College Football 2011: 30 Teams That Will Win More Games Than They Did in 2010
When spring football practice closes, almost every college football team pitches a story of promise.
That’s right, we all want and believe our team is going to be better next season.
It's the job of the PR department to tell you how good the team is going to be.
Don’t believe the hype; not everyone can be better.
Here are 30 teams that should be better in 2011.
Alabama
1 of 30
The Crimson Tide have a talented offensive line, Trent Richardson running the ball and, before fall, Nick Saban will mold someone into his starting quarterback.
The defense will be its normal stout self and the Tide will be tough for anyone to beat.
If Alabama is not playing in the 2012 BCS Championship Game it will be a shock.
2010 Record: 10-3
2011 Prediction: 14-0
Arizona State
2 of 30
Take a close look at the Sun Devils in 2010 and you see a team that was so close to breaking through.
If Dennis Erickson can work a little of his magic again, Arizona State could be playing for a Pac-12 championship.
On offense, Brock Osweiler is part of a deep quarterback class in the Pac-12. On defense, Vontaze Burfict is one of the best players in the conference.
2010 Record: 6-6
2011 Prediction: 11-2
Baylor
3 of 30
Robert Griffin is back at quarterback and he's done his best to make Baylor relevant.
Coach Art Briles needs to show he's worth the $1.8 million a year.
There is the tough non-league game with TCU, but the Bears have seven potential wins on the schedule. Add in a bowl win and Baylor is better than last season.
2010 Record: 7-6
2011 Prediction: 8-5
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Cincinnati
4 of 30
The Bearcats can’t play worse than last year, right?
If they can cut down on turnovers and play better defense, Butch Jones may settle in as the coach at Cincinnati.
Zach Collaros has another chance to prove his 2009 wasn’t a mirage.
2010 Record: 4-8
2011 Prediction: 7-6
Clemson
5 of 30
Recruiting has gone well for Dabo Swinney and his staff, but how much of an impact that will have this season is unclear.
What is clear is Tajh Boyd is the No. 1 quarterback, but the offense is still adapting to a new offense.
The Tigers defense probably takes a small step back from 2010, but not enough to be overly concerned.
2010 Record: 6-7
2011 Prediction: 8-5
Colorado State
6 of 30
Steve Fairchild needs a big season following back-to-back 3-9 campaigns.
Fairchild has received plenty of institutional support, so we should finally see some progress out of Colorado State.
The schedule is favorable, so the fans in Fort Collins should see some improvement in 2011.
2010 Record: 3-9
2011 Prediction: 5-7
Duke
7 of 30
There are some who think David Cutcliffe is going to lead the Blue Devils to their first bowl game since the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl.
Duke has improved in talent and depth, but is it enough to really compete?
The Blue Devils just may get to that bowl game after all.
2010 Record: 3-9
2011 Prediction: 6-7
Eastern Michigan
8 of 30
The Eagles return 14 starters (seven on offense and seven on defense) from a team that improved from an 0-12 season to 2-10.
Quarterback Alex Gillett is one of the hidden gems of the Mid-American Conference. He led Eastern Michigan in rushing (766) and passing (1,633) last season.
The Eagles have a few tough non-conference games, but Ron English’s team should continue to improve.
2010 Record: 2-10
2011 Prediction: 4-8
Georgia
9 of 30
Maybe last year was inevitable for Georgia. After years of winning, the odds just caught up with the Bulldogs.
So this year they are considered a dark horse for the SEC East.
Georgia’s good fortunes start with second-year quarterback Aaron Murray.
However, the Bulldogs’ chances have also improved because of the uncertainty of the SEC East competition.
2010 Record: 6-7
2011 Prediction: 10-3
Georgia Tech
10 of 30
Paul Johnson’s offense didn’t quite click last year, and then quarterback Josh Nesbitt got hurt.
If the Yellow Jackets play good defense and the offense returns to 2009 form, Georgia Tech could easily return to the top of the ACC.
