2011 College Football Predictions: 5 Potential Top Teams Flying Under the Radar
Every college football season there are teams that get swept aside and ignored even though they have potential to be one of the top teams in the country.
In 2008, Utah shocked the world finishing 13-0 and ranked as a top five team in the nation.
In 2009 it was Boise State who made a run, finishing 14-0 and ranking among the top schools.
Last year, of course, it was TCU among the top of the charts after a fantastic undefeated season