College Football 2011 Preview: Predicting the Winner of Each Conference

As we continue to count down the days until the start of the 2011 college football season and refine all of our preseason predictions and prognostications, it’s become abundantly clear that what makes college football so great is that no other sport can match its unpredictability.

Sure, you’ll always see schools like Oklahoma and Alabama sitting near the top of the preseason rankings, but as Auburn and Oregon taught us last year, it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish.

Last season, we saw teams like Auburn, Stanford and Oklahoma State all scoff at their respective preseason rankings, as they tore their way through the polls and opened up eyes across the country.

Now, we’ll have the opportunity to see which teams will be the big breakout performers of this season.

Remember, this is college football and you can’t be so quick to just hand big-name teams a conference championship.

Everybody’s got to earn it.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the teams who I believe have the best shot of taking home a conference crown in 2011.

ACC: Florida State Seminoles

Bobby who?

After making a big fuss over the forced retirement of legendary long-time coach Bobby Bowden, it turns out that a fresh, new coaching face was exactly what the Florida State program needed.

In his rookie season as the head man in Tallahassee, all coach Jimbo Fisher did was guide the Seminoles to their first double-digit win season since 2003 and take them back to the ACC championship game for the first time since 2005.

Not too bad, right?

This year, Florida State will go as far as new QB E.J. Manuel can take them.

Manuel is already drawing heavy praises after displaying his marvelous natural physical ability in relief duty for the often-banged-up Christian Ponder throughout the last two years, and now all he has to do is put his top-notch talents to good use.

Manuel has enough playmakers surrounding him to put together a special, attention-grabbing type of campaign this season.

Eight starters return to an offense that averaged 31 points per game last season.

The defense will be the real key to this team’s ultimate success, though.

Remember two years ago when the Florida State defense was just a complete and absolute embarrassment?

It seems like so long ago, doesn’t it?

Since the dismal 2009 season, LB Nigel Bradham, DE Brandon Jenkins and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Greg Reid have helped to change the defensive culture in Tallahassee and they’ve managed to transform the unit from a laughingstock into a formidable looking collection of talent.

Bradham, Jenkins and Rhodes could possibly be considered the best players in the ACC at their respective positions and they’ll be the three centerpieces of a defense that should be one of the most stout in the sport this season.

If Manuel can limit his mistakes and just let his natural ability take over, Florida State’s offense should score enough to beat everybody on their schedule, and that includes No. 1 ranked Oklahoma.

Fisher saw Gene Chizik and Chip Kelly, two fellow coaches who were also in their second year, battle for a national championship last season and now he’s got his team in contention to do the same thing in his second year.

ACC Atlantic Division Power Rankings

1. Florida State Seminoles

2. North Carolina State Wolfpack

3. Clemson Tigers

4. Maryland Terrapins

5. Boston College Golden Eagles

6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

ACC Coastal Division Power Rankings

1. Virginia Tech Hokies

2. Miami Hurricanes

3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

5. Virginia Cavaliers

6. Duke Blue Devils

Big East: South Florida Bulls

Former coach Jim Leavitt helped mold South Florida into a sleeping giant and now the Bulls may have found the perfect coach to awaken them from their slumber.

In his first season on the job, Skip Holtz guided South Florida to an 8-5 campaign but that might have been just the set up for an even bigger season this year.

B.J. Daniels, one of the most athletic quarterbacks in America, has shown flashes of both greatness and instability over the last three years, but now the senior signal-caller appears ready to finally reach his full potential in his last season.

If South Florida truly wants to contend in the Big East, the team is going to need Daniels to be a more consistent passer this season.

On the ground, the team will rely on leading returning rusher Demetris Murray and former 5-star recruit Darrell Scott, who transferred from Colorado.

Scott is a big, strong back, who can carry a heavy workload and if he plays like the same player we saw in high school, South Florida will have a true steal to boast about.

The defense is set to have just as many, if not more playmakers, than the offense, as there are impact players to be found on every level.

DE Ryne Giddins is the name to watch on the defensive line. Giddins, the most highly-touted recruit to ever sign with the school, could be South Florida’s next star pass-rusher.

