College Football Rankings 2011: 10 Teams That Are Legitimate Title Contenders
Preseason top 25 rankings are nice, but not everyone in these rankings has National Championship potential. I will let you know which 10 teams truly are contenders and why these teams potentially have what it takes home the championship trophy next season.
As always let me know your thoughts and opinions regardless if they are positive or negative.
Stanford
1 of 10
Quarterback Andrew Luck’s return to Palo Alto was a huge coup for the Stanford program and is the main reason why the Cardinal is on this list.
Luck will play alongside running back Stepfan Taylor and tight end Colby Fleener once again as Stanford tries to keep their high octane offense on track. Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen do need to be replaced and finding receivers to step into their shoes will be a top priority.
Defensively, Owen Marecic (who was also a contributor on offense) needs to be replaced along with four other starters from the 2010 unit. Safety Delano Howell was an all conference performer in 2010 and he will anchor the Cardinal secondary in 2011.
Auburn
2 of 10
Auburn only returns eight starters from last season’s National Title team and talents such as Cam Newton, Nick Fairley and Darvin Adams need to be replaced for the Tigers.
Offensively, Auburn will lean on the running back duo of Michael Dyer and Ontario McCalebb to grind out yards and get the ball in the endzone. Junior quarterback Barrett Trotter appears to be the heir apparent to Cam Newton under center, but nothing official has been announced yet.
The defensive unit will also undergo major changes just like the offense in 2011. Only four starters return on the defensive side of the ball and it’s uncertain how the new unit will come together. Cornerback Neiko Thorpe will likely serve as the anchor of the defense early in the year.
Boise State
3 of 10
Quarterback Kellen Moore is back for his senior year and he is hoping to cap off his storybook career with a National Championship.
Moore will obviously be the catalyst of the Bronco offense along with running back Doug Martin. The problem that Moore will face will be breaking in new wide receivers to offset the losses of Titus Young and Austin Pettis.
Defensively Boise State should be very tough, especially in the front seven where they return most of their talent.
There is no question that Boise State will once again win big next season, but will simply winning be enough to vault the Broncos into the National Championship?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida State
4 of 10
Florida State appears to be the class of the ACC for 2011, but it remains to be seen if they can make big waves on a national level.
On offense, senior running back Jermaine Thomas and wide receivers Bert Reed and Taiwan Easterling pace the Seminoles. Quarterback E.J. Manual showed flashes of greatness in his limited game experience and appears to be a safe option to replace longtime starter Christian Ponder.
Eight starters return on defense for a unit that only gave up 19.6 points per game last season. There are some personnel that needs to be replaced, particularly at linebacker, but the defense will remain the same for the most part.
Ohio State
5 of 10
With all the recent turmoil surrounding Jim Tressel and the Buckeye program, I flirted with the idea of leaving them off this list but at full strength this Ohio State team is just too strong to write off.
Ohio State will have to navigate through their first five games without coach Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Boom Herron, wide receiver Devier Posey and offensive lineman Mike Adams. Matchups against Akron, Toledo and Colorado are certainly manageable, but a home game against Michigan State and a road game at Miami [Fl] are where things could get dicey.
The other main question is a defense that only returns four starters. This would be a major cause for concern, but Ohio State fits into the same category as Alabama in that they recruit at such a high level that new elite prospects usually always surface. With that being said, the heavy losses on the defensive side of the ball will be something to keep an eye on especially early in the season.
Oklahoma State
6 of 10
Oklahoma State’s offense was scary good in 2010 and figures to be even better in 2011. Quarterback Brandon Weeden returns to run Head Coach Mike Gundy’s spread attack along with big play wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Blackmon had an outstanding season last year and already has Heisman buzz building around him for 2011.
The one aspect of the game that once again might hold the Cowboys back is the defense. The Cowboys defense gave up 98 points in their two matchups against Oklahoma and Nebraska and the unit will need to play better in these big games if Oklahoma State hopes to run the gauntlet. Six starters return on defense for Oklahoma State so it will be interesting to see how the returning players mesh with the new faces.
Finally, highly respected Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson left the school over the offseason to become the Head Coach in waiting at West Virginia. It remains to be seen how much of an impact Holgerson’s departure will have on the Cowboys offensive efficiency.
Alabama
7 of 10
Quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram, wide receiver Julio Jones and defensive end Marcel Darius are all moving on to the NFL, but don’t expect these losses to slow Saban and the Tide down.
The Crimson Tide recruit at such a high level that the next man waiting in line is usually a top tier talent.
Look for Alabama to lean on running back Trent Richardson early on as new quarterback A.J. McCarron gets broken in.
Any growing pains that the offense goes through should be offset by the defense. The Crimson Tide returns 10 starters on defense including all conference performers Dont’a Hightower, Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron.
Regardless of the heavy losses that Alabama will have to absorb, you would be silly to count this program out of the National Title race.
LSU
8 of 10
Sixteen starters return from an LSU team that had their weigh with Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl and now Head Coach Les Miles and the Tiger faithful have their sights set on the National Championship.
Offensively, the Tigers have a pair of dynamic wide receivers in Rueben Randle and Russell Shepherd. Running back Spencer Ware showed major potential rushing in the Cotton Bowl and figures to contribute more as a sophomore. Even with the return of starter Jordan Jefferson there is an ample amount of uncertainty under center for the Bayou Bengals.
LSU returns seven starters on defense, but cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive tackle Drake Nevis need to be replaced for the Tigers.
Oregon
9 of 10
Oregon’s offense will be as explosive as ever next season as the majority of the skill players return.
Quarterback Darron Thomas will once again be the field general for this fast paced Ducks attack and he will be surrounded by playmakers such as running back LaMichael James, wide receiver Josh Huff and running back Kenjon Barner.
The defensive side of the ball is less stable and holes will have to be filled from some of the members of the 2010 unit. Six starters from last year’s defense have moved on including linebackers Casey Mathews and Spencer Paysinger.
The Ducks will once again score points in bunches next season, but it remains to be seen if the defense will be able to hold their weight.
Oklahoma
10 of 10
All the pieces are in place for Oklahoma to win a National Title in 2011. Nine starters return for the Sooners on offense including quarterback Landry Jones and wide receiver Ryan Broyles.
The defense should also be solid for head coach Bob Stoops. Oklahoma returns eight starters on the defensive side of the ball from 2010 including two all conference selections.
In addition to the returning talent, Oklahoma once again brought in a stellar recruiting class which should help keep the Sooners near the top of the Big 12 standings next year and into the foreseeable future.
The one hole that will need to be filled will be at running back, a position that now lays vacant with the departure of senior Demarco Murray.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
