2011 College Football Rankings: Most Glaring Weaknesses of Top 25 Teams

With the 2010 college football season culminating, it is time to take a look at what some of the nations top teams might look like in the 2011 season.

A record number of underclassmen made the jump to the NFL draft this year, which will leave many of last year's top teams in a rebuilding mode. Gone are the household names like Cam Newton, Patrick Peterson and Mark Ingram. Their teams will welcome in new superstars that will now be looked at to build on the success that their respected programs had in 2010.

Let us take a look at ESPN columnist Mark Schlabach's top-25 preseason poll, and find out what some of the most glaring weaknesses will be for these teams heading into the 2011 college football season.

The Mountaineers had a solid season in 2010, posting a 9-4 record, including a 5-2 mark in the Big East.

While West Virgina will return quarterback Geno Smith, who had an outstanding sophomore season, they will have to deal with the loss of senior tailback Noel Devine, who was the staple of the Mountaineers offense for the past four seasons.

West Virgina will have to find a way to replace a guy who rushed for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in his four years with the Mountaineers. The team's second leading rusher, sophomore Ryan Clarke, carried the ball 80 times for just 291 yards this past season.

Losing Devine and finding a replacement in the backfield is a must for the Mountaineers if they plan to stay at the top of the Big East standings in 2011.

Mississippi State very well could be considered one of the hottest college football teams heading into the 2011 season.

After posting an 8-4 record overall and finishing .500 in the toughest conference in America, the Bulldogs trounced Michigan 52-14 in the Progressive Gator Bowl on New Years Day.

After a solid season, many believed that it would be difficult to retain head coach Dan Mullen, especially when coaching vacancies at Miami and Florida came about. However, Mississippi State locked up their coach to a new four-year contract and are looking forward to starting off next season how they finished 2010.

The Bulldogs return a lot of production on the offensive end, but they do lose some key members of their defense, specifically at the linebacker position.

Defensive end Pernell McPhee and linebackers K.J. Wright and Chris White will leave a gaping hole in the Bulldogs defense next season. Good news for them is that they do have a solid recruiting class coming in, so some fresh faces will get the opportunity to fill those holes in a hurry when spring practice comes along.

This past year was an unusual one for the Florida Gators. After coming off an 11-1 season in 2009, the Gators were just 7-5 in the regular season and concluded the year with a 37-24 victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

In the process, Urban Meyer stepped down from his head coaching duties and will be replaced by former Texas defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp.

Fortunately for Muschamp and the Gators, one of the nations best defensive backs, Jenoris Jenkins, announced earlier this month that he will be returning next season. In addition to Jenkins return, quarterback John Brantley announced that he will be returning as well after rumors spread about Brantley possibly transferring schools.

Although Brantley has announced that he will return for his senior season, the Gators biggest question mark still lies at the quarterback position.

Brantley, who was a highly recruited quarterback out of Ocala, Fla., was erratic at times in his first season starting. He did pass for more than 2,000 yards, but he also threw 10 interceptions compared to just nine touchdown passes. The Gators also used multi-talented freshman Trey Burton at the quarterback position, but he was used more as a runner, similar to Tim Tebow when he backed up Chris Leak in his freshman season.

With highly touted quarterback Jeff Driskel coming to Gainesville next year, it will be interesting to see how the Gators quarterback position shakes out.

This year was a season to forget for Texas' football program. After making it to the National Championship game the previous season and entering the year ranked as the No. 3 team in college football, the Longhorns concluded 2010 with a 5-7 record and missed a postseason bowl game for the first time since 2007.

Texas struggled on both ends of the ball, but one aspect that the Longhorns will need to really focus on improving on in 2011 is their pass defense. That will not be easy with the departure of their three top defensive backs. Curtis and Chykie Brown were both seniors, and junior corner Aaron Williams declared early for the NFL draft.

The Longhorns will look to a pair of inexperienced sophomores in Carrington Byndom and A.J. White to help fill the void in the secondary.

People are high on Arizona State heading into the 2011 college football season, and why not? The Sun Devils return the core of the 14th ranked pass offense in the country last season.

Former University of Michigan quarterback Steven Threet threw for over 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2010. He will lose his top receiver in senior Kerry Taylor, but the rest of the receiving core returns for the Sun Devils.

The story is much the same for Arizona State on the defensive side of the ball. The Sun Devils had very few seniors on their defense this season, so they should be filled with experience there heading into 2011.

