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2011 College Football Program Power Rankings

John Paulsen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:39 +0000

Almost a year ago we decided to try to quantify the stature of college football programs so that we could rank them against one another. (Click here for the 2010 Rankings.) Then our football guru, Anthony Stalter, wrote a little bit about each program and the direction that it’s headed.

Here’s how the total points are determined — 20 points for a national championship, 10 for a BCS title game loss, seven for a BCS bowl win, five for a BCS bowl loss, five for a BCS conference championship, three for a mid-major conference championship, two for a BCS conference runner-up and one for a major bowl appearance (i.e. a bowl that has a recent payout of more than $2 million, so for 2011 that would be Capital One, Outback, Chick-fil-A, Cotton, Gator, Insight, Holiday, Champs Sports and Alamo.) You’ll see the total points in parenthesis after the team’s name.

We put some thought into the point values for each accomplishment, paying special attention to how the point values are relative to one another. For example, we figured that one national championship would equate to four BCS conference championships, or three BCS bowl wins. We only looked at the last five years, as college football has increasingly become a fluid and fickle sport, and that’s about how far back a recruit will go when deciding amongst a list of schools.

Lastly, since a program is so dependent on the guy in charge, we added or subtracted points if the program saw an upgrade or downgrade at the head coach position in the last five years. A max of 10 points would be granted (or docked) based on the level of upgrade or downgrade. Again, we tried to quantify the hire relative to the program’s other accomplishments. For example, hiring Nick Saban is probably worth two BCS bowl appearances, or 10 points. (Sure, he might lead Alabama to more, but he also might bolt for another job in a year or two.)

So, without further ado, here are the rankings. Every year we’ll go through and update the numbers based on what the program did that year (while throwing out the oldest year of data), so don’t fret if your team isn’t quite where you want them right now. Everyone has a chance to move up.

1. Ohio State (58)

Previous Rank: #2 (+1)
Some college football fans will take issue with the Buckeyes being No. 1 because of their “soft schedule.” But this is a team that has dominated its conference five of the past six years and has finished no worse than second in each of the past six seasons. They’ve also appeared in two title games (though they lost both) and nine straight BCS bowl games, winning the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl in the past two years. They’ve got an interesting season coming up though. Five of their players including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron and receiver DeVier Posey will miss the first five games next year after being suspended. Can the Buckeyes stay unscathed until those players return?

2. Florida (51)

Previous Rank: #1 (-1)
If it weren’t for Urban Meyer leaving the program (and their lousy 2010 season), the Gators would probably still be ranked No. 1. They have three conference championships and two national championships in two years, but the lose of Meyer hurts big-time in these rankings. But don’t fret Florida fans, if Will Muschamp gets the program back on the right track then the Gators won’t be at No. 2 for long.

3. Oklahoma (47)

Previous Rank: #7 (+4)
The Sooners shot up our rankings quickly, moving from seventh to third in just one season. Of course, finally being able to win a BCS game under Bob Stoops certainly helped. Even if the victory came against overmatched UConn in the Fiesta Bowl, the BCS bowl win coupled with down years by Texas, Alabama and USC catapulted Oklahoma into the top 3. (They also now have four Big 12 championships in the last five years.) Whether or not OU remains ranked this high might be dependent on whether or not Texas rebounds after suffering its first losing season under Mack Brown. If the Longhorns stay down, there’s no reason to think the Sooners won’t rule the roost for a while, especially with Nebraska heading to the Big Ten.

4. Alabama (43)

Previous Rank: #4 (unchanged)
After winning the national championship in 2010, we thought Nick Saban’s team would steadily climb in these rankings every year. But ‘Bama took a step back this season record-wise, falling to 10-3 and settling for an appearance in the Capital One Bowl. The low point came in the final regular season game of the year when the Tide lost to Auburn 28-27 at home despite jumping out to a 24-0 lead in the first half. Still, Saban won’t have his team “down” (we use quotation marks around the word “down” seeing as how ‘Bama still had a winning year) for long and we suspect them to push Ohio State, Florida and Oklahoma in the short term.

