College Football 2011: 25 Teams Guaranteed To Lose More Games Than Last Season

It's late June and every coach and fan has complete confidence in their team.

"We'll win more this year than last year," they say to friends.

In reality, not everyone can win more than they did in 2010.

It's mathematically impossible.

Another thing to consider is most of the teams that will lose more this season, must have had a pretty good run last year.

Since we all know it's going to happen, let's take a look at 25 teams that are guaranteed to lose more in 2011.

Arizona Wildcats

Mike Stoops entered last season on solid ground. After a five-game losing skid to end the season, he's back on the hot seat.

Five of the first six games this year could be losses. After opening with Northern Arizona, the Wildcats travel to Oklahoma State before returning home with Stanford and then Oregon. There's also road games with USC and Oregon State.

Arizona's three-year run of making bowl games will also come to an end.

2010 Record: 7-6

2011 Prediction: 5-7

Auburn Tigers

The defending BCS champs lost way too much talent to repeat as SEC champs, much less national champs.

Gene Chizik and his staff have recruited some of the best players in the nation to The Plains, so the drop-off might not be as bad as it may appear on paper.

But the Tigers will fall off some from last year's perfect season.

2010 Record: 14-0

2011 Prediction: 8-5

Boise State Broncos

Once again, Boise State returns a lot of starters (13), but not as many as last year (21).

Kellen Moore and Doug Martin are back, but the receiving corps is new.

Also, Boise will play a little tougher schedule this fall, so the Broncos won't replicate the success of the past two years.

Of course, Boise will still be great.

2010 Record: 12-1

2011 Prediction: 11-2

Colorado Buffaloes

New coach Jon Embree plans to return Colorado to its glory days.

That won't happen in 2011.

The Buffaloes have one of the toughest schedules and they play 13 weeks without a bye.

There's a lot of experienced players back, but very few of them have enjoyed much success.

2010 Record: 5-7

2011 Prediction: 2-11

Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut enjoyed one of its finest seasons under Randy Edsall last year. The Huskies won the Big East and went to a BCS bowl game.

The fun won't continue in 2011, even with a great coach like Paul Pasqualoni.

The Huskies are inexperienced at quarterback and running back.

2010 Record: 8-5

2011 Prediction: 6-7

East Carolina Pirates

East Carolina has an electrifying quarterback in Dominique Davis, but he's not enough to make up for a lackluster defense.

While the Pirates have pulled of some impressive upsets over the years, it looks like 2011 will be the year East Carolina underperforms.

2010 Record: 6-7

2011 Prediction: 4-8

Fresno State Bulldogs

With a watered-down Western Athletic Conference, Fresno State should be primed to win the crown in its final season.

But Pat Hill's team has a number of holes to fill and the Bulldogs have a tough schedule.

It's easy to see four losses right away against California, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Boise State.

2010 Record: 8-5

2011 Prediction: 7-6

Indiana Hoosiers

It's hard to believe Indiana won as many games as it did last year.

Take a closer look and you'll see the Hoosiers did it against inferior opponents. The only respectable win came in the season finale over rival Purdue.

This year's schedule doesn't have as many gimme wins.

2010 Record: 5-7

2011 Prediction: 3-9

Maryland Terrapins

With Danny O'Brien at quarterback, Maryland is considered a dark horse to win the ACC.

Randy Edsall, who is in his first year with the Terrapins, has proven he can coach with the best.

But the Terrapins will lose a number of close games in 2011 for a losing season.

2010 Record: 9-4

2011 Prediction: 5-7

Miami Redhawks

The Miami Redhawks were a surprise winner of the Mid-American Conference crown in 2010.

If not for a loss by Ohio in the final week of the season, Miami wouldn't have even made the game against Northern Illinois.

The Redhawks have a new coach and some of the talent that helped them beat Middle Tennessee State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

However, this year Miami loses a couple close games.

2010 Record: 10-4

2011 Prediction: 6-6

Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State may benefit from the turmoil at Ohio State, but the Spartans were last year's charmed team.

That is, until Mark Dantonio's team played Alabama in the Capital One Bowl. That 49-7 loss showed a lot of holes with Michigan State.

The schedule is a little tougher this season as well.

2010 Record: 11-2

2011 Prediction: 8-5

Middle Tennessee State

Middle Tennessee State hopes Logan Kilgore can do the job at quarterback, but the bigger issue is the defense.

The Blue Raiders need to be able to stop teams this year to make it back to a bowl game.

That's not looking too good.

2010 Record: 6-7

2011 Prediction: 4-8

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Dan Mullen has done some amazing work at Mississippi State.

