2011 Vanderbilt Football Predictions, Picks & Odds
Things aren’t easy for the University of Vanderbilt Commodores playing football in the SEC. They happen to play football in the toughest conference in the nation, and they do so at a school with more stringent academic requirements than competing schools, adding to their disadvantages. The results typically are not good, and there are not many bright spots or optimists amongst those making 2011 Vanderbilt football predictions. Challenging for the SEC East division crown isn’t really an option, so as you consider 2011 college football predictions, is something like an even .500 mark a possibility, or will it be another very, very long season in Nashville?
A .500 record would actually be great for Vanderbilt. Last season they won only two games, one against a non-conference gimme opponent, and another against fellow SEC bottom dweller Ole Miss. The bright side to that as you make 2011 Vanderbilt football predictions is that there is a lot of room for improvement, and there’s only one direction to go in, up. That’s what head coach James Franklin is preaching, and he hopes that some of those small baby steps forward can be made this year.
Most people making 2011 college football predictions will probably disagree with that though. Still, the season opens up with a very doable stretch of early games. The first three weeks of the season are all home games in Nashville, and they include games against Elon, Connecticut and Ole Miss. It’s very possible that Vanderbilt can emerge from that with at least a 2-1 record, and that would already match their total from last season. If they can unseat a solid Connecticut team and go 3-0, the team and the entire city would be on top of the world!
It would give the club and the fans a much needed boost of confidence, and from there things could gain momentum and spiral forward in a good way. The back to back road games against South Carolina and Alabama won’t be pretty after that, but still, Vanderbilt has other winnable dates on the calendar, like games against Army, Kentucky and Wake Forest.
Who knows, a few good bounces and some of that early confidence could be parlayed into close wins against middle of the pack SEC teams like Tennessee or Georgia. It’s a lot to ask for with your 2011 Vanderbilt football predictions, but stranger things have happened.
What the Commodores need is to emerge from those easy first three games with a winning record a positive shot to the arm that could jolt them to more wins down the road. If that happens, then the Vanderbilt may just move from last pace to .500 and respectability, and surprise everyone’s 2011 college football predictions. It certainly isn’t going to be easy, and it’s certainly not even likely. But you have to have optimism to move onward and upward after the recent seasons like Vanderbilt has had, and a .500 record in the SEC would do wonders for the school and its football program.
Check out Vernon Croy’s Florida Gators Football Predictions for 2011.
2011 SEC West Football Predictions |
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2011 Florida Football Predictions
It’s a new team with a new look in Gainesville, and it’s giving fans a lot to think about in terms of their 2011 Florida football predictions. The big names and legends that brought the school two national titles in a short window are gone, and there’s a new head coach in town, Will Muschamp. There’s also a whole host of new players, a lot of question marks and some major obstacles to overcome. So how will the Gators end up as you consider your 2011 college football predictions?
In recent years, the Gators are used to being by far the big dog in the SEC East division. But that’s not the case in 2011. As you make 2011 college football predictions, it’s no secret that the University of South Carolina, with former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, is now the big dog on the block. Florida, in a transition year, is definitely seen as being way behind the pack. But will they be able to perform above expectations, or will they settle into mediocrity?
Muschamp has brought in a very solid recruiting class, with a lot of new talent. One of the major problems will be inexperience. The team only has 10 returning starters. One of those, quarterback John Brantley, may not even definitely be the answer. If he can start the year strong and build up his confidence, the Gators may surprise some folks. If he struggles and changes need to be made in the middle of the year, things could get worse than expected for Florida.
Another thing to consider with the 2011 Florida football predictions you make will be the schedule fo the team. They have a few gimmes in non conference games which will help them pad their record. But they’ll have to play Alabama, LSU and Auburn in three straight weeks, a very difficult task. Then it’s a week off, and their rivalry game against Georgia. Then they play South Carolina in two weeks, and then they close the season against a top 10 team in rival Florida State.
Winning the SEC seems like a near impossible task for Florida. But still, they could unravel things for Spurrier and the Gamecocks with that big game in November. If Florida can position themselves as a one loss team or two loss team before that game, then they could potentially unseat South Carolina as the winners of the SEC East, and that would be an amazing accomplishment for this unit.
Whether or not that happens though is a long way off. Muschamp has a lot of young kids to work with, and that stretch of schedule in October and November is extremely challenging. There will be mixed opinions as far as 2011 Florida football predictions go. They certainly aren’t title contenders this year, but either way they will be surprising people. They may surprise and outperform 2011 college football predictions for their unit, or they may surprise and fall flat on their face against the tough stretch of SEC opposition.
