2011 College Football Rankings: Top 30 Teams in Running for a BCS Berth
It's not hard to figure you who has a shot at BCS berths.
Now whether they get in or not? Well, that's a whole different matter.
It's March, and college football teams are beginning spring practices, some with legitimate national title hopes. My job at the moment: Figuring out which could simply land a BCS berth. We're not talking just for the national championship. We're talking the Sugar, Rose, Orange, Fiesta bowls and the big game.
No team is a lock, and each has plenty of questions to answer.
Some, though, have very good shots, because they've got the horses to do it with. When you've got players like LaMichael James, Trent Richardson, Andrew Luck and Landry Jones, I like your chances.
So here we go. Your top 30 teams who have a shot at getting a berth.
30. Michigan
1 of 30
Now wouldn't this be a story?
Brady Hoke leads Big Blue back to the top in his first year as head coach. That would be stunning.
That would be the ultimate longshot, but Hoke does have one of college football's most dynamic players in quarterback Denard Robinson. If Hoke can get this team to learn to play some kind of defense, they've got to improve.
29. Georgia
2 of 30
The first two weeks of the season will tell us plenty about the 'Dawgs.
Georgia plays Boise State in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, then returns for its home opener against defending SEC East champ South Carolina. Pay attention to the Mississippi State game as well on Oct.1 in Athens.
Mark Richt's team has the advantage of not being in the West division, which could be absolutely brutal, so that's a plus. They should have a shot against Florida, and won't have to worry about Cam Newton when they play Auburn on Nov.12.
The Bulldogs have a long road ahead, but again, let's see what happens in those first two games.
28. Pittsburgh
3 of 30
Todd Graham's in town, and his pass-happy, high powered offense is following.
That could only benefit the Panthers, who aren't exactly in the nation's toughest conference. Everyone's about even here in the Big East, so Pitt will have a decent shot.
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27. Texas
4 of 30
Let's see if Garrett Gilbert can get back on track, and the Longhorns can develop some form of a running game.
The talent's there, but I think Mack Brown was right that players became entitled last year. I was also intrigued when he described the program as "rebuilding" in a recent New York Times article.
Brown totally rebuilt his coaching staff almost, hiring Bryan Harsin from Boise State to be a co-offensive coordinator with Major Applewhite, while also naming former Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz as his new DC.
Spare me Texas fans about you all not having as much talent as other top teams. That's ridiculous. The talent is among the best in the nation.
Good enough to give them a shot at a BCS berth.
26. Florida
5 of 30
Definitely wasn't expecting the Gators to drop off like they did post-Tebow.
Something just didn't seem right about Florida, and I don't think it was just the quarterback. I think Will Muschamp is a great hire, and I want to see what Charlie Weis does with the offense.
South Carolina will be the team to beat in the SEC East, and it will be interesting to see if they can handle the increased expectations. If the Gamecocks check out like they did against Auburn in the SEC Championship, they'll be done.
And Florida should be right there to be back at the top, a place they're used to.
25. Auburn
6 of 30
The Tigers still have Michael Dyer, but no way do they defend their title with Cam Newton and Nick Fairley both gone.
That team's still talented enough, though, there's a solid chance of them competing for at least an at-large berth by the time it's all said and done.
24. Mississippi State
7 of 30
The Bulldogs became one of college football's nice surprises last year, but they won't be able to sneak up on anyone this fall.
Mississippi State has a quality running back and quarterback, but they also play in the SEC West, which could have two potential national title contenders in LSU and Alabama.
Here's the upside: while the Bulldogs do play at Auburn, at Georgia and at Arkansas, they get LSU, South Carolina, Alabama and Ole Miss all at home.
Helps to get big scheduling breaks like that. Now let's see if the Bulldogs can knock any of them off.
23. Penn State
8 of 30
Evan Royster is preparing right now for the NFL Draft, and the Nittany Lions should have a pretty compelling quarterback battle between Robert Bolden and Matthew McGloin.
Both threw for over 1,000 yards last year, and McGloin finished with 211 yards and five interceptions in the Nittany Lions' 37-24 loss to Florida in the Outback Bowl.
"I've got to sit down with the coaches and we've got to look as a group at the tapes," coach Joe Paterno said in his end-of-the-season press conference after the bowl game.
