College Football 2011: 10 Teams That Will Be Seeking Redemption Next Season
Ending a season and knowing you came up short of your goals is always a bad feeling, but it is even worse when there are preseason expectations attached to your team.
Fans and analysts are quick to make claims about conference and national championships. At the end of the day though, the team has to win games on the football field.
Yes, predictions are made about which game a team will win or which game a team will lose. Ultimately, these prognostications mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The 2010 season did not end the way these 10 teams might have hoped, and they are patiently waiting to redeem themselves in 2011.
It has been a brutally long offseason for these 10 programs. They all hope to begin their road towards redemption this September.
Miami [FL]
1 of 10
It may be easy to forget that Miami was one of the most talked about teams at the beginning of last season. The Hurricanes were ranked in most preseason top 25 publications, and quarterback Jacory Harris was swimming in a pool of hype and sky high expectations.
It is hard to believe that eight months later, head coach Randy Shannon has been fired and Harris is in a heated competition to keep his job as starting quarterback.
Miami finished last season 7-6, capping the season off with losses to in-state rival South Florida and Notre Dame (Hyundai Sun Bowl).
Harris continued to struggle with his decision-making last season as evidenced by his 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He was ultimately benched in favor of freshman Stephen Morris. Morris threw seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He is battling Harris for the starting quarterback position.
The emergence of freshman running back Lamar Miller was one bright spot from the 2010 campaign. The defense also played well as a unit allowing only 20.7 points per game.
Former Temple Head Coach Al Golden takes over the Hurricanes, and he has a chance to immediately lead Miami to success.
Florida State is one the other side of the conference in the Atlantic division, and there are no heavyweights in the Coastal division of the ACC. Wide receiver Travis Benjamin and linebacker Sean Spence are two talents that Golden can build around immediately.
Cincinnati
2 of 10
Cincinnati knew that it was unrealistic to expect head coach Butch Jones to win a Big East Championship in his first season with a rebuilt defense, but no one was expecting the Bearcats to finish to finish 4-8.
Cincinnati was crippled by an excessive amount of turnovers and penalties on offense as the unit repeatedly got in their own way on potential scoring drives. The defense, meanwhile, struggled defending the pass. This deficiency was particularly exposed in contests against NC State and West Virginia. Quarterbacks Geno Smith and Russell Wilson torched the Cincinnati secondary soundly.
With all that being said, there is reason to think that Butch Jones and the Bearcats will enjoy more success next fall than they did in 2010.
The Bearcats non-conference schedule is more manageable this season compared to last season’s slate. Cincinnati gets to host NC State at Nippert Stadium in a Thursday night primetime matchup, as opposed to last year when the Bearcats traveled to Raleigh to play the Wolfpack. A September 10th matchup in Knoxville vs. Tennessee will be tough to navigate, but it is more winnable than last year’s neutral site (Paul Brown Stadium) game vs. Oklahoma was.
All eleven starters return from a defense that took their lumps last season surrendering 28 points per game. Meanwhile, quarterback Zach Collaros, running back Isaiah Pead and wide receiver D.J. Woods headline the offensive attack.
It is still unlikely that this team will return to Big East Championship form next season, but a return to a bowl game is definitely within reach.
Penn State
3 of 10
Despite the loss of quarterback Darryl Clark, Penn State was expected to be a lot better football team than their 7-6 record would show. The offense was led by decorated running back Evan Royster and wide receiver Derek Moye. The defense was working in an ample amount of new players, but was still expected to be fairly stingy.
The Nittany Lions struggled in their transition from the aforementioned Darryl Clark though. Freshman Robert Bolden began the season under center, but he was eventually replaced by Matt McGloin. McGloin threw for 1,548 yards and 14 touchdowns in seven games last season. The defense was solid, but could not carry an offense that was ineffective at times last year.
Despite the mediocre 2010 campaign, Penn State will be a tough out next season. The Nittany Lions return 16 starters in all. Quarterback McGloin should be improved in year two at quarterback. McGloin will be aided by the return of wide receivers Moye and Justin Brown. The one area of concern will be finding a replacement for Royster at running back.
