Power Outage: The College Football Powerhouses That Will Fall Flat This Season

What makes college football and college sports in general great, is that there is no draft, no tanking at the end of the season and no waiting for next year.

For college athletes and coaches, it is all about now. Alabama might be losing Mark Ingram and Julio Jones, but with the number one recruiting class in the country, they fill those voids and look to reload, not rebuild.

For some schools, without the rich heritage and the storied history, it is difficult to bring in top named recruits. For these universities, there are going to be up years and down years.

Here are a look at some schools that with great 2010 campaigns, that might yield disappointing finishes in 2011.

Connecticut

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Zach Frazer #10 of the Connecticut Huskies hands the ball off to Jordan Todman #23 against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (P

Connecticut

Final AP Ranking: NR

Recruiting Class: NR

Key Losses: Randy Edsall

Reason to be concerned: 

Sure, UCONN is not a college football powerhouse, but they were the Big East champions in 2010 and represented the conference in the Fiesta Bowl. The team lost their coach, Randy Edsall, right after the bowl game, and did not land a top 50 recruiting class. Many of their fellow Big East opponents landed top recruits, lessening the likelihood of them sneaking into a BCS bowl again.

Auburn

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Eltoro Freeman #21, Chad Slade #62 and Travante Stallworth #85 of the Auburn Tigers take the field against the Oregon Ducks during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011

Final AP Ranking: 1

Recruiting Class: 7

Key Losses: Cam Newton, Nick Fairley

Reason to be concerned: 

Coming out flat in 2011 is a relative term for this team. In 2010, they set lofty goals, winning the National Championship and dominating the SEC, finishing with an undefeated record. Losing Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner, and Nick Fairley, a surefire top three pick in this year’s draft, will certainly hamper the team’s chances of repeating. 

Arkansas

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Ryan Mallett #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks huddles his team against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Get

Final AP Ranking: 12

Recruiting Class: 24

Key Losses: Ryan Mallett, D.J. Williams, DeMarcus Love

Reason to be concerned:

Say what you will about Ryan Mallett. He was inconsistent, and in some cases, gave the ball away at the worst possible time. But, he was one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and led the Razorbacks to a 10-3 record in 2010. They had an average recruiting class and in the SEC, it will be hard to replicate their prior success. 

TCU

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: The TCU Horned Frogs kneel prior to playing the Wisconsin Badgers in the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Final AP Ranking: 2

Recruiting Class: 26

Key Losses: Andy Dalton, Marcus Cannon

Reason to be concerned:

The loss of Andy Dalton will undoubtedly have a negative effect on the Horned Frogs. Though they were one of the nation’s most balanced teams, and losing the head of your team and the heart of the offense makes it difficult to repeat the success that they had last year. It is unlikely that they will fall out of contention and become a below .500 team, but finishing as the number two team in the country again seems to be a long shot. 

Missouri

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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: (L-R) Ricky Stanzi #12, Marvin McNutt #7 and Adrian Clayborn #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes walk out onto the field for the Insight Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at Sun Devil Stadium on December 28, 2010 in Tempe, Arizona. The Hawke

Final AP Ranking: 18

Recruiting Class: 48

Key Losses: Blaine Gabbert, Aldon Smith

Reason to be concerned:

Missouri won the Big XII North behind strong quarterback play and defensive lineman Aldon Smith. They allowed 16.1 points per game this season, ranking sixth in the nation; the loss of both offensive and defensive stars raises concerns of whether the team can score and hold opponents at the same rate that they did.

Virginia Tech

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: (L-R) Tyrod Taylor #5, David Wilson #4 and Danny Coale #19 of the Virginia Tech Hokies look towards the sideline against the Stanford Cardinal during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, F

Final AP Ranking: 16

Recruiting Class: 33

Key Losses: Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Williams

Reason to be concerned: 

Tyrod Taylor wowed at the combine. His speed, athleticism, and play making ability will be missed this season. Before losing the first two games of the season, VT (11-3), went on to win 11 straight games before losing their bowl game. The No. 33 ranked recruiting class, in combination with Florida State and two other ACC teams recruiting ahead of them, is a good equation for 2011 letdown.

Wisconsin

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: The Wisconsin Badgers huddle together during their game against the TCU Horned Frogs in the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Final AP Ranking: 7

Recruiting Class: 40

Key Losses: J.J. Watt, Gabe Carimi, John Clay, Scott Tolzien

Reason to be concerned:

Wisconsin was one of the best teams in the Big Ten with Ohio State and Michigan State. The team loses many of their offensive and defensive firepower including their quarterback and one of their top running backs. In the ultra competitive Big Ten, the new division system will benefit them, though losing many players, and having and average recruiting class does not.

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