College Football 2011: Predicting the MVP on All Top 25 Teams
There are some interesting early Top 25 polls out there, but part of what gets a team onto a poll this early in the year is the talent they have returning.
Many teams have marquee stars returning. Others will be looking to a new group of young men to step into the spotlight and lead their team to victory.
Here's a run-down of the Top 25, and who we think their MVP may be in 2011.
No. 25: Michigan Wolverines
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This one is pretty simple.
Take Denard Robinson from last year. Add another year of experience, growth, strength and possibly speed (if he can possibly get any faster).
What do you get in 2011? Heisman talk—if the Wolverines can keep winning this year, that is.
No. 24: Auburn Tigers
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It's really, really difficult to replace a player like Cam Newton.
While a repeat of last year's BCS title probably isn't in the cards for the Tigers in 2011, there are a number of players who could step up and make a big impact for Auburn.
With Newton gone, this is Michael Dyer's time to shine with the ball. Look for him to do his best to keep Auburn's rushing offense tops in the SEC.
No. 23: Virginia Tech Hokies
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With quarterbacking a huge question mark for the Hokies in 2011, it helps that practically the entire receiving corps is back from last year.
Led by Jarrett Boykin, this group of sticky-handed receivers will need to make a huge impact in 2011 to give the Hokies a return to a BCS bowl.
If the Hokies get the quarterback situation straight, Boykin could have a huge year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 22: Georgia Bulldogs
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So Georgia had their first losing season in 18 years.
Big deal. Last time it happened, the Bulldogs went 10-2 the next year. With Aaron Murray entering his sophomore season, already well-versed in the lay of the Georgia landscape, it's not completely crazy to think that Georgia could make an impressive run in 2011.
If Georgia is to expect big things in 2011, they'll need to expect big things from young Mr. Murray.
No. 21: Arkansas Razorbacks
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Another team with a big loss at quarterback will need to turn to the run game a little more in 2011. At least until they figure out what kind of quarterbacking situation they have.
Knile Davis is a beast. Without him in 2010, Arkansas' passing game would have been under much greater pressure. This season could see the Hogs' running game take more of a central role, now that Mallett is gone. And Davis will be taking the central role in the running game.
No. 20: Florida Gators
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John Brantley will have plenty of familiar targets in 2011, and with Charlie Weis running the Gator offense, it's likely that Brantley and his five returning receivers will figure heavily into the play-calling shceme in Gainesville.
No. 19: Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Nebraska's first season in the Big Ten could be very interesting.
Taylor Martinez is fast. He's talented. He's smart.
The Big Ten is big, and the O-line in front of Martinez is depleted, and there are no key receivers returning for 2011.
Martinez better be fast. A late stumbling block could be Nov. 19 at Michigan. It gets mighty cold in Ann Arbor in late November. And agile running on a frozen, possibly snow-covered field won't be easy.
If Nebraska is going to make an immediate impact in the Big Ten, Martinez needs to make a lot of noise for the Huskers.
No. 18: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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A lot of headlines were made when the Irish signed a star recruit from Hawai'i a few years back.
Now Manti Te'o is back for his junior season, he'll again be making a major impact for the Irish on defense.
He'll also be leading a defensive front seven that is almost identical to last year. Te'o will have a monster year.
No. 17: West Virginia Mountaineers
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The Mountaineers will try to return to Big East supremacy behind the on-field leadership of Geno Smith.
Entering his junior year, Smith will be leading a mostly intact 2010 offense in 2011. With some key running game losses, the passing game figures to be a prominent part of the Mountaineer game plan in 2011.
No. 16: Mississippi State Bulldogs
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Vick Ballard shows glimpses of greatness last year in the SEC.
With both the running and passing games returning virtually unchanged from 2010, Ballard could have a stellar season while opposing defenses worry about the deep threat of the passing game.
No. 15: Michigan State Spartans
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When you have one of the most underrated quarterback in the nation in Kirk Cousins and an explosve tailback in Edwin Baker, you have to figure on one of those two guys to step up huge for the Spartans in 2011.