In 2011, the Bulldogs have a tough schedule and must fill some voids on defense to improve on last year, which included an impressive win over Michigan in the Gator Bowl.

On the bright side, MSU still has Chris Relf at quarterback and Vick Ballard running the ball.

2010 Record: 9-4

2011 Prediction: 8-5

Missouri Tigers

With all of the returning talent on the lines, as well as at running back and wide receiver, Missouri should be a team looking to compete for the Big 12 title.

However, the Tigers have a brutal schedule and must find a way to replace the production of first-round pick Blaine Gabbert at quarterback.

Gary Pinkel has done some great work at Missouri, but he may need his all-time best to keep the Tigers from a drop-off in 2011.

2010 Record: 10-3

2011 Prediction: 8-5

Navy Midshipmen

Ken Niumatalolo has done some amazing work with Navy, but he'll have to do his best job to date if Navy is to have a winning season.

The Midshipmen face eight teams that played in a bowl game last year, including road games with South Carolina and Notre Dame.

Also, Army appears to be closing the gap on their rival.

2010 Record: 9-4

2011 Prediction: 7-6

Nevada Wolf Pack

Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua are both gone from one of the best Nevada teams in school history.

The defense has seven returners, but that group gave up some serious points last year.

It goes without saying, but the Wolf Pack are going to have one of the biggest slides this season.

2010 Record: 13-1

2011 Prediction: 6-6

Ohio State Buckeyes

Before all of the turmoil with the Buckeyes, Ohio State was a good bet to go undefeated in 2011.

Not anymore.

A freshman at quarterback and a young, inexperienced coach will cost Ohio State at least two games this season.

The Buckeyes also travel to Miami, Nebraska and Michigan...and all could be losses.

2010 Record: 12-1

2011 Prediction: 9-3

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State won 11 last year for the first time in school history and a lot of talent is back.

So 2011 could be another special year.

So the drop-off won't be much, but the odds of repeating last year's stellar season are slim.

2010 Record: 11-2

2011 Prediction: 10-3

Pittsburgh Panthers

Todd Graham is a proven coach, and Pitt has retained some nice talent from the Dave Wannstedt era.

But the Panthers are going to have some growing pains as Graham tries to install a new approach on offense and defense.

The Panthers will only be down for a season, though. So 2012 should be when they are competing for the conference title again.

2010 Record: 8-5

2011 Prediction: 5-7

Syracuse Orange

Syracuse has a rich tradition and college fans around the nation enjoyed watching Doug Marrone work miracles in his second season.

However, most rebuilding projects have a dip before taking hold.

The Orange will experience that dip in 2011.

2010 Record: 8-5

2011 Prediction: 7-6

TCU Horned Frogs

Gary Patterson has done an amazing job of building up the TCU program and keeping the Horned Frogs relevant.

TCU would love nothing more than to play in a BCS bowl again before departing for the Big East in 2012.

However, the Horned Frogs don't have Andy Dalton at quarterback and TCU will take a minor step back in 2011.

2010 Record: 13-0

2011 Prediction: 11-2

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Tulsa had a dream season in 2010, which included a huge 28-27 upset of Notre Dame in South Bend.

The Golden Hurricane still have the talented G.J. Kinne at quarterback, but the schedule is downright scary.

Every one of these games are legitimate losses: at Oklahoma (Sept. 3), Oklahoma State (Sept. 17), at Boise State (Sept. 24), UAB (Oct. 15), SMU (Oct. 29) and Houston (Nov. 26).

2010 Record: 10-3

2011 Prediction: 7-6

UCF Knights

UCF is still the cream of Conference USA.

The Knights are led by a talented offense that includes athletic quarterback Jeff Godfrey.

UCF's defense could be a weak spot and that is likely to cost them a game or two.

The Knights' biggest challenger could come from East rival Southern Miss.

2010 Record: 11-3

2011 Prediction: 10-4

Utah Utes

Some early Pac-12 predictions have Utah winning the South, but the Utes are going to learn what it's like to play tough games on consecutive weeks.

Here's a nice early-season run that won't be easy to survive: at USC (Sept. 10), at BYU (Sept. 17), Washington (Oct. 1), Arizona State (Oct. 8) and at Pittsburgh (Oct. 15).

That's a little tougher than Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado State.

2010 Record: 10-3

2011 Prediction: 8-5

UTEP Miners

UTEP has just two starters back on offense, so it is easy to see the Miners struggling to score this season.

The defense is experienced, but below average.

There are some winnable non-conference games, but not enough to equal last year's campaign that resulted in a bowl game.

2010 Record: 6-7

2011 Prediction: 4-8