The only area that we can really point out as a weakness for this team next year could be their special teams. Punter Trevor Hankins and All Pac-10 kicker Thomas Weber were both seniors this year. Weber was also the backup punter, so that will have to be a position that the Sun Devils will look too build depth.

All-in-all, things look pretty good for ASU heading into the 2011 college football season.

Surprised to see Virginia Tech ranked so low in the preseason polls?

When you lose as much talent as the Hokies will heading into next season, it is very easy to understand why they are positioned so low.

Gone is four-year starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who leaves Virginia Tech having passed for more then 7,000 yards in his four-year career. Passing was not all that Taylor could do; he also rushed for more then 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in his career at Virginia Tech.

Unfortunately for the Hokies, Taylor is not all they lost. Both Virginia Tech running backs, Darren Evans and Ryan Williams announced they were leaving school early to enter the NFL Draft. The pair combined for 4,251 rushing yards and 54 total touchdowns in their careers.

It is obvious that the Hokies will have a glaring gap in their rushing game heading into the 2011 season. Virginia Tech seems to always have great rushers, but this year might the year that challenges that statement.

Nebraska started the year on a hot streak, winning nine of it's first 10 games and being ranked in the top-10 of the AP polls. But the Cornhuskers lost three of their final four games, including an embarrassing 19-7 loss to Washington in the Holiday Bowl.

Fortunately for Nebraska, 2011 will bring a new start to the program as they leave the Big-12 and join the Big Ten conference. They bring back a lot of talent, but also lose some key pieces that they very well could struggle to replace.

One of those key positions that the Cornhuskers will have to replace will be in their defensive backfield, where they lose All-American Prince Amukamara, as well as seniors Eric Hagg and DeJon Gomes. That will be a glaring weakness that Nebraska will have to address, especially with so many good passing quarterbacks in the Big Ten next season.

The Horned Frogs finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record and proved that they could play with the best, as they defeated Wisconsin 21-19 in the Rose Bowl to close out the college football season.

So why exactly is TCU ranked No. 18 after accomplishing that?

Well, for starters, they are leaving the Mountain West and joining the Big East conference, which is a much more competitive conference. In addition to that, the Horned Frogs also lose starting quarterback Andy Dalton, who has had one of the most successful four-year careers of any quarterback in college football history. He has passed for over 10,000 yards in his career and leaves as the all-time winning quarterback in TCU history.

The Horned Frogs will not find someone who can replace Dalton. He is simply irreplaceable.Theyhave to find someone who can be successful and start their own legacy.

The National Champion Auburn Tigers had one of the most memorable seasons in college football history this past year. But with success comes players departures to the NFL draft, and the Tigers have plenty of those.

Gone if Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who dominated college football this season. Also gone is his top receivers Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery. On the other side of ball, gone is All-American defensive tackle Nick Fairley, who very well could be the top pick of the 2011 NFL draft.

The Tigers No. 1 need that they will have to fill next year will be finding a viable replacement for Newton and some more weapons in the passing game. If they can do that, magic could strike twice for the Tigers.

The Tigers had an outstanding season, finishing the year with a record of 10-3 and 6-2 in the Big-12 standings. While Missouri had a solid defense, it's strength was in the passing game, and that all started with junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who very well could be a top-10 pick in this April's NFL draft.

The Tigers return the majority of their starters on the offensive end, but losing Gabbert will hurt. James Franklin appears to be the leading candidate to take over at quarterback, but it could be an open competition heading into spring practice.

The defense returns an abundance of starters, but do lose three of their four starters in the defensive backfield.

Defensive backs and quarterback will be the most glaring weaknesses for Missouri heading into next year's college football season.

What a memorable year it was for the Michigan State Spartans. They finished the regular season with an 11-1 record and were Big Ten co-champions for the first time in 20 years.

The good news for Sparty is that they return a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, leading rusher Edwin Baker and leading receiver B.J. Cunningham will all be back next year. The unfortunate news is that they will lose two-time All-American linebacker Greg Jones, along with four-year starter Eric Gordon.

Those two will be difficult to replace, but the Spartans do have some viable candidates in Max Bullough and Denicos Allen, both of whom played well in backup time this season. If those two guys can play at a high level next season, look for the Spartans to contend for another Big Ten title in 2011.

The Fighting Irish struggled again this season, and yet they continue to be ranked highly in the preseason polls.

