College Football: 20 Teams That Still Have Us Shaking Our Heads

Well, we’re two weeks into the 2011 collegiate gridiron campaign, and though we certainly know more than we did 14 days ago, we still have a bunch of pieces missing from this season’s college football puzzle.

But for all the stuff we haven’t figured out yet, we do have the certainty of a handful of teams that still make us wonder…they still leave unsure, they still have the ability to surprise us and yes, they still leave us shaking our heads.

These curious, football induced head movements are brought on by a plethora of different reasons but some of the more popular surround thoughts of, “Seriously, did that really just happen?” “How can turn the ball over six times in a game?” “Weren’t they finally supposed to be good again this year?” “How can you have 700 yards of offense and still lose the game?” “How many weeks in a row can they win close games like that?” and the ever popular, “How can you beat X (think Nebraska or Ohio State) and then lose to Y (think Akron or Wyoming)?”

The following slideshow pinpoints 20 teams that have the uncommon knack to keep us wagging our heads in disbelief, wonder, disgust or awe, and they are just the sort of squads that make college football so intrinsically interesting, alluring and fun to watch.

Iowa State

After playing one of the hardest schedules in the nation in 2010 and finishing 5-7 (remember the one-point loss to Nebraska, the blow-out of Texas Tech and the win over Texas in Austin), 2011 was meant to be a rebuilding year for the Cyclones.

That retooling scenario looked to be accurate in Week 1, when Iowa State needed 13 fourth quarter points to knock off FCS Northern Iowa in Ames, but then, Week 2 happened, and Iowa (who had been receiving Top 25 votes since the preseason polls) rolled into town.

Iowa State looked like a prime target for Iowa’s second win (who has its own rebuilding project underway), but after a full four quarters and three overtimes, the Cyclones walked away with a 44-41 win and now sit atop the Big 12 standings with a 2-0 record.

Yes, Iowa State still has to face what Phil Steele calls the No. 2 most difficult schedule in the country, but how do Paul Rhodes led squads always seem to surprise us?

Take 2010 for example, when the Cyclones dominated Texas Tech 52-38 at home and then immediately got crushed by Utah (27-68) the next weekend.

Yes, they got skunked 0-52 by Oklahoma in Norman last season and then went to Austin the next weekend and beat Texas 28-21.

It’s hard to determine the real identity of the Iowa State gridiron club, but I’m confident that they are a scary opponent to have on your schedule, regardless of prevailing notions.

Ohio State

You could approach Ohio State’s ability to make us shake our collective heads in a two-prong fashion.

First, you could look at actual on-field performance and wonder how a team that still has so much talent available (despite the loss of eight or so key players from Sanction Gate) would still need last second heroics to ice a 27-22 Week 2 victory over Toledo.

Yes, they beat Akron 42-0 in Week 1, but the Zips haven’t posted a winning season since 2005 and have only won four games in the last two seasons (while Toledo went 8-5 last season and went to a bowl game).

If not for 102 yards worth of penalties and a key turnover, Toledo would be the first in-state team to beat the Buckeyes since Oberlin College knocked them off in 1922.

The second approach is to be completely bedazzled by the non-stop mention of “ineligible” players in Columbus. 

Just when you think there can’t be more, we’re faced with headlines like “Ohio State still being investigated by the NCAA,” and then we read about the questionable eligibility of two starters and one back-up who supposedly received impermissible benefits earlier this year at a charity event.

And just when you heard they were cleared for Week 2, they were out again…

Yes, we’re shaking our heads.

Texas

One of the biggest stories coming into the 2011 season (that didn’t involve sanctions or conference realignment) was how the Longhorns would look after finishing 2010 with a dismal 5-7 record.

Well, Texas looked shaky in its opener against Rice but still dominated the Owls in every statistical category (including penalties but not turnovers), but what really showed the Longhorns' progress (or lack thereof) was the Week 2 meeting with BYU in Austin.

Texas needed three QBs and 14 fourth quarter points to pull away from a BYU team that spent most of the evening dominating a far more talented Longhorn team, but Texas won.

The win over BYU on Saturday night cannot be overstated in its importance. The Longhorns lose the game, and all of a sudden, it's doomsday in Austin all over again. But now, even though it wasn't pretty, there is hope.

Hope for what?

Well, hope that all that talent, all that money, all those recruits, all the top coaches nabbed from around our great land will equal wins.

And the need to even mention that equation and question its validity surely makes us shake our heads.