2011 SEC West Football Predictions |
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2011 Ole Miss Football Predictions
Last year, Ole Miss struggled to a 4-8 finish. But five of those eight losses came against top 25 schools. Further, three of them came against schools ranked in the top 10 when they played. Even really good teams wouldn’t emerge unscathed from that kind of brutal schedule, and the Rebels went 0-5 against those high quality teams. But against everyone else, they went a combined 4-3, which isn’t too bad. If only they could find a way to avoid those powerhouses for 2011!
Of course, that’s not the case, and that’s something that fans can only dream about before making their more realistic 2011 Ole Miss football predictions. This season it won’t be any easier for the Rebels. Consider a three week stretch in October when they play Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn back to back to back. They also have to play LSU and Mississippi State, as well as Georgia. Plus, their out of conference schedule isn’t all easy, either. They have to open up the year at BYU, which has a solid unit.
Therefore, it’s simply going to be hard for the Rebels to make big moves up the standings. Your 2011 college football predictions have to account not only the team itself, but where that team plays, and who they play against. The Rebels are simply the little guys at the fight right now, and they have way too many truly powerful, high quality teams that they have to play.
Head coach Houston Nutt though isn’t going to let the team lay down. He believes the team can start to improve, and start to climb their way up right now. They have brought in some players who fit their schemes, and believe that going forward they can win a few of those close games that they haven’t been used to winning in the past. Just one victory over a high quality team can give the Rebels the kind of momentum and confidence to change a season, and even the entire course of the program moving forward.
The bottom line with 2011 Ole Miss football predictions is that it’s just too tough in the SEC, and especially in the SEC West, for the Rebels to take big strides this season. But that doesn’t mean they can’t move forward. And finishing at 6-6 or 7-6 with a bowl game win would be a major plus for the program, and would get things moving for the future. Just don’t count on any first place finishes out of the Rebels with your 2011 college football predictions.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 Arkansas Football Predictions
A team that finished the season last year at number 12 will certainly have big expectations at the start of the next season. That’s true for Arkansas and fans of the team making their 2011 college football predictions. The team has experience in a lot of areas, but also young players and inexperienced players in others, making for an interesting mix. Not to mention they have to deal with the crazy stacked SEC week after week. Here’s what to think about as you make your 2011 Arkansas football predictions.
Bobby Petrino led the Razorbacks to a 10-3 record in 2010, including a 6-2 record in the SEC. That’s not too shabby at all, but the Razorbacks were dwarfed in their own conference, in their own division, the SEC West, by undefeated juggernaut and eventual national champion Auburn. This season, the Razorbacks want to build off their success from last year and leap past some of the traditional powers that rule the SEC.
That’s not an easy thing to do, and many people will have different opinions of how they will fare with that mission as they make 2011 college football predictions. Consider that Arkansas will have to play at Alabama and at LSU, and those are two of the top five teams in the country. It’s going to be exceedingly tough to get a win at either of those two venues, with the talent those two teams have this year.
They also have to play Auburn, South Carolina and Mississippi State, three other really solid teams. South Carolina is actually ranked as one of the top 10 teams in the country, which is a surprise to some. So building on last season and bettering last year’s record is going to be a real tough challenge, and not everyone making 2011 Arkansas football predictions thinks that the team can get the job done.
It’s also more difficult when you lose your star starting quarterback to the NFL. Ryan Mallett left school early to be drafted into the big time, and new quarterback Tyler Wilson will be taking the reins. He’s never started a college football game, and he will have to play all of those tough teams and that vicious SEC schedule. It’s not an easy thing to do for anyone, and that’s why many people have already downgraded the Razorbacks to a middle of the pack squad with their 2011 college football predictions, even after the strong 2010 campaign.
However, before you do that as well, consider that Arkansas has some talented recruits coming in, and the team is really all set with Petrino’s system and style of play now. Plus, senior linebacker Jerry Franklin is a true beast in the middle of the field, and he’ll be looking to anchor that defensive unit and hold opponents at bay. What should your 2011 Arkansas football predictions be? It seems like an impossible task to make their way out of the SEC West and into the SEC championship, but a few lucky bounces or big game performances could shake the entire conference, and world of college football, up in an instant.
Check out the expert Mississippi State Football Predictions by World Champion Handicapper Vernon Croy.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 Mississippi State Football Predictions
Things are pretty optimistic for fans making 2011 Mississippi State football predictions. That isn’t always the case for the school which is so often overshadowed by its SEC brethren. Even this season, as they are forecast to be a team that enough talent to open the season in the top 20 or 25 teams in the country, they still have a mess of teams in their own conference, and their own division, ahead of them. That presents both an opportunity and a challenge, and yet another unique wrinkle to consider with your 2011 college football predictions.