Odds are the Jackets won’t quite improve that much.
2010 Record: 6-7
2011 Prediction: 9-4
Houston
11 of 30
The best news coach Kevin Sumlin got this offseason was when the NCAA gave Case Keenum a sixth season.
If the Cougars quarterback can stay healthy this year, Houston could easily return to 2009 form.
That’s right, a Conference USA championship is a real possibility.
2010 Record: 5-7
2011 Prediction: 9-4
Iowa
12 of 30
The Hawkeyes were one of those teams that had such high expectations in 2010 that when one thing went wrong it all went downhill.
Iowa rebounded with a huge bowl win over Missouri and with it came a renewed since of confidence.
The offseason hasn’t gone as smoothly as Kirk Ferentz would have preferred, but he’s the type of coach that can turn this thing around.
2010 Record: 8-5
2011 Prediction: 10-3
Kansas
13 of 30
Turner Gill realized when he arrived at Kansas that the talent level wasn’t as high as he probably expected from a Big 12 team.
There’s a realistic chance the Jayhawks will have 10 or 12 true freshmen in the two-deep this fall.
That’s a bad thing and a good thing.
It’s never easy to win with youth, but this means Gill is getting better players on the roster.
2010 Record: 3-9
2011 Prediction: 5-7
Marshall
14 of 30
Marshall’s 2011 schedule is not quite as daunting as it was in Doc Holliday’s first season.
The Herd still open with rival West Virginia, but Marshall will improve in Holliday’s second season as it is clear he has brought in more talent.
Marshall won’t win Conference USA, but it should go 4-1 at home and could steal one or two on the road.
2010 Record: 5-7
2011 Prediction: 7-5
Memphis
15 of 30
Larry Porter’s first season at Memphis was…well…a huge disappointment.
The one bright spot was quarterback Ryan Williams, who has transferred to Miami.
Picking them to be better isn’t saying much, but one more win is still a positive.
2010 Record: 1-11
2011 Prediction: 2-10
Minnesota
16 of 30
The Tim Brewster curse is lifted, so Minnesota is due to win at least one more game than last year.
Jerry Kill won’t be an overnight success, but the former Northern Illinois coach will make the Gophers more competitive.
Minnesota will still struggle in the Big Ten, but don’t be shocked when it pulls off an upset.
2010 Record: 3-9
2011 Prediction: 4-8
Notre Dame
17 of 30
It took a while last year, but Notre Dame finally began to execute Brian Kelly’s offense in its final four games.
If you look at how well the Irish played then you have no choice but to predict more wins in 2011.
Manti Te’o is a beast on defense and if the Irish can improve on that side of the ball Notre Dame could be the surprise team playing for a BCS championship.
Of course, a 10-win season would be enough to satisfy the Irish fans.
2010 Record: 8-5
2011 Prediction: 10-3
Oklahoma
18 of 30
How do you improve on a 12-win season that concluded with a dominant performance in the Fiesta Bowl?
Go 12-0 during the regular season and hope for a win in the BCS championship.
If the Sooners equal last year’s win total, but get to the title game…that equates to a better season.
It’s just hard to pick OU to win a big game with Bob Stoops coaching.
2010 Record: 12-2
2011 Prediction: 12-1
Oregon State
19 of 30
Oregon State’s Mike Riley is one of college football’s most underrated coaches.
There’s no way Riley will allow the Beavers to have another losing season.
James Rodgers will be back as a receiver/kick returner, and Cody Vaz is now the top quarterback.
Simply put, Oregon State will be better this season.
2010 Record: 5-7
2011 Prediction: 8-5
Penn State
20 of 30
Let’s overlook the fact that Penn State has a small issue at quarterback (just go with Rob Bolden and stop pretending you can win consistently with Matt McGloin).
The Nittany Lions are still a midrange Big Ten program that won’t crack the Top 25 this season.