"There are a couple of things that we may... it's always easier to blame one guy. I'm very reluctant to do that. I made the statement, I may have second guessed myself for not playing Bolden a little bit, just because I think it would have been good if something had happened to McGloin and at least Bolden would have been in a couple of tough football games.
"That part of it bothers me, and that was my decision that was made. I don't know what I'm going to do until we have a chance to digest everything and I have a chance to spend a little time with the squad and the staff."
22. Utah
9 of 30
Mark your calendars for Sept.10, when the Utes begin Pac 12 play at USC.
Remember that because of the Reggie Bush fiasco, the Trojans are still banned one more year from the postseason by the NCAA.
That game will tell you a lot, though, about what to expect from Kyle Whittingham's team.
One plus for the Utes is the fact they're not stuck in the same division with Stanford and Oregon, so they should have a fair shot at taking down the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Cal.
The Utes also have quarterback Jordan Wynn returning. Last season, Wynn completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,334 yards and 17 touchdowns, including 362 yards at San Diego State.
21. Notre Dame
10 of 30
Right now, there are only two games on Notre Dame's schedule I see them definitely losing. That's Michigan State and Stanford.
The rest? The Fightin' Irish should have a legitimate shot to compete in, and win, all of them.
That would put them at 10-2 and you better believe they would land an at-large berth with that record.
20. Miami
11 of 30
I refuse to believe the tank is empty down there on South Beach.
That team's got talent, they've got a new coach and they're in a conference that's up for grabs. I would say Virginia Tech and Florida State are still your favorites in the ACC, but it's not like either team is light years ahead of the pack.
You watch. Wouldn't shock me at all if Miami wins the ACC title in Al Golden's first year.
19. West Virginia
12 of 30
Geno Smith is back at quarterback, and his 2,763 yards from last season could be small time compared to what could follow this fall.
Dana Holgorsen is the coach in waiting at West Virginia, and he'll be the Mountaineers' offensive coordinator this fall as well.
For those who didn't know, Holgorsen was Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator last season, and the Cowboys had one of the nation's best offenses, which averaged just over 44 points and 346 yards passing per game.
18. TCU
13 of 30
I want to see if Casey Pachall can replace Andy Dalton at quarterback.
What concerns me is the Mountain West's farewell gift to the Horned Frogs, which head to the Big East in 2012: at Air Force, at San Diego State and at Boise State on Nov.12.
Can you say bitter, party of one?
17. Texas A&M
14 of 30
The Aggies have the talent.
They also will have to play in Norman, and take down Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas.
Factor in that the Aggies will be faced with bigger expectations, and be getting the best from teams this fall, and nabbing a BCS berth won't be easy.
16. Virginia Tech
15 of 30
I know the Hokies are going to have a new quarterback and new running back, and Frank Beamer has reshuffled his coaching staff.
Until they completely fall apart, though, I'll give Virginia Tech a shot at the ACC title.
15. Missouri
16 of 30
The Tigers have become accustomed to high expectations, and they have nine starters back on offense and eight on defense.
They will have a new quarterback and a new running back, but if they fill those spots, Missouri will be right there competing with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for the Big 12 title.
14. Nebraska
17 of 30
It will be interesting to see if the Cornhuskers can mix it up with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Tim Beck is taking over as offensive coordinator. I knew him back when he was a high school coach and his teams were fun to watch. Beck will have two great pieces to work with in Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead.
13. Florida State
18 of 30
We'll see just how good the Seminoles really are when they host Oklahoma on Sept.17.
The hype train is building with Florida State. Many have said they may be returning to the top there in Florida, after this year's recruiting class they just signed.
I know they've got talent. If some of those kids are good enough, Jimbo Fisher should throw them out there this fall and let them go at it.
12. Wisconsin
19 of 30
It would be stupid to think the Badgers will have some dramatic dropoff.
Wisconsin will need to find replacements for a ton of key players like left tackle Gabe Carimi, left guard John Moffitt, running back John Clay, defensive end J.J. Watt and quarterback Scott Tolzien.
The Badgers have also tweaked their coaching staff, with defensive backs coach Chris Ash becoming defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach Charlie Partridge also becoming assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator.