First, Mississippi State is looking to build on the success they had last year, when they went a solid 9-4 in Dan Mullen’s second year on the job. They finished in the top 15 in the country, and they won some big games against top opponents along the way. The hopes for the season really rest on the shoulders of two seniors on offense, QB Chris Relf, and running back Vick Ballard. If the two of those exploit all of their talent, then Mississippi State could potentially be an offensive force.
The problem with making 2011 Mississippi State football predictions is the same problem you have with so many other teams in the SEC and their 2011 college football predictions. How in the world do you cope with, or survive, that whole mess of talent that the conference has? There are two consensus top 5 teams in the country with Alabama and LSU. Then you have the University of South Carolina, a top 10 quality team. Only then do you get to the likes of Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas, teams on that bubble around 15-25.
That’s a lot of teams to try to leap over and get past, and it presents a huge challenge with the schedule. That’s the whole reason right there why everyone always says the SEC is the best conference in the country, and why supporters of the BCS and the big conferences say teams from a conference like that should get much higher status than those of smaller conferences who don’t face those kinds of repeated tests.
That also means there’s an opportunity though. When making your 2011 Mississippi State football predictions, consider that the squad plays all of those teams except for Florida. That’s five games against top opponents that could break, but also make, the season. If they can win at least two, and maybe even three, of those games, and go untouched the rest of the way, then they can shake up the conference and potentially find themselves in the conference championship game. It’s a lot to hope for, but it can happen, and the talent, experience and momentum are all there for the Bulldogs.
So, are the Bulldogs from Mississippi State your new favorites in the SEC for your preseason 2011 college football predictions? Probably not, but don’t write them off. If they can score a few upsets over their divisional rivals, they can squeak their way into the SEC championship game, and from there, anything is possible.
Check out the expert 2011 Auburn Tigers Football Predictions by World Champion Handicapper Vernon Croy.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 Auburn Football Predictions
Things are going to be much different in Auburn for the Tigers, and there’s a whole lot to think about with 2011 Auburn football predictions. Typically, when a team goes undefeated and wins the national championship, they are going into the next season as one of the top teams to beat. That’s certainly not the case with 2011 college football predictions heading into this season. The Tigers won it all, but will have a whole different look than they did last season, and the expectations will be different as well.
Last year at Auburn, it was all about Cam Newton, of course. He came, he survived controversy, and he conquered. The transfer led the Tigers to an undefeated season, the SEC championship and a thrilling title game victory over Oregon. He also hauled in the Heisman trophy as the game’s best player of the year along the way. And if he wasn’t in the headlines enough for his play on the field, his potential pay-for-play scandal off the field was the big story of the season.
Alas, Newton is gone, off to the NFL where he was the number 1 pick in the draft. That means the Tigers will be a completely different team, with a different look and feel, game plan and strategy, and more. That means that even though they are your defending champions, 2011 Auburn football predictions aren’t as high as they otherwise would be. Of course, in addition to Newton leaving, they lost either key players as well, such as disruptive defensive tackle and fellow first round draft choice Nick Fairley.
Even with these losses, many preseason 2011 college football predictions have Auburn hovering around the top 20 or 25 teams in the nation. You don’t win the BCS national championship with one player alone, after all, it takes a whole squad. The defense is stingy, and there is talent on both sides of the ball. So many Tigers fans making 2011 Auburn football predictions think that an SEC championship could still be possible.
That may be a little bit grandiose, though. To do that, they’ll have to beat two consensus top 5 teams in arch rival Alabama, and LSU. They’ll also have to deal with tough top 20-25 teams like Mississippi State, Florida and Arkansas, not to mention South Carolina, a dark horse title contender! That brutal schedule could spell trouble for Auburn, and you never know how it’s going to shake out in the SEC. In fact, they play South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida and LSU in four back to back weeks in the month of October!
It’s tempting for some folks and their 2011 college football predictions to say no Cam Newton, no nothing for Auburn, and set them as a mediocre at best squad. It’s tempting for others to say they’ll surprise everyone out there and contend for the SEC crown. It’s hard to say, but with that brutal schedule, there will be a great Auburn game to watch every weekend in the fall, and that’s a sure thing.
