College Football 2011: Re-Ranking the Preseason Top 25 Post-Spring Football
The turning of the calendar from April to May brings with it a sense of calm in the college football world, as student athletes across the country return for the last few weeks of the term after the grueling intensity of spring practices and the fanfare of the annual spring game.
Crowds all over the map—from Eugene, Ore. to Tallahassee, Fla.—gathered by the tens of thousands to watch their beloved teams battle themselves in a blaze of scripted football glory.
And why not? Those fans were privileged enough to get an early glimpse at the greatness they hope their teams will exhibit on a weekly basis come September.
Until then, or rather until fall practices begin in July, practice fields and stadiums will lay dormant as blades of grass eagerly await the stomping of cleats and the pouring of sweat that signifies the dawn of a new season and the eternal hope that comes with it.
In the meantime, let's have a look at the teams that will likely make some noise in 2011, especially now that the passing of National Signing Day and the NFL Draft have rendered rosters more or less finalized for the upcoming season.
25. Florida Gators
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The turbulence of Urban Meyer's last stand and the offseason that followed should yield at least a step or two forward for the Florida Gators in 2011.
There should be no shortage of talent for new head coach Will Muschamp to work with, given the way Meyer cleaned up on the recruiting trail during his tenure and with a top-20 recruiting class headed to Gainesville in the fall.
Muschamp's first season figures to be filled with plenty of bumps and bruises for the Gators, but if new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis can do with John Brantley what he did with Brady Quinn, Florida may yet be able to chomp its way to some big wins in the SEC.
24. Auburn Tigers
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While the Gators look to climb their way back up the SEC's pecking order, the Auburn Tigers will spend 2011 trying to remain relevant.
All eyes will be on the defending BCS champs, which will enter fall camp without Cam Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner and first pick in the 2011 NFL draft, who helped Auburn will its way to the national title in Gene Chizik's second season at the helm.
That is not to mention the rest of the team's personnel losses, including defensive tackle Nick Fairley, leading wideout Darvin Adams and practically the entire starting offensive line.
That said, there's still plenty of talent left at Auburn with plenty more on the way in the form of the nation's second-ranked recruiting class of 2011.
23. Arizona Wildcats
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The Arizona Wildcats need not worry about replacing a superstar quarterback, as they have one of their own returning for one last season.
That's right: Quarterback Nick Foles will be back for his senior season after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in just 10 games last year. He'll be joined by a studly crew of wide receivers, headlined by all-conference performer Juron Criner and bruising back Keola Antolin.
Mike Stoops' team will certainly miss the services of running back Nic Grigsby and most of his starting offensive linemen, who will be gone after graduation, though there's certainly enough talent left in Tucson for the Cardiac 'Cats to improve upon their somewhat disappointing 7-6 showing in 2010.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. West Virginia Mountaineers
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Well, someone's got to win the Big East, right?
Might as well be West Virginia, a team that will have plenty to play for in what has already been designated as head coach Bill Stewart's last season as the head man in Morgantown.
The reigns will be handed over to new Mountaineers offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, whose audition for his future gig will be bolstered by the return of quarterback Geno Smith.
Whether the defense, which sustained heavy losses following the 2010 season, will be strong enough to hold up its end of the bargain remains to be seen.
21. Virginia Tech Hokies
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Like their former conference foes, the Virginia Tech Hokies will have plenty of work to do in fall camp to replace some serious talent, though in the case of Frank Beamer's team, the losses were sustained on offense.
Without Tyrod Taylor at quarterback and the stable of tailbacks depleted by the early departures of Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, the Hokies will turn to former tight end Logan Thomas to take over under center and hand the ball off consistently to junior-to-be David Wilson, whose time in Blacksburg thus far had been spent largely as a kick returner.
That said, one can never count out a Frank Beamer-coached team, as the longtime Hokies head man has done a remarkable job of revamping the program year after year.
20. Arkansas Razorbacks
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Speaking of teams looking for quarterbacks, Arkansas is in as tough a position as any without Ryan Mallett, who was rewarded for his decision to forgo his senior season with a third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.