Which one that is depends on which way Mark Dantonio's offensive play calling swings in 2011. Cousins may again be hidden in the Big Ten shadow of Terrelle Pryor and Denard Robinson. But Baker, in his junior year, could be one of the top running backs (if not the top back) in the Big Ten in 2011.
No. 14: TCU Horned Frogs
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TCU followed an impressive 2009 with an absolutely magical undefeated 2010 season, ending with a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin.
TCU will be looking to some new faces in 2011, as they only return 10 combined starters (five on offense, five on defense).
TCU has to replace signal caller Andy Dalton, and that job will likely fall to either sophomore Casey Pachall or junior Yogi Gallegos.
Helping take some of the pressure off of the Frogs' new QB will be star running back Ed Wesley. Particularly early in the season, look for Wesley to be called upon much more often in order to let the new quarterback settle in.
If things go well in the first few weeks, Wesley could shape up to be a real star in the Frogs' final season in the MWC.
No. 13: Wisconsin Badgers
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Another Top 25 program that will need to replace some stars is Wisconsin.
As long as anyone can remember, Wisconsin has been a big, powerful run-game, throw-only-if-you-have-to type of offense. That's probably not going to change in 2011.
Sophomore James White and junior Montee Ball will be splitting duties in the backfield in 2011. In 2010, these two combined for over 2,000 yards. The safe money would be on them doing the same in 2011.
No. 12: South Carolina Gamecocks
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Towards the end of 2010, senior quarterback Stephen Garcia began to show some signs of real consistency. He also led South Carolina to its first-ever SEC-East title, and South Carolina is well poised to make another run at a trip to Atlanta.
But the real star for South Carolina in 2011 is again going to be Marcus Lattimore. After an impressive first year at Carolina, look to Lattimore to have a stellar breakout season in 2011.
No. 11: Missouri Tigers
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Despite returning nine offensive starters from last year, the real star of the 2011 Tigers could be on the other side of the ball.
Senior defensive end Jacquies Smith could put up some eye-popping numbers in 2011. He's amazingly quick and strong, even for a defensive end, and opposing quarterbacks will need to know where he is at all times. If they hesitate for a fraction of a second in the pocket, they'll soon feel the full power of Smith pounding them into the turf.
Of course, that may happen anyway. No one would be surprised if Smith earns a few Big 12 POTW honors.
No. 10: Boise State Broncos
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Picking a 2011 MVP favorite for the Broncos is one of the easier selections.
Heisman finalist and early 2011 Heisman contender Kellen Moore returns to The Blue for his senior season.
A four-year starter, Moore is undoubtedly one of the most accurate passers in the college game. His numbers are off the charts. He is in every way imaginable the leader of the Boise State Broncos.
With Boise State taking a step up in class moving to the surprisingly well stacked MWC (at least for 2011), if Moore performs like he has in the past, he'll be taking a trip to New York in the winter to see if his name is called in 2011.
No. 9: Oklahoma State Cowboys
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The Cowboys are returning practically everyone on offense for 2011.
And given the fact that Oklahoma State had one of the most prolific offenses in 2010, it stands to reason that 2011 should be just as good, if not better. If opposing defenses take even a single down off, they'll quickly discover that it can very well cost them seven points.
Oklahoma State also has a couple of outside contenders for the Heisman in QB-WR duo Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. Don't de surprised if the Cowboys are the nation's top offense in 2011.
For that reason and the fact that each player has the ability and is needed to contribute, the entire offense gets the nod as 2011 MVP favorite.
No. 8: Stanford Cardinal
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Here's another team with another Heisman-caliber quarterback, so picking the prospective MVP shouldn't be difficult.
Andrew Luck surprised a few people by announcing that he'd be returning to the Cardinal for his junior year in 2011 rather than seeking fame and fortune in the NFL.
Luck is not only the clear frontrunner for the Cardinal's MVP spot, but he's also an early favorite for the Heisman race in 2011.
Luck will have to break in some new wide outs, but with the talent that Luck brings to the table, that should take long. The Cardinal is set up for another Top 10 finish and will contend for the Pac-12 title in 2011 with Luck leading the charge.