T-5. LSU (35)

Previous Rank: #6 (+1)
It’s been three years now since Les Miles took his team to a BCS bowl game. The Tigers won the 2008 national championship but since then, their offense has sputtered since JaMarcus Russell left the program to become the biggest bust since Ryan Leaf graced the NFL with his presence. Maybe their 41-point outburst in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M is a sign that LSU finally has found some offense but if not, they’re ceiling will probably remain right where it is.

T-5. Oregon (35)

Previous Rank: #13 (+8)
The Ducks jumped eight spots from last year thanks to yet another amazing coaching job by Chip Kelly. While their loss to Auburn in the title game stung, the pure fact that they appeared in the national championship was enough to catapult them into the top 5 (coupled with a Pac-10 title as well). Last year, we gave the Ducks two points for hiring Kelly but we bumped that up to seven this year because obviously the man can coach. Thanks to Kelly’s high-powered offense, it looks like many more Pac-10 titles are in Oregon’s future (and maybe that elusive national championship).

7. Virginia Tech (34)

Previous Rank: #9 (+2)
The Hokies got back on track this year by scooping up their fourth conference championship in the past six years. They also made their fourth BCS bowl appearance in the last six years, but were routed by Stanford in the Orange Bowl. Frank Beamer’s team should continue to compete for ACC titles, but the Hokies still seem like a long shot to make a national title appearance.

8. Auburn (28)

Previous Rank: unranked
Auburn didn’t even have a spot in these rankings last year before Cam Newton came around and set the college football world ablaze with his Heisman Trophy-winning talent. An undefeated season, a SEC championship and a win over Oregon in the national title game later and now the Tigers have a seat in our top 10. But will they stay here? Newton is jetting off to the NFL, as is defensive tackle Nick Fairley. The Tigers could crash and burn next season playing in a tough conference.

9. USC (26)

Previous Rank: #5 (-4)
We wrote last year that USC could fall in these rankings after Pete Carroll decided to leave the program, but little did we know the NCAA would hand the Trojans a two-year bowl ban for violating rules. Now USC can’t compete in a BCS bowl for the next two years, which certainly hurts the Trojans in these rankings. So did their 8-5 season last year, which included embarrassing losses to Washington, Oregon State and – gasp! – Notre Dame. Seeing as how they can’t compete in a bowl again next year, this won’t be the last time the Trojans drop in our rankings.

10. Texas (24)

Previous Rank: #3 (-7)
Can you say crash and burn? A year after making a national title appearance, the Longhorns suffered their first losing season under head coach Mack Brown. They went 5-7 overall, 2-6 in the Big 12 and shockingly finished last in the conference. It was the first time a Brown-led Longhorn team failed to qualify for a bowl and after losing Will Muschamp to the Gators in the offseason, there’s no doubt change is coming. Chances are UT will recover, but how high will they climb the Big 12 standings in one year?

11. Boise State (23)

Previous Rank: #8 (-3)
2010 didn’t go as planned for the Broncos. Things started off well enough, as Boise won its first 10 games, which included a 33-30 upset over No. 10 Virginia Tech in the opening week. But Nevada shocked the Broncos in the second to last week of the regular season and their slim national championship hopes went out the window. They settled for the Las Vegas Bowl, where they beat Utah 26-3. The Broncos will get their chance at redemption when they join the MWC next season, even though their biggest opponent, TCU, will be heading for the Big East in two years.

T-12. West Virginia (18)

Previous Rank: #9 (-3)
The Mountaineers took a step back in our rankings after struggling in a bad Big East. They still had a winning season but they watched UConn win the conference and settled for the Champs Sports Bowl, where they were thumped by NC State. Losing the explosive Noel Devine to the NFL won’t help their offense in 2011.

T-12. TCU (18)

Previous Rank: #20 (+8)
TCU makes a huge leap in the rankings after qualifying for their second consecutive BCS bowl and beating Wisconsin in Pasadena. The win over the Badgers was huge for Gary Patterson’s squad, which mowed through its soft schedule last year only to be embarrassed by a better Boise State team in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. The Frogs proved this time around that they weren’t going to settle for just a conference championship. The next two years will tell a lot about Patterson’s team. Boise State joins the MWC next year and then in 2012, it’s off to the Big East for TCU. It’s time to find out how good this program can really be.

