College Football 2011: 5 Teams and Coaches with the Most to Prove

I want to give you five teams and coaches that I think have the most to prove this season. Whether it is living up to preseason expectations, winning without the previous coach's players or proving your coach shouldn't be fired, here's my top five teams for 2011 with the most to prove.

1) Georgia Bulldogs

Five years ago Mark Richt looked like the next great college coach. Top 10 teams, 10-plus wins, great recruiting classes, and then it just stopped. Entering the 2008 season, the Bulldogs were the preseason No. 1 team in several polls and finished 10-3. The Bulldogs suffered through an inconsistent 8-5 2009 year, and then there was last year's disastrous 6-7 season.

The SEC East is there for the taking. Florida has a first-year coach. Tennessee is still a year or two away. South Carolina should be solid, but they are hardly unbeatable. Georgia only plays four road games and avoids LSU and Alabama from the SEC West. The Bulldogs need to prove in 2011 that this program is moving forward and not stuck in neutral.

2) Oklahoma Sooners

How can the likely preseason No. 1 team in the country coming off a Fiesta Bowl win have so much to prove? When you’re Oklahoma and Bob Stoops, you’re judged a little differently than the rest of the country. Oklahoma is in the rarefied air of the Alabamas and USCs where if you aren’t winning national titles, then what are doing?

Before last year's Fiesta Bowl mis-match with Connecticut, the Sooners had lost five straight BCS games. It's been 10 years since Oklahoma's last national title, even though top 10 rankings have been the norm. Everything is in place for the Sooners to make a run at national title this season. If the Sooners fall short again, do any doubts start creeping in that Stoops has peaked in Norman?

3) Michigan St. Spartans

There are inconsistent teams, and then there is Michigan State. The Spartans on a given day can lose or beat anyone in the country. In years past, you wonder how they play a top 10 team to the final possession and still lost to Central Michigan at home.

Last year the Spartans finally seemed to have turned the corner after an 11-1 regular season only to get plastered by Alabama 49-7 in the Citrus Bowl. The question now is, in 2011, will the Spartans be team inconsistent or will this mark the beginning of run where Michigan St. can challenge for the Big 10 title? QB Kirk Cousins will lead a preseason top 20 ranked team for Coach Mark Dantonio.

4) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

This is Paul Johnson's team now. Entering his fourth season as Georgia Tech's head coach there are few links left to the Chan Gailey era. I don't question his triple option offense, but I am concerned he's not recruiting as well as he needs to be.

After a 6-7 year following 20 wins the two previous years, Johnson needs to put any doubts to rest. I firmly believe he's a great coach, but the jury is still out on his ability to recruit top flight talent.

His previous classes had some bright spots but also had several noticeable misses. I don’t think the misses can only be attributed to Georgia Tech being a tough academic school either if you know what I mean. With a solid season (eight-plus wins), he can prove he's getting talent good enough for Georgia Tech to be a yearly contender in the ACC.   

5) Texas Longhorns

Last year was a stunning 5-7 year at Texas. I would even call it shocking. I remember Mack Brown's days back at North Carolina, and the guy can flat out coach, and at Texas he's been an outstanding recruiter.

You have to go all the way back to 1989 to find a season where Mack Brown had a worse season than last year. The Longhorns hadn't had losing season since 1997.

Mack Brown didn't waste anytime bringing in several new assistant coaches, and I have to believe the Longhorns will be better this year. It won't be easy though with a schedule that includes BYU, a road game at a UCLA team that beat Texas last year, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. and games at Missouri, Texas A&M and Baylor.

If you’re a Longhorn fan do you get a little nervous with Brown if the season finishes outside the top 25?