On the bright side, Notre Dame does have a lot of talent coming back on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Dayne Crist started off solid in the 2010 season, but was lost for the season with an injury. In addition to Crist returning, his leading receiver, Michael Floyd, announced that he will return for his senior season.

Where the Irish will need help next year is in their defensive backfield. They will lose Gary Gray, Darrin Walls and Harrison Smith. Notre Dame does have a good recruiting class coming in next year, and some of those kids could see early playing time.

It was a great season for Texas A&M, and while the Aggies do return a lot of talent on the offensive end, they will lose a ton of talent on defense.

It all starts with the loss of All-American linebacker Von Miller. He was a three-year starter who dominated at the linebacker position for Texas A&M. The Aggies will also lose senior linebacker Michael Hodges. Filling the linebacker position will be the biggest challenge heading into the 2011 season. It is a glaring weakness, and one that needs to be addressed.

Wisconsin had an exceptional year, finishing with a 11-1 record in the regular season and sharing the Big Ten championship.

But, heading into the 2011 season, the Badgers do lose a lot of talent on both ends of the ball. Scott Tolzien had a quiet, but solid career at Wisconsin, passing for more than 5,000 yards in two seasons as the Badgers starting signal caller.

They will also lose three All American type players in running back John Clay, offensive lineman Gabe Carimi and defensive lineman J.J. Watt. But the main thing here will be for the Badgers to find a capable replacement for Tolzien at the quarterback position. The only other player to even attempt a pass this season was Jon Budmayr, who completed eight of 10 passes for 134 yards.

South Carolina returns a lot of talent next year, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Gamecocks leading passer, rusher and receiver all return on the offensive end.

The defensive end is a different story. The most gaping hole for the Gamecocks will be at the linebacker position where Josh Dickerson, Tony Straughter and Rodney Paulk will all be graduating. South Carolina will also have to replace two starting defensive linemen in Ladi Ajboye and Cliff Matthews.

If the Gamecocks can restructure their defense, they could very well get back to the SEC Championship game in 2011.

The Buckeyes would probably be higher up on this list, but five of their top players are suspended for the first five games of the season for accepting improper benefits.

Non the less, when those players do return from their suspensions, the Buckeyes are one of the most talented teams in the country from top to bottom. They have an explosive offense, led by Terrelle Pryor, who would be a preseason All American had it not been for the suspension.

The Buckeyes will have a lot to replace on the defensive end. They will lose seven starters on defense, including two of three starting linebackers, both of their corner backs, and most importantly, All-Big Ten defensive end Cameron Heyward.

Ohio State will have to have a lot of players to step up on the defensive end if they want to compete for a conference championship in 2011.

Fortunately for Stanford, they return Andrew Luck, who very well could be the best quarterback in the country next year.

Unfortunately, Luck will loose his top two receivers in Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen. Those two wide outs combined for more then 1,200 yards this season. The Cardinal will also lose half of their defensive line and the only two way starter in Division 1 college football in Owen Marecic.

With how skilled Luck is at the quarterback position, he should be able to find some new targets in the passing game that he will develop a relationship with. At the moment, those replacements remains unknown.

This will be a new look Arkansas offense, not so much because there will be a ton of new faces, but because the Razorbacks will likely rely much heavier on the run game in the 2011 season.

Ryan Mallett is off to the NFL and will likely be a first round selection in April's draft. But returning is Knile Davis, who rushed for 1,322 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

The Razorbacks return an abundance of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but the question marks heading into the 2011 season will be how are they going to replace Mallett, and how are they going to replace they lose of three offensive lineman and their starting tight end.

Arkansas very well could having a glaring weakness at offensive tackle, as both tackles, Ray Dominguez and DeMarcus Love graduate along with starting guard Wade Grayson. Tight end D.J. Williams will also need to be replaced. He led the team with 54 receptions this season.

Let the E.J. Manuel era begin in Tallahassee. The Seminoles highly-touted quarterback will get the chance to take over as the full time starter now that Christian Ponder has moved on to the NFL.

Florida State returns pretty much all of their skill positions on offense outside of quarterback. The key position that the Seminoles must look to reload at in 2011 is at linebacker.

Kendall Smith, who ranked second on the team with 97 tackles, will be lost to graduation. Much the same goes for linebacker Mister Alexander who recorded 56 tackles this season. If the Seminoles can find a way to replace those two at linebacker, then this could finally be the year that they have that breakout season.

