College Football: 25 Burning Questions to Be Answered in the Final Weeks

Looking back at the events that have taken place since the 2011 season of college football kicked off back on September first is almost overwhelming.

Indeed, how could so much drama and so many twists  be associated with one sport in three short months?

Piled on top of investigations, allegations, firings and sanctions are a heaping helping of on-field triumphs and disappointments resulting in one of the biggest potential post-season messes in the BCS era.

Even with all of this meaty goodness, there are still more questions than answers.

Yes, going into the final full week of the 2011 season (full meaning almost all the teams will be taking the field) we still have a myriad of burning questions that need answering.

The following slideshow serves as a registry of 25 queries yet to be satisfied before wrapping up what has truly been a college football season like none before.

Who Will RSVP to the Big East?

The conference deck has been shuffled and then reshuffled in 2011, foretelling a bigger SEC and ACC, a dead and then revived Big 12, a possible super-duper non-BCS amalgamation of the MWC and C-USA and then questions revolving around the survival of the Big East.

Yes, with the losses of West Virginia (to the Big 12) and then Pitt and Syracuse (to the ACC), the Big East will need to add some serious football firepower to be renewed as a BCS conference when the BCS refresher discussions occur in 2013.

Rumors of Big East add-ons have included Houston, UCF, SMU, Boise State, Air Force, Navy and now BYU.

Announcements regarding the invitation, acceptance and eminent membership of certain possibilities are purportedly just around the corner, but we’ve all learned by now not to believe anything regarding conference realignment until the ink is dry.

Can Ohio Win its First MAC title since 1968?

Perhaps slightly lost in a sport that has no lack of headlines, the Ohio Bobcats have the opportunity to score their first conference title since 1968.

OU has captured a MAC East divisional title twice before (2006 and 2009), but haven’t won a full-blown MAC title in 43 years.

The thrilling last-second win over Bowling Green last Wednesday punched the Bobcats' ticket to the MAC title game (Friday, December 2nd in Detroit), where they are likely to meet either Northern Illinois or Toledo.

Can a C-USA Team Make the BCS?

The only non BCS-AQ conferences ever to bust into the exclusive BCS bowl offerings are the MWC (Utah and TCU), and the WAC (Boise State and Hawaii).

We all know that there is still the potential for a bunch of tom foolery in the 2011 BCS picture, but if Houston can beat Tulsa in the regular season finale this Friday and then win the conference championship (Southern Miss is the likely opponent), then they could reach pay dirt for the first time in C-USA history.

Will this be the Closest Heisman Race in History?

One of the unfortunate results of thrilling upsets of top-ranked teams is that players who were once thought of as Heisman frontrunners suddenly become less than prime candidates for December travel plans to New York City.

Yes, in our “what have you done for me lately” world, it is usually the man who finishes strongest that wins the prize; meaning leaders of teams who struggle late suffer a huge disadvantage.

The closest vote in Heisman history came just two years ago in 2009, when Alabama’s Mark Ingram eked out a win over Stanford’s Toby Gerhart by virtue of a mere 28 points.

Depending on how the 2012 regular season and conference championships play out (and let’s be honest, anything can happen), this year’s vote could be record setting.

Robert Griffin III? Andrew Luck? Brandon Weeden? Case Keenum? Trent Richardson? Matt Barkley? Russell Wilson?

It’s hard to identify the frontrunner.

Can Texas Tech Extend Its Bowl Record?

What is the only program in the 15 year history of the Big 12 to be bowl-eligible each and every season?

Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders haven’t suffered a losing season since they went 5-6 in 1992 under Spike Dykes, and after dropping a heart breaker to Missouri last Saturday, they are in danger of dipping below .500 for the first time in almost two decades.

Texas Tech is 5-6, and with streaking Baylor in Dallas standing between them and breaking even, 2011 could be the first year the Red Raider nation sits home for the postseason since the Southwest Conference was still a viable entity.

Will 2011 Be the First Single Conference National Championship in BCS History?

After last weekend’s Top 10 debacle, things are setting up nicely for a BCS first.

Yes, since the BCS took over college football in 1998 with the purpose of pitting No. 1 vs. No. 2 in an officially-sanctioned championship game, two teams from the same conference have never squared off in the title game.

And that’s exactly what could happen if all the cards fall the right way (and it’s a confusing deck to follow), and LSU and Alabama meet once again this season—only this time it really will decide everything.

Will Penn State Accept a Bowl Bid?

The unprecedented scandal that rocked both Penn State and the nation just weeks ago has many questioning the appropriateness of the Nittany Lions accepting a bowl bid at the close of the regular season.