Check out the expert college football predictions for September 3, 2011.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 LSU Football Predictions
2011 LSU Football Predictions
While their SEC rivals in Alabama might be getting more hype, fans in Louisiana making their 2011 LSU football predictions have a different story to tell. They believe that the LSU Tigers will be going all the way to the SEC championship game, and eventually the national championship game. It wouldn’t be the first time in recent history that Les Miles and company won it all, and it wouldn’t be the first time they outdid expectations either. Take a look at this guide to the upcoming season for the Tigers as you prepare your 2011 college football predictions.
LSU has seemingly been the focal point of last second crazy endings, weird plays and referee calls, and more. It has earned Les Miles the nickname of the Mad Hatter, but his team continues to win, and he continues to haul in the talent. He has won a national championship after all, and it’s a good thing too, because his predecessor, Nick Saban, won a national championship with the school, and has since gone on to win another championship with Alabama.
Those two schools will be headed straight toward one another this season, and will be the shared center of attention as one of the biggest storylines of the upcoming season. LSU will be depending on the improved play of quarterback Jordan Jefferson to lead them to what they hope will be an undefeated season and an SEC title, and the chance to lay it all on the line for a BCS national championship victory.
Ultimately, the grueling SEC schedule is going to make or break your 2011 LSU football predictions. Last season, LSU was in so many tight games against so many good teams, and they managed to win almost all of them. This year, while there are tons of daunting games, there are two huge ones. The first is the first week of the season, as right out of the gate they meet Oregon at a neutral site. A loss there already derails their season and your 2011 college football predictions for the team.
They certainly have what it takes to win that though, and then they’ll be marking the calendar for two months down the road when they hit the road to visit the Alabama Crimson Tide. This will basically be a title game for the division if everyone’s 2011 college football predictions goes according to plan. The winner here will gain entry to the SEC championship game, and therefore, a shot at the BCS national title game.
Many people are forecasting a championship season in Baton Rouge with favorable 2011 LSU football predictions. The team is more talented and experienced than ever, and everyone is ready to build off of last season. But they have a certain other title contender to worry about, and the always tough SEC, not to mention a week 1 game that could potentially derail them right from the opening gates. It’s going to be a fun ride down in Louisiana, that’s for sure.
Check out the expert college football predictions for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 Alabama Football Predictions
2011 Alabama Football Predictions
All talk of 2011 college football predictions has to include a heavy emphasis on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Many people are believing for their 2011 Alabama football predictions that the team is going to win the national championship. They are entering the season as the number 1 team on many people’s radars, and they have everything they will need to make a run at the title. But will they be able to get the job done?
Nick Saban and the rest of the Alabama football team has a chip on their shoulder entering the 2011 season. That means that everyone else in their division, all of the SEC and all of college football should be on notice. In 2010, their arch rival Auburn went on to win the national title, and it’s all because the Crimson Tide gave up a huge lead in the Iron Bowl, allowing the Tigers to come back and win the game.
That has left the team hungry and determined. Last year, they were defending champions and were perhaps overconfident. This year, they are ready to give 110%, and there’s no team out there in better position to win it all than they are. As you’re making your 2011 Alabama football predictions, you’ll see a roster that is loaded with NFL ready talent, even though they have a lost some very high quality players like Julio Jones and Mark Ingram. Saban has restocked with another stellar recruiting class and has underclassman stars in the making ready to emerge with another year under their belts.
Of course, 2011 college football predictions will depend heavily on each team’s schedule and who they are slated to go up against. In the SEC West, Alabama will of course have to take on LSU, Auburn, Mississippi State, Arkansas and Florida, and those are all top 25 teams. Plus, they have an early season game against Penn State on the road that they have to handle as well. It’s a lot to take care of, but Alabama is certainly ready for it.
The last time the Crimson Tide entered a season looking to prove something, they were coming off a bad bowl game loss, and had to watch their rivals in Florida take home the title. Then they defeated Florida en route to their own national championship. Last year they had to deal with their even bigger rival Auburn winning it all. Now you know Alabama is going to be fired up and ready to take care of business, and you wouldn’t want to see this squad lined up against you on the field.
So what’s the final word on 2011 Alabama football predictions? An undefeated season, an SEC championship and a BCS national championship are all within reach. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, and they’ll have a number of hurdles along the way they’ll need to survive. But they have what it takes with both talent and experience, not to mention coaching and grit, so they’re a team not to be forgotten with your 2011 college football predictions.
Check out the experts college football predictions for 2011.