OK, so maybe Mallett's choice wasn't so great in retrospect, but, then again, neither is the Razorbacks' crunch at quarterback particularly dire.
Though Bobby Petrino has yet to officially name a starting quarterback for the 2011 season, he'll most likely turn to Tyler Wilson, who accounted for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the Hogs' spring game.
With the support of running back Knile Davis and a defense returning eight starters from last season, Wilson and the Razorbacks will have a chance to sneak up on some people, assuming they can navigate their way through the always-tough SEC.
19. Arizona State Sun Devils
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The inaugural season of the Pac-12 figures to be filled with plenty of excitement and intrigue, among which will be the expected rise of the new-look Sun Devils of Arizona State.
With their mascot Sparky officially excised from their gear, Dennis Erickson's squad will look to build on a tough 2010 season in which the Devils lost some serious heartbreakers on the road against Wisconsin, Oregon State and USC, and at home to Stanford.
Assuming a clear winner emerges from the quarterback competition between Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler, ASU should be in fine position to take a significant step forward with 19 starters coming back.
That experience will come in handy during tough games at home against Missouri and Arizona and on the road at Illinois, Utah and Oregon.
18. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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Perhaps no team in the country finds itself with so many obstacles between stagnation and tangible improvement as Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs return seven starters on each side of the ball, including quarterback Chris Relf and tailback Vick Ballard, though the losses of Derek Sherrod on offense and Pernell McPhee on defense might sting a bit.
What's more, Dan Mullens' team must overcome a killer conference schedule, with dates against Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina and Arkansas, if the folks in Starkville are going to see an upgrade in the win column following a breakout 9-4 season in 2010.
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Only time will tell if Notre Dame is truly back on the up-and-up after an eight-win season in which the Fighting Irish finished with four consecutive wins to tie a nice bow around Brian Kelly's first campaign in South Bend.
After all, Kelly's most recent predecessors—Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis—both enjoyed some early success before succumbing to the pressures of the office.
However, with a top-10 recruiting class, an improving defense and the returns of Michael Floyd and Dayne Crist on offense, there should be more than a few Irish eyes smiling through the fall of 2011, though the schedule will be tough as always.
16. Michigan State Spartans
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In particular, the Irish will host Michigan State in what will likely be an excellent early-season game in South Bend.
The Spartans return plenty of talent from a team that claimed a share of the Big Ten title in 2010, including quarterback Kirk Cousins and running backs Le'Veon Bell and Edwin Baker.
However, with the way Sparty ended the 2010 season—with a 49-7 defeat to Alabama in the Capital One Bowl—and a daunting schedule that includes a stretch of games against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska, meeting expectations in East Lansing will be a tough task for MSU, though perhaps not quite as improbable as last season's 11-2 mark.
15. TCU Horned Frogs
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Talk about improbable: How about TCU, which capped a perfect 13-0 season with an impressive victory over Big Ten-powerhouse Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl?
Gary Patterson's bunch won't easily replace the Herculean efforts of second-round NFL Draft selection Andy Dalton, though the return of running back Ed Wesley and what appears to be yet another stout defense should help to boost the Horned Frogs to yet another successful season.
The Frogs will likely have to lurk past conference newcomer Boise State if they are to lay claim to the Mountain West one last time before moving on up to the Big East in 2012.
14. Missouri Tigers
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Amidst all of the hubbub about conference realignments and such over the past year or so, few teams endured quite as much distraction from the various fiascoes as Missouri.
The Tigers nearly joined the Big Ten before watching as half of the Big 12 looked like it was headed off to join the Pac-10.
When the dust finally settled, the Tigers found themselves in the same conference, slimmed down as it may be, with an excellent team to boot.
Mizzou will miss the talents of first-round picks Blaine Gabbert and Aldon Smith, though Gary Pinkel has plenty of terrific young players to choose from to fill in the gaps at quarterback and defensive end, along with the returnees he has entrenched at most other positions of note.
