College Football 2011: 20 Reasons Why 2011 Will Top 2010
It seems at the end of every college football season, we look back and say, "This was a crazy year. Next year can't get any better than this, can it?"
And somehow, someway, it does. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that is stoked for the upcoming college football season, as there are millions of fans that just can't wait.
Will this year be better than last year? I think so.
Here are 20 reasons for my thinking!
20. Utah's Move to the Pac-12
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I'm very, very intrigued about Utah moving to the newly formed Pac-12 conference. The move to an AQ conference will make it easier for them to get to a BCS bowl game, and their program's profile and prestige is raised.
But from a football standpoint, I really love the move. USC and Oregon are the consistent top dogs in the conference. Where does Utah fit? They've been a top-tier program the past few years, so adding them to conference really makes things interesting.
19. Georgia's Climb Back to the Top
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Georgia has heard some rumblings of Mark Richt being on the hot seat and the profile of the program declining. I say that is not true, and this could be the year we see the Bulldogs get back to the upper echelon of college football.
It starts and ends with Aaron Murray. He'll be in his second year as a starter, and Mark Richt has been gushing about him all spring. I'm excited to see what kind of season takes place for the program in Athens.
18. Case Keenum Is Back for Houston
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Not sure about you, but Keenum, to me, is one of the top QB's in the country. Standing 6'2", 210 pounds, he missed much of last season with injury, but if you look back to his 2009 stats, you immediately see this guy is electric.
Two years back, Keenum threw for 5,671 yards and 44 touchdowns, averaging over 405 yards passing a game. Houston was overjoyed to learn he got a sixth year of eligibility, and he is back to lead the Cougars.
Can he throw for 6,000 yards this year?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
17. Lattimore and Jeffrey Are Back for South Carolina
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Are Alshon Jeffrey and Marcus Lattimore the top WR-RB tandem in the country? Both are sure-fire NFL prospects and are back in the fold for Steve Spurrier in Columbia.
Conor Shaw likely will be the man handing off and throwing to them, and the Gameocks figure to be able to score some points with these two offensive weapons. 2011 should be a big year for them.
16. Bill Stewart and Dana Holgorsen's Situation
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How would you treat the man hired and brought in to take your job? Most of us would not handle that well at all, yet Stewart has been nothing but professional in dealing with Dana Holgorsen's coach-in-waiting arrival.
Holgorsen figures to get on page with Geno Smith and hang points on the board in Morgantown this year as the OC. Will this affect the chemistry of WVU's team? How much power and influence will Holgorsen have this year?
Interesting things to watch for in 2011.
15. TCU's Last Year in MWC Before Bolt to Big East
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Gary Patterson has taken the program Dennis Franchione left behind, enhanced it, and has now gotten TCU into a BCS conference. This is the Horned Frogs' last year in the MWC before going to the Big East, where they certainly will be contenders every year.
Seeing if TCU can have another magical season and if Patterson can come up with more great defensive schemes week in and week out like he did last year is something to watch for all year.
14. Lane Kiffin Actually Not Bolting for Another Job
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Kiffin has taken a bad rap from many, some of it rightfully so and other times unwarranted. However you view him, we really don't know how good of a coach he is and can be.
I thought he did a great job last year at USC, especially as a play-caller. He's back in Troy and in year two of his regime. Now we can finally start to see the effects that Kiffin can have on a program going forward.
13. Texas Retooling and Re-Energized
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Texas went 5-7 last year, which is not going to fly around Austin. Mack Brown did some soul searching in the winter and also restructured his coaching staff, most notably by bringing in Bryan Harsin from Boise State to serve as his chief offensive play-caller.
The Longhorns have had a solid spring, the new coaches have new ideas and the program as a whole knows that another 5-7 season can not happen. Seeing what Texas does this year is a prime reason for the excitement of 2011.
12. Watching a Michigan Man Lead the Wolverines
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Michigan wanted Jim Harbaugh. They didn't get him. Michigan then wanted Les Miles. They didn't get him. Brady Hoke patiently waited for his call from Ann Arbor, and when it came, he pounced on the opportunity to come home.
Hoke is considered a "Michigan Man," and this should sit well with the fanbase and alumni. Watching how Hoke fares in his first season of his dream job for Big Blue should be a big story all season.
11. Brian Kelly in Year 2 at Notre Dame
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There have been several coaches who won national titles in year two recently, including Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. Now, I'm not saying Notre Dame will win the national title this year; I'm just saying I expect a large jump to take place.
