College Football 2011: Predicting Who'll Be First and Last in Every Conference

Every conference has a favorite to win it all.

In the powerful SEC, Alabama seems like a safe pick. Move to the Big 12 and No. 1 Oklahoma is the clear choice to bring home another title.

Now think about each conference a little more. Have you ever thought about which team is going to bring up the rear? No one wants to think they are the worst team, but someone is going to be on the bottom.

But there are no guarantees. All it takes is a bad week and the chase for the title can get crazy. Even a cellar dweller can pull off a major upset.

Less than a month away from the start of the season, let's take a look at who will finish first and last in every conference in 2011.

ACC Champion: Florida State

Florida State may be bolting for the SEC soon, but right now the Seminoles are the top dog in the ACC.

FSU hasn't won the ACC since 2005, but Jimbo Fisher has the 'Noles on the upswing.

The key to a successful season may rely squarely on the shoulders of quarterback E.J. Manuel, who has been handed the starting gig following the graduation of Christian Ponder.

Team to watch out for: Virginia Tech

ACC Last Place: Wake Forest

Jim Grobe played a lot of young players last season and the results were rough.

It should pay some dividends this season, but Wake Forest has a brutal schedule and it's difficult to predict a lot of victories.

Sophomore quarterback Tanner Price should have a better season, and Wake's experienced offensive line should provide solid protection.

Team to watch out for: Duke

Big East Champion: South Florida

Bring on the comments from the West Virginia fans.

The Mountaineers are the safe pick, but there's been a lot of turmoil in Morgantown since last season and Dana Holgorsen has depth issues at quarterback.

So on Dec. 1 when WVU travels to South Florida the Bulls will be primed to win their first Big East crown. South Florida has been the one team that has had WVU's number.

Team to watch out for: West Virginia

Big East Last Place: Connecticut

Connecticut is going to make the move from first to last.

New coach Paul Pasqualoni is faced with trying to find a proven quarterback and tailback.

The Huskies defense is good enough to keep UConn out of the cellar.

Team to watch out for: Rutgers

Big Ten Champion: Wisconsin

Wisconsin has the best running game in the Big Ten and that's a major component to winning the league.

Montee Ball and James White are a great one-two punch, and the addition of Russell Wilson from North Carolina State gives the Badgers a legit quarterback.

The Badgers' defensive line actually rivals that of Nebraska's.

Team to watch out for: Nebraska

Big Ten Last Place: Indiana

First-year coach Kevin Wilson might be the right person to turn the Hoosiers around, but it won't happen this year.

Indiana has a long history of losing, so it will take Wilson a few years to get this on the right track.

Team to watch out for: Minnesota

Big 12 Champion: Oklahoma

No surprise pick here.

Oklahoma is the preseason No. 1 team, and even without All-American linebacker Travis Lewis for the start of the season the Sooners are the most talented team in the Big 12.

It starts with quarterback Landry Jones and his talented receiving corps, and Bob Stoops knows how to win conference championships.

Team to watch out for: Oklahoma State

Big 12 Last Place: Kansas

Turner Gill's Jayhawks are the least talented team in the Big 12.

It's that simple.

Gill's probably positive about the season, but it might be better to check back in 2012.

Team to watch out for: Iowa State

Conference USA Champion: Houston

With the return of Case Keenum at quarterback, Kevin Sumlin's Cougars are primed to return to the top spot in Conference USA.

Houston's schedule is also a bonus as the Cougars don't play UCF or Southern Miss, the top two teams in the East.

The offense has balance with Bryce Beall running the ball.

Team to watch out for: UCF

Conference USA Last Place: Memphis

Larry Porter's second season at Memphis may not be much better than his first.

Memphis went 0-8 in conference play last year and the likelihood of a similar finish this season looks pretty good.

Team to watch out for: Tulane

Mid-American Champion: Toledo

Toledo's Eric Page is the MAC's most explosive player, so coach Tim Beckham has to work on a way to get the ball in his hands.

Austin Denton has won the starting job at quarterback, and the Rockets are loaded with talent at running back.

Dan Molls is a hard-hitting linebacker, who is one of the best in the MAC.

Team to watch out for: Miami

Mid-American Last Place: Akron

Whether second-year coach Rob Ianello knew how low the Akron program was before he took the job is not clear, but his reclamation project has a long ways to go.

Team to watch out for: Eastern Michigan

Mountain West Champion: Boise State

Boise State's first year in the Mountain West is going to be a huge success.

The Broncos are loaded with experience, including quarterback Kellen Moore and tailback Doug Martin.

Boise also has one of the nation's best defenses.

Team to watch out for: TCU

Mountain West Last Place: New Mexico

New Mexico should actually be better in Mike Locksley's third season, but when you have gone 1-11 in back-to-back seasons you'd like to think there would be an improvement.

If Locksley's offensive scheme finally takes this season, maybe the Lobos can avoid finishing last again.

Team to watch out for: Colorado State

Pac-12 Champion: Oregon

With all of that offensive power at Oregon, the Ducks have to be the pick again in the newly formed Pac-12.

The biggest test will come in a road game at Stanford, but Darron Thomas and LaMichael James are up to the challenge.

Team to watch out for: Stanford

Pac-12 Last Place: Colorado

Colorado actually returns a lot of experienced players for first-year coach Jon Embree, but the Buffaloes are playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Tyler Hansen is a solid quarterback, but Colorado is going to find out it doesn't have enough skills to hold up in the Pac-12.

Team to watch out for: Washington State

SEC Champion: Alabama

Alabama is going to get some serious challenges in the SEC West, especially from LSU.

The Crimson Tide have a loaded defense and enough skill on offense to make playing them a miserable experience.

Alabama gets most of its tough SEC games in Tuscaloosa.

Team to watch out for: LSU

SEC Last Place: Vanderbilt

Winning at Vanderbilt has been elusive for almost every coach who has tried.

Now it's James Franklin's turn to give it a shot.

It's the SEC, so it's going to take awhile.

Team to watch out for: Mississippi

Sun Belt Champion: Florida International

After an 0-4 start, Florida International had an amazing turnaround and actually defeated Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl 34-32.

Mario Cristobal has worked some serious magic with the Golden Panthers.

Now his squad is gunning for an outright championship in 2011.

Team to watch out for: Troy

Sun Belt Last Place: Louisiana-Lafayette

The bottom three in the Sun Belt are pretty interchangeable, but this is the Ragin' Cajuns year to bring up the rear.

Louisiana is going to try to survive on junior college transfers as first-year coach Mark Hudspeth tries to rebuild.

Team to watch out for: Western Kentucky

Western Athletic Champion: Hawaii

Here's a new one: Hawaii just may have the best defense in the WAC.

If that happens and Hawaii's offense puts up its normal 40 points a game and Greg McMackin should be celebrating a championship season.

Team to watch out for: Fresno State

Western Athletic Last Place: New Mexico State

This may be the year DeWayne Walker and the Aggies pull out of the basement.

But until that happens it's hard to pick New Mexico State anywhere but on the bottom.

Team to watch out for: San Jose State