College Football 2011 Predictions: 10 People Feeling the Pressure in 2011
The world of big-time college football is synonymous with pressure and expectations. Both players and coaches are not judged on their past accolades; rather, fans and athletic directors want to know, "What have you done for me lately?"
Every season there are a select few players and coaches who are feeling intense pressure on all sides of them to achieve greatness, and 2011 is no different.
I will let you know who is feeling the heat and whether they will be able to withstand the temperatures in the kitchen.
Butch Jones, Head Coach (Cincinnati)
1 of 10
Cincinnati fans were not expecting a third straight Big East championship in Butch Jones’ first season with the Bearcats, but no one expected the team to finish 4-8 with only two Big East victories.
Cincinnati began the season ranked just outside the preseason Top 25, and fan support was at an all-time high even after Brian Kelly bolted for Notre Dame. By the end of the season, the team was limping to its first losing season since 2005. Attendance and fan support already appeared to be waning.
Cincinnati fans have reason to be optimistic about 2011 though; all 11 starters return on defense, as do the majority of the Bearcats' skill players on offense. In addition, Cincinnati will have the benefit of playing arguably its toughest Big East games at home—against West Virginia, Louisville and Connecticut.
With Cincinnati’s widespread inexperience on defense and the defection of recruits after Kelly’s departure, it is easy to understand how the team fell short in 2010. With that being said, Jones cannot afford a similar season in 2011.
Jacory Harris, Quarterback (Miami FL)
2 of 10
Jacory Harris was a highly regarded prospect coming out of the football powerhouse that is (Miami) Northwestern High School.
Jacory did not sit on the bench for long when he came to Coral Gables. By his sophomore season, Harris had already established himself as the Hurricanes’ starting quarterback.
Jacory made the most of his starting opportunity in 2009, throwing for 3,352 passing yards and 24 touchdowns as he led Miami to an appearance in the Champs Sports Bowl versus Wisconsin.
Needless to say, expectations were sky-high for the quarterback going into last season, but Harris ultimately failed to live up to his preseason hype and was erratic in the pocket as a junior, as evidenced by his 15 interceptions. By the end of the season, Jacory was sharing snaps with freshman Stephen Morris and was relegated to a backup role throughout the majority of the Sun Bowl versus Notre Dame, as Morris got most of the action.
Now during spring practices at the school, Jacory finds himself battling with the upstart Morris for the Hurricanes' starting quarterback gig. Harris is currently listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the early depth chart, but you know that Jacory has to be feeling the heat.
Nick Saban, Head Coach (Alabama)
3 of 10
In all honesty, when you are the head football coach at Alabama, you are constantly feeling the heat.
The temperature kicks up a couple of notches for Nick Saban this season in particular because of Auburn’s 2011 national championship, coupled with the fact that Crimson Tide fans are still steaming over the debacle that was the second half of the Iron Bowl.
Even with the departures of Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus, Alabama still has more than enough talent on its roster to take home a national title. Players such as running back Trent Richardson and defensive prospects Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower would all be prized NFL prospects if they chose to enter the NFL draft right now.
With all of this talent and subsequent preseason expectations comes pressure to produce in a big way on the football field. The fact that Auburn is fresh off a national championship does not do anything to cut down on the heat that Saban will be feeling.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Michael Dyer, Running Back (Auburn)
4 of 10
Michael Dyer had a fantastic freshman campaign for the Tigers, and quite frankly, his rushing brilliance in the fourth quarter of the BCS national title game against Oregon has most likely already earned him a permanent place in Tiger fans’ hearts.
Dyer is no doubt feeling the heat to put on an encore performance, and head coach Gene Chizik will be relying heavily on Michael as new quarterback Barrett Trotter gets broken in under center.
Michael will have the advantage of sharing his rushing workload with fellow talented running back Onterio McCalebb, but Dyer will play an even bigger role in an offense where he will be one of the few impact talents.
Dyer’s 1,093 rushing yards were a major boost for the Tigers last season as they made their national title run, but much more responsibility and pressure will be placed on the running back’s shoulders in 2011.
Jim Tressel, Head Coach (Ohio State)
5 of 10
More and more details continue to emerge about “tattoo-gate” (yes, that is the cheesy, uninspired nickname I am giving this scandal), and head coach Jim Tressel’s suspension is now up to five games.
The NCAA has to yet hand down its punishment on the Ohio State coach, and we are left waiting to see how this compliance issue will ultimately affect Tressel’s coaching status with the Buckeyes.
What seems to have gotten lost amidst the media coverage regarding the scandal is that Ohio State has a team that is certainly capable of winning the Big Ten title and possibly being a player in the national championship race.
Yes, top players Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, “Boom” Herron and Mike Adams are all suspended for the first five games of the season along with their coach, but if the Buckeyes can navigate those first five games successfully, then they suddenly become a very interesting team to watch.
