On January 10, 2011, Glendale, Arizona held possibly one of the most exciting, down to the wire, national championship games in college football history. The first half was low scoring and and dominated by both defenses, but the game turned into what the media and fans expected, but not exactly. The game that matched #1 Auburn vs #2 Oregon would come down to the last possession as expected by some, but it was far from the high scoring event most thought would be a sure outcome.The University of Oregon came within seconds of winning the national championship, and a perfect 13-0 record that nobody thought was possible before the season began. Michael Dyer, Heisman trophy winner Cameron Newton and the Auburn Tigers prevailed on a last second field goal, winning the BCS National Championship game 22-19, also capping a season that nobody expected with a 14-0 record coming out of the Southeastern conference. Starting the 2010-2011 season, both teams were ranked outside the top ten, and Newton was on nobody's watch list for the Heisman Trophy. College football writer Phil Steele had him as a dark horse contender, but in actuality, all eyes were on Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Oklahoma QB Landry Jones, Houston QB Case Keenum, and returning 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama tailback Mark Ingram. These 4 student-athletes were the expected forerunners to win the coveted award.
The Upcoming 2011-2012 season looks to be as surprising and fascinating as the previous season with more story lines heading into this year's campaign.
Most publications of pre-season rankings will likely have Oklahoma or Alabama as the top, consensus #1 ranked team in college football. Here are my top 5 teams heading into the upcoming season.
#1 Oklahoma Sooners- have 9 returning starters on offense, along with 7 returners on the other side of the football. This group of returning starters includes 2011 pre-season Heisman Trophy candidates , Senior WR Ryan Broyles, and Junior QB Landry Jones. The offense will surely be explosive, but the defensive secondary will have to replace FS Quinton Carter and CB Jonathan Nelson. The defensive line will also need to replace DE Jeremy Beal, and nose tackle Adrian Taylor. But OU has tons of talent, and should have no problem picking up where they left off.
This is Oklahoma, a place that doesn't rebuild but reload with head coach Bob Stoops. I expect the Sooners to win their 2nd consecutive Big 12 championship after destroying an unworthy Connecticut team in the Fiesta Bowl. Prediction- 11-1, Big 12 Champions . Players to watch- SR., DT Jamarkus McFarland, LB's So. Tom Wort and Sr.Travis Lewis, Jr. QB Landry Jones, SR. WR, Ryan Broyles, SO. WR Kenny Stills. Freshman Standout- Brandon Williams, RB.
#2 Alabama Crimson Tide - Bama returns 6 starters on offense, and 9 on defense. Nine returning starters on a Nick Saban led defense is enough to keep them in the top 5 all year. The Crimson Tide lose 5 key starting play makers on offense and need young talent to step in and produce the way the previous class did. QB Greg McElroy, WR's Julio Jones and Darius Hanks, RB Mark Ingram (2009 Heisman trophy winner), and OT James Carpenter were all pillars on the 2010 National Championship team at Alabama, who made the offense run fluid ball games with leadership and skill, not to mention they were winners. Those are big shoes to fill, but like OU, Alabama has young blue chip recruits waiting their turn to get on the national stage and the transition should be successful. It also helps that the Tide are returning brick house Junior RB Trent Richardson ( 5'11 220 lbs.) and possibly the best strong safety in college football , Senior Mark Barron.
Prediction- 10-2, SEC West Champions, SEC Champions.
Players to watch- SS, Mark Barron, RB Trent Richardson, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, MLB Dont'A Hightower, CB DeMarcus Milliner, DL/LB Alfy Hill, LB Tana Patrick, LB Nico Johnson, QB A.J McCarron, QB Phillip Sims, WR Marquis Maze, RB Eddie Lacy. Bama also picked up WR Duron Carter from Junior college. (Ohio State transfer and son of NFL Hall of Famer Chris Carter)
Freshman Standout- LB Trey DePriest , DB- Hasean Clinton-Dix, RB Dee Hart, OT Cyrus Kouandjio
#3 Oregon Ducks - Coming off of two consecutive PAC-10 championships, and a BCS National Championship appearance in the first two seasons as head coach at the University of Oregon, I don't see Chip Kelly taking any steps backward. The PAC-10 has extended their conference to twelve teams, making the Utah Utes and Colorado Buffaloes expansion members of the newly named PAC-12 conference. The Conference split into north and south divisions, with Oregon in the North Division along with rivals Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, California, and Stanford. The South Division features USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado. This is a favorable alignment for the Ducks, as they should contend to be in the PAC-12 Championship game for years to come. Head Coach Chip Kelly is an offensive genius who cannot get enough credit for what he has done for the Oregon football program. He took what former HC's Rich Brooks and Mike Bellotti started and took off to space with the program. The ducks need to replace WR's Jeff Maehl and D.J Davis. The Ducks return 2010 Doak Walker Award winner LaMichael James at RB, along with his 2 year backup and special teams standout Kenjon Barner. The Ducks also have their leader and signal caller, QB Darron Thomas, back for the upcoming season as well. Thomas did an extremely good job in the PAC-10 last season and led the ducks to the national championship game and a school record 12-0 regular season as a first year starter. The Ducks need to find someone for Thomas to throw to with WR's Josh Huff and Lavasier Tuinai as the only proven talent at that position. With the upgrade of play and recruiting at U of O, I am almost positive that the LSU game at Texas Stadium on Sept. 4 to start the season, and the Stanford game in Palo Alto will decide Oregon's fate this season. This is a very solid, fast, athletic team that has turned into a steady, productive football program.