Indiana

It’s hard to pick on Indiana and be able to look yourself in the mirror afterwards…they have a new coach, they have the second fewest number of returning starters in the Big Ten, they haven’t won more than six games since they went 7-6 in 2007 and they haven’t broken into eight-plus win territory since 1993.

But, even with all those very real facts, a season that opens with close losses to Ball State (20-27) and Virginia (31-34) are hard to stomach if you are a Bloomington aficionado.

Both were games the Hoosiers could have won (Ball State has won six games total in the last two seasons, and Virginia hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 2007), a truth that is exasperated by looking ahead at Indiana’s 2011 schedule.

Yes, you need desperately to win the close ones over Ball State and Virginia when you have Penn State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern still left to play.

I’m not saying Indiana should be 2-0, but I just hoped that with the momentum of a new coach, you’d see a 1-1 spark that included a bunch of optimism.

I think we might shake our heads when we think of the short term future of this valiant squad from the Big Ten Leaders division.

Purdue

The Boilermakers actually had a lot to be hopeful about coming into the 2011 campaign, and this despite the fact that they went 4-8 in 2010, which included dropping their last six games in a row.

Part of Purdue’s issues last season involved the fact that they suffered through a huge rash of injuries, and with the second most experienced squad in the Big Ten returning (healthy) in 2011 and a reasonably manageable schedule, optimism was at least a tangible concept in West Lafayette.

But what looked alarming in a narrow three-point victory over Middle Tennessee in the opener (it took 17 fourth quarter points to seal the deal) became downright frightening in a 22-24 road loss in Week 2 to Rice.

Purdue hasn’t lost a game to Rice (albeit they’ve only played four times in history) since 1934, and the Owls have won only six games total in the last two years. The last time they beat a BCS opponent was in 2001, when they bested Duke 15-13 in Houston.

The Boilermakers are in a similar position as is Indiana. They need to win early because the threat a full tilt Big Ten slate looms ahead, but, Purdue has more tools to work with than do the Hoosiers, which makes the head shake even more at a 1-1 record.

Purdue gets a reprieve over the next two weekends (Sept. 17 vs. FCS SE Missouri and then Sept. 24 is a bye week), and then it’s literally ON…Notre Dame, Minnesota, at Michigan, at Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa and at Indiana.

Lots of reasons to shake one’s head are now apparent.

Notre Dame

OK, so this one is pretty simple, but we’ll break it down nevertheless.

The Irish came into the 2011 ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP poll and No. 18 in the Coaches’, they return 17 starters (including both QBs) and 50 lettermen from their 2010 product (that went 8-5) and had enough momentum to get the little engine that could (and a couple of his friend) over the big hill.

Oh, but if we only knew know what we didn’t know then.

All the starts aligned in South Bend. Yes, it was time for the rebirth of the Irish, and then … five fumbles and five interceptions later, after you’ve out gained your unranked opponents 1,021 yards to 706 yards, you are suddenly 0-2.

Not only can you hear a dull thud as the high expectations hit the ground, you can also feel the gentle breeze provided by a football nation shaking its collective head.

Toledo

I think saying that Toledo “still” has us shaking our head is a bit of a stretch, but it’s certainly safe to say that the Rockets “had” us shaking them last Saturday.

Holy Toledo!

The Rockets had the perfect opportunity to erase 89 long years of Buckeye driven in-state dominance in Columbus last weekend but ultimately fell just short (literally, they were down by five in the fourth quarter and couldn’t convert on a 4th and 6 at the Ohio State 17) of pulling off one of the most stunning upsets in recent history.

Toledo stacked up well statistically against the Buckeyes (they had more total yards, more passing yards, were more efficient on 4th downs and had just a minute less in terms of time of possession), but at the end of the day, the Rockets had us shaking our heads at both the narrow escape of Ohio State and at the skill in which Toledo displayed all afternoon.

Well done, Rockets; well done.

Auburn

In analyzing Auburn’s tremendous level of personnel turnover coming into the 2011 season (remember, Phil Steele ranked them as the LEAST experienced team coming into this year meaning they lost the most overall folks), I was one of the people declaring that the Tigers would seriously struggle after losing such championship caliber firepower.

I felt pretty good about that prediction when the defending champs needed 28 fourth quarter points and a very well executed successful on-side kick in the fourth quarter to ice lowly Utah State (42-38) in Week 1, but what happened next changed everything.