No. 7: Ohio State Buckeyes
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This one is going to take come creative thinking.
If the Buckeyes can hold on through their first five games of the year, Terrelle Pryor's return in week six could spell the beginning of something special.
Pryor fans have been waiting for a breakout year, and 2011 could be it. The more his QB IQ improves, the more dangerous he is to opposing defenses.
Prior to week six, look for others with experience to anchor the team, especially DE Nathan Williams and LB Andrew Sweat. They could be key to holding down the fort in early 2011, especially given the fact that when you take the suspensions into consideration, Ohio State will only have four offensive and four defensive starters returning for weeks one through five.
No. 6: Texas A&M Aggies
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The Aggies return 10 starters on offense, and once again calling the signals will be senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill will have a superstar target in wide out Jeff Fuller. If Fuller stays on his game, Tannehill could have some very impressive numbers in the new-look Big 12.
Tannehill is a solid quarterback, and consistency in 2011 is going to be key. If he can remain so, the Aggies are poised for a run at the Big 12 title and a BCS berth in 2011.
No. 5: LSU Tigers
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LSU's passing game in 2010 was just plain horrible. While strides were made during the season, the Tigers still ended up ranked in the bottom 20 in the nation in terms of passing offense.
Good thing that LSU's passing defense was stellar.
The 2010 SEC-best pass defense will return seven starters for 2011, led by star corner Morris Claiborne.
Claiborne is so good a reading passes, it sometimes make opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators wonder if he can read minds. Any pass to his side of the field is in peril of being knocked down, or worse.
If the Tigers can get their passing attack on track, they could be a very difficult team to beat in 2011.
No. 4: Florida State Seminoles
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Have the glory days returned to Tallahassee? Time will tell, and it's likely that 2011 will be the time to tell us.
Returning eight starters on both offense and defense, the Seminoles are stocked with talent and experience.
With a new quarterback in junior E.J. Manuel like to be taking snaps, look for FSU's ground game to take center stage again in 2011. Although no single running back has had amazing numbers, as a unit the Seminole backfield is potent.
Sharing the load equally may not lead to any huge numbers for any one player, but it's a great way to keep legs fresh and defenses guessing. The FSU backfield gets our nod as 2011 MVP favorite.
No. 3: Oregon Ducks
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Here's another unsurprising Heisman alert.
LaMichael James was the perhaps the nation's most electrifying running back in 2010. Besides being a Heisman finalist, his speedy runs helped propel the Ducks the BCS title game. Combined with a lethal passing attack, James' big-play contributions will again lead to big things for the Ducks in 2011.
And James will probably make a return trip to New York in 2011 as well.
No. 2: Alabama Crimson Tide
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The more things change, the more things stay the same.
After a disappointing (by recent Alabama standards) 2010, the Tide will be looking to "rebound" in 2011.
While stud QB Greg McElroy is gone, and Ingram and Jones have departed for the NFL, the Crimson Tide are still pretty well off offensively.
Trent Richardson, 2010's best "No. 2" running back will be handling most of the carries for Alabama in 2011. With the O-line intact from last year, there could be some pretty huge holes for this speedy, elusive back to slip through.
Richardson will have a monster year in 2011, and will put Alabama in a position to recapture the SEC and return to the BCS title game.
No. 1: Oklahoma Sooners
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The Sooners are topping most people's early preseason lists, and for a very good reason.
Returning 17 starters for a darn good 2010 squad will boost anyone's stock. But when your starting quarterback is Landry Jones, and you have a receiver like Ryan Broyles and you wrap that all up in a Bob Stoops team, you have the makings of something special.
Landry Jones will enter his junior year at Oklahoma looking to guide the Sooners back to BCS glory in 2011. Beyond where the team may end up in 2011, Jones also has the opportunity to shatter more than a handful of Oklahoma school records—an impressive feat in a program like Oklahoma's. Most of his favorite targets return for 2011, and as hard as it is to believe, Jones could actually improve on his 2010 average of 330 yards passing per game.
He could very well be a Heisman contender and is a shoe-in for All-Big 12 and consensus All-American.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
