College Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams That Could Suffer an Embarrassing Loss
Yes, losing is always difficult to handle.
These teams, that should be ranked in the top 25 to start the season, are all candidates to suffer a potentially embarrassing loss in 2011.
By embarrassing, we are not talking about a close game with a worthy opponent.
No, we are talking about a genuine butt-kicking, a real beat-down by an opponent with a relatively close skill level.
There is also the possibility of a huge upset by a far inferior opponent.
Or the big-game disappointment on prime-time national television.
Whatever it might be, these teams are your most likely choices to be embarrassed.
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
1 of 10
Nebraska's inconsistency at the quarterback position is cause for concern.
Especially when you consider that the Huskers have to take on every contender in the Big Ten in their inaugural season.
From their Big Ten opener at Wisconsin to their last game against Iowa, Coach Pelini and co. have a brutal schedule.
One of these tough contests could easily turn into a blowout, should the Huskers experience inconsistent QB play against an experienced defense.
9. Florida Gators
2 of 10
With John Brantley's progress—er lack of progress— over the spring, the Gators are yet another team without stability at the QB position.
Brantley waited patiently behind Tim Tebow for his turn to start, then flopped horribly in his first year as starter.
Now, he has a new coach and must learn an entirely new system.
The Gators are young and have a ton of raw potential, but they also have one of the more brutal schedules in the country.
Expect one of their contests to be a 20-point loss.
8. Stanford Cardinal
3 of 10
As good as Andrew Luck is, he has benefited from having a great coach and one of the better offensive lines in the country.
Both of those are now gone.
The Cardinal have to retool their offensive front, and David Shaw takes over for the departed Jim Harbaugh.
Talent is not a huge issue, and the Cardinal have some playmakers on both sides of the ball.
This Stanford team will be very good and is looking for a run back to the BCS.
Which is why losses to conference foe USC and long time rival Notre Dame will be more embarrassing than the average defeat.
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7. USC Trojans
4 of 10
The Trojans are trying to get their mojo back.
Quarterback Matt Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods provide plenty of Hollywood style star power on the offensive side of the ball.
However it is the offensive line and the defensive unit as a whole that could become the Spartans' downfall.
The Trojans have to face upstart Arizona State on Sept. 24, and the Sun Devils have the tools to take advantage of USC's weaknesses.
Another season of mediocrity, highlighted by losses to ASU, Notre Dame and Oregon is in the works for SC.
6. Missouri Tigers
5 of 10
Missouri has a chance this season to step into the ranks of the Big XII elite.
With the level of competition they will face next season, it's going to be tough and at times, embarrassing.
The Tigers have a talented offensive group, but James Franklin lacks much experience at the quarterback position.
He will need to learn the ropes quickly, as the Tigers start out with a contest against the Miami(OH) Redhawks, who are no pushover.
The following week, the Tigers must travel to Tempe to take on the ASU Sun Devils.
A loss to either of those teams that early in the schedule would be extremely damaging to the Tigers' aspirations.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6 of 10
It seems as if every season Notre Dame is over-hyped and overrated.
With all the expectations and talent the Irish have this season, a loss in the first half of the season would be an embarrassment.
Winning all of their first four games will be difficult, as the Irish face an athletic South Florida team, Pitt, Michigan and Michigan State.
A loss to any of these teams would be devastating at this juncture in the season.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
7 of 10
On paper, the Sooners seem to have no specific weakness.
However, they are coached by "Big Game Bob."
Stoops is 3-5 in BCS bowl games and 1-3 in BCS Championships.
Whether he get's nervous, players don't perform or his ingrown toenail is bothering him, he doesn't have a very good track record in the BCS.
The pressure should be on for "Bedlam" with Oklahoma State at the end of the season, and if the Sooners do reach a BCS game, they could suffer another embarrassing postseason loss.
Something along the line of that loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl or to USC in the now vacated 2005 Orange Bowl.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
8 of 10
This one might be a little too obvious.
No matter how much talent a team has, it's tough to replace that many starters and a great head coach.
The Buckeyes have a fairly manageable first four games, but Michigan State is no picnic, and Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan all have the potential to knock off the Buckeyes.
Why would it be embarrassing?
Of course, the Michigan thing speaks for itself, but Nebraska is a newcomer to the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes have been top dog for a long time now.
Wisconsin embarrassed the Buckeyes last season, and Michigan State has a potent offense, but the Buckeyes should still be favored to win against all these squads.
Hence, the embarrassment.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
9 of 10
This is where Georgia fans run into a bind.
When the Dawgs take on Boise State to open the season, do Georgia fans consider them an overrated pretender from an undeserving conference?
Or do they consider them a true top-10 team?
A loss to Boise might be embarrassing for the Dawgs, especially if it gets ugly.
Besides that, the Bulldogs play one of the weakest schedules in the SEC, and the expectations are high for them this season.
Almost guaranteed that Mark Richt finds himself on a hotter seat than before, courtesy of an embarrassing loss at some point in the season.
1. Miami Hurricanes
10 of 10
The 'Canes have a deep, experienced offensive line.
They have a group of explosive and solid receivers and scary fast running backs.
Sean Spence highlights a speedy, yet inexperienced defense
So why are they here?
The interior defensive line is going to be a huge liability; any team with an effective inside running game will punish the 'Canes.
Both their corners are first year starters, and the Hurricanes have a new head coach, albeit a good one.
And then, of course, there is the quarterback position, which has no consistent playmaker, and seems to grow murkier by the minute.
Miami gets just about every contender in the ACC on the road, and they get to play Ohio State at home.
A loss to Maryland would be the height of embarrassment to start to Al Golden era.
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