On defense, Penn State will be experienced both on the line and in the secondary. New players need to be worked in at linebacker though.
Head Coach Joe Paterno and Nittany Lion fans were hoping for a few more wins last season, but this team has the talent to make some noise in the new look Big Ten next season.
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Florida
4 of 10
At most schools an 8-5 record and a victory in the Outback Bowl would be celebrated, but Florida is not most schools, and Gator fans expect more.
Florida’s struggles stemmed from the fact that they had trouble rushing opposing quarterbacks as well as slowing down opposing teams’ pass rushes.
Quarterback John Brantley struggled in his first season under center at quarterback throwing only nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Florida also lacked a dominant rushing attack. Jeff Demps led the team in rushing with just 551 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Florida’s defense was solid, but the unit was far from spectacular.
Florida will try to return to the top of the SEC next fall. The Gators will attempt to make this ascension under former Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp who replaces Urban Meyer.
The offense will remain mostly intact going into next season. No major playmakers depart, and there should be a lot of familiarity going into the fall.
Defensively, Florida will have to replace departed safeties Will Hill and Ahmad Black. The recent dismissal of cornerback Janoris Jenkins only adds more uncertainty to the secondary.
Florida no doubt still has elite talent on both sides of the football, but climbing the ladder in the brutal SEC conference will still be a tall order for the Gators.
Georgia Tech
5 of 10
Georgia Tech still led the nation in rushing last season under head coach Paul Johnson’s option attack. Unlike in 2010 though, the Yellow Jackets limped to a 6-7 record rather than an ACC Championship and Orange Bowl appearance. The 2011 season ended with a disappointing 14-7 loss to Air Force in the Independence Bowl.
It was the defense that held Georgia Tech back in 2010. The Yellow Jackets surrendered 27 points or more in six of their seven losses. The front seven should be remarkably improved next season with five starters returning. The secondary will feature far less experience though, and Georgia Tech figures to be much more vulnerable to the pass.
Johnson’s option attack will look slightly different with the departures of running back Anthony Allen and quarterback Josh Nesbitt. Both Orwin Smith and Roddy Jones will be counted on to contribute much more next season.
Once again, Georgia Tech will accumulate no shortage of rushing yards next season. Hopefully the team accumulates a few more victories as well.
Texas
6 of 10
This goes without saying, but finishing 5-7 and not making a bowl game is not acceptable at Texas. No one knows this better than head Coach Mack Brown and the players (many of Texas’s players are in-state talents) in Austin.
Texas is known for their dominant rushing attack. It was surprising that last year the Longhorns running game was surprisingly mediocre. Texas only rushed for 150.5 yards per game which ranked 66th in the country. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert also struggled throwing the football last season. Gilbert threw just 10 touchdowns in comparison to 17 interceptions.
Texas is seeking redemption next season, and the Longhorns will aim to cure the ills that haunted them in 2010.
Senior running back Cody Johnson returns after leading the team in rushing last season as a junior. Johnson will be accompanied in the backfield by incoming freshman Malcolm Brown. Brown was a five-star recruit as rated by Rivals, and dominated at nearby Steele High School.
Garrett Gilbert meanwhile figures to take a step forward as he works out the bugs from his less than impressive sophomore campaign.
A neutral site matchup versus Oklahoma, a home game against Oklahoma State and a road game versus Texas A&M will be three games that define the Longhorns season.
Clemson
7 of 10
After reaching the ACC Championship game in 2009, Clemson took a step back last season finishing only 6-7.
The Tigers relied heavily on the one-two rushing attack of tailbacks Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper. Ellington ran with an elusiveness and speed, while Harper was more of a traditional power back. Together the pair paced the offensive attack. As a whole though, Clemson’s offense was not overly productive. The Tigers 24 points per game ranked just 86th amongst FBS teams.
