College Football Rankings 2011: 3 Top 25 Teams That Cannot Afford a Loss

One loss can be the difference between a championship season and an unsuccessful one in college football. 

I think that’s why we love it so much, to be honest.

The BCS title is like a prized jewel that is on the line every game, and it can be taken away from you with just a single loss.

Just like that your season could be ruined…

As the weeks go on, the games get tougher, the competition gets bigger and the pressure to win is almost unbearable.

The road to the BCS championship is absolutely littered with one-loss teams that got close but couldn’t obtain perfection.

There are even more teams that fought and struggled to keep themselves ranked but didn’t have enough to be a top 25 team when all was said and done.

Like I said, that’s the beauty of college football, but it’s also the agony of it.

Week 3 of the season features some incredible matchups and games that are sure to be great, but it also features a few teams that face must-win scenarios.

Whether it’s to stay in the championship talk or just stay ranked, here are three teams that need a win badly:

No. 1 Oklahoma:

They are playing in the game of the week and have to go on the road to defend the No. 1 spot. Simply put, the Sooners don’t have the option to lose this game. A loss would most likely put them out of contention and put Florida State in the driver’s seat. It would be an unbearable turnaround that wouldn’t be salvageable no matter what they do for the rest of the season.

No. 21 Auburn:

I understand that they are the defending champions, and I get that they are 2-0. That being said, Auburn has looked horrible and is lucky to be where they are. They barely pulled off both of their wins, and even though you may think it shows guts, I think it shows how bad they really are. Clemson isn’t incredible, but they certainly won’t roll over. One loss sends the Tigers out of the top 25. Frankly, they shouldn’t be there in the first place.

No. 15 Michigan State:

For some reason MSU is an underdog going into South Bend to play the reeling Irish. I think that shows you how much respect people have for the Spartans and how much they have to prove. They have a legitimate chance at winning the Big Ten again and perhaps making some noise in the national scene, so a loss here would be devastating. It’s a dangerous game against an extremely desperate opponent trying to protect home field and their own season. The Spartans' success in 2011 will be defined by this game.