The Bulls will have two of the Big East's best linebackers, DeDe Lattimore and Sam Barrington,  roaming around the field once again.

Lattimore and Barrington combined for 134 tackles in 2010.

In the secondary, safety Jon Lejiste is the player to watch.

So with Daniels back and a defense stocked with talent, it looks as if now is as good of a time as any for South Florida to get over that last hurdle and finally win a Big East championship.

Holtz is one of the brightest young coaches in the game and he’ll have his athletic and talented bunch ready to compete for top honors in the Big East this season.

Big East Power Rankings

1. South Florida Bulls

2. West Virginia Mountaineers

3. Syracuse Orange

4. Pittsburgh Panthers

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

6. Connecticut Huskies

7. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 

8. Louisville Cardinals

Big 12: Missouri Tigers

Over the last few years, Missouri has looked like a team that’s always been ready to pop, however, every time the Tigers seem to be on the cusp of a breakthrough, they’ve inevitably always found a way to fall short.

Coach Gary Pinkel has guided his team to 40 victories over the last four seasons, yet Missouri has failed to win a Big 12 title and make it to a BCS bowl game in that time frame.

That could change in 2011.

Oklahoma is the sexy Big 12 team going into the season, but while Missouri may lack the flashy style, the Tigers do appear to have the substance to once again take down Bob Stoops’ target-wearing crew, just as they did in Colombia last season.

It’s rare that a team loses two top-10 picks and has an even better season the following year, but Pinkel has stocked his depth chart with some great talent.

QB Blaine Gabbert may be gone, but even though he was a top NFL draft pick this year, remember, Gabbert was only the eighth most efficient passer in the Big 12 last season.

His replacement, James Franklin, can certainly match that production and the versatile sophomore signal-caller adds a running dynamic to Missouri’s spread offense, which should be of great value.

Franklin will have one of the Big 12’s best receiving corps to throw to, led by standouts T.J. Moe, Jerrell Jackson, Wes Kemp and Michael Egnew, one of the top tight ends in the country.

The offensive line will miss steady left tackle Elvis Fisher, who was lost for the season with a knee injury last week, but the three other returning starters, Dan Hoch, Austin Wuebbels and Jayson Palmgren, have what it takes to step up.

On defense, the loss of super-athletic DE Aldon Smith, who finished his brief career at Missouri with 17 sacks in just 27 games, is going to hurt, but luckily the Tigers welcome back two accomplished and proven pass-rushers in Brad Madison and Jacquies Smith, who combined for 13 sacks in 2010.

Madison and Smith aren’t the only dynamic duo on defense, either. Linebackers Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden are quite a combo as well.

Gooden, who led the team with 85 tackles in 2010, could be one of the conference’s hidden gems.

With 14 starters returning from a team that won 10 games last year, this Tigers team has the pieces to take down Oklahoma, Texas A&M and any other opponent that gets in their way this year.

If Franklin plays well, this could be the season that Missouri finally takes that long-awaited next step.

Big 12 Power Rankings

1. Missouri Tigers

2. Oklahoma Sooners

3. Texas A&M Aggies

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

5. Texas Longhorns

6. Baylor Bears

7. Kansas State Wildcats

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

9. Iowa State Cyclones

10. Kansas Jayhawks

Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State entered the 2010 season as a team sitting firmly off the radar, without any type of representation in the preseason polls, but it didn’t take long for the Spartans to make the country take notice.

After suffering a heart attack after a thrilling week three overtime win over Notre Dame, coach Mark Dantonio made a valiant return to lead the Spartans to an 8-0 record and a top-five national ranking midway through the year.

Dantonio’s crew was the only Big Ten team that managed to take down Wisconsin during the regular season.

Even though the team finished with an 11-2 record and a Top 15 ranking, the season didn't exactly end the way Michigan State fans had hoped it would.

A 49-7 bludgeoning at the hands of Alabama probably didn’t do much for the Spartans' confidence and momentum, but this is a team that still has the makings of a Big Ten title contender this year.

QB Kirk Cousins is developing into a sound starter, who knows how to lead the offense down the field at crucial times. Cousins also has one of the strongest running back stables in the country right behind him.

Edwin Baker, who ran for over 1,200 yards last season, is the face of that group.