Can Coach Tressel keep the ship righted during this suspension period?
Justin Blackmon, Wide Receiver (Oklahoma State)
6 of 10
Justin Blackmon only had 260 receiving yards as a freshman in Stillwater, but Blackmon enjoyed a slight increase in his production as a sophomore in the form of 1,782 receiving yards, 16.1 yards per catch and 20 touchdowns.
Now as a junior at Oklahoma State, Justin is receiving preseason Heisman buzz from local fans and national analysts alike. The fact that Blackmon will once again be catching passes from senior quarterback Brandon Weeden in head coach Mike Gundy’s wide-open spread offense will be conducive to Blackmon’s potential success.
Justin Blackmon laid to rest any questions about his talent last season, but he put up those big numbers playing with little expectations and pressure from the aforementioned fans and analysts that I described. Justin will now face the age-old hurdle of avoiding the “sophomore slump,” as they say, and navigating his way through the added attention and pressure that he will face on and off the field.
Jordan Jefferson, Quarterback (LSU)
7 of 10
Even after LSU's 11-win season in 2010, many Tiger fans were still far from impressed with Jordan Jefferson’s performance at quarterback.
Jordan only threw seven touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions while playing for the Tigers. Head coach Les Miles even used Jarrett Lee at quarterback sometimes last season when Jefferson’s play was sorely lacking.
Jordan Jefferson is back this season as a senior on what looks to be an absolutely loaded LSU team, but Jefferson’s status as starting quarterback for the Tigers is anything but a sure thing.
Jordan will once again have to fend off Jarrett Lee in the spring, but many observers think Jordan’s biggest competition will be junior college transfer and former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger.
Mettenberger was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, and although his time with the Bulldogs did not work out, there is a growing feeling that Zach might ultimately be the man to lead the Tigers offense next season.
As a senior this coming season, Jordan Jefferson will not only be feeling pressure from Mettenberger and Lee, but also from an LSU fanbase that has become less than enthralled with the 6'5" quarterback from St. Rose, Louisiana.
Michigan's Defense
8 of 10
Even with the spectacular play of “Mr. Shoestring” Denard Robinson, Michigan was only able to finish up the season with a 7-6 record and back-to-back beatdowns versus Ohio State and Mississippi State.
Clearly Michigan’s offense, which ranked 25th nationally, averaging 32.8 points per game, is not holding the Wolverines back. No, Michigan’s problem lies in a defense that gave up over 30 points nine times last season.
Michigan once again returns nearly all its skill players on offense, including the dynamic Robinson at quarterback. The degree of success that Michigan enjoys this season under first-year head coach Brady Hoke will hinge on the play of a defensive unit that has come up short, to say the least, during the past two seasons.
Now to be fair, Michigan returns eight starters on defense from last year’s unit. Along with All-Big Ten performer Mike Martin, players such as linebacker Cam Gordon and defensive end Jibreel Black are getting good early reviews this spring.
Greg Mattison takes over as defensive coordinator for former DC Greg Robinson. Pressure will be on Mattison’s defensive unit to show noticeable improvement on the defensive side of the ball.
Tyler Wilson, Quarterback (Arkansas)
9 of 10
Sometimes a quarterback who follows in the footsteps of a superstar signal caller such as a Ryan Mallett will be asked to simply manage the game and not do too much.
The aforementioned scenario will not be the case for Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson. The 6'3", 182-lb. Wilson will immediately be the centerpiece of head coach Bobby Petrino’s pass-happy offense.
Wilson will have the advantage of playing alongside veteran wide receivers Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Cobi Hamilton, but it is never easy replacing a decorated quarterback such as Ryan Mallett and then become one of the main cogs in the offense.
With 13 starters returning from last season’s Sugar Bowl team, expectations are high in Fayetteville. A lot of Arkansas’ success will depend on how fast Wilson can show command of Petrino’s system and lead this Razorback offense.
Outside of recruiting enthusiasts and Arkansas fans, not many people probably know who Tyler Wilson is, but trust me when I say that this kid has as much pressure on him as any player in college football.
Malcolm Brown, Running Back (Texas)
10 of 10
Malcolm Brown will be a freshman at Texas next year, but there are already expectations and pressures facing the 5-star prospect from Cibolo, Texas.
Texas’s 5-7 season last year has been well documented. Nobody is more anxious to get the 2011 campaign started than head coach Mack Brown and Longhorn fans.
One of the reasons behind Texas’ struggles last season was a running game that did little to overwhelm opponents. Texas averaged 150.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 66th in the NCAA.
The Longhorns do return senior running back Cody Johnson who was serviceable last season, rushing for 592 yards and averaging 4.4 yards per carry, but the freshman Malcolm Brown has been stealing all the headlines over the course of the offseason.
Brown had a decorated prep career at nearby Steele High School and will be asked to contribute immediately for Texas in the backfield this fall.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