14. Nebraska (15)

Previous Rank: #16 (+2)
The Cornhuskers moved up in our rankings after finishing as the Big 12’s runner up, but there’s no doubt 2010 didn’t go the way the Nebraska faithful thought it would. They lost at home to a bad Texas team in mid October and then an injury to quarterback Taylor Martinez cost them a win against Texas A&M in November. They fought hard in the Big 12 Championship Game before losing to Oklahoma, but then didn’t bother to show up for the Holiday Bowl against Washington. But let’s not overlook how this team beat No. 14 Oklahoma State and No. 6 Missouri in back-to-back games in October and still finished a very respectable 10-4. They’ll have their work cut out for them next year in the Big Ten, but the Huskers are built for the conference and not having to face explosive offenses like Oklahoma State and Oklahoma should help their cause.

T-15. Georgia Tech (14)

Previous Rank: #13 (-2)
Georgia Tech only moved back two spots but if the Jackets have another year like they just did, then they’ll be moving back further next season. A year after making a BCS appearance, the Jackets played .500 ball in the regular season and then were held to only a touchdown by Air Force in the Independence Bowl. Losing Josh Nesbitt to injury certainly hurt Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack. But the Jackets had already lost three games prior to Nesbitt’s injury, which included an embarrassing 28-25 defeat to Kansas in mid September. Hopefully Johnson can resurrect things in 2011.

T-15. Penn State (14)

Previous Rank: #11 (-4)
Considering they replaced all three starting linebackers and their quarterback from a year ago, it’s not hard to see why Penn State took a step back in our rankings this year. But they held their own, especially considering they had to play Alabama, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State this season. Their loss at home to Illinois was unexpected but again, this was a young team that still found a way to win seven games with four ranked opponents on their schedule. They probably won’t win a Big Ten title next year, but the Lions will be competitive. They usually are under Joe Pa.

T-15. Wisconsin (14)

Previous Rank: unranked
Wisconsin cracks our rankings after putting together a great season, which included back-to-back wins over Ohio State and Iowa in October. If it weren’t for that Oct. 2 loss to Michigan State, the Badgers would have been in the national title discussion. The loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl hurt, but Wisconsin made a statement to the rest of the Big Ten that it isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to be fun to watch the Badgers compete against Ohio State and Nebraska next season.

T-18. Iowa (12)

Previous Rank: #17 (-1)
Iowa only drops one spot in our rankings but the Hawkeyes had one disastrous season. The loss to Arizona in the third week of the season hurt, as did the three-straight losses to Northwestern, Ohio State and 3-9 Minnesota. Then star receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos gets charged with operating a drug house (charges were later dropped) and starting running back Adam Robinson is suspended for violating team rules. Beating Missouri in the Insight Bowl was the one saving grace of the season, but that’s a far cry from topping Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl one year earlier.

T-18. Arkansas (12)

Previous Rank: unranked
If they can successfully replace NFL prospect Ryan Mallett, we get the feeling that Arkansas will be a part of these rankings for years to come. The Razorbacks overcame losses to Alabama and Auburn earlier in the season to win six games down the stretch, including back-to-back victories over Mississippi State and LSU in November. A win over Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl was not to be, but clearly Bobby Petrino has this program heading in the right direction.

20. Michigan (11)

Previous Rank: unranked
Rich Rodriguez may have produced his first winning season in Ann Arbor, but embarrassing losses to Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and then Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl was all UM could bare. In three years, Rich Rod’s collective record against Ohio State and Michigan State was 0-6. That’s something new head coach Brady Hoke better change if he’s going to last long as Rich Rod’s replacement. He certainly has his work cut out for him, especially considering he needs to build a defense after the previous staff pretty much ignored that side of the ball for three seasons.

Fell out of the Top 20: Georgia, Cincinnati, Florida State, Notre Dame

Why does it take a good opponent for Oklahoma to actually show up?

Paul Costanzo — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 02:00:50 +0000

Oklahoma is off to a 4-0 start, but it’s one of the more strange 4-0 starts I can remember seeing.

The Sooners struggled in Week 1 with Utah State, destroyed what was thought to be a very good Florida State team in Week 2, squeaked by a solid, but not elite Air Force team in Week 3 and just minutes ago survived a scare from a less-than-stellar Cincinnati team. All that matters is the 4-0 start, obviously, but isn’t it a little alarming that the Sooners seem to be playing down to some of their opponents?