Really, it was the perfect set-up. No. 16 Mississippi State rolled into town straight after the near miss looking for their first win over a divisional opponent (other than Ole Miss) in the Dan Mullen era, and Auburn looked like, well, toast.

But, anyone who watched Auburn take on the Bulldogs realized that the Tigers are an extraordinarily scrappy, well coached, determined and “never say die” kind of squad.

The numbers don’t lie…Auburn lost almost everyone from last season and still they find a way to win, whether it’s a leaping catch on an onside kick or a goal line stand in the final seconds of a heated battle against a ranked team.

The Tigers don’t quit.

It reminds me a lot of the Mike Leach coached Texas Tech teams; they were never out of the game no matter what the score or what the situation.

I shake my head in amazement and respect at Auburn, and if they don’t win another ball game this season, I’m still impressed with the first two weeks of 2011.

Air Force

The stars finally aligned for the Falcons last weekend when a down trodden TCU team came to Colorado Springs desperately needing a win to save face after suffering a nationally televised loss to Baylor in a not-so-much defensively focused contest.

Yes, the Falcons were 1-0 and were far more experienced than the younger version of the Horned Frogs (who lost so much talent from their Rose Bowl team) and finally in a position to take a commanding lead in the Mountain West.

OK, they still would have to beat Boise State later in the season, but for now, they could score their first win over TCU since 2007 and stake a claim for their first conference crown since they won the WAC back in 1998.

But, it was not to be, and the Horned Frogs rolled over the Falcons 35-19 and earned their 18th straight win over a MWC opponent.

Perhaps it would have been better if TCU would have barely beaten Baylor rather than lost to them and maybe had a hangover performance rather than one of a rebound nature.

Regardless, shaking your head at Air Force is all about chances and chances lost.

Boise State

The Broncos didn’t even take a snap in Week 2, but that doesn’t mean we won’t give them their own little head shake.

Regardless of five straight 10-plus win seasons (and 10 of the last 12 in double digits), and despite the fact that they haven’t lost to a BCS opponent since they fell 10-24 to Washington in 2007, we all still were really wondering how the Broncos would match-up with Georgia in their blockbuster clash in this season's opener.

Boise State was 0-4 against SEC opponents, and surely the Bulldogs would at least push them around a bit and give them something to think about.

But, none of that was to be, as the Broncos very soundly beat Georgia 35-21, and it’s important to note that the turf was decidedly green (in Atlanta) and that Boise State out gunned the Bulldogs in every major statistical category.

This was no flukey, mistake ridden, defense free affair…this was nothing more than a hard earned victory.

We shake our head, and maybe we should be totally over doing this by now, that the little school with the blue turf world domination marketing ploy and less access to recruits and money, keeps plugging away and getting it done.

Washington State

So, why are we putting Washington State on the “head shaker” list?

Is it because they haven’t had a winning season since 2003 when they earned their third consecutive 10-win finish?

Is it because they have a total of five wins in the last three seasons?

Or is it because that despite the on-field woes, the Washington State flag still manages to fly proudly at each and every showing of ESPN Gameday, regardless of the venue?

No, we’re shaking our head at Washington State because they are 2-0 going into their Week 3 road trip to San Diego State and they suddenly have the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the country.

Yes, they’ve only faced FCS Idaho State and UNLV, but you can say that same thing about the level of competition for a slew of other BCS teams who aren’t 2-0, aren’t ranked No. 1 in scoring offense, No. 6 in passing yards, No. 27 in rushing yards and No. 24 in scoring defense.

Seriously.

The Cougars have outscored their opponents 123-28 and are off to their best start since 2005 when they opened with less convincing wins over Idaho and Nevada.

Yes, Washington State has already achieved its entire win total from last season and there are still some winnable contests on the horizon which means that just maybe Washington State can be part of the .500 conversation, which would be one of the most overwhelming yet underplayed stories in college football.

Keep an eye on the Cougars…they may require a couple of more shakes.

USC

USC is obviously still suffering from the very tangible effects of NCAA sanctions, but still, the men of Troy have enough talent to make an average margin of victory of 5.5 points over their first two opponents look very questionable (and that number includes a nine-point win over Utah that includes a TD off a blocked field goal that was initially taken away and then re awarded to the Trojans).

Yes, the Trojans beat two BCS opponents, but one was a squad who won three games last season, and the other was over a team that just earned BCS status this year.