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Part of the reason the Big 12 is no longer actually a 12-team conference, of course, is the departure of Nebraska to the now 12-team Big Ten.
The Cornhuskers find themselves in a tough spot heading into 2011: with no Roy Helu Jr., no Prince Amukamara, a rattled Taylor Martinez, the shock stemming from a 19-7 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl and, for good measure, a tough conference schedule.
Not that Bo Pelini and his staff aren't up to the challenge, though there may be some bad moments for Big Red along the way.
12. Wisconsin Badgers
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Among the teams with which Nebraska will have to contend in the Big Ten is Wisconsin.
Like the Huskers, the Badgers come into the 2011 season looking to bounce back from a disappointing bowl game performance while filling in some serious holes, particularly those left behind by Gabe Carimi, J.J. Watt, Scott Tolzien and John Clay.
None of those losses will be easy to cope with, though the one-two punch of James White and Montee Ball in the backfield should help Bret Bielema's ball club get going in the right direction again.
11. South Carolina Gamecocks
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It almost seems as though Steve Spurrier has been waiting for the 2011 season ever since he arrived in Columbia back in 2004 as the new head coach at South Carolina.
The stars seem to be aligning for his Gamecocks, which look poised to contend in the SEC after representing the East in the conference-title game against Auburn in 2010.
The "Cock and Fire" offense will be running at full throttle with the return of star receiver Alshon Jeffery and freshman sensation Marcus Lattimore, assuming a solid quarterback (i.e. Connor Shaw) emerges from the mess left in the wake of Stephen Garcia's indefinite suspension.
Should that be the case, South Carolina's hopes for an SEC title will be further buoyed by a strong recruiting class, highlighted by the best prospect in the high school class of 2011, defensive end Jadaveon Clowney.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Frankly speaking, Ohio State probably should not be ranked even this high heading into the 2011 season.
Even disregarding the departures of defensive stars Cameron Heyward, Brian Rolle and Ross Homan, the Buckeyes will have to contend with the absence of Terrelle Pryor and four other starters over the first five games of the season, not to mention the distraction that head coach Jim Tressel's recent transgressions will be for the team.
That being said, there's still a wealth of talent waiting in the wings in Columbus, though the NCAA may have something to say about whether any of it will matter, at least in relation to the team's bowl game prospects.
9. Texas A&M Aggies
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The new-look Big 12 will be as strong of a 10-team league in 2011 as it ever was with 12 schools in the years prior to the conference's reshuffling, thanks in large part to the improvement of Texas A&M.
Mike Sherman's Aggies recorded nine wins in 2010 on the way to a berth on the Cotton Bowl, and they figure to be even better in 2011.
The loss of superstar linebacker Von Miller will hurt, though the pain of his departure will be eased by the return of 19 starters from a year ago—nine on defense, 10 on offense.
The continued improvement of quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be key to any run to the Big 12 title that A&M might make, as will the perpetually stellar play of Cyrus Gray and Jeff Fuller.
8. Stanford Cardinal
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Few teams in the country relied as much on the play of their quarterback last year as Stanford did on Andrew Luck, which makes the Cardinal's prospects that much more precarious heading into the fall of 2011.
Luck will be out to prove that he's not a fluke now that he won't have the strong hand of Jim Harbaugh to guide him or the spectacular efforts of players like Doug Baldwin, Ryan Whalen and Owen Marecic to support him.
New head coach David Shaw will have a tough time replacing those players as well as six other starters on defense and three key offensive linemen, though the fact that Shaw was promoted from within the program bodes well for continuity through the transition from one regime to the next.
7. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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The term "explosive" doesn't begin to describe just how good the Oklahoma State offense was in 2010.
That unit figures to be similarly exciting in 2011, even without running back Kendall Hunter and offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson, thanks in large part to the return of quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, the 2010 Biletnikoff Award winner.
Mike Gundy's Pokes will be up against it, with road dates at Texas, Missouri and Texas A&M along with home games against Arizona and Oklahoma.