Prediction- 10-2, PAC 12 runner ups
Players to Watch- QB Darron Thomas, RB LaMichael James, RB Kenjon Barner, WR Josh Huff, CB Cliff Harris, CB Dior Mathis, LB Kiko Alonso, DT Ricky Heimuli
Freshman Standout- RB Lache Seastrunk, TE/ H Back Colt Lyerla, RB DeAnthony Thomas, LB Anthony Wallace, WR Devon Blackmon
#4 LSU Tigers- Head Coach Les Miles has a roster full of prototype football players. Extreme talent on the defensive side of the ball, and a shaky offense at best. The Offense improved late last season, but throughout the year, the team moved the ball no better than a confused high school team. That has to be fixed for the Tigers to stay in the top 5 and contend for a national championship or SEC championship. The offense has 8 returning starters, 6 on defense. Lots of talent was lost to the NFL Draft including DB Patrick Petersen, and DT Drake Nevis. If the Tigers get by Oregon in week one, the momentum might carry them a long way.
Prediction- 9-3 3rd place, SEC West
Players to Watch- DE Sam Montgomery, DE Kendrick Adams, CB Morris Claiborne, WR Rueben Randle, QB Zach Lee, DL JR Ferguson, RB Spencer Ware, QB Jordan Jefferson, LB Stefoin Francois, OT Alex Hurst, OG Will Blackwell.
Freshman Standout- OL La'El Collins, WR Jarvis Landry, DT Anthony Johnson, QB Jerrard Randall
#5 Boise State Broncos- I am not a big fan of the smurf turf or the program, but I can't hate on a team who has 3 undefeated regular seasons in 5 years under head coach Chris Petersen. The Broncos have another candy coated, gift wrapped schedule that is a notch above the schedule they have honed in the past. BSU opens the season with the Georgia Bulldogs on the road in the Atlanta, Georgia Dome. This is a home game for Georgia, and I don't know if the Broncos have the firepower at the WR position to do what they did at Fed Ex Field to Virginia Tech last fall and replicate that at the Georgia Dome. The Broncos have moved to the Mountain West Conference this season, so the natural rivalry with Idaho is gone, but at least for a year, the rivalry of TCU and BSU will be at a fever pitch. Boise State will be challenged despite Returning star RB Doug Martin, and Superstar QB Kellen Moore. Air Force, San Diego State, Colorado State and Wyoming are a bit better than every year filler opponents that Boise State had played continuously in the WAC. Kellen Moore, the 4th year starting slinger at BSU will pick up where he left off the past three seasons, breaking nearly every school record in his trail. He does need help from the young group of Wide Receivers to step up and create an identity the same way that former Bronco receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young did throughout their great careers in Boise. Overall, this is a winning program that will continue it's dominate success in the Mountain West the same way they did in the WAC. Especially once TCU is gone in the 2012 season to the Big East. And BYU deciding to go Independent, and Utah leaving for the PAC-12 does not help the strength of the Mountain West Conference at all. The compensation for those 3 strong programs leaving the MWC is half of the WAC migrating over to the MWC in their place. So in the end, Boise will continue to dominate as long as they can keep Chris Petersen. The loss of offensive coordinator Brian Harsdin to The University of Texas will be an intriguing piece in seeing the evolution of this program in Moore's last year and ahead in the future without him.
Prediction- 11-1, MWC Champions
Players to Watch- QB Kellen Moore, RB Doug Martin, DT Billy Wynn, DE Shea McClellan, LB Aaron Tevis, DE Kharyee Marshall, NT Chase Baker, NT Michael Atkinson, DT JP Nisby, DE Tyrone Crawford, WR Kirby Moore, TE Kyle Efaw.
Freshman Standout- QB Jimmy Laughrea, LB Blake Renaud, WR Troy Ware
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