College Football Prediction 2011: 11 Reasons 2011 Will Be Better Than 2010
2010 was an exciting year... but for some, it was for the wrong reasons. There was a cloud around the national champion, and the stink of pro agents was one of the top stories of the year.
Add to that some perennial powers struggling, and you have the recipe for a strange year.
2011 will be much better, and here are some reasons why.
More Heisman Mystery
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Last year's Heisman trophy was going to Cam Newton. You knew it. I knew it. The whole world knew it. One of the world's most prestigious athletic trophies had zero suspense.
This year, it will be different. The most dominant player on the 2011 watch list is Andrew Luck, and he has a new coach.
Montee Ball, Matt Barkley, Justin Blackmon, Dayne Crist, Michael Dyer, Monnie Hillman, LaMichael James, Landry Jones, Marcus Lattimore, Aaron Murray, Trent Richardson... The list of great players that could win the trophy goes on and on.
There won't be an athlete as dominant as Newton this season.
Expanded Leagues
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The Pac-10 is becoming the Pac-12, and the Big Ten is unveiling its terribly named divisions thanks to a new team.
The Pac-12 is intriguing because of one main story line, Utah. This team has played big time football for years now and finally has the backing of a BCS league. Watching how this team plays out in the Pac-12 will be one of the biggest 2011 stories.
Nebraska joins the Big Ten and makes the league an even more important player in the college football landscape. Not only does it bring a great deal of history to the league, it is also making its way back into national title contention, which only helps the Big Ten.
The Rise of the SEC East
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Last year, the SEC East, one of the most prestigious divisions in all of college football, had a down year. South Carolina won the east for the first time, but traditional powers Florida, Georgia and Tennessee all had tough years.
This year, the teams will be more relevant on the national scene. South Carolina will still be favored, but at this point, they have the talent to be a national player, led by Heisman candidate Marcus Lattimore.
Georgia may have one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country in Aaron Murray, and Tennessee looks to continue on the upward path with a good young quarterback in Tyler Bray.
Florida is the dark horse, as they have athletic ability, but the new coaching style may take time to get used to.
But look for the SEC Least to drop the L in 2011.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Less Drama from the Top Teams
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Last year, Auburn's championship run was marred by alegations of wrong-doing involving superstar Cam Newton.
This year, there will be a lot less noise from teams competing for a national championship. Most of the preseason funk revolves around Auburn and Ohio State, neither of which will be in the national championship race at the end of the season.
This Could Be the Year the SEC Doesn't Win a Championship
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It has to happen sooner or later, and this could be the year. LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina will all be highly ranked headed into 2011.
However, none of those teams seem to have the fire power of the usual national championship SEC teams.
Of course, Alabama will be the favorite to win the whole SEC and South Carolina to win the eastern division. Alabama loses a few great players this year, including a winning starting quarterback and Heisman-winning running back.
South Carolina has consistency issues and is a definite long shot for a national title.
Big Name Coaching Switches
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Florida, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Uconn are all programs who made some major coaching changes.
Florida may have had the biggest exchange in getting Will Muschamp away from Texas. Maryland came away with the big name of Randy Edsall.
Vanderbilt and Michigan made some head scratching choices.
All in all, it will be interesting to see how these coaches fare in 2011.
"The No. 1 Recruit of All Time" (according to Rivals) and His First Season
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"Wow! Always thought Adrian Peterson was only true [sic] frosh that looked physically ready for NFL straight from HS... Reminds me of [Jason] Pierre-Paul from USF but much more violent and explosive," said Bruce Feldman of ESPN.
The hype machine that is Jadeveon Clowney has finally picked a home school. He will be attending the University of South Carolina, and all eyes will be on this highly recruited talent.
Rivals.com went as far as to call him the best recruit the site has ever ranked.
Boom or bust, this defensive end will be scrutinized for years and will be an intruiging story for 2011.
Legitimate Darkhorse Title Contenders
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Every year, darkhorse title teams rise from the mid tier of college football and become media darlings. Last year, TCU and Boise State answered that call, as they have for a few years now.
Do many people outside of the home states of these teams ever really view them as national title teams? No. These teams are good, but most people get very tired of hearing about BCS busters.
This year's list of teams on many sports sites pages are actually more relevant players with larger fan bases.
Penn State, South Carolina, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Missouri, Texas A&M, Florida State, Arkansas. These teams seem poised for big years and could be very interesting dark-horse title contenders for 2011.
For more on the dark-horse teams, please read Blake Oestriecher's slide show on the subject. It's a good read.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/583400-college-football-predictions-10-darkhorse-candidates-to-win-bcs-title-in-2011#page/11
The ACC Returns
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Florida State and Virginia Tech are both on most preseason ranking predictions. However, Florida State is as high as No. 2 on some and just brought in a top-ranked recruiting class. They are the ACC's most serious title threat in a long time.
However, Clemson and North Carolina will be much improved. Marlyand and NC State had great years in 2010.
This may be the year that the ACC finally comes back as a power player in college football.
Maybe.
Andrew Luck
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Andrew Luck gave up a guaranteed No. 1 pick payday in order to finish his Stanford education. Good for him, he put his education first.
However, he is also taking some flak for giving up an opportunity that may not be waiting on him if he gets injured or has a bad season.
For some, he has become the "Anti-Cam," a player who put his education and school above personal gain. This will be a hotly followed feel-good story in 2011 if he has another great season.
Due to NFL Issues, the College Game Will Dominate the Football Landscape
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Agree or not, the NFL really is king in America and is probably the most popular American sport. However, college football has slowly closed the gap, and with a potential NFL lockout situation affecting the game, the college football world may be the only ticket in town for high quality football.
This would make 2011 an even more important season. One where a great product has a chance to expand its fan base and maybe even take the mantle of America's favorite sport.
Why do you think 2011 will be a great year for college football?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