This pick might surprise some people, but the Cowboys quietly put together an 11-2 season in 2010 and concluded the year with a 36-10 trouncing of Arizona in the Alamo Bowl.

Oklahoma State does return a good amount of talent, but they also lose some key position players as well. Gone is senior running back Kendall Hunter, who compiled more than 4,000 yards in his four years there.That will be an issue that the Cowboys will have to address heading into spring ball.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys will have to replace six starters, with the biggest hit coming to their defensive line. Ugo Chinasa, Chris Donaldson and Shane Jarka all will be graduating this year, leaving a gaping hole in the Cowboys defensive line.

This very well could be an aspect that determines whether the Cowboys can be a great team or just an average team in 2011.

Kellen Moore will return for his senior season, which is great news for Broncos nation. Now, the question is, who will Moore have to throw the ball to?

Both of the Broncos do-it-all receivers, Titus Young and Austin Pettis will graudate this year, leaving a huge question mark in the Broncos receiving core heading into 2011. Those two combined for just under 6,000 yards in their four years at Boise State. That is an astonishing number, that realistically can't be matched next year or perhaps anytime soon.

Boise State returns seven starters on defense, but the main question mark heading into 2011 will be how they are going to replace those receivers that have done so much for them over the past four seasons.

When taking a look at what LSU returns in the 2011 season, one can understand why Les Miles made the decision to stay in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers return seven starters on offense. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson will lead the offense again, and he will return one of his top targets in will-be-junior Rueben Randle.

While the Tigers do return seven on defense, the four that they are losing all played huge roles in their success this season and in the past. Junior corner Patrick Peterson was one of the top defensive players in all of football this season. He will likely be a top-5 pick in this year's NFL draft and will be very hard to replace. Another potential first round pick is defensive tackle Drake Nevis, who ranked fifth on the team with 56 tackles and also recorded six sacks. Perhaps the biggest loss will be at linebacker, where LSU will have to replace Kelvin Sheppard, who recorded a team-high 116 tackles.

The offense is stacked this year for LSU, but the question is, how will Les Miles' defense turn out?

The Ducks made it to the National Championship game this year, return both Darron Thomas, who had a breakout sophomore season, and LaMichael James, who rushed for over 1,700 yards while being named a Heisman finalist.

So where are their glaring weaknesses?

Well, outside of the big names like Thomas and James, the Ducks are losing a lot of talent from their 12-1 team this season.

Staring wideouts D.J. Davis and Jeff Maehl are both gone, as are both the Ducks' starting offensive tackles and center. On the defensive end, the Ducks will have to replace more then half of their defensive starters, including leading tackler Casey Matthews.

It will be interesting to see how far Thomas and James can carry this group and how they will deal with the new faces taking over on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Alabama has become an annually reloading program, which explains their high preseason polls ranking.

However, this season there will be plenty of new faces out on the field for the Tide, and some names that we have all come to know over the past couple of seasons are moving on to their NFL dreams.

Names like Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram, Julio Jones and Marcell Dareus are all moving on and should be selected in April's NFL draft.

But why Alabama has Trent Richardson and highly touted freshman Demetrius Hart to step in at running back, Marquis Maze to take over the No. 1 wide receiver spot, and Dont'a Hightower to lead the defense, the question mark will be at the quarterback position.

A.J. McCarron will get the first look at being the new signal caller for the Tide in 2011. Phillip Sims is another heavily recruited kid out of high school that could get a look as well. But while both these guys have the talent level to succeed as starters, do they have the leadership and moxy that McElroy has during his time at Alabama? Only time will tell.

There is a reason that many choose the Sooners as college football's top team in 2011. Simply put, they return a lot.

Landry Jones returns to lead the third-ranked passing offense in the country from 2010. Also back is his leading target and best play maker, Ryan Broyles.

On the defensive end, to-be-senior Travis Lewis made the decision to return for his final season and forgo the NFL draft, where he would have been a likely first round pick.

The key loss that the Sooners will have to overcome is that of running back DeMarco Murray. This four year starter compiled over 3,600 yards and 50 touchdowns during his time in a Oklahoma uniform. He will be replaced by to-be sophomore Roy Finch, who had a promising freshman season, but it is still up in the air as to what he can do with the starting tailback duties attached to his name.

This team is stacked from top to bottom and could very well be a National Championship contender next season. But in order to reach their aspirations, they must develop a consistent rushing attack in 2011.