College Football 2011: Five Potential BCS Spoilers
Spring practice is right around the corner and pundits are already busy publishing Top 25 lists for the fall.
Players, coaches, and fans alike have dreams of BCS runs, and being mentioned near the top of those lists only helps heighten expectations.
What they're probably not thinking about are the teams lying in waiting, ready to bring those dream seasons to a screeching halt.
Today we're going to examine five teams that could potentially play the role of spoiler to the top contenders this fall.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
1 of 5
2010 Record: 10-3
Names to Know: QB GJ Kinne, WR Damaris Johnson, RB Alex Singleton
BCS Contender on Alert: Oklahoma State (Sept. 17)
New head coach Bill Blankenship inherits a boatload of offensive firepower this fall when he takes over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
The dynamic duo of GJ Kinne and Damaris Johnson wreaked havoc on defenses last year to the tune of more 40 points per game, and their victories last year at Notre Dame and Hawaii show they're not just beefing up their win total on bottom feeders.
Last season Oklahoma State ran wild at home when these two teams faced off, but this year requires the Cowboys making a trip to Tulsa. A trip to College Station for a showdown with the Aggies looms the very next week, so the Golden Hurricane could spring an upset on the Cowboys if they catch the Pokes looking ahead.
Clemson Tigers
2 of 5
2010 Record: 6-7
Names to Know: RB Andre Ellington, WR DeAndre Hopkins, QB Tahj Boyd
BCS Contender on Alert: Florida State (Sept. 24)
Florida State is coming off a beatdown of The Ol' Ball Coach and his South Carolina Gamecocks, and expectations are steadily rising. Jimbo Fisher has 'Noles fans thinking this may be the year they reassert themselves as a legitimate national title contender.
They'll have a stern test right out of the gate with Oklahoma coming to town on Sept. 17. Should they pass it, they'll undoubtedly be right up in the top five in the polls. But there's no time to celebrate, because just one week later they head into Death Valley to take on the new-look Clemson Tigers.
Clemson has created some buzz this offseason with the hiring of Chad Morris and an exceptional recruiting class. There's plenty of talent on the roster, and with the infusion of some new blood, the Tigers are primed to rebound from a disappointing 6-7 record last season. The Seminoles can't afford to discount Clemson and what's sure to be a electric night in Death Valley.
Georgia Bulldogs
3 of 5
2010 Record: 6-7
Names to Know: QB Aaron Murray, RB Washaun Ealey, DE Ray Drew (5-star defensive end recruit)
BCS Contenders on Alert: Boise State (Sept. 3), South Carolina (Sept. 10)
This is a role that the Bulldogs are not accustomed to playing, but they have two potential preseason top 10 teams coming to the state of Georgia the first month of the season.
First, America's favorite Cinderella Boise State arrives at the Georgia Dome to kick off the year. More than likely, the Broncos will be the favorite, even though they're traveling across the country to play in Georgia's backyard. That will only serve as another motivating factor for the Bulldogs to put the "little guy" in its place.
Then just seven days later, the Dawgs face off against South Carolina between the hedges of Sanford Stadium. Mark Richt is looking for a big bounce-back season after a disappointing 2010 campaign. What better way to ascend back into the national consciousness than with two upset victories right out of the gate?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Kansas State Wildcats
4 of 5
2010 Record: 7-6
Names to Know: QB Collin Klein, RB Bryce Brown
BCS Contender on Alert: Oklahoma (Oct. 29)
The Little Apple has been one of the toughest places to win in the Big 12, ever since Bill Snyder transformed them from doormat to contender back in the 1990's. Snyder's return to the sidelines two years ago helped breathe life back into a program that had lost a lot of the momentum it had at the earlier part of the decade.
This year, dynamic running quarterback Collin Klein returns and is joined by former mega-recruit and Tennessee transfer, running back Bryce Brown. This duo has a chance to post numbers comparable to the ones Eli Roberson and Darren Sproles ran up in the Wildcats' Big 12 title season of 2003.
The biggest home game of the year falls the last weekend of October against Oklahoma. The Sooners will more than likely enter the season ranked somewhere in the top five, and if they live up to expectations, they could enter the Kansas State game undefeated.
Will Snyder be able to turn back the clock and ride the Klein-Brown combo to another big upset of the Sooners?
Baylor Bears
5 of 5
2010 Record: 7-6
Names to Know: QB Robert Griffin III, WR Kendall Wright
BCS Contenders on Alert: Missouri (Nov. 5), Oklahoma (Nov. 19)
Fresh off their first bowl appearance since 1994, the Baylor Bears are hungry for more this season. Redshirt junior Robert Griffin III is one of the most explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and leads an explosive offense that will be returning all 11 starters.
If the defense is able to mature and be more productive (89th in the country in points allowed), then Baylor could be a dangerous squad. The Bears will entertain two probable preseason top 15 teams in Waco (Missouri and Oklahoma).
Griffin and company are going to pull an upset or two this season, it's just a matter of who the victim will be.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