Since winning the national title in 2000, Bob Stoops-coached Oklahoma teams have a slightly disturbing habit of losing to inferior teams. Stoops often catches crap for losing in bowl games, but to me, stuff like that is forgivable. It’s when a team loses concentration and struggles to put away a team that it should have no problem burying that I worry about.

One problem Oklahoma runs into is that I’m sure these teams make this the biggest game of their season. Utah State could go 1-11, but if the win is over Oklahoma, fans will never forget that team. Tonight’s near-giveaway against Cincinnati could also be attributed to having Texas next week. It’s the biggest game on the schedule for the Sooners, and perhaps they started to look ahead a little too soon.

Again, the Sooners haven’t lost any of these games this year, and maybe Utah State, Air Force and Cincinnati will go on to have great seasons, we don’t know yet. We do know that these aren’t isolated incidents, however, and the precedent for losing one is there.

Temple delivers another blow to the lowly Big East

Paul Costanzo — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:23:22 +0000

Temple and UConn played during the day today, but the game definitely continued some dark days for the state of Big East football.

The Owls, who a little more than a week ago could be seen trading costly gaffes and fumbles with MAC foe Central Michigan, defeated UConn 30-16. It’s another huge blow for the Big East, which has already had sub-standard results this season.

UConn was thought by some national media types to be the favorite in the Big East, but after this loss and the Week 1 drubbing at the hands of Denard Robinson and Michigan, the Huskies definitely don’t look like a team that should finish on top of any BCS conference. Cincinnati, the defending Big East champion, has looked about as pathetic — minus the loss to a MAC team, that is — losing to Fresno State and NC State. With Oklahoma coming up next week, the Bearcats, who were unbeaten in the regular season a year ago, are staring 1-3 straight in the face.

West Virginia appears to be the most competent team in the conference, but even the Mountaineers needed overtime to beat Marshall. They do have a chance to earn the conference some respect, however, next week at LSU. With Les Miles coaching, who knows what could happen there, but if I had to put money on it now, I’d go with the Tigers.

With the emergence of non-automatic qualifying conferences, namely the Mountain West, you’d think the Big East would need to start proving itself to keep its spot among the six power conferences. Sadly, money probably won’t allow them to fall out of that, or let the MWC move up, even though it’s looking more and more superior to the Big LEast with each passing week.

College Football Program Power Rankings

John Paulsen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:00:21 +0000

Welcome to a new feature on The Scores Report. We thought it would be interesting to tally up all the major accomplishments of a college football program and assign a point value to each category in order to rank them against one another. Then our football guru, Anthony Stalter, wrote a little bit about each program and the direction that it’s headed.

Here’s how the points are calculated — 20 points for a national championship, 10 for a BCS title game loss, seven for a BCS bowl win, five for a BCS bowl loss, five for a BCS conference championship, three for a mid-major conference championship, two for a BCS conference runner-up and one for a major bowl appearance (i.e. a bowl that has a recent payout of more than $2 million — Capital One, Outback, Chick-fil-A, Cotton, Gator, Holiday, Champs Sports and Alamo.) You’ll see the total points in parenthesis after the team’s name.

Lastly, since a program is so dependent on the guy in charge, we added or subtracted points if the program upgraded or downgraded its head coach in the last five years. A max of 10 points would be granted (or docked) based on the level of upgrade or downgrade. Again, we tried to quantify the hire relative to the program’s other accomplishments. For example, hiring Nick Saban is probably worth two BCS bowl appearances, or 10 points. (Sure, he might lead Alabama to more, but he also might bolt for another job in a year or two.)

1. Florida Gators (61)

National Championship: ’08-W, ’06-W
BCS Bowl: ’09-W
Conference Championship: ’09-RU, ’08-W, ’06-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’07, ’05
It’s hard to argue that the Gators don’t deserve the top spot with two national championship victories, three BCS bowl wins, two conference championships and five bowl appearances in the past five years. Considering they play in college football’s toughest conference, what Urban Meyer’s program has been able to accomplish in the past five years has been incredibly impressive. The program dodged a bullet when Meyer rejoined the team.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (58)

National Championship: ’07-L, ’06-RU
BCS Bowl: ’09-W, ’08-L, ’05-W
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’08-RU, ’07-W, ’06-W, ’05-RU
The Buckeyes are subjected to criticism every year because they play in a weak conference that doesn’t have a title game, but keep in mind that they have absolutely owned the Big Ten over the past five years. They have finished no worse than second in each of the past five seasons and have also appeared in two title games. While it’s true they lost in both of those appearances, just getting there helped them greatly in these rankings.