At 9-2 and with a potential spot in the first-ever Big Ten championship game (if Penn State beats Wisconsin on the road this Saturday, they’re in), the worst-case scenario is a solid bowl selection and the best is a trip to the BCS Rose Bowl.

Many will now add a comparison to Miami’s announcement that they will not accept a bowl invitation as fuel to the “you shouldn’t” fire, but realistically, the two situations are far from comparable.

No matter how Penn State proceeds, they will be scrutinized in a way no other program has in the past.

Can an ACC Team Make the Title Game for the First Time Since 2000-01?

One of the least-discussed scenarios of BCS-Gate 2011 is the possibility that a one-loss team that is not an SEC squad could make the title game.

Yes, what if Alabama loses to Auburn and LSU wins out?

This would give both Alabama and Arkansas two losses, meaning the remaining one loss team with the best BCS ranking would be in the championship game.

If Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech wins out, then they (based on current BCS rankings) are “that” team.

The last time a team from the ACC competed for the crystal pigskin was Florida State, who lost to Oklahoma 13-2 in the 2000-01 BCS Orange Bowl/National Championship.

The last ACC squad to win the big cheesy enchilada was the 1999-2000 Seminoles, who bested then-Big East member Virginia Tech 46-29 in the Sugar Bowl/National Championship.

This distinctive FSU win also represents the ACC’s only BCS Championship title in history.

Will Two Loss Teams be the New One Loss Teams?

Statements such as “brown is the new black” and “40 is the new 30” are cute little phrases that identify times when an old bit of accepted fact is replaced by a new standard.

“Two loss teams are the new one loss teams” is a like statement that could come into vogue for the fantastic finish to a confusing 2011 BCS picture.

Yes, what happens if Alabama loses to Auburn, Arkansas loses to LSU, Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, Virginia Tech loses to Virginia, Stanford gets beat by Notre Dame and 7-3 Wyoming (yes, 7-3) shocks Boise State?

Then, suddenly (and assuming everyone else holds at two losses), upwards of 15 teams have two losses while only Houston and LSU have one or no defeats.

This scenario could also occur at the conference championship level, and then what if Boise State wins out and is the only one loss team in the country?

Can you image a situation where the BCS computer picks a “second best” from among 15 teams?

Wow, then it’s a whole new world.

Will Three SEC Teams Make the BCS?

Another potential scenario that has never occurred, and really was likely never supposed to, is three teams from the same conference ascending the BCS.

The way the BCS is set up actually ensures that only two teams from any one conference can make the elite portion of the postseason (which has been a point of contention for top-heavy conferences), but there is an odd rule whereby this can be trumped.

The rule basically says that if two teams from the same conference are ranked BCS No. 1 and No. 2—and thereby play for the national championship—and if neither are the conference champion, then the actual title holder is granted a BCS bid as well.

This means that if LSU beats Arkansas and then goes on to lose to Georgia in the SEC title game, and at the same time Alabama beats Auburn thereby setting up a LSU vs. ‘Bama title game, Georgia would still receive a BCS bid as the conference champions.

And then three teams make the BCS from the same conference for the first time in history.

Simple enough, right?

Will There Be More Bowl Eligible Teams in the Sun Belt Than in the WAC?

This just in…the Sun Belt has four bowl-eligible teams.

That’s right, Arkansas State (9-2), Western Kentucky (6-5), Louisiana-Lafayette (8-3) and FIU (7-4) are all bowl eligible.

Meanwhile, over in the WAC (who is 2-1 all time in the BCS), there are only two bowl-eligible members: Louisiana Tech (7-4) and Nevada (6-4).

This means that if Utah State doesn’t beat either Nevada or New Mexico State in their final two games, and/or if Hawaii can’t beat either Tulane and BYU, then the Sun Belt will have more bowl teams (yes, they still have to get the bids) than the WAC.

Keep in mind that of the four Sun Belt teams, only two have ever even played in a bowl game (FIU and Arkansas State), and of these two only one has ever won a bowl game (FIU beat Toledo in last season’s Little Caesars Pizza Bowl becoming the first ever Sun Belt bowl winner).

Will Jimbo Fisher Begin to Feel the Heat?

Coming into the season, the Seminoles were a Top 10 team who were expected to win the ACC and be a part of the national championship and BCS conversations.

Zoom forward 12 weeks later, and Florida State is 7-4 (5-3 in ACC play), have only beaten two teams with winning records (NC State and Miami FL both 6-5) and are out of the rankings completely.

The Seminoles' biggest weakness (and the one you can most closely identify as a consistent element of their losses), is their struggle to run the ball effectively.

If FSU drops the finale to Florida, and then struggles in a bowl appearance, then you have to wonder how quickly Jimbo Fisher will go from being the anointed one to a guy sitting on a temperature-controlled seat.

