College Football 2011: The 25 Worst Teams Heading into 2011

Some teams are the bastions of ineptitude.

When you watch them play, it's as if you are watching a train wreck—you just can't turn away.

Next season will be no different.

From fumbles to penalties and missed tackles to poor decisions, some teams will lay it all on the line, and inevitably fail.

They are, without question, your bottom 25 for 2011.

25. Memphis Tigers

Quarterback Ryan Williams was the only good thing the Tigers had going for them last season.

It appears this season will not be much different.

The offense was woefully anemic last year, and the defense allowed holes big enough to drive a truck through.

After spring practice, there is not much hope for the Tigers in 2011.

24. Ole Miss Rebels

Yeah, another SEC team makes the list.

Jeremiah Masoli and Markeith Summers are gone, and Houston Nutt is going to have a hard time winning in the uber-competitive SEC next season.

The suspensions of Clarence Jackson and Delvin Jones are disconcerting, and how long can Nutt have the Rebs toiling in obscurity before his seat gets hot?

23. Buffalo Bulls

Second-year coach Jeff Quinn is stuck with either Jerry Davis or Alex Zordich at quarterback next season, and he can't be happy about it.

The two combined for 22 interceptions over the course of last season, and don't look as if they have made much improvement to this point.

Ah well, another season, another two-win record in the offing for the Bulls.

22. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The diagnosis of the 2010 Rutgers woes is easy—line play was atrocious on both sides of the football.

After spring practice, the question still remains: can it be fixed?

It's not looking that way, and the Scarlet Knights are in for another long season.

21. San Jose State Spartans

Let's be brutally honest.

While the Spartans should improve drastically on the defensive side of the ball, the offense is going to struggle.

The departure of quarterback Jordan La Secla leaves a hole, and the rushing game was bad enough last season, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry.

With Le Secla gone, coach Mike MacIntyre would have to be a miracle worker to get good production out of that offense.

It's going to be another long season for the Spartans.

20. New Mexico State Aggies

The Aggies finished 2010 with twice as many wins as their in-state brethren from UNM.

Yeah, the Aggies finished with two wins.

It's pretty bad when "dumpster fire" is the nicest way to describe the play of your football team.

Aggie fans, prepare for another season of awfulness.

The Aggies are "rebuilding" and it's looking like it might take almost as long as it took the Egyptians to complete the pyramids...

19. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Fortunately for the Demon Deacons, Vanderbilt, Gardner-Webb and Duke are all on their '11 schedule, or they might finish next season with fewer wins than last.

Since the days of Riley Skinner, the Dekes have rapidly regressed, and the signs this spring point to a continuation in the same direction going into the '11 season.

18. Minnesota Golden Gophers

New head coach Jerry Kill has his work cut out for him.

The Gophers have consistently displayed the ability to finish on the bottom of the Big Ten.

Next year they will be in a neck-and-neck contest with Indiana for that honor.

While MarQueis Gray should be a great dual-threat option for the Gophers, losing four starters along the O-line is going to be brutal.

17. UConn Huskies

Lost starting quarterback?

Check.

Lost starting running back?

Absolutely.

Head coach gone?

Yep.

Chances of replacing all three with adequate replacements?

Nil.

16. Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks are an enigma wrapped in and enigma...or something like that.

The latest depth chart released by coach Turner Gill states the starting quarterback will be "Quinn Mecham or Jordan Webb."

Very interesting.

Neither of these guys has demonstrated much propensity for leading a football team to victory, and even in the reduced Big 12, they are going to have a tough season with that anemic offense.

15. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana suffered its worst loss in recent memory last season at the hands of Wisconsin.

They might match that infamous record next season.

Edward Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel are in a neck-and-neck race for the starting quarterback spot, but it won't be easy for new coach Kevin Wilson to replace departed quarterback Ben Chappell.

The defense is rather porous at times, to be generous, and has yet to demonstrate significant improvement over last season's pedestrian effort.

14. Bowling Green Falcons

The Falcons are going to have to do better than 4.3 yards per offensive attempt.

Tailback is the biggest issue, with the best returning rusher having only averaged 2.2 yards per carry last season.

The offensive line looked like Swiss cheese last season, and hasn't showed significant improvement to this point in the spring.

While the defense will be solid, it's hard to win games if you can't score...

13. New Mexico Lobos

Let's start with the good news...