3. Texas Longhorns (49)

National Championship: ’09-L, ’05-W
BCS Bowl: ’08-W,
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’07, ’06
The Longhorns have been a model of consistency. They’ve made a bowl appearance in each of the last five years, won a national championship in 2005 and made a title appearance this past last year. It’ll be interesting to see how Mack Brown’s program fares in 2010 now that Colt McCoy has graduated and youngster Garrett Gilbert is set to take over at quarterback.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (43)

National Championship: ’09-W
BCS Bowl: ’08-L
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’08-RU
Major Bowl Appearance: ’05
Chances are that Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide will steadily climb to the top of these rankings over the next couple years. The 2009 season proved that there is a changing of the guard in the SEC (especially now that Tim Tebow has graduated) and with Heisman winner Mark Ingram set to return next year, ‘Bama has a very realistic shot to repeat as national champions. (Alabama gets 10 extra points for a big upgrade at head coach.)

5. USC Trojans (41)

National Championship: ’05-L
BCS Bowl: ’08-W, ’07-W, ’06-W
Conference Championship: ’08-W, ’07-W, ’06-W, ’05-W
There’s a chance that USC could fall in these rankings now that Pete Carroll has decided to coach in the NFL again. That said, if Lane Kiffin (and more specially, Monte Kiffin) can turn around a defense that failed the Trojans last season, then USC might not skip a beat. Their offense should be explosive again next year now that quarterback Matt Barkley has a full year of experience under his belt, but the Trojans could still have a tough time gaining the power back in the Pac-10. (The Trojans are docked 10 points for losing Pete Carroll.)

6. LSU Tigers (37)

National Championship: ’07-W
BCS Bowl: ’06-W
Conference Championship: ’07-W, ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’08, ’07
After winning the national championship and a conference title in 2007, Les Miles’ program has taken a small step backwards the past two years. The Tigers have failed to make a BCS bowl appearance in each of the last two seasons and must find a way to become more consistent on offense in order to climb back to the top of the SEC standings.

7. Oklahoma Sooners (36)

National Championship: ’08-L
BCS Bowl: ’07-L, ’06-L
Conference Championship: ’08-W, ’07-W, ’06-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’05
After making a title appearance in 2008, Oklahoma was supposed to have at least one more shot at a national championship with Sam Bradford under center before he went to the NFL. But a shoulder injury destroyed Bradford and the Sooners’ 2009 season and with his decision to skip his senior year, the Oklahoma program is now in a state of flux. The only good thing that came out of Bradford’s injury was that young quarterback Landry Jones got plenty of snaps last season and if the offensive line can come together, the Sooners should challenge for more Big 12 titles over the next couple years.

8. Boise State Broncos (28)

BCS Bowl: ’09-W, ’06-W
MM Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’08-W, ’07-W
Just because they don’t play in a BCS conference doesn’t mean that Boise State hasn’t been one of the most impressive programs in college football over the past couple years. In fact, they have. They’ve won their conference championship three years running and have two BCS bowl wins in the past five seasons. Chances are that Chris Petersen will have the Broncos atop the WAC again next year, although they might not climb much higher in these rankings because they don’t have a legitimate shot at playing for a national title thanks to the BCS system. (The Broncos get five points for hiring Petersen.)

T-9. West Virginia Mountaineers (27)

BCS Bowl: ’07-W, ’05-W
Conference Championship: ’09-RU, ’08-RU, ’07-W, ’06-RU, ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’06
It’s easy to forget how good the Mountaineers have been over the past five years, because the last time they made an appearance in a BCS bowl was in 2007. But they have finished no worse than second in the Big East over the last five seasons and have made a bowl appearance every year since 2005. Even after losing Pat White and Steve Slaton in the past two drafts, WVU still found a way to compete in the Big East. While it certainly wasn’t any fault of their own, the Mountaineers lose five points for losing Rich Rodriguez. Although Bill Stewart has proven to be a fine coach, Rich Rod brought WVU its two conference championships the past five years and thus far, Stewart has not been able to duplicate that success.

