mark Ingram and Greg McElroy will give this team some setbacks but people forget that Nick Saban has constantly recruited well and now it's time for some new guys to step up and show us what they're made up.
A.J. McCarron takes over at quarterback and he will need Marquis Maze to be his main go-to receiver. The Tide's system doesn't need a great arm, but he will have to convert the occasional third-and-long. How far can the defense carry this team until the new guys on offense work out all the kinks?
1. Oklahoma Sooners
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The consensus No. 1 team by a lot of people, the Sooners are poised and ready to win a championship in 2011. Finding DeMarco Murray's replacement in priority number one this summer. Robert Finch and Brennan Clay will probably split time until one emerges as the stronger back.
With Landry Jones growing each year and the return of Ryan Broyles, the Sooners are the team to beat in 2011. Bob Stoops brings back 29 players who have experience in a starting position. The Sooners have to get through a strong Big 12 South in order to be in position to win it all.
We will find out how good this team really is in week three when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles.
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