It may be unfair, but it’s really hard to push away thoughts that this was a team who just a few years ago managed total season margin of victory numbers in the neighborhood of 250 (a figure that dropped to just 56 in 2010) that can now barely beat unranked opponents.

Will USC ever be dominant again? Did the exit of Pete Carroll herald the end era of Trojan dominance? Is Lane Kiffin in reality just pushing the Trojan Horse back down the hill and away from the battle that lies ahead?

Maybe it’s not time to shake our heads yet, but you can definitely see the possibility rising on the horizon to greet us.

Colorado

Though the Buffaloes showed a little spark at the end of the 2010 season (they beat Iowa State and Kansas State after the dismissal of coach Dan Hawkins), they finished the season with a 17-45 blow-out at the hands of Nebraska and have entered 2011 on a similar painful note.

Thus far, Colorado suffered a 16-34 loss at Hawaii and then experienced a narrow 33-36 defeat at home against Cal (and remember, this wasn’t a Pac-12 conference game, as it had been scheduled in advance as a non-conference game), which doesn’t bode well for a team that has what Phil Steele ranks as having the most difficult schedule in the nation.

Yes, other than games against in-state rival Colorado State and Washington State, the Buffaloes will face a literal murderer’s row of opponents during what’s left of the 2011 campaign…at Ohio State, at Stanford, at Washington, at Arizona State, at UCLA, at Utah and then home games against Oregon, USC and Arizona.

I shake my head at losses that could have been wins and then at the ugliness that may lay ahead in the Buffs first ever campaign in the Pac-12-for-now.

UCLA

The Bruins are yet another team that had reason to hope that a disappointing 2010 campaign would be erased by a successful 2011.

UCLA returned 17 starters and 49 lettermen from last season’s 4-8 squad, which makes them the most experienced team in the conference in 2011.

But, despite all this, the now 1-1 Bruins have to be wondering how this season will play out with blockbuster foes such as Texas, Stanford, Utah, Arizona State and USC still on the “to be played” list.

The results thus far aren’t good, two non-BCS teams, one loss and one near miss, and these are teams that went 5-7 (Houston) and 1-12 (San Jose State) last season.

Yep, UCLA fell to Houston 34-38 and then managed to beat the Spartans 27-17 in a game they didn’t really ice until they scored their touchdown with 3:35 left in the game.

This may be just the kind of start the Bruins need to propel them into a “better place” for what lies ahead, but the head shaking here is all about “when are these guys going to be good again.”

Mississippi State

The Bulldogs were finally on the cusp of being an SEC West contender, at long last in position to knock off a non Ole Miss divisional opponent (a feat that hasn’t been achieved in the Dan Mullen era), and just inches away from the precious win they needed to turn a eight or nine win season into a 10-win affair (for the first time since 1999).

Yes, it was a road game, but Auburn was down after losing everyone from last year and nearly getting whipped by an outmatched but over scrappy Utah State team in Week 1…indeed, this was finally “their” time.

The Bulldogs didn’t go down without a fight, but go down they did, and despite a valiant goal line scoring effort as time ran out, Auburn triumphed 41-34, and Mississippi State is left with their hopes and dreams still wholly unsatisfied.

We don’t shake our heads in regards to Mississippi State out of disgust, angst or displeasure, but instead, we jiggle our noggins because we compassionately feel the pangs of a valiant program falling short of their lofty and worthy goals.

Georgia

If you’re guessing that head shakes are aimed in the direction of Georgia because they are 0-2, then you are absolutely correct.

The Bulldogs have all the skill and talent to have beaten both of their first two opponents (though they are both very talented teams), but, and let’s remember both games were played in the state of Georgia, the Bulldogs simply didn’t get it done.

Boise State made it look easy in their 35-21 triumph in the opener, but South Carolina required three Bulldogs turnovers and some special plays mastery to knock off Georgia (45-42) in Athens for the first time since 2007.   

We could run all the numbers bemoan specific statistical trends and come up with a bunch of good reasons why Georgia is 0-2, but the fact of the matter is, they are a very talented team in a very big hole.

The Bulldogs could certainly pull a “2010 Virginia Tech” and wind up, despite an 0-2 start, conference champs and BCS participants by season’s end, but this is not the ACC, and regardless of the relatively (by SEC standards) “doable” schedule, Georgia’s road back to a bowl is going to be difficult.

You have to shake your head if you are directly involved, an innocent bystander or an amazed onlooker…Georgia shouldn’t be 0-2, but they are, and so we shake our heads.