T-9. Virginia Tech Hokies (27)

BCS Bowl: ’08-W, ’07-L
Conference Championship: ’08-W, ’07-W, ’05-L
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’06, ’05
Georgia Tech unseated Virginia Tech in the ACC last year, but the Hokies did win the conference twice in the last five years and also made two BCS bowl appearances. VA Tech has always found a way to compete at a high level under Frank Beamer and will probably continue to do so for years to come.

11. Penn State Nittany Lions (25)

BCS Bowl: ’08-L, ’05-W
Conference Championship: ’08-W, ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’07, ’06
Penn State has challenged Ohio State several times over the last couple years for supremacy in the Big Ten. Although USC embarrassed them in the 2008 Rose Bowl, the Nittany Lions have an impressive five-year resume, which includes BCS bowl appearances in ’08 and 05, as well as conference championships in those same years.

12. Georgia Bulldogs (19)

BCS Bowl: ’07-W, ’05-L
Conference Championship: ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’08, ’06
Georgia fell significantly short of expectations in 2008, but they still secured a BCS bowl appearance that year by winning the SEC. While in-state rival Georgia Tech is breathing down Georgia’s neck in these rankings, the Bulldogs still remain a top 12 program in college football.

T-13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (18)

BCS Bowl: ’09-L
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’06-RU
Major Bowl Appearance: ’08, ’06
The Yellow Jackets were definitely aided by their BCS bowl appearance last year and the hiring of Paul Johnson. If they can continue to stay atop the ACC, it’s only a matter of time before GA Tech leapfrogs up these rankings. (Georgia Tech gets four points for upgrading from Chan Gailey to Paul Johnson.)

T-13. Oregon Ducks (18)

BCS Bowl: ’09-L
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’08-RU, ’05-RU
Major Bowl Appearance: ’08, ’05
Chip Kelly did an outstanding job avoiding a disaster last year after the Ducks were embarrassed by Boise State in the opening week of the season. Oregon went on to win their conference while also clinching a BCS bowl appearance and if the power has in fact shifted in the Pac-10, then the Ducks will climb in these rankings next year. (The Ducks get two points for hiring Kelly.)

15. Cincinnati Bearcats (15)

BCS Bowl: ’09-L, ’08-L
Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’08-W
Due to the loss of Brian Kelly, there’s a ton of uncertainty surrounding the Cincinnati program. However, if new head coach Butch Jones does a similar job in Cincinnati as he did at Central Michigan, then there’s no reason to think the Bearcats can’t win their third straight Big East title next season. (Cincy loses five points for losing Kelly.)

16. Nebraska Cornhuskers (13)

Conference Championship: ’09-RU, ’06-RU
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’08, ’06, ’05
Bo Pelini is doing great things in Lincoln and although he lost some major talent this offseason, Nebraska should still have a dominant defense next season. Now, if only Pelini can figure out how to get more firepower on offense, then the Huskers could add a Big 12 title to their five-year resume. (Nebraska gets five points for hiring Pelini.)

T-17. Florida State Seminoles (12)

BCS Bowl: ’05-L
Conference Championship: ’05-W
Major Bowl Appearance: ’09, ’08
The Seminoles are staying afloat in the top 20 because of their BCS bowl appearance in 2005, but they’ll need to add at least a conference title if they want to move up in these rankings. They were runners up in 2009 and they have some talent on the offensive side of the ball so maybe they can put it all together in 2010.

T-17. Iowa Hawkeyes (12)

BCS Bowl: ’09-W
Conference Championship: ’09-RU
Major Bowl Appearance: ’08, ’06, ’05
The Hawkeyes made a ton of noise in 2009, but an injury to quarterback Ricky Stanzi in the second half of the season ruined their chances of beating Ohio State and winning the Big 10. Nevertheless, Iowa continues to be one of the top 3 teams in the conference and more BCS bowl appearances aren’t out of the question.

T-17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12)

BCS Bowl: ’06-L, ’05-L
The Irish are at a disadvantage in these rankings because they don’t belong to a conference, but that’s their own fault. There’s plenty of reason for optimism in South Bend now that Brian Kelly has been hired, but this is a program is in much need of consistency. Kelly has won everywhere he’s gone, but can he recruit will enough to win at ND over the long haul? We’ll find out. (The Irish get two points for hiring Brian Kelly.)