And now the Cowboys won't be sneaking up on anybody quite like they did last year, when they were picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 in the preseason.
6. Florida State Seminoles
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Florida State fans need not "Ponder" the graduation of their quarterback Christian heading into the 2011 season, which has all the ingredients to be a breakout year for head coach Jimbo Fisher.
Of course, fans won't soon forget the way that legendary coach Bobby Bowden was pushed out to make room for Fisher, but the prospects of an ACC title should help to ease the pain.
Leading the charge for the Seminoles will be uber-talented quarterback E.J. Manuel and a strong defense that will be bolstered by the nation's top-ranked recruiting class.
If the 'Noles can find a way to sneak past Oklahoma at home in September, they might just be on their way to being serious national title contenders.
5. Oregon Ducks
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Despite some heavy losses on both sides of the ball, the Oregon Ducks should once again find themselves atop the heap in the Pac-12 with their eyes fixed on a return to the BCS national championship game.
Last season's national runner-up will lean heavily on the efforts of LaMichael James and Darron Thomas on offense, and Cliff Harris on defense, amidst efforts to restock the offensive line and replace stars like wide receiver Jeff Maehl and linebacker Casey Matthews.
Opening the season against LSU at Cowboys Stadium will be a huge test for Chip Kelly's Ducks, which will look to incoming freshman phenom DeAnthony Thomas to make an immediate impact on one side of the ball or the other, if not both.
4. Boise State Broncos
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It's tough not to like what Boise State has going, even after the Broncos' disappointing loss at Nevada that knocked them out of the BCS hunt last year.
Chris Petersen will rely on Heisman-finalist Kellen Moore and running back Doug Martin to steward the Smurf Turfers into the Mountain West, where they'll take on fellow BCS buster and future Big East member TCU in pursuit of the conference crown.
The matchup with the Horned Frogs, along with a season-opening date against Georgia at the Georgia Dome, will likely make or break Boise's push for yet another appearance in a big-time bowl game.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
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How exactly is it that Alabama is so highly ranked heading into the 2011 season after losing a host of impact players, including Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, Marcell Dareus and Greg McElroy?
One name: Nick Saban.
There's a reason the university built the man a statue after just four seasons in Tuscaloosa. Saban has stockpiled a ton of talent year after year, and he has another top-10 recruiting class set to join the Crimson Tide in the fall.
Bama had some issues with consistency at times in 2010, amidst throwing 22 first-time starters into the mix on a defending national title winner. Those players are just as talented now as they were last season, but figure to be even better with a year of experience under their collective belt.
And so the Tide will continue to roll, regardless of who is on the roster, though it helps to have guys like Trent Richardson and Dont'a Hightower to make the transition into the second phase of Saban's tenure a smooth one.
2. LSU Tigers
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Standing in Alabama's path back to SEC domination will be the LSU Tigers, which also reside in the conference's Western division.
Saban's former and Les Miles' current squad nearly snuck into the BCS national championship shuffle last season, but ultimately had to settle for an 11-2 season capped off by a win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
The Tigers' offense should be improved, whether Jordan Jefferson can hang onto his starting spot under center or junior college transfer Zach Mettenberger emerges as the next "one-year wonder," a la Cam Newton, with the help of new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe.
While the focus in Baton Rouge will likely be on LSU's offense, the team's defense will be of some concern, as it will be difficult for eight returning starters to offset the losses of Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis and Kelvin Sheppard.
1. Oklahoma Sooners
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There is little doubt at this point that the Oklahoma Sooners are the preseason favorite to win the BCS national championship in January of 2012.
Bob Stoops will have at his disposal Heisman Trophy contender Landry Jones, who threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2010.
Jones will have the luxury of throwing to Kenny Stills and, more importantly, Ryan Broyles, who already holds just about every receiving record in OU's books.
Toss in the return of linebacker Travis Lewis and the arrival of yet another top-20 recruiting class, and it appears as though the Sooners are headed for a historic season.
That is, if they can take out Florida State in Tallahassee in September.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
