College Football 2011: Andrew Luck Loses the Heisman and 5 Bold Predictions

With the 2011 college football season just a few months away, fans and experts alike are yapping about what their teams will do and what schools will take charge this upcoming season.

With all the ups and downs the offseason throws at teams, there really are no sure things one can count on before the season starts.

Here are five bold predictions I feel will come to fruition this season in the college football world.

1. BYU's Move to Independent Will Hurt More Than Help

2011 will mark BYU's first season as a football independent, leaving the Mountain West Conference.

The Cougars had some success while in the Mountain West, going to seven bowl games in the 12-year existence of the conference—most of them being trips to the Las Vegas Bowl.

Over the years, the Mountain West has had some great teams, such as TCU and Utah, go on to some big-time success.

If BYU couldn't create the kind of success a TCU or Utah has in the Mountain West, what makes BYU think it can being an Independent?

Their trips to the Las Vegas Bowl were due to their affiliation with the Mountain West—the best team in the MWC that's not picked to be in a higher bowl is chosen for the Las Vegas Bowl each year.

Without that guaranteed bowl spot, BYU could find themselves in far worse situations bowl-wise, and I feel they made a big mistake going independent in football.

2. Ohio State Will Still Be Successful

No team has seen through more negativity this offseason than the Ohio State Buckeyes, but I don't see that taking them totally out of the college football landscape this season.

After losing star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and legendary coach Jim Tressel, most of the college football world has written off Ohio State to do anything positive this season, basically thinking it will be a pushover year for the Buckeyes.

With all of the illegal player benefit cases going around Ohio State, I don't think there is any real possibility the Buckeyes will have any chance at playing in a bowl game this year, but I still think the remaining players will give it their all for the school and have a fairly successful season.

Any game against a contender in the Big Ten will pretty much be the Buckeyes' "bowl game," and they will be at their best when pitted up against the best.

One would also hope the players will give it their all for interim head coach Luke Fickell, who will be hoping for an extended stay as head coach of one of college football's most prestigious football programs.

Look for Ohio State to be contenders in the Big Ten, even though they'll more than likely be playing for pride and not championships.

3. Boise State Will Lose More Than One Game for the First Time Since 2007

The Boise State football program has enjoyed great success over the past few years and have lost no more than one game per season since 2007.

Look for that three-year trend to come to an end this year.

This season will mark the first year the Boise State program joins the Mountain West Conference. On the heels of the Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars exiting the conference for greener pastures, the MWC is still a good football conference.

Boise State will play a strong schedule this season, in and out of the MWC, and will lose double the amount of games they have become accustomed to losing the past five seasons.

Yes, the Broncos from the northwest will lose a whopping two games this year.

The first loss will come not against Georgia at home, but against former WAC rival and MWC-to-be Nevada Oct. 1. Despite losing a few big-time players—including do-it-all quarterback Colin Kaepernick—the Wolf Pack will have a solid squad this year and will pull the shocker over Boise State in Boise.

The second loss of the year will come at the hands of MWC heavyweight TCU Nov. 12. Coming off what many thought would be a national title-contending season that was ruined by the BCS, TCU will look to build off last season's success to go out with style in their final year with the MWC.

Boise State will go on to have a good season, but will most likely find themselves playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the second straight year.

4. Florida State Will Make the National Title Game

After a a solid season under first-year head coach Jimbo Fisher, look for the Florida State Seminoles to build on their success in 2010 and parlay it into the best year they have had since 1999 when Bobby Bowden led them to the National Championship.

Returning a team filled with young and talented players, this Florida State team will be hungry and ready to get the Seminoles back where they belong—on top of the college football landscape.

Key games for the Seminoles will be against Oklahoma, Maryland, North Carolina State and the regular-season finale against the Florida Gators.

Quarterback EJ Manuel is ready to have a break-out year after playing some quality minutes under outgoing quarterback Christian Ponder last year. Having the entire offseason to prepare, Manuel should come in and lead this Florida State team to a great season.

Aiding Manuel on the offensive side of things will be running back Chris Thompson. Thompson will be coming in hot after compiling just under 1,000 total yards and seven total touchdowns last season.

FSU also returns several starters from one of the top defenses in the country, only adding to the list of why I think the Florida Seminoles will make a run for the national title this year.

5. Andrew Luck Will Not Win the Heisman This Season

Even though all the focus will be on Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck this season, he will not win the Heisman Trophy this year.

Coming back to Stanford this upcoming season, even after he was a predicted No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Luck now has all kinds of pressure on him to get Standford to a BCS bowl game this season.

With Ryan Wahlen and Doug Baldwin—Luck's top-two targets—gone, Luck will have less reliable hands in the receiving corps and can expect weaker pass-protection due to the offensive line also losing key players such as Andrew Phillips and Chase Beeler.

In all, Luck will still have a great season, but he won't have as good a year as he did in 2010, and he definitely won''t take home the Heisman.

However, all these factors still will not be enough to keep him from becoming the projected No. 1 pick again in the 2012 NFL Draft.