College Football Predictions 2011: 10 Underrated Teams Who Can Make A Run
During the college football offseason a lot of weight is put on ranking a viable top 25.
The hope is that by midseason of next year the rankings will hold true, or come significantly close to the real thing.
But, who are we kidding? Each and every year preseason rankings appear to lose credibility by week four or earlier.
Last year was a prime example, as Auburn stormed out of a mediocre 2009 campaign to go undefeated in 2010, finishing the year with a BCS National Championship title.
Another example from last season is Nevada, who emerged as another potential BCS buster for the future. And, no one expected Michigan State to have the season it did last year.
So, who's going to be this year's Auburn, Nevada, or Michigan State?
Here's a list of the 10 most underrated teams heading into next fall.
Clemson Tigers
1 of 10
2010 Record: 6-7 (4-4 in ACC)
It seems like the pundits have finally taken their eyes off the Tigers. Year after year, Clemson has been projected to be the top team in the ACC's Atlantic division, but a 6-7 season and the apparent return of Florida State's excellence has experts swaying away from the orange and purple.
But, Clemson has followed disappointing seasons with championship divisions before, and might very well be primed to take the division back in 2011.
Kyle Parker wasn't the most stellar option at quarterback for the Tigers last year, throwing just 12 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Clemson's offense was erratic, and lacked rhythm.
But, the ultra talented Tajh Boyd is taking the bull by the horns this year and might have that athletic spark to ignite the scoring. He's a prototypical specimen worthy of note, with good size, a rocket arm, and 4.4 speed.
There will be a learning curve for Boyd, who's entering his sophomore season with only 63 career passes thrown. However, if Boyd can handle the pressure, the Tigers could be very dangerous.
Clemson is filling all of their vacant defensive positions with juniors and seniors, and returns the entire offense with the exception of Parker.
Andre Ellington, who missed three games last year due to injury, might become the feature back in the offense.
Georgia Bulldogs
2 of 10
2010 Record: 6-7 (3-5 in SEC)
If there was one bright spot for the 2010 Georgia team, it was the fact the Bulldogs from last year were never blown out of a game. Yes, they failed to compete in the weakest SEC East in years, and were embarrassed by Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl.
But, Georgia was oh-so-close to having a darn good year. The talent is there, as it always has been. The issues over the past two seasons have come from a head scratching amount of turnovers and mental errors.
If the Dawgs clean up a few things here and there, they could be the SEC East champions when it's all said and done. Replacing A.J. Green seems like a daunting task, but it's actually a nice thought to think Georgia might start focusing on creating a dominating ground game once again.
Prized freshman recruit Isaiah Crowell might be the spark Georgia needs to finally have a ball-control offense, which was always the signature feature during their winning seasons under Mark Richt.
Plus, Aaron Murray is returning for his second season, already owning a few Georgia passing records. Murray threw for over 3,000 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions as a freshman.
Murray and junior middle linebacker Christian Robinson are expected to finally bring in the leadership Georgia has lacked since the departure of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno.
North Carolina State Wolfpack
3 of 10
2010 Record: 9-4 (5-3 in ACC)
North Carolina state was already pretty relevant by the end of last season, but like Clemson, they are trailing in the eyes of predictors thanks to Florida State's high expectations to win the ACC Atlantic.
The Wolfpack dropped four very close games in 2010, including an overtime loss out of conference to East Carolina.
Much of the reason for this team's high expectations is the return of star quarterback, Russell Wilson, who will start his senior season for the Pack.
Wilson threw for 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns last year, but could use his final year in Raleigh to improve on his completion percentage and interception total.
The Wolfpack, like Clemson, bring back a lot of experience and are filling most of their holes with upperclassmen. Last season they managed to drop four heartbreaking losses, all to winning teams.
If the ball bounces their way in 2011, the Wolfpack could ride Russell Wilson all the way to the ACC Championship.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Central Florida Knights
4 of 10
2010 Record: 11-3 (7-1 in C-USA)
Central Florida had a stellar 2010 season, culminating with a 10-6 "upset" victory over Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. But, they still didn't garner much respect from the media as they head into this fall with a middle-of-the-road ranking from most experts.
It's baffling, however, to see the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (who went 10-3 in the same conference as the Knights) ranked as high as 25 in some early rankings.
