College Football 2011: 15 Biggest Blowouts Coming in Week 1
With a few exceptions, the first week of the college football season usually has a schedule littered with games that feature a top-tier team from a major FBS conference hosting a home game against a team from a low-level FBS conference or a high-level FCS program.
These games are most notably referred to as "payday games," as the bigger school will pay the visiting school that will for the most part be a tune-up game for teams to work out the kinks before their league schedule begins in October.
With that, let's take a look at the lopsided matchups from Week 1 that will make people cringe when reading the final box score after the game.
Utah State at Auburn
1 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
Even with most of the impact players gone from their 2010 national championship season, the Auburn Tigers will maul through the Aggies in their game on the plains as junior quarterback Barrett Trotter will start his quest to fill the massive footprints left by Heisman-winner Cam Newton.
Prediction: Auburn by 35
Akron at Ohio State
2 of 15
Series Record: Ohio State 2-0
Average Winning Margin: OSU by 16
With coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and others being missing from this game due to the NCAA suspension, the Buckeyes will still be able to put a "W" in the win column as soon as Ohio State puts the first score on the scoreboard against Akron at Ohio Stadium.
Prediction: Ohio State by 49
Northern Arizona at Arizona
3 of 15
Series Record: Arizona 9-1
Average Winning Margin: ARI by 22.1
In another meeting between in-state schools, Arizona will definitely have more than enough firepower to win against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona, as quarterback Nick Foles will have a chance to work with the WIldcats offensive line that is seen as a question mark entering 2011 in Tucson.
Prediction: Arizona by 38
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Rice at Texas
4 of 15
Series Record: Texas 70-21-1
Average Winning Margin: UT by 16.3
With last season's 5-7 record in the rearview mirror, Texas will look to get back into their traditional winning groove in 2011 as the schedule opens with in-state rival Rice during the opening week where the Longhorns have won 11-straight games since 1995.
Prediction: Texas by 42
Montana at Tennessee
5 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
While Rocky Top is still being rebuilt under the guidance of Derek Dooley, the Volunteers can get off to a comfortable start against Montana in Knoxville this fall.
This game could be good chance for Tennessee to work with the offensive line that is left very young after the loss of linemen Denarius Moore and Gerald Jones.
Prediction: Tennessee by 28
UT Chattanooga at Nebraska
6 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
As the Cornhuskers prepare for life in the Big Ten conference after leaving the Big 12, Nebraska will have a simple task in UT Chattanooga on opening week. This gives them a chance to test their running game, which will be needed on the tough road ahead in conference play this year.
Prediction: Nebraska by 60
UC Davis at Arizona State
7 of 15
Series Record: Arizona State 1-0
Average Winning Margin: ASU by 8
There will be more than just the Arizona heat blaring down on the Sun Devil program in 2011, as they are the pick to win the new Pac-12 South division by many. But the heat will be rather lukewarm when ASU plays host to UC Davis in only the second meeting between the two programs.
Prediction: Arizona State by 40
Kent State at Alabama
8 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
The Kent State program will make its first trip to the state of Alabama and rest assured, the Golden Flashes will not be rushing to make any return trips to Western Alabama. The Crimson Tide will likely take them to the woodshed behind Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Prediction: Alabama by 49
Missouri State at Arkansas
9 of 15
Series Record: Arkansas 6-0
Average Winning Margin: ARK by 43.5 Points
Even with the loss of quarterback Ryan Mallet to the NFL, the Razorbacks will seem like they didn't lose a step with the insertion of Tyler Wilson in the starting role for Arkansas, as the team comes off one of the best seasons in the program's history.
Prediction: Arkansas by 55
Louisiana-Lafayette at Oklahoma State
10 of 15
Series Record: Oklahoma State 7-0
Average Winning Margin: OSU by 25.9
With the Cowboys' dynamic duo of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon returning to Stillwater, Oklahoma State has a great deal of firepower.
They'll light up the scoreboards in the high-scoring Big 12 conference even with former offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen moving on to be the head coach in waiting at West Virginia in 2011.
Prediction: Oklahoma State by 49
Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State
11 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
After a great first season for Jimbo Fisher in Tallahassee, the Seminoles have the kind of talent on the roster this year to make Florida State fans believe it's the mid-1990s, when the program won at least a share of the ACC in nine-straight years from 1992 to 2000.
Prediction: Florida State by 42
Liberty at NC State
12 of 15
Series Record: First Meeting
Average Winning Margin: N/A
With the loss of quarterback Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack will have to depend on the signal-calling of junior Mike Glennon in Raleigh this season. He has been an effective quarterback in his time on the team so the changing of starting quarterbacks will not be a dramatic change in 2011.
Prediction: NC State by 31
James Madison at North Carolina
13 of 15
Series Record: North Carolina 1-0
Average Winning Margin: UNC by 23
North Carolina head coach Butch Davis might want to put in a call to division-rival Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech to get an idea of how not to be bit by the upset bug like the Hokies were in 2010. That shouldn't be a problem with the talent roaming the sidelines in Chapel Hill.
Prediction: North Carolina by 35
Appalachian State at Virginia Tech
14 of 15
Series Record: Virginia Tech 3-0
Average Winning Margin: VT by 21.6
After the upset by James Madison in Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech Hokies will definitely be more aware when playing a lower-level school. The incoming Mountaineers are one of the most successful programs in the FCS and come off their sixth-straight conference title in 2010.
Prediction: Virginia Tech by 38
Montana State at Utah
15 of 15
Series Record: Utah 8-0
Average Winning Margin: Utah by 48
While the game with the Bobcats on opening week won't match the level of competition in the new Pac-12, the Utes will have a chance to build some confidence in their depleted pass defense. This unit is left with a few holes, in addition to finishing in the bottom half of the FBS last season.
Prediction: Utah by 42
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
