College Football: Auburn Tigers and 10 Teams That Were No-Shows in 2011

As the saying goes, "Winning ain't easy."

Even a team like the Auburn Tigers, who won the BCS title in 2010, proved that it is not that easy to keep succeeding in college football year after year. Many teams—and their fans—come into each season with their heads high and ready to claim a victory one after another.

Unfortunately, that doesn't always turn out to be the case.

In 2011, we saw many teams that either played great just a season ago—or came in with high expectations—falter. Some still played fine, and some played terribly. Either way, none lived up to the caliber that many had set out for them.

The following is a list of teams that were expected to succeed, but ultimately failed.

Missouri Tigers

The Missouri Tigers entered the 2011 season ranked No. 21, but they just couldn't hold up to that standard as they currently stand at 6-5.

The Tigers were coming off of a strong season in 2010, where they went 10-2 during the regular season. The biggest game that season was when the Tigers handed the Oklahoma Sooners their first loss of the season, which was a major upset as the Sooners were ranked No. 1.

2011 wasn't as kind, as the Tigers received their first loss of the year on the road at Arizona State, who were not ranked at the time. The rest of the Tigers' record wasn't too kind, as they had to play against the Sooners, Kansas State and Oklahoma State who are all having great years.

Their fifth loss came at the hands of the Baylor Bears, who have been all over the place this year.

At this point, the Tigers can only hope that 2012 will look more like 2010.

South Florida Bulls

The South Florida Bulls got off to a great start this season when they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road to open the season. At that time, the Irish were ranked No. 16, and the win launched the Bulls into the national rankings.

The win over the Irish got the Bulls off to a 4-0 start, but that was followed up by a four-game losing streak. Now, the Bulls stand at 5-5, and their season has turned into a lost cause.

With two games left on the season, the Bulls still need a win over the Louisville Cardinals and West Virginia Mountaineers in order to make a bowl game for the second consecutive season. They must beat both because they have two wins over FCS teams.

After having an overall record of 8-5 in 2010, including a win over the Clemson Tigers in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, 2011 hasn't panned out like the Bulls likely had wished.

Texas A&M Aggies

Coming into the season ranked No. 9, many had high expectations for the Texas A&M Aggies. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't fulfill the hype.

The Aggies were coming off of a 2010 season in which they went 9-4, including a bowl loss against the LSU Tigers in the Cotton Bowl. They came into this season with high hopes, but they just couldn't live up to expectations with a current record of 6-5.

With games at home against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Arkansas Razorbacks (neutral site) and the Missouri Tigers, the Aggies failed to win all three times and those games ultimately set them back.

The Aggies will need to win their upcoming game against Texas in order to make something of this season. They will be in a bowl game, but five losses was just too much this season. 

Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes had a winning season last year, going 7-6, and with new head coach Al Golden coming in, many had high expectations for this year.

The Hurricanes have simply played poorly most of the season. Four of their five losses came to teams that were not ranked, one of them being against a Maryland Terrapins team that is only 2-9 on the season.

The team has been shaken up with possible sanctions due to illegal recruiting efforts. Most recently, the Hurricanes forfeited their bowl game bid for this season.

With high hopes for possibly a great 2011 season, the 6-5 Hurricanes simply haven't done enough to impress.

Arizona State Sun Devils

While the Arizona State Sun Devils didn't enter the season ranked, they were considered to have an outside chance of making a big impact this season.

The Sun Devils got off to a hot start, going 5-1. That didn't keep up though, and they have now fallen to a record of 6-5, making this season a lost cause.

The Sun Devils, led by head coach Dennis Erickson, were an extremely athletic team that had early wins over the Missouri Tigers and USC Trojans. Unfortunately, they were unable to stay strong late in games, and for that reason the Sun Devils managed to drop many close games.

This is likely the last season that Erickson would be at the helm in Tempe, and the Sun Devils' recent three-game losing streak, including a home loss to the Arizona Wildcats, seals that deal.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Mississippi State Bulldogs play in the tough SEC West. Unfortunately for them, that is not only in by far the strongest conference, but perhaps the strongest division.

The Bulldogs entered the season pre-ranked at No. 20, but that ranking quickly disappeared following a 1-2 start.

Losing to six of their seven conference opponents didn't help their cause. The Bulldogs had the luxury of hosting both the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers at home, but both times they failed to capture home-field advantage.

Currently, the Bulldogs sit at 5-6, and a win over Ole Miss is a must in order for them to even become bowl-eligible.

Even if the Bulldogs do make a bowl game and win it, it will still be regarded as a lost season that could have been huge for the Bulldogs.

Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers were riding huge momentum coming off of a BCS title season.

2011 didn't seem to be much of a repeat performance, though, as the Tigers stand at 7-4 compared to 14-0 a season ago. The loss of Cam Newton and Nick Fairley definitely didn't help either.

It is tough for any team to repeat great performances, but this season could be considered a letdown considering the Tigers entered the season being ranked No. 19. With four SEC West teams ranked, it was hard to imagine all of them sticking around.

Playing in the extremely tough SEC West has the potential to set back any team (as we saw with Mississippi State). With strong teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks—well, it is one tough place to win.

Although the Tigers made it look easy just a year ago, this season just wasn't as kind.

They do have one more opportunity to make some noise this season, but it is hard to imagine them defeating the Crimson Tide—even at home. The Tigers are already bowl-eligible, but this victory would be even sweeter compared to any bowl game.

While the Tigers haven't looked as great as they did in 2010, they still have a chance to redeem their down season with a win over the Crimson Tide.

Texas Longhorns

Although the Texas Longhorns were extremely disappointing in 2010 after posting a 5-7 record, many fans were hopeful that season was just a fluke. Well, 2011 hasn't seemed much different, as the Longhorns sit at 6-4.

Sure, they have a winning record, but losses against the Missouri Tigers and Kansas State Wildcats were supposed to be sure wins.

Now, the Longhorns have two games remaining on the season and they are in danger of finishing at 6-6. That is not a Mack Brown record, especially this poor of an outcome over two years.

The Longhorns have games remaining against the Texas A&M Aggies and the No. 18 Baylor Bears—both on the road.

The Longhorns will need these two wins to save their season and finish at least above .500, otherwise it would be considered a pretty disappointing season at the University of Texas.

Arizona Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats did not come into the 2011 season ranked, but they were considered much better then the 3-6 team they are now. In 2010, they finished 7-6, but it was deemed a step in the right direction. That didn't hold true, though.

Following a 1-5 start on the season, the Wildcats fired head coach Mike Stoops hoping that the season would somehow turn around. Quarterback Nick Foles and the Wildcats continued to fall time and time again, but they essentially won their "championship game" when they defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road at Tempe.

The Wildcats now have a new coach in Rich Rodriguez for the 2012 season. All they can hope now is to push 2011 into the dark desert and bring back out the potential of 2010.

Utah Utes

The Utah Utes were looking to prove themselves in 2011. After going 10-3 while playing in the Mountain West Conference, the Utes decided to make a move to a bigger division and compete for better bowl bids by entering the Pac-12.

The Utes' first season in the Pac-12 wasn't as great as they wished, where they struggled to keep up with the increase in competition. The Utes currently stand at 7-4, which isn't terrible, but it definitely isn't what they had pictured for their inaugural season.

The Utes are 4-4 in the Pac-12, and actually could represent the South in the Pac-12 championship if both the Arizona State Sun Devils and UCLA Bruins lose this weekend.

While that would be great for the Utes, none of this would really be possible if it wasn't for the 9-2 USC Trojans being ineligible for this year's championship game.