20. TCU Horned Frogs (11)

BCS Bowl: ’09-L
MM Conference Championship: ’09-W, ’05-W
TCU was a juggernaut last year, but Boise State proved how valuable experience is because the Broncos made the Horned Frogs look completely befuddled in the Fiesta Bowl. Still, Gary Patterson has this program on the right track and even though they won’t have a legitimate chance to compete for a national title every year, more BCS bowl appearances and conference championships are well within reach.

Just missed the cut: Utah (10), Wake Forest (10)

Photos from fOTOGLIF

Brian Kelly should be ashamed of himself after Florida’s rout of Cincinnati in Sugar Bowl

Anthony Stalter — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:01:43 +0000

Watching Cincinnati play Florida last night was like watching 5-year olds take on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. It was apparent from the start that the game was more of a get-together for the Gators and less of a BCS bowl.

Tim Tebow completed 31-of-35 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 51 yards and a TD. Florida’s defense also held Cincinnati’s “high-powered” offense to just 170 passing yards and 76 rushing.

After watching that game, I’d be shocked if Brian Kelly woke up this morning and could look at himself in the mirror. He was the commander and chief of a team that he allowed to walk into an ambush by themselves with little to no direction. It wouldn’t have mattered if Kelly was on the sidelines because Florida was bigger, faster, stronger and just flat out better, but he should have been there regardless.

The guy I felt most sorry for was quarterback Tony Pike. He didn’t have a chance to succeed because the overmatched, unprepared coaching staff that Kelly left Cincinnati with didn’t put him in a position to win. They kept calling bootlegs and rollouts to the short side of the field, which clearly played into Florida’s hands. He also didn’t have any clue what to do when the Gators blitzed because every time he got the ball to his hot receiver a Florida defender was there to take the wideout’s life. I could smell the crap in Pike’s draws from my couch but I don’t blame him: I blame the coaching staff for not getting him prepared for what he was going to face.

Again, had Kelly been there, it’s not likely that much would have changed. Florida was the vastly superior team in every phase of the game and it showed. But Kelly would have gained some respect had he been there to fall with the rest of his team. I realize that he has the right to a promotion and move up the coaching ladder, but it disgusts me that he benefits from all of this, while his former players suffer (especially the seniors, who were routed on national television in their final game).

Cincinnati’s effort last night was putrid, but how could you blame them? They were down a head coach and an offensive playcaller from the start and Florida took advantage by breaking their neck and stomping on their spines just for good measure. Hopefully Kelly watched last night and couldn’t keep his food down thinking about the 80-plus kids he screwed. That game was an embarrassment to college football and so are coaches like Kelly.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

2010 BCS Bowl Preview: 5 Things to Watch for in the Sugar Bowl

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:25:00 +0000

No. 3 Cincinnati will try to put Brian Kelly’s departure to Notre Dame behind it when it takes on No. 5 Florida at 8:30PM ET on New Year’s Day. As part of our 2010 BCS Bowl Preview, here are five things to watch for in the Sugar Bowl.

1. Cincinnati’s potent passing attack vs. Florida’s vaunted defense
Led by quarterback Tony Pike and explosive receiver Mardy Gilyard, the Bearcats rank sixth in the nation in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense. Cincinnati averaged almost 40 points per game this season and houses one of the most deadly passing games in the country. That said, they’ll be heavily tested by a Florida defense that has the third best pass defense in the nation, the fourth best overall defense and the third best scoring defense. Only Alabama (11.0) and Nebraska (11.23) have allowed fewer points than Florida’s mark of 11.54. Led by defensive backs Joe Haden, A.J. Jones and Major Wright, the Gators have virtually been impossible to throw on. Making matters worse for opponents, Florida also has a fearsome pass rush, led by defensive linemen Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap. At the center is linebacker Brandon Spikes, who is the heart and soul of the Gators’ defense. Cincinnati will certainly have to earn everything it gets come New Year’s Day.