Cousins and Baker, two of the most underappreciated players in the Big Ten, are sure to catch a lot of people’s attention this Fall.

Baker has already stated that his goal is to rush for over 2,000 yards this season, and while he may not break that mark by himself, he’ll have the help of talented backups Le’Veon Bell and Larry Caper to help the collective Michigan State backfield get over that hump.

Cousins will also have some quality targets to throw to like B.J. Cunningham, Keith Nichol, Keshawn Martin and Brian Linthicum.

On defense, the Spartans have to figure out a way to make up for the loss of MLB Greg Jones, who led the team in tackles each of the last four seasons.

Michigan State has three future pros (DT Jerel Worthy, CB Johnny Adams and S Trenton Robinson) all returning, so losing Jones may not be the end of the world.

With Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa all on the slate, things won’t be easy for the Spartans in 2011, but this is a team that still has what it takes to contend for a conference championship.

Cousins is a wily veteran who has developed nicely during his career and it could be time for him to have a major breakout year, leading an offense that should be one of the most potent in the conference this season.

Big Ten Leaders Division Power Rankings

1. Wisconsin Badgers

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

4. Illinois Fighting Illini

5. Purdue Boilermakers

6. Indiana Hoosiers

Big Ten Legends Division Power Rankings

1. Michigan State Spartans

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers

3. Northwestern Wildcats

4. Michigan Wolverines

5. Iowa Hawkeyes

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Pac-12: Oregon Ducks

It certainly hasn’t been a quiet, distraction-free offseason for coach Chip Kelly and his Oregon squad.

First, a recruiting scandal hit the program and made national headlines, and then came star corner Cliff Harris’ 118 MPH, marijuana-fueled joy ride, which earned Harris a suspension for the season-opener against LSU.

Even with all the turmoil, Kelly can take solace in the fact that he’s getting his two key offensive weapons, QB Darron Thomas and RB LaMichael James, back to power his spread offense yet again.

Thomas and James, who totaled over 4,900 yards of offense and scored a combined 54 TDs in 2010, are two of the best offensive skill players in the country and both are perfect fits for Oregon’s uptempo zone read attack.

Besides Thomas and James, the offense will also have returning senior David Paulson, one of the most reliable tight ends in college football, along with backup backs Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas, the most explosive freshman in the country.

If the Ducks can get their offensive line, which loses three starters from a year ago, straightened out, the offense has a chance to be just as efficient as it was last year.

The only foreseeable problem for Oregon is the lack of experience in the defensive front seven.

Key cogs like Casey Matthews, Brandon Bair, Spencer Paysinger and Kenny Rowe are all gone and only DE Terrell Turner and LB Josh Kaddu return.

Oregon should, however, have one of the best secondaries in the country once Cliff Harris returns to action. Safeties Eddie Pleasant and John Boyett are the team’s two top returning tacklers.

The bottom line is, we know the offense will still be mighty dangerous, and if the lines on both sides of the ball can stay sturdy, the Ducks should have more than enough firepower to outscore anyone that walks out on the field with them.

Now that coaches and coordinators have had an offseason to really study and game plan for Oregon’s fast-paced offensive blitzkrieg, things definitely won’t be as easy for the Ducks this year.

Kelly can handle it, though, and as long as he has James and Thomas in the backfield, he holds an advantage over every other team in the country.

Pac-12 North Division Power Rankings

1. Oregon Ducks

2. Stanford Cardinal

3. Oregon State Beavers

4. Washington Huskies

5. Washington State Cougars

6. California Golden Bears

Pac-12 South Division Power Rankings

1. Utah Utes

2. Arizona State Sun Devils

3. USC Trojans

4. UCLA Bruins

5. Arizona Wildcats

6. Colorado Buffaloes

SEC: Georgia Bulldogs

It’s not often that a quarterback with a losing career record gets hailed as the top quarterback in college football’s most powerful conference, but if you watched Aaron Murray play down the stretch of the 2010 season, you know why many have bestowed that honor on him this summer.

Sure, it helps that the SEC lacks a lot of proven quarterbacks going into this season, but even so, Murray has showed that he has the poise and the precision to guide Georgia to the SEC title game this year.