Yes, Tulsa returns more experience. But, Tulsa also faces an almost impossible non-conference schedule that includes Oklahoma, Boise State, and Oklahoma State—all three being projected BCS game candidates. There's no way the Golden Hurricane make it out of that schedule alive considering how bad their defense was in 2010.
Central Florida has holes to fill on defense, and actually a lot more than Tulsa, but their sixth ranked scoring defense from last season cannot be overlooked, especially considering how dominating the defense was against a very talented Georgia offense.
The Knights offensive output was also pretty good last year, and was insanely balanced at 186.4 passing and 187.6 rushing yards per contest.
UCF will have their star in the making, Jeffery Godfrey, to lead them through a much easier schedule. Their non-conference opponents are Boston College, Florida International, BYU, and Charleston Southern.
If you are looking for a team out of the Conference-USA to bust into the BCS scene, look no further than UCF. Tulsa will have trouble handling three power house schools. On the other hand, if Central Florida handles Boston College and BYU (which seems darn possible), they could run all the way to an undefeated season and BCS contention.
Nevada Wolfpack
5 of 10
2010 Record: 13-1 (7-1 in WAC)
Who knows, maybe Nevada will be this year's Nevada?
This pick might be the biggest longshot considering the Wolfpack lose start quarterback Colin Kaepernick and tailback Vai Taua, who accounted for almost all of the offense in 2010.
But, the Wolfpack will be filling both of those positions with seniors in Tyler Lantrip and Lampford Mark (names almost as awesome as their predecessors).
What makes Nevada an attractive group is their overall list of returning players, and the fact they are no undoubtedly the kings of the Western Athletic Conference now that Boise State will be playing in the MWC.
Nevada had one of the most potent offenses in the country last year in a pistol-offense that Lantrip should know very well by now. Also, their scoring defense (31st out of 121 teams) wasn't too shabby either.
The teams that need to fear Nevada are Oregon, Texas Tech, and Boise State, who all host the Wolfpack in consecutive weeks.
Sure, it might seem contradictory to mention Nevada as a fear inducing team when Tulsa plays just as treacherous of a schedule and returns stars on offense.
But, if the Wolfpack can handle two of the three road games, which is possible, they could breeze through the WAC and end up 12-1.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
6 of 10
2010 Record: 10-3 (6-2 in C-USA)
Gotcha! No, I'm not leaving Tulsa off this list. I have no reason to hate them—in fact, I like them just as much as my other picks.
Now that I'm done defending Central Florida's case for a top 25 team, and giving the thought of Nevada having another good year, we can talk about the other second-tier team with a lot in their arsenal.
Tulsa has always been on the fringe of being a serious BCS-buster, only to fall back into mediocrity when their chance arises. This season could very well be different.
They definitely have the biggest opportunity to solidify a spot in a BCS game. Why? Because their non-conference schedule would have most SEC, Big Ten, or Pac-12 schools running for the hills.
The Golden Hurricane open their season at Oklahoma, host Oklahoma State, and follow the game versus the Pokes with a showdown in Boise against the Broncos.
Tulsa might just have the confidence to compete with these teams, indicated by their outstanding offense. The Golden Hurricane passed for 288.7 yards and rushed for 216.9 yards per game in 2010. And, unlike Nevada, they return the nucleus of their talent.
G.J. Kinne is a dual threat through the air and on the ground, and Damaris Johnson returns as the star receiver and returner. There might not be a single area on this team that needs to be addressed because of inexperience.
The only knack on Tulsa is that their scoring defense was horrid last year, surrendering 30 points per contest. But, there is no doubt they can cruise through the Conference USA schedule with that type of allowance because of their offensive output.
If Tulsa survives two, or even comes close in losing two of the big three non-conference games, they could sneak into the BCS or a major bowl with an 11-1 or 10-2 record.
Tennessee Volunteers
7 of 10
2010 Record: 6-7 (3-5 in SEC)
If you are looking for the darkest of all of the darkhorses, look no further than Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Tennessee Volunteers enter their second season under Derek Dooley in hot water, considering just how miserable parts of 2010 were. But, there is quite a bright spot in second year quarterback, Tyler Bray.
Bray ignited an otherwise stagnant offense in 2010, entering as the starting quarterback in a November 6th game versus Memphis, throwing for 325 yards and 5 touchdowns. He followed that performance with passing performances of 323, 232, and 354 yards. He also finished the year with 18 touchdown passes.