2. The Gators’ rushing attack vs. the Bearcats’ suspect run defense
Florida boasts the 10th best rushing attack in the nation, averaging 225.23 yards per game. That doesn’t bode well for a Cincinnati run defense that is surrendering over 140 yards per game this season. The Bearcats’ defense is fast and aggressive, but struggles when opponents attack them right up the middle. In their three closest games this season, Connecticut, West Virginia and Pittsburgh all had success running up the gut. If Florida starts pounding the rock up the middle, it could take control of the game early by grinding out the clock and keeping Cincinnati’s high-powered offense on the sidelines.

3. Can the Gators keep pace in a shootout?
The general consensus surrounding this game is that Florida’s defense will shut down Pike and Cincinnati’s offense and seize control with its running game. But what if Pike and the Bearcats move the ball with success and start lighting up the scoreboard? Can the Gators keep up? Florida’s offense has lacked explosion all season, which was evident in its loss to Alabama in the SEC title game. When Tim Tebow isn’t superman, the Gators are a very average offense. There’s a good chance that Florida can control this game on the ground but if it can’t, then the Gators might flounder without the big play.

4. How will the Bearcats cope without Kelly?
On December 10, Brian Kelly announced that he would sign a deal to replace Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. Needless to say, his former players at Cincinnati felt shocked and betrayed by the news, and who could blame them? In less than a month, they would have to take on the defending champion Florida Gators without a head coach. How will they cope? Can they get up for the game or will Kelly’s departure be too big of a distraction? If the Bearcats need inspiration, they should look no further than the 2007 West Virginia team, which was ditched by then head coach Rich Rodriguez after he accepted a job at Michigan. Many thought that the Mountaineers (led by interim coach Bill Stewart) would be crushed by Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, yet WVU routed the Sooners, 48-28. With their pride on the line, one would think that the Bearcats would be plenty motivated come New Year’s Day.

5. Tebow’s last stand
It would be easy to accept the notion that Florida won’t be motivated to play in the Sugar Bowl after Alabama stomped them in the SEC Championship Game. After winning a title last year, why would the Gators get up for Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl? But with this being Tebow’s last game as a Gator, it would be hard to believe that he won’t have Florida ready to play. Over his career, Tebow has embodied what college football is about. Perhaps nobody plays with more fire and emotion than the Gators’ signal caller and you know he’ll put everything on the line to win one last time.

2010 Sugar Bowl Game Information
Matchup: Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0)
Kickoff: 8:30PM ET, January 1
TV: FOX
Odds: Florida –10

Talk smack about the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

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The Official Sugar Bowl Smack Talk Thread: Cincinnati vs. Florida

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:30:13 +0000

The 2010 Sugar Bowl will have plenty of intrigue surrounding it when the Florida Gators take on the Cincinnati Bearcats on New Year’s Day. For the Gators, Tim Tebow will be playing his last collegiate game of his career, while the Bearcats will try to overcome the loss of their head coach, Brian Kelly, who ditched them for Notre Dame.

2010 Sugar Bowl Game Information
Matchup: Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0)
Venue: Superdome, New Orleans
Kickoff: 8:30PM ET, January 1
TV: FOX
Odds: Florida –10

Key Stats:
Cincinnati will have its hands full trying to move the ball against a Florida team that ranks 4th in the nation in total defense, 3rd in pass defense and third in scoring. Led by linebacker Brandon Spikes, the defensive line pair of Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap, as well as a secondary headed by safety Major Wright, the Gators have one of the best defenses in the country. Offensively, Tebow leads a group that has averaged over 225 rushing yards per game this season and over 34 points per outing.

If any team were to move the ball on Florida, it might be Cincinnati, which has the sixth best offense in college football. Led by quarterback Tony Pike and receiver Mardy Gilyard, the Bearcats rank 6th in passing offense and 6th in scoring (averaging 39.83 points per game). Defensively, Cincinnati has the top passing efficiency unit in the country and are 48th in total defense.

The Bottom Line:
Cincinnati has more than enough weapons to contend in this game, but how will they fair without Kelly calling the plays? And even though this looks like a great matchup for Florida, will the Gators get up for the Sugar Bowl after failing to reach the national title game again? One would think that Tebow would get his team up to play this game, but don’t forget Alabama quit last year in this same venue and got rolled by Utah.

Let the smack begin:

Who will win the 2010 Sugar Bowl?

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