2011 SEC East Football Predictions |
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2011 NCAA Football Predictions: 2011 Big 12 College Football Preview
2011 NCAA Football Predictions: 2011 Big 12 College Football Preview
This offseason the Big 12 was pretty close to a complete, epic collapse. Things didn’t end up that bad for the conference, but things are still going to be much different for the Big 12 in 2011 and in years moving forward after that. A traditional power is gone, another is struggling mightily, and the entire conference format has been changed. All of this means there is a lot to comb through as you plan 2011 NCAA college football predictions, and you can use the following guide to get started.
The biggest change is that the Big 12 conference is no longer so aptly named, as it’s down to just 10 teams. Both Nebraska and Colorado jumped ship, reducing the conference in size, although they are lucky it wasn’t worse than that. Other schools were considering leaving as well, and if another one or two had made the move, it’s likely they would have been the dominoes to set everything off and collapse the conference.
Still, as it is, the conference has only 10 teams, and instead of having a north and south division, everyone is simply lumped together. That means no divisional rankings, and more importantly, no championship game. So the Big 12 is going to be completely different this year and moving ahead, and it will shake up the entire college football world in terms of who to make NCAA football predictions favorites when you consider conference champions and all of the BCS games, bowl bids and so forth.
The power team in the conference has always been the Texas Longhorns. Even when the team isn’t good, they are the unit that commands everyone’s attention and everyone’s dollars, which is why they have their own television network on the way. In truth, that’s part of the reason for the near collapse of the entire Big 12 conference, because the other teams didn’t like that disparity.
Texas is coming off a real terrible year though, where they only finished 5-7, including a dismal 2-6 record within the conference. That’s unheard of for Mack Brown and the Longhorns, and you can be sure that they are going to make major improvements immediately. If it doesn’t turn around immediately, then even the highly respected and winning Brown could find his job in jeopardy.
The favorite in the conference for anyone making NCAA football predictions for 2011 almost has to be the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have the majority of their team back from last season, a year in which they went 12-2 and trounced the Connecticut Huskies in their BCS bowl game. Of course, the Huskies didn’t deserve to be there at all, but that’s a different story for another day.
The Sooners and coach Bob Stoops are ready to do even better than last year and go all the way to the title game and a national championship victory. With Texas likely being better but not great, with the Nebraska Cornhuskers gone and without a Big 12 championship game to get in the way as a stumbling block, it’s certainly possible that Oklahoma advances that far this season. It’s a talented, experienced team, with great leadership and drive.
It’s not as though they will be without competition in the Big 12 though. They will have to watch out for in state rivals Oklahoma State. They went 11-2 last season and won their bowl game. In the final game of the regular season, the Sooners beat the Cowboys in a back and forth thriller 47-41, sending one team to the Big 12 championship and another to the back of the line. So anything can happen and both teams are eager to beat out one another.
Another team to watch for in the Big 12 will of course be Missouri. Missouri finished 10-3 last season and won the old northern division of the conference. The Tigers of course lost their starting quarterback to the NFL, so that’s going to leave a big hole for the team. But, once again, the Big 12 looks to be weaker this year than it has been in the past, and there will be opportunities for good teams to shine.
Finally, Texas A&M also wants to continue their improvement. In 2010, they finished 9-4, and they want to continue capitalizing on the relative weakness of their in-state rivals, the Longhorns, and also the Red Raiders from Texas Tech. That trio of Texas schools will certainly have a major impact on the entire Big 12 conference and how everything shakes out all season.
Of course, with Nebraska gone, the conference lost one of its best teams, and a glorious football program. However, with Colorado gone, the conference also lost one of its weakest teams, and some of the schools mentioned above will probably miss not playing the Buffaloes every season.
The remaining bottom feeder from last year is Kansas. The Jayhawks were only 1-7 within the conference last season and they finished 3-9. In fact, they were the only school in the entire conference to have a worse conference record and overall record with Texas, which is hard to even believe considering Texas’s track record of success over the years.
Between their unusual position and the entire realignment of the conference, the Big 12 is going to be a fun conference to watch this season. Then, you also have to consider that after this year they may try to poach other schools to boost their numbers back to 12, so that adds even more mystery and suspense to the year and the season for all of the schools involved.
College football picks for the upcoming season and the Big 12 are certainly going to be different than they have been in the past. The conference is down to 10 teams, there are no divisions and there is no championship game, and one of the glamour schools, Nebraska, is gone. Meanwhile, Texas is coming off a down year, while Oklahoma wants to keep for a national championship and more storylines abound. It’s going to be an up and down ride and it will be very intriguing to see how all of the teams and schools involved react and perform.
Check out the expert Big Ten football predictions for 2011.
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