Murray’s 6-7 overall record is a bit deceiving, especially if you count out the Bulldogs’ 1-3 start when star receiver A.J. Green was on the bench.

With Green in the lineup, Murray looked like a different quarterback, and the offense played at a much higher level.

With Green now off to the NFL, Murray will need new go-to target Tavarres King, a former top recruit who is continuing to hone his skills, and Orson Charles, possibly the best tight end in the country, to pick their games up a notch.

After losing Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, the team’s two top returning rushers, this offseason, the passing game will have to be emphasized even more so than it was in 2010.

Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell, one of the top overall prospects of the 2011 recruiting class, will be counted on to have a major impact right from the get-go and Crowell might just end up being this year’s version of Marcus Lattimore in the SEC.

With offensive linemen Ben Jones and Cordy Glenn opening up holes for him, Crowell should have plenty of chances to shine this season.

The Bulldogs not only have to worry about producing an effective rushing attack, they have to focus on shutting down the opposing running game as well.

Georgia allowed 3.7 yards per carry and ranked seventh in the SEC in rush defense last season, and that was with standout rush linebacker Justin Houston, who finished second in the conference with 18.5 tackles for loss, manning the edge.

With Houston gone, players like DE Abry Jones, DE DeAngelo Tyson, LB Cornelius Washington and DT Kwame Geathers, who opened eyes in the spring, will all have to pick up the slack.

If the front seven can maintain its ground, it should help to ease the pressure on Georgia’s secondary, which should be one of the best in the conference.

After going just 14-12 over the last two seasons, coach Mark Richt finds himself on the media hot seat, whether fair or not.

Richt knows he has to win to quiet his critics, especially with two tough games against Boise State and South Carolina to start off the season.

Luckily for the coach, he’s got arguably the conference’s top quarterback, one of the most intriguing freshman players in the country to hand the ball off to and a defense that has the potential to dominate.

In other words, Richt has all the tools he needs to shove a successful season right in his critics’ faces.

SEC East Division Power Rankings

1. Georgia Bulldogs

2. South Carolina Gamecocks

3. Florida Gators

4. Tennessee Volunteers

5. Kentucky Wildcats

6. Vanderbilt Commodores

SEC West Division Power Rankings

1. Mississippi State Bulldogs

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

3. LSU Tigers

4. Arkansas Razorbacks

5. Auburn Tigers

6. Mississippi Rebels

The Non-BCS Conferences

Conference USA: SMU Mustangs

MAC: Miami (Ohio) Redhawks

Mountain West: Boise State Broncos

Sun Belt: FIU Golden Panthers

WAC: Hawai'i Warriors

Conference USA Power Rankings

East Division

1. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

2. East Carolina Pirates

3. Central Florida Knights

4. UAB Blazers

5. Marshall Thundering Herd

6. Memphis Tigers

West Division

1. Southern Methodist Mustangs

2. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

3. Houston Cougars

4. Rice Owls

5. Tulane Green Wave

6. UTEP Miners

MAC Power Rankings

East Division

1. Toledo Rockets

2. Northern Illinois Huskies

3. Western Michigan Broncos

4. Ball State Cardinals

5. Central Michigan Chippewas

6. Eastern Michigan Eagles

West Division

1. Miami (Ohio) Redhawks

2. Temple Owls

3. Kent State Golden Flashes

4. Ohio Bobcats

5. Buffalo Bulls

6. Bowling Green Falcons

7. Akron Zips

Mountain West Power Rankings

1. Boise State Broncos

2. Air Force Falcons

3. TCU Horned Frogs

4. San Diego State Aztecs

5. Colorado State Rams

6. Wyoming Cowboys

7. New Mexico Lobos

8. UNLV Rebels

Sun Belt Power Rankings

1. FIU Golden Panthers

2. Troy Trojans

3. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

4. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

5. North Texas Mean Green

6. Arkansas State Red Wolves

7. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

8. Florida Atlantic Owls

WAC Power Rankings

1. Hawai’i Warriors

2. Nevada Wolf Pack

3. Fresno State Bulldogs

4. Utah State Aggies

5. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

6. Idaho Vandals

7. San Jose State Spartans

8. New Mexico State Aggies