Brian Kelly has even stated this spring has been easier than last year, since the players know what is expected of them. They know the tempo of practice, where to line up, the system and more.
Seeing how much Notre Dame has improved this year over last year is good reason for measure of 2011 vs. 2010.
10. Jadeveon Clowney Coming into College Football
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Jadeveon Clowney has been called the best incoming freshman to enter college football in over a decade. He'll be suiting up for South Carolina and figures to start at defensive end as a true freshman.
At 6'6", 250 pounds with freakish athletic ability, having Clowney in the sport this year makes 2011 already better than 2010. He will be watched every week by every fan, analyst and evaluator.
9. Kellen Moore Returns to Boise State
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Moore is among the very best college QB's in the country. He's not very big, at 6'0", 187 pounds, but the lefty is a gamer who beats you with smarts and instincts.
Moore understands coverages, protection schemes, route combinations and all kinds of keys and reads of a defense. He's very instinctive in the pocket and shows very good accuracy. He'll be a senior this year, and watching him for another year easily makes 2011 a potentially better year than 2010.
8. Nebraska Joining the Big Ten in 2011
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I love the Nebraska-to-the-Big Ten move. It'll be interesting to see who is forced to adjust, Nebraska or the conference. I know Bo Pelini and his program are not coming into their digs just looking to feel their way around and see how they like it.
They're coming to take over, put their feet up on the couch and establish themselves as one of the elite programs in the Big Ten in year one. We're going to see some epic battles from now on of Nebraska vs. the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
That has to get you geeked for 2011.
7. New Coaches at Florida and Miami
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The Big Three in Florida are among the very elite jobs in college football. We have new coaches at Florida and Miami in Will Muschamp and Al Golden, respectively.
Watching how they fare in the first year, seeing how they handle a full year on the recruiting trail and how much they put their stamps and influences on their respective programs will be extremely interesting to watch.
Golden has to almost restart things at Miami, as the players lost faith and trust in Randy Shannon. Muschamp inherits the more talented team of the two, and if things go right, he could compete for the SEC East title right off the bat.
6. The Offenses for Both Oklahoma Schools
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The offenses for both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be among the highest scoring this year. The Sooners boast QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles as their leaders, while the Cowboys counter with Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon.
What's also interesting is both schools have to replace their prime running backs. OU lost DeMarco Murray to the draft as OSU lost Kendall Hunter.
But if each school can find a running back or backs to complement their passing games, this should be a fun ride offensively around the Sooner State.
5. Alabama's Defense
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The Crimson Tide have some serious star power in the fold for their defense in 2001. Nico Johnson, Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower are back at LB.
Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick are back in the secondary, and the front will welcome Jesse Williams, the top JUCO recruit in the country, to the defensive line.
How good can this defense be? Can it carry the team while the new QB settles in?
4. Andrew Luck Is Back
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The overall quality of the game and sport increased when Luck announced he would be staying in Palo Alto for another season. Luck was the assumed potential No.1 overall pick in this year's draft, but chose to stick around for his junior season at Stanford.
At 6'4", 235 pounds, some say he's the most complete college QB since Peyton Manning. He completed a silly 70 percent of his passes last season and it is likely he will be the start-to-finish favorite for the Heisman this year. Luck is that good.
3. The SEC
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The quality of play in the top conference in college football improves every year. The tradition, passion and competitiveness of the conference is like no other, and the SEC just still existing alone makes 2011 a better year than 2010.
There are many reasons to watch and keep an eye on the conference, and one of the the prime reasons is whoever wins the SEC likely will punch their ticket into the BCS title game. The coaches, fans, players and everything else have to pump you up.
2. Ohio State's Drama
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The Ohio State soap opera gets juicier than an episode of Days of Our Lives. There are twists and turns leaked almost daily, and I'm not sure how the Buckeyes and Jim Tressel get out of this.
I also think the ongoing drama will be too tough to overcome and will lead to a couple losses this year for OSU. With your QB, RB, WR and LT out the first five games, along with your head coach, it's pretty tough to come out unscathed. The Buckeyes could do it, but I think one of those games could result in a loss.
And when the cavalry comes back, the distractions will still be looming around the program. This will be an interesting season in Columbus.
1. It's College Football, It Gets Better Every Year
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As I said at the beginning, college football always finds a way to top itself and improve each year. This year should be no different. There is a plethora of questions for every team and big-time storylines.
This is going to be a great year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