It was the Tigers defense that helped the team achieve the success they had. Defensive end Da’Quan Bowers led the nation in sacks. Bowers made his presence felt week and week out on the defensive line. DeAndre McDaniel provided solid play in the secondary as well.
Head coach Dabo Swinney was hoping to lean on the Ellington-Harper rushing attack once more next fall, but a wrench was thrown into the plans when Jamie Harper entered the NFL Draft. Andre Ellington will now become one of the focal aspects of Clemson’s offensive attack along with incoming freshman Mike Bellamy. Bellamy was a five-star recruit as rated by Rivals, and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.
Clemson’s defense will try to maintain their high level of play despite the departures of the aforementioned Bowers and McDaniel. Expect linebacker Corico Hawkins to be one of the leaders of the Tigers defense next season.
Swinney needs a good campaign in 2011 not just for redemption, but also for the sake of his job security.
Oregon State
8 of 10
Head coach Mike Riley has consistently guided Oregon State to a bowl bid, and he usually has the Beavers near the top of the PAC-12 conference. Last year though, Oregon State took a rare step backwards finishing with a shoddy 5-7 record.
Oregon State began the season ranked in most top 25 polls, but a slow start and some key injuries ultimately doomed the team. A season ending knee injury to wide receiver James Rodgers was particularly devastating.
Unlike some other teams on this list, Oregon State faces longer odds at achieving redemption next fall.
Oregon State only returns four starters on defense. The front seven in particular took heavy losses, and there will be a lot of new faces up front.
Offensively, star tailback Jacquizz Rodgers has moved onto the NFL. The majority of the unit does return besides Rodgers though. Oregon State will rely on improved play from quarterback Ryan Katz next fall.
It is never smart to count Mike Riley and the Beavers out, but it is far from a certainty that the team will bounce back next season.
Michigan
9 of 10
This honestly goes deeper than one season. Michigan is hoping to seek redemption for the last three years of the Rich Rodriguez era. Michigan used to sitting at the top of the college football hierarchy. Do not get me wrong, the program is still very high in the pecking order, but the Wolverines have gotten knocked down a level or two over the past few years.
Brady Hoke turned in magnificent coaching performances during his time at both Ball State and San Diego State. Now the Michigan alumni will try to bring the Wolverines back amongst the nation’s elite.
Hoke’s job was made that much easier when dual threat quarterback Denard Robinson announced that he would return to Michigan next season. Robinson briefly contemplated transferring to another school. He gained over 4,000+ all purpose yards and scored 32 touchdowns last season as a sophomore.
Robinson will take pleasure in the fact that almost of his skill players are returning on offense. Although, it should be noted that wide receiver Darryl Stonum was recently suspended indefinitely after the receiver was arrested for drunk driving.
As we have come to know though, it is not a lack of offense production that has plagued the Wolverines. Instead, it has been a lack of stops on defense. Greg Mattison steps in here as the new defensive coordinator as he tries to coach up this much maligned unit.
The theme around Ann Arbor this offseason is redemption, as Michigan will try to succeed where they have recently faltered.
Ole Miss
10 of 10
Nobody thought that Ole Miss would challenge for the SEC Championship last season, but the Rebels were supposed to win more than one conference game.
A stunning double overtime loss to FCS Jacksonville St. began the season on a sour note, and things never got any better in Oxford.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Oregon transfer Jeremiah Masoli in the offseason, but the quarterback did not live up to expectations to say the least. Masoli threw for 2,039 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his one less than memorable season under center.
The Rebels defense meanwhile, showed an inability to slow down opponents both through the air and on the ground. Ole Miss surrendered 35.2 points per game last season which ranked 107th amongst the 120 FBS teams.
Ole Miss’s porous defense returns only five starters from last season, but in this case less may mean more for the unit.
The offense will be led by senior running back Brandon Bolden. Junior quarterback Nathan Stanley will attempt to give the Rebels better play under center than Masoli provided last season.
Bolden is a great talent for the Rebels at running back, but this team is going to need more playmakers to step up if they expect to be heard from next season.
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