Surely Fisher has more time to get things turned around in Tallahassee, but the debacle that ensued at the end of last Saturday night’s loss to Virginia didn’t gain him new supporters in a place that expects wins en mass.

Can Sammy Brown Set a New Record for TFLs?

With all the talk of Houston’s QB Case Keenum’s attack on the NCAA record book, don’t forget that Cougar linebacker Sammy Brown also has a chance to achieve an all-time best performance.

Brown is a senior from Wiggins, MS who has logged 26 tackles for losses in 11 games, which is just six shy of the single season record of 32 held by Jason Babin from Western Michigan (2003).

One has to marvel at the dripping irony of a potential defensive record-setting performance at the home of the all-out aerial attack…and then, on the other hand, it makes you understand more fully how the Cougs have reached 11-0 status.

Will LSU break the All Time Record for Fewest Turnovers in a Season?

In what is a breathtaking statistic, the still-No. 1 ranked Tigers have turned the ball over only six total times this season.

Yes, you got that right: LSU has suffered only three picks and three fumbles in 2011, which puts them on pace to break the all-time record for fewest turnovers in a single season.

The current record for careful pigskin behavior is eight total turnovers, a mark held by three previous teams: Clemson in 1940 (2 fumbles 6 picks), Miami OH in 1966 (4 and 4) and Notre Dame in 2000 (4 and 4).

Wow.

Can Virginia Make Its First ACC Title Game in History?

After winning 12 games in the previous three seasons, the Cavaliers are a startling 8-3, and one rivalry game away from making a first-time appearance in the ACC title game.

Yes, since the ACC split into divisions in 2005, Virginia has never won the Coastal and ascended to the conference championship.

All this changes if they can manage to knock off 10-1 Virginia Tech in Charlottesville this coming Saturday evening.

The only times Virginia has won the ACC in their 57 year membership was in 1989 and 1995.

Will Rick Neuheisel Star in “Against All Odds”?

UCLA’s proximity to Hollywood makes the jump from football coach to actor seem that much more likely, and so why not cast Bruins’ coach Rick Neuheisel in a film?

Titles could be as varied as “Against all Odds,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” “Mission Impossible” or “From the Hot Seat to the Driver’s Seat.”

That’s right, if UCLA can knock off USC in the traditional finale (or if they lose to the Trojans and Utah falls to Colorado), then Neuheisel will lead the Bruins into their first-ever play for the Pac-12 championship.

Just a few weeks ago, we were all wondering if Neuheisel would even have a job, much less a chance at the first Bruin conference title since 1998.

Will WKU Play in its first Ever Bowl Game?

Western Kentucky’s 2011 football team is one of the best stories to come out of a season that has been chock full of shocking disappointments.

The Hilltoppers only joined the FBS ranks two years ago in 2009, and in their first two seasons in the top tier of college football they managed only two wins.

These facts paint an amazing backdrop to a 2011 campaign that finds WKU 6-5 overall and 6-1 in Sun Belt play.

Want more to get excited about?

Two of the losses came to LSU and Kentucky.

Yes, the Hilltoppers are truly having a breakthrough season, and if they can beat Troy this Saturday in the regular season finale, they may be the most unlikely bowl team in the nation.

Will Continued Hysteria Spell the Demise of the BCS?

You have to wonder what will have to happen to officially flush the BCS down the toilet.

Regardless of how (or if) it finally goes away, the historically-confusing 2011 BCS picture certainly can’t hurt the ongoing push for a playoff in college football.

In a system that was touted as an end to the confusion about how to pair the two best teams in college football, hysteria reigns supreme and it's anyone’s guess as to how this season will end—and if the best two squads will actually meet on the field.

The best case scenario for BCS haters is that, other than LSU and Houston, the rest of the current contenders all wind up with two losses and the picture becomes so blurry that only a computer or a playoff can fix it.

The fairest option is clear.

Can Oklahoma State Make the BCS for the First Time Ever?

Though the loss to Iowa State last Friday night was nothing short of totally devastating, Oklahoma State still has plenty to play for in 2011.

And that’s not just some cheesy cliché to make everyone feel better.

The Cowboys haven’t scored a conference title since winning the Big Eight in 1976, and have never ascended to the BCS.

If OSU can knock off Oklahoma on December 3rd then, at the very least, they will achieve those two goals—and the way the BCS picture keeps changing, they could very well be back in the national championship conversation.

Remember: without the bother of a conference title game, Oklahoma State has the clearest path to a single-loss season.

Will the Texas A&M vs. Texas Game be the Last on Many Levels?

We are all well aware that this weekend will bear witness to the culmination of two of the nation’s longest running rivalries: Texas vs. Texas A&M, and Missouri vs. Kansas.

