College Football 2011: The 10 Biggest Questions from Spring Football
With spring either in full swing, or for the most part, just about wrapped up for many programs around the country, it's now time to recap and start planning for the summer. With that in mind, really the plan formulates from the questions that still remain going into training camp.
Every team has questions, that's just how it is. But some have bigger questions than others. Many teams are poised for a potential BCS bowl game run, but still need answers to some key questions surrounding their squads. While we don't have answers to everything, we do have questions on teams all around the country.
Here are the 10 biggest questions in college football stemming from after spring ball.
10. Is Florida a True SEC Contender in Muschamp's First Year?
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Florida struggled last year, pretty much by Florida standards, and the blame was placed heavily on Steve Addazio, John Brantley and a few others on defense. Urban Meyer stepped aside and Will Muschamp was brought over from Texas.
Muschamp went out and hired Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator and has placed John Brantley in Weis' care. Also, Weis will be responsible for developing Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett.
Yet, I honestly do not think Florida will see many first-year growing pains under Muschamp. He and Weis are too good of coaches not to have the Gators in the SEC title discussion for 2011. The talent on the roster is loaded and the Gators have had some solid practices this spring.
9. Is USC's Defense Improving?
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If you watched the Trojans play Hawaii last year, you came away with two impressions: Matt Barkley is one of the top QBs in the country, and the defense has more holes in it than a Swiss cheese factory.
Word has it that Kiffin and son felt that the defensive scheme was too complicated, thus they have chosen to simplify things. The defensive line was the main Achilles' heel and it was supposed to be the strength going into 2010. They get Christian Tupou back and George Uko is a young player that has the makings of the next Sedrick Ellis.
With better roster numbers, a second year in the scheme and the coaching staff simplifying the defense, USC defensive players have made comments this spring about being able to play more freely and exponentially faster.
8. Can Sooners and Cowboys Find Running Back Help?
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Both Oklahoma schools are primed to see themselves ranked in the top 10 going into 2011. The Sooners are the likely No.1 team in the land and the Cowboys are not far behind.
Both squads are led by their offenses, particularly at QB and WR, as the Sooners have Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles, and the Cowboys boast Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon.
But both units are replacing stud runners in Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray and Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter.
At OSU, look for Joe Randle and Jeremy Smith, along with Herschel Sims to help out in the running game. Oklahoma will see what Ray Finch, Jonny Miller, Brennan Clay, Jeremie Calhoun and Brandon Williams can do.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. How Is Denard Robinson Adjusting to New Offense in Ann Arbor?
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Robinson came to Michigan with the intentions on playing in Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, which he is best suited for. Rodriguez was fired last winter and in comes Brady Hoke.
Hoke has brought in Al Borges as his offensive chief and Borges runs more of a traditional offense than a spread system. The main element is that Robinson will now be asked to take snaps from center and work on his drops and climbs from the pocket.
This means he must learn how to drop back, set up and throw from the pocket, all while reading a defense simultaneously. Robinson certainly has the athleticism to make the transition, but there will be a learning curve involved.
6. Will Helmet Cam Help Kelly Choose QB at Notre Dame?
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To me, the Notre Dame QB race is a story of two different types of QBs. First you have Dayne Crist, the starter for much of last season, who is the 6'5", strong-armed type.
Then you have Tommy Reese, who looks like a water boy, but when you see him in his gold helmet on Saturdays, he turns into a sheer gamer. Both QBs didn't exactly set the world on fire during the recent Irish spring game, but my money is on Crist.
Brian Kelly is using a helmet camera as another way of teaching better decision making to his QBs, and it will be a tool to help him decide on a starter.
5. Is Cam's Successor in Place?
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With 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newton off to try to be the No.1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in a few weeks, Gene Chizik and the Auburn staff are now charged with finding a replacement for the all-world QB.
The early favorites to battle for the gig are Barret Trotter and Clint Moseley. Trotter seems to be the one that has the slight edge, but Moseley is very talented himself.
Kiehl Frazier is coming to Auburn in the summer and is one of the top QB prospects in the 2011 recruiting class. Chizik will have a selection of three QB talents to replace Newton.
4. Can Jefferson Use Solid Spring to Fend off Mettenberger in the Summer?
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Jordan Jefferson has been infamously inconsistent in his time as the starting QB for LSU. Jefferson has raw tools, but I just think he lacks the natural feel, awareness and anticipation skills it takes to master a passing game week in and week out for an offense.
But Jefferson has had a solid spring and reports say he looks like a new man. Steve Kragthorpe has done a solid job so far of developing him and getting his offense installed.
Yet Zach Mettenberger will have something to say about who's the starting QB for the Tigers in 2011. Mettenberger is a 6'5", 240-pound QB with a hose for an arm and better natural passing skills than Jefferson. This should be a good battle in training amp.
3. Who Will Be the Main Roller of the Tide?
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Alabama also has a QB race of their own. Say what you want about Greg McElroy's NFL prospects, and even I think he will be a career backup, but he won and won a lot in Tuscaloosa.
Now it is up to Phillip Sims and AJ McCarron as the main two signal callers for Nick Saban's offensive unit. The early money seems to be on MCcarron, the 6'4", 190-pound sophomore.
But Sims is a 6'2", 215-pound redshirt freshman that can do a bit of everything within and out of the pocket. The race will continue through the summer and go into training camp.
2. Has Miller Shown Enough to Warrant a Starting Job in the Fall?
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Braxton Miller has come to Columbus already with a celebrity standing around the state of Ohio. He is a legend in the high school football realm around the state and is looked at as the future of Ohio State football.
6'2", 190 pounds, Miller is a player that has drawn comparisons to QBs ranging from a young Donovan McNabb, to Pat White, to former Buckeye Troy Smith. He graduated early and has been taking snaps with the Buckeyes this spring.
Terrelle Pryor is gone for the first five games of 2011, and the Buckeyes are needing either Miller or Joe Bauserman to step up and man the ship until Pryor and the gang come back.
1. Is Case the Real McCoy at Texas over Garrett Gilbert?
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I was a bit surprised the Garrett Gilbert's play at Texas last year. Gilbert was one of the top QB prospects coming out of highs school and had time to learn the offense. But Gilbert didn't play as bad as many people think.
Mack Brown chose to overhaul much of his coaching staff, including the offensive coordinator position. Bryan Harsin has made the move from Boise State and is being helped by Major Applewhite. Harsin will install a multiple look offense and reset the running game.
Gilbert was expected to take a deep breath and come back with a vengeance, but he had a tough spring game that also saw Case McCoy become fan favorite. Colt's younger brother now is being bantered as the potential starter over Gilbert for the 2011 Longhorn season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