Nebraska

Do you think it’s a stretch to say Nebraska is “still” making us shake our heads?  I personally would contend that the answer to this question is a firm but respectful “no.”

Why?

Well, let’s go back to how the Huskers closed out their 2010 campaign and then fast forward to the first two weeks of the 2011 season.

After narrowly escaping Iowa State (31-30 in overtime), Nebraska beat Kansas (20-3), lost to Texas A&M (6-9), beat down Colorado (45-17) and then succumbed to Oklahoma 20-23 in the Big 12 Championship. So, that’s two losses and a big near miss in the last five games of the 2010 season followed up by a bizarre 7-19 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl (bringing the tally to 3-3 in the last six to achieve a 10-4 record).

This season, No.10 Nebraska manhandled FCS Chattanooga in the opener (40-7) but needed 21 fourth quarter points to ice Fresno State in Week 2.

In fact, the Bulldogs had the lead in the game until midway thru the third quarter and also had a statistical advantage in first downs, total yards, third down efficiency, passing yards and time of possession.

Who is Nebraska, how good are they and can they ever recapture the kind of total domination enjoyed by teams like Alabama, Oklahoma and Oregon (meaning they whip up on the opponents you expect them to)?

I shake my head when I think about Nebraska because I wonder when they’ll ever be as good as advertised on a consistent basis.

Utah State

The Aggies of Utah State make the list for the same reason Toledo was included; we shake our heads in amazement at the skill and talent displayed in a single game performance (in this case against defending champion Auburn) and the captivating “almost” nature of their upset bid.

Yes, this is an Aggie program that hasn’t enjoyed a .500 season since 1997, hasn’t had a winning campaign since 1993, has only one bowl win in program history (a 42-33 win over Ball State in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl) and hasn’t finished a season ranked in the Top 25 since 1972 (which is also only the second time they ever finished the year ranked).

But, this is a Utah State team that outgunned the defending BCS champions in every major statistical category other than passing yards (and the final score) on their way to one of the most memorable upset attempts in recent memory.

Hats off to the 22 point underdogs and a big shake of the head for not sealing the deal (and these are due to disappointment rather than even a wisp of disgust).

Michigan

The Wolverines earned our “Did that really just happen!?!?” head shake with their performance in the final minutes of their Week 2 clash with Notre Dame.

The odyssey began when Michigan (down by three points to the Irish with just two minutes left on the game clock) took the ball at their own 42 and used just over a minute to march down the field to score the first go ahead touchdown.

This produced a favorable head shake and a “holy cow!” on the part of a suitably impressed gridiron nation.

Next, the Wolverines’ defense squared off against the Irish “O” at the Notre Dame 39 and in 42 seconds, allowed the Clover Helmets to move the ball 61 yards (15 of these came on a penalty) to score the next go ahead touchdown.

The score is now 31-28 Notre Dame, and the head shake is in disgust as we all thought, “How in the world did they blow that?”

Finally, Michigan took over at their own 20, and with 30 seconds to go, managed a 64-yard pass play to the Irish 16 that defied all defensive logic. The Wolverines follow-upped this deed with a brilliant 16-yard touchdown toss and grab (why try a field goal to tie it up in the final seconds of the game?) for THE go ahead score with only two seconds left to go on the clock.

At this point, we collectively shook everything on our body and passionately yelped, “Holy Crap! Did you just see that?” at the top of our lungs while our non-college football loving spouse looked on in mild amusement meshed with serious alarm.

Yes, how did a team that got totally out gunned in every statistical category (other than, well, turnovers) win that game…with 30 seconds left on the clock?

Well, if nothing else, we all witnessed what must be a candidate for the two finest minutes in the history of college football.

Head shake. Head shake. Head shake.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks are a bit of a statistical conundrum…they are a perfect 2-0 after beating East Carolina 56-37 and Georgia 45-42, but they rank No. 107 nationally in passing yards and No. 110 overall in scoring defense.

How can you allow 39.5 points per game in the first two weeks of the season and be 2-0?

Well, because you’re ranked No. 4 in points scored, No. 21 in rushing yards and your opponents combined for eight turnovers that you took full advantage of by scoring two touchdowns on fumble returns, one on a pick six and one on a punt return.

That’s worth a huge shake of the head and makes you wonder what the Gamecocks will do in the 10 games they have left to play.

If nothing else, I’m guessing it will be entertaining, and Steve Spurrier is likely to be shaking his head with us.