But there’s enough wins on the schedule that Joe Paterno (or whoever really coaches the team) can count on an improvement.
2010 Record: 7-6
2011 Prediction: 8-5
Purdue
21 of 30
Purdue quarterback Rob Henry is a budding star and could put up some big numbers this year.
It’s hard to figure out how the defense will respond following the graduation of All-American Ryan Kerrigan.
Purdue is one of those programs that when you count them out the Boilermakers figure out a way to do much better.
2010 Record: 4-8
2011 Prediction: 7-6
South Florida
22 of 30
The Bulls may get the leftover talent that isn’t snatched up by Florida, Florida State and Miami, but man, that is still some special talent.
With Skip Holtz now coaching that talent, it’s clear South Florida won’t continue its second-half slides anymore.
The Bulls could shock the Big East and be this year’s BCS representative.
2010 Record: 8-5
2011 Prediction: 10-3
Southern Methodist
23 of 30
The Mustangs took a little step back in June Jones’ third season with SMU.
Jones is a proven winner and he can win big in Conference USA. He’s led the Mustangs to back-to-back first-place finishes in Conference USA’s West Division.
Getting SMU to a third consecutive bowl game is also a major accomplishment.
2010 Record: 7-7
2011 Prediction: 8-5
Tennessee
24 of 30
The Volunteers had some bad luck in 2010.
If Derek Dooley’s team can catch a few breaks it would be easy to predict at least two more wins this season.
Still, Tennessee is still recovering from the Lane Kiffin mistake.
It’s likely 2012 will be the Volunteers’ real breakout season.
2010 Record: 6-7
2011 Prediction: 7-6
Texas
25 of 30
As surprising as it was to see how far the Longhorns had slipped last year, it shouldn’t be a shock to see them bounce back.
Texas is still loaded with talented players and if Mack Brown and his new coordinators can teach and motivate, the Longhorns are going to be a bowl team.
What if Texas actually plays up to its talent level?
You could be watching a 10- or 11-win team.
2010 Record: 5-7
2011 Prediction: 8-5
Texas A&M
26 of 30
Texas A&M had a breakout year last season under the embattled Mike Sherman.
Now the former Green Bay coach is being called a savior.
The Aggies may be the most talented team in the state of Texas this year and could challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 crown.
This year A&M gets a big bowl win.
2010 Record: 9-4
2011 Prediction: 10-3
Tulane
27 of 30
So far, former UCLA coach Bob Toledo has not found the best way to win consistently in New Orleans.
It doesn’t help that the offensive coordinator decided to leave to become an athletic director at a California high school.
However, Toledo is a good coach and his staff has worked hard on the recruiting trail the past two years.
That will result in at least one additional win this season.
2010 Record: 4-8
2011 Prediction: 5-7
Wake Forest
28 of 30
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe would just as soon forget 2010.
Injuries decimated the Deacons last year, so if Wake can stay healthy in 2011 its prospects should improve.
The Deacons are loaded with experience as 16 starters return, including nine on defense.
If Wake catches a break it could be a bowl team.
2010 Record: 3-9
2011 Prediction: 5-7
Washington State
29 of 30
When Paul Wulff took over at his alma mater, the Cougars were arguably the worst BCS program in the nation.
His record the past few years doesn’t show much progress, but in reality Washington State has gotten much better.
It will still be a small step, but this season should be the start of a resurgence for Wulff and the Cougars.
2010 Record: 2-10
2011 Prediction: 4-8
West Virginia
30 of 30
Here’s an interesting predicament. If WVU finds a way to go undefeated and reach the BCS championship game, would Bill Stewart get any credit for it?
Think again.
All of the credit will go to new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and mainstay defensive mastermind Jeff Casteel.
Now, that type of season is a long shot, but it’s time for WVU’s talent to equate to a Big East title and more than nine wins.
2010 Record: 9-4
2011 Prediction: 11-2
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
