College Football 2011: 27 Schools Who Should Do the NCAA Version of Hard Knocks
With the NFL season in limbo, there is no telling if HBO is going to have the show "Hard Knocks" on their network. For those who don't know, "Hard Knocks" is a NFL reality series that follows an NFL team during training camp. Over the years, HBO cameras have followed the Cowboys, Ravens, Jets, Chiefs and Bengals.
But what if there was a college version of "Hard Knocks"? Who would be some of the teams considered? And how high would the ratings be if it could happen where college teams could take part in the reality series?
Here are 27 teams that should be considered for "Hard Knocks."
No. 1: Ohio State Buckeyes
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With Jim Tressel resigning and quarterback Terrell Pryor suspended for nearly the first half of the season, Ohio State becomes the most interesting team in all of college football.
Ratings will be through the roof if they are on "Hard Knocks."
No. 2: North Carolina Tar Heels
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UNC has already been through the ringer when it comes to NCAA investigations and head coach Butch Davis is on the hot seat.
It would be interesting to see how Davis and the rest of the team handle the pressure of handling off-the-field issues while trying to make some noise in the ACC.
No. 3: Stanford Cardinal
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Stanford is going into the 2011 season with a new head coach in David Shaw. But the real story is Andrew Luck as he decides to stay in school for his senior season to try to win the Heisman and maybe a national title.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 4: Auburn Tigers
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The defending national champions are going into this season as a team looking to rebuild as their superstar Cam Newton decided to forgo his senior year to enter to NFL Draft.
Can Auburn get back to the promise land or will SEC parity bring them back to earth?
No. 5: USC Trojans
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Head coach Lane Kiffin had a solid 2010 season, and it looks as if the Trojans are doing everything they can to get back to where they were in the early 2000s.
If you don't care about the team, then fans should be focused on Kiffin because he is a character to say the least.
No. 6: Michigan Wolverines
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Like Ohio State, Michigan has a new head coach in Brady Hoke and they are looking to get back into the national title picture.
Also, quarterback Denard Robinson is a early Heisman candidate so it would be fun to see how he trains before the season starts.
No. 7: Texas Longhorns
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Let's face it. Texas did not have a good year and Mack Brown will be the focus for the 2011 season.
That and with the new recruits coming in should make the Longhorns worth watching.
No. 8: South Carolina Gamecocks
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Steve Spurrirer should have his own reality show because he is probably the most entertaining head coach in all of the NCAA.
The meetings between him and Stephen Garcia would be classic. That is if Garcia is still on the team...
No. 9: Notre Dame
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Regardless of how Notre Dame is doing record wise, they are the most recognizable team in college football.
Doing Hard Knocks would give them unnecessary national media attention, but it would give fans an insight of how head coach Brian Kelly is handling the pressure of winning right now.
No. 10: Oregon Ducks
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Oregon will look to build on the 2010 season, which they reached the national title game.
One thing Hard Knocks should focus on is the facilities because the Ducks are know for having some of best facilities in the country.
No. 11: Alabama Crimson Tide
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After a solid 2010 season, Alabama will look to win their second national title in three years. But it will be a tough task because they will not have Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcell Darius.
One thing worth watching will be Nick Saban going crazy during camp.
No. 12: Florida Gators
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Former Georgia Bulldog Will Muschamp is the new head coach for the Gators and because spring practices were closed, fans are anxious to get an insight of the team as they try to rebound from an uncharacteristic 2010 year.
This would be another show that would get high ratings.
No. 13: Florida State Seminoles
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After a big win against South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, FSU has become a team to watch in 2010.
If they were to do "Hard Knocks", the focus will be on head coach Jimbo Fisher and how is doing things differently from former head coach Bobby Bowden.
No. 14 Virginia Tech Hokies
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Frank Beamer has been the head man at Virginia Tech for over 20 years and it doesn't look like he is not going anywhere.
It would be worth watching to see what makes him so successful and it would also be fun to see how the Hokies fare when it comes to the ACC race this season.
No. 15: Georgia Bulldogs
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Another coach that is in the hot seat is Mark Richt, but some experts have Georgia winning the SEC East.
With the return of quarterback Aaron Murray and prized recruit Isaiah Crowell expected to make a big impact, a Bulldog Hard Knocks show would have a good amount of drama.
No. 16: LSU Tigers
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This is another team that could use the exposure to show the true side of head coach Les Miles.
Some say he's crazy, so doing Hard Knocks could give Miles a chance to show how how sane (or crazy) he really is.
No. 17: Nebraska Cornhuskers
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The top story for Nebraska would be the move from the Big 12 to the Big 10.
They have done well their last two years in the Big 12, can they continue the trend in a conference led by Ohio State and Penn State?
No. 18: Oklahoma Sooners
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Oklahoma is one of the favorites to win the national title this year.
Fans will like to see what Ryan Broyles and head coach Bob Stoops do to get ready for the season and what their lives are like off the field.
No. 19: Michigan State Spartans
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Michigan State had a great 2010 season, and it will be interesting to see what they do to get ready for 2011.
It would be also great to see a guy like Kirk Cousins work because he is one of the good guys in college football.
No. 20: Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Mike Gundy is a man and he's 43. He would be great on television because he's very entertaining, whether he tries to be or not.
Also, the Cowboys are looking to build on a season where they compiled a 11-2 record and defeated Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.
No. 21: UCLA Bruins
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Head coach Rick Neuheisel has been under fire because he has not performed up to the level fans would like to see.
Would the show garner him wins? No, but it would give the school some needed exposure which will bring in recruits.
No. 22: Boise State Broncos
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Boise State has been a team that always want to prove something every time they step on the field.
A show like Hard Knocks would not only show people what Boise State what they are all about, it would give the school more attention which will bring in better recruits which hopefully will lead to more wins.
No. 23: TCU Horned Frogs
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Like Boise State, TCU is a team that want to show they can play with the big boys.
It would only be wise if Gray Patterson agrees to do a show like Hard Knocks for the sake of publicity.
No. 24: Wisconsin Badgers
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Wisconsin has a strong 2010 and will look to have a stronger 2011 season.
If HBO want to get ratings, they should focus on the fans of Wisconsin because they are as passionate as any fan base in the country.
No. 25: Ole Miss Rebles
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Ole Miss was suppose to be a team on the rise in the SEC. But things have not gone that way as they finished with a 4-8 record last season.
Houston Nutt is known for being a great in-game coach, so doing a show like Hard Knocks can give fans an in-depth look of how Nutt works and what are the Rebels doing to get back on track.
No. 26: Arkansas Razorbacks
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Arkansas reached the Sugar Bowl last year, but if they want to get back there this season, they will have to do it with Ryan Mallett who has moved on to the NFL.
The one, and only thing that should be the focus for their show is Bobby Petrino because he's a character, and I don't mean that in a good way.
No. 27: Clemson Tigers
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Clemson reached the ACC title game in 2009 and are doing everything they can to reach the title game again.
Hard Knocks should focus on the team trying to reach the top of the ACC mountain, but they should also focus on Dabo Swinney. I mean seriously, how in the world do you get a name like Dabo?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