Tight end Lucas Reed will make a few plays this season.

Now the bad.

There are so many holes on this team it is impossible to narrow them all down. 

The quarterback position is going to be abysmal for the second year in a row, and the defense couldn't stop a good JV team.

On the plus side, coach Mike Locksley should seriously be on the hot seat after another losing season in '11.

12. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

Really, it's hard to bash a team with a mascot as charismatic as the Ragin' Cajun seen here, but ULL just asks for it.

After having back-to-back six-win seasons in '08 and '09, the Cajuns dropped to only three victories last season.

This season looks even less promising, but at least they get to play Western Kentucky and North Texas...

11. Vanderbilt Commodores

Although they are part of the best conference in college football, the Commodores routinely set the benchmark for incredibly atrocious football.

At least they are all smart, right?

After allowing 90 tackles for loss last season, the offensive line should be a little improved, but none of Vandy's quarterbacks can hit the broad side of a barn, and that ain't changin'.

New head coach James Franklin has a huge project on his hands, and things are going to get worse before they get better.

10. Duke Blue Devils

Head coach David Cutcliffe has the Blue Devils headed in the right direction, but the improvement is just north of miniscule.

After three wins last season, the Blue Devils are going to be lucky to duplicate that feat next season against a rather tough schedule that includes Stanford, Florida State and Virginia Tech.

9. Washington State Cougars

The Cougars have recorded double-digit losses each of the past three seasons.

Coach Paul Wulff is definitely on the hot seat, and this team is not one to take him off of it.

The Cougars should be able to handle Idaho State and UNLV to start the season, but even explosive wide receiver Marquess Wilson can't save them from themselves.

8. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State has progressed from annual bottom-dweller to a middle-of-the-road Big 12 team.

This season the Cyclones take a small step backward.

The loss of quarterback Austen Arnaud is too much to overcome, and neither Jerome Tiller nor Steele Jantz has done anything to prove he can lead this team.

Throw into that the loss of Alexander Robinson and the Cyclones' two leading receivers, and things could get ugly fast...

7. Virginia Cavaliers

Quite frankly, the interior of the Cavaliers defensive line is almost as bad as the Miami Vice wardrobe.

Besides that, the offense lost its starting quarterback, and with the offensive line's lack of ability to generate any sort of push, the Cavaliers need a mobile guy to fill in at the position.

The good news is they have four options to choose from.

The bad news is none of them have been overly impressive.

6. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Any team with a mascot as nondescript as WKU's needs help.

As do the Hilltoppers.

After ringing up only their third and fourth wins since 2008 last season, the Hilltoppers hope returning starters can take them to the next level.

QB Kawaun Jakes and RB Bobby Rainey will lead the offense, but won't be enough, as WKU will remain in relative football obscurity once again.

5. Akron Zips

The Zips are hurting.

Nearly all of the offensive skill positions are going to be filled by guys with no experience, and defensive end Shawn Lemon graduated.

We could be seeing a ton of this picture happening next season.

Sorry, Coach Ianello, it's going to be tough sledding next year.

4. Wyoming Cowboys

Really?

A brown and gold color scheme?

If you can get past that, the Cowboys are still in trouble next season.

Alvester Alexander should be a reliable option at tailback, but the guy pictured above, Austyn Carta-Samuels, transferred after two seasons as the starter.

Quarterback is still the most glaring hole for the Cowboys, and without some sort of effective plug at the position, coach Dave Christensen will have a tough time avoiding another losing campaign...

3. UNT Mean Green

Derek Thompson, Chase Baine and Brent Osborn are the Mean Green options at quarterback after last year's starter Riley Dodge transferred.

None of them have been particularly impressive, and there is slim hope that they will be effective on a consistent basis.

The defense is looking absolutely porous from D-line to secondary, and even though they seem to be headed in the right direction, the Mean Green have a long way to go.

2. UNLV Rebels

I think this sign says it all...

1. Eastern Michigan Eagles

Yes, the Eagles improved their win total by two in 2010 from the 2009 campaign.

The bad news is they were winless in '09, so it's not really anything to write home about.

Junior QB Alex Gillett is a solid dual-threat type, but has not demonstrated enough consistency throwing the ball to make us believe this season will be any different.

The Eagles lose the better part of their linebacker unit, and only sacked the opponent's QB 10 times last season.

That's a bad combination for a team that allowed over six yards per carry and nine yards per pass last season.