Many Tennessee fans believe that the development of continuity between Bray, the receivers, and the rest of the offense in the offseason could lead to a much more promising 2011.
The defense will need to make major improvements, but it's hard to not like their chances considering they return three star defensive studs in Malik Jackson, Prentiss Waggner, and Janzen Jackson.
Also, the Volunteers face an easy non-conference schedule. They open with Montana and Cincinnati, two teams that aren't considered to be threats to the Volunteers. If Tennessee can build confidence in those two games, they very well could rise back up and become a prominent team in the SEC East once again.
Though the race for the east, with Georgia, Florida, and returning champ South Carolina will not be anywhere near easy.
Michigan Wolverines
8 of 10
2010 Record: 7-6 (3-5 in Big Ten)
I know what you are thinking.
How could anyone in their right mind have faith in a team that allowed 35 points per game (108th in the nation) last year?
I have two reasons: Brady Hoke and Denard Robinson. The hope is that Hoke can replenish the attitude of this Michigan team, but the team might not be nearly as uncomfortable with themselves as people think.
Yes, the defense was an atrocity last year, but they had to play through a lot of injuries, A lot of freshman saw too much playing time last season. What did we expect, the Michigan Fab Five?
The defense will still be a work in progress, but should be significantly better. Rarely do you see a top tier program like Michigan have a bottom dweller defense in consecutive seasons.
And, Denard Robinson will be at quarterback for the Wolverines, despite rumors that he would transfer out (Tate Forcier left instead).
Robinson will be one of the biggest playmakers in college football next year. He passed for 2,570 yards and rushed for 1,702 yards last year. Sure, he sizzled off towards the end of the year.
But, a healthy Denard Robinson could take a mediocre offense (not a bad one) to a pretty good season next fall, and help Brady Hoke gain confidence as the new man in town (which might not be too hard considering how disliked Rich Rodriguez was).
West Virginia Mountaineers
9 of 10
2010 Record: 9-4 (5-2 in Big East)
Raise your hand if you thought the Big East was no longer a BCS automatic qualifying conference.
Okay, now put your hand back down and continue to scroll down this slide. I give you reason to have faith in the Big East, and the reason is Geno Smith and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers were a BCS contender over the past decade or so, and have had some insanely awesome offenses. Last season they went just 9-4 and lost the Big East championship to a tie-breaker versus Connecticut.
Yes, seeing an 8-5 team in a BCS bowl had some people shaking their heads, and there aren't a lot of people out there who see Connecticut as a serious BCS contender in 2011. But, you have to remember West Virginia was an overtime loss to the Huskies away from being in their second Fiesta Bowl versus Oklahoma since 2007.
This year they might be able to step back into the spotlight, despite the fact most don't consider them more than a top 40 team at the moment. Geno Smith returns at quarterback, and the defense shouldn't hurt too much after losing three starters to graduation, considering the defense finished sixth in the entire nation in scoring defense last year.
If West Virginia's offense can finally start clicking, it should help the Mountaineers take over the Big East. A 10-2 season and BCS bowl seem very likely, which is rare for a team that's not highly regarded in the offseason.
UCLA Bruins
10 of 10
2010 Record: 4-8 (2-7 in Pac-10)
Believe it or not, a lot of experts see UCLA as a team on the rise, which doesn't make too much initial sense considering how they flopped in their second half of their 2010 campaign.
So, where does the optimism come from? Well, a lot of people in Pasadena are pretty pumped for the return of tailback Jonathan Franklin, who rushed for 1,127 yards and 8 touchdowns in his sophomore season.
They also return the nucleus of their offensive skill positions players in quarterback Richard Brehaut, receivers Morell Presley and Taylor Embree, and tight end Corey Harkey.
And, the defense should be much improved and returns a lot of players.
With a tough Pac-12 schedule ahead of them, it's hard to envision the Bruins doing anything super special next year.
But, the Pac-12 also might be as wide open as it's been in years (excluding Oregon). Placing second, third, fourth, or fifth in the Pac-12 standings will be nice for the respective teams that do so.
Yes, I mean that. There's going to be so much competition for the top tier of that conference next season. The only teams that actually seem better than UCLA are USC, Stanford, and Utah.
Outside of that, other teams like Oregon State, Arizona, and Arizona State might be sliding around with the Bruins in the pool of mediocrity. If UCLA ever wanted a chance to rise back up and have a good year, it will be next year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