11. Ohio State
20 of 30
The Sweater Vest got his hand slapped, but the Buckeyes will still have key starters suspended for the first five games of the year, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, wide receiver DeVier Posey and running back Dan Herron.
The Buckeyes have the horses and I'd normally have them in the top 10, but I want to see if they can survive those five games, including a trip to Miami and the Big Ten opener against Michigan State on Oct.1.
10. Michigan State
21 of 30
The Spartans won a share of the Big Ten title last year, and have Kirk Cousins and Edwin Baker back.
Both are huge pluses, and something tells me that Alabama loss could be a blessing in disguise too. If that doesn't motivate them to begin the season, there's a problem.
I hope there are "49-7" signs all around their lockerroom, weight room and meeting rooms.
9. South Carolina
22 of 30
All the pieces are in place. The expectations are going to be pretty big with the Gamecocks for returning to the SEC Championship in Atlanta.
Personally from a pure entertainment standpoint, I'd love to see South Carolina either undefeated or with one loss that first weekend in December. There's nothing funnier than seeing Steve Spurrier all cocky and talking trash.
It'll drive you up the wall, but dang it makes for great TV.
8. Arkansas
23 of 30
It would be one thing if Tyler Wilson had never touched the field, but the kid's got some big game experience, so I'm not guessing there will be your usual problems there when replacing a quarterback like Ryan Mallett.
Knile Davis, who rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, also returns at running back and will be one of the best in the SEC, along with Marcus Lattimore, Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer.
Arkansas has the talent to get a BCS berth, but they're first going to have to survive the brutal SEC West.
7. Oklahoma State
24 of 30
Mike Gundy's got one of the nation's top receivers back in Justin Blackmon, and a great quarterback returning in Brandon Weeden.
They almost broke through and got to the Big 12 championship game last year, but fell short after losing to Oklahoma.
Time to see if they can punch their ticket and get to the next level this year.
6. Boise State
25 of 30
Boise State's become accustomed now to high expectations over the last five years, but the Broncos are moving to the Mountain West this year, which isn't as easy as the WAC.
I have a hard time believing they'll curb stomp San Diego State, or Air Force, or especially TCU.
They also start out the season in Atlanta playing Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic. I love how all my friends have said the big boys of college football are too scared to play Boise. Well, they got their wish. This is a major statement game for both teams.
If Kellen Moore does well in this game, he could probably close the gap in the Heisman race with Stanford's Andrew Luck.
5. Alabama
26 of 30
Yes, the Crimson Tide need to figure out who their quarterback will be, but they've got one of the nation's top running backs in Trent Richardson and a defense loaded with talent.
I agree with what many of you readers have said: the LSU-Alabama showdown Nov.5 in Tuscaloosa could potentially have division, conference and national title implications.
4. LSU
27 of 30
The quarterback derby will continue through spring practices, as Jordan Jefferson (pictured), Jarrett Lee and newcomer Zach Mettenberger battle for the starting job.
Losing Patrick Peterson will be huge, but this team's loaded with talent.
The only other question LSU fans will have will be whether or not Les Miles can manage a game clock, something that's continued to be a problem.
3. Stanford
28 of 30
Not having Jim Harbaugh around won't be near as big an issue as being in the same division now with Oregon. That will be a much bigger challenge.
The Cardinal is stocked with talent, has the best quarterback in college football and they always seem to play just solid and smart in all their games.
I'll be shocked if Stanford's not there in the end.
2. Oklahoma
29 of 30
All the talent is there for this to be a special year, but like I've said countless times before: which Sooners team shows up?
Oklahoma is its own biggest enemy, but when it plays like it's capable of, they're impressive.
One other X-factor that must be mentioned is that Oklahoma has often had problems when there have been huge expectations heaped on them in the preseason.
That used to not be the case. There once was a time they knew they were good, they had that swagger, went out and demolished teams and would then eventually face off Nebraska to determine who would play for the national title.
1. Oregon
30 of 30
First there's the season opener with LSU in Arlington, Texas. Then come conference play, Oregon will have to beat Stanford, and then there's the likelihood of an extra conference game in the Pac 12 Championship.
The challenges are definitely there, but when you've got a quarterback like Darron Thomas and running back like LaMichael James, you've got a shot to do some things.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