Both series have lasted more than 100 years, and both fall prey to the ugly greed associated with conference realignment.

But beyond the end of the Aggies vs. Longhorns 117-year series, and the Tigers vs. Jayhawks 119-year run, what else will come to an end after the four teams load the buses and head home?

Well, all indicators point to the Missouri game being Turner Gill’s swan song as the coach at Kansas, but what if Week 13 marks the last regular season coaching appearance for all four coaches?

Yes, what if the Aggies decide a disappointing five losses (minimum) is not enough to spur Mike Sherman into a fifth year and an SEC appearance?

And what if Mack Brown decides to hang it up in Austin, after 14 years at the helm?

Least likely is the case of Gary Pinkel of Missouri, who should have no problem surviving his current DWI suspension—but how long will he last as an SEC East coach?

If nothing else, it’s the last Big 12 conference game ever for both Texas A&M and Mizzou, and the end of two stellar rivalries that will be missed by more than just the local fans.

RIP college football history…welcome to the era of the big dollar sign.

Will Anyone Win the Big East Outright?

After eight-win UConn soared to the BCS in 2010 (they were pummeled by Oklahoma 48-20 in the Fiesta Bowl), the entire college football nation hoped that in 2011 the Big East might produce a more formidable representative via their precious AQ status.

But with five teams technically sharing the lead for the title with two league losses apiece, there is absolutely no clarity or dominant force in the Big East.

Following are the candidates for the BCS bid:

Louisville: (6-5 overall, 4-2 Big East) has one game left at USF.

Rutgers:  (8-3 overall, 4-2 Big East) has one game left at UConn.

Cincinnati: (7-3 overall, 3-2 Big East) has games left at Syracuse and then vs. UConn.

West Virginia: (7-3 overall, 3-2 Big East) has games left vs. Pittsburgh and then at USF.

Pittsburgh: (5-5 overall, 3-2 Big East) has games left at West Virginia and then vs. Syracuse.

In case you are wondering how the potential tie would be broken, the first option is the obvious head-to-head advantage—the next would be based on final BCS rankings.

Will Only One Big Ten Team Make the BCS for the First Time Since 2004-05?

The provocative circumstances surrounding this year’s BCS picture could realistically result in the first time since 2004-05 that the Big Ten sends only one team to the “showcase” of college football.

At the end of the ’04 season, Michigan was the only Big Ten squad to ascend to the BCS, where they lost a memorable game to Texas in the Rose Bowl. Since then, the Midwestern league has maxed out its berths every season.

The current climate of the BCS, plus the fact that at best two Big Ten teams will finish the season with two losses (putting one-loss teams firmly in front of the conference’s second best offering), means that 2011-12 could be more than just the BCS without the Ohio State.

Will Ohio State go 6-6 for the first time since 1999?

Though the on-field Buckeyes have performed courageously, given the huge hurdles they’ve faced in 2011, their potential 6-6 finish (if they lose to Michigan) will mark their lowest output since 1999.

Yes, a six-loss season would result in several unsavory “firsts,” ending impressive Ohio State streaks on a bunch of different levels:

First season without at least a piece of the Big Ten title since 2004 (that one’s a given, no need to wait on another loss).

First season out of the BCS since 2004 (again, it’s done).

First season to lose to Michigan since 2003 (perhaps the most painful possibility for the football nuts).

First time to lose four Big Ten games since 2004.

Where Will USC Finish in the AP Poll?

Hidden beneath the layers of a college football season on the brink are the still-sanctioned USC Trojans, who, camouflaged by their postseason ban, are in reality a very good football team.

USC is 9-2 overall and 6-2 in Pac-12 play, and despite the fact they can’t compete in the first-ever conference championship game, they are the best team in new South division.

If the AP-ranked No. 10 Men of Troy knock off UCLA in the finale this Saturday, they’ll be a 10 win team with nowhere to go but up the AP charts.

If nothing else, the Trojans are playing for a final ranking oozing with irony in that USC will have played a huge part in a BCS and conference championship picture that they were not ultimately allowed to participate in.

To the Trojan faithful, I say good luck in 2012…you deserve a season that matters.

Will Northwestern Win Its First Bowl Game Since 1949?

Despite a rash of injuries and tough breaks, Pat Fitzgerald has somehow managed to guide Northwestern to a program-record fourth consecutive bowl-eligible season.

Regardless of the bid the Wildcats garner, they will be looking to toss one of the longest-standing skeletons out of their football closet by attempting to win their first bowl game since they knocked off Cal in the 1949 Rose Bowl.

Yes, Northwestern is 0-8 since scoring their one and only bowl win, and I think it’s safe to say that 2011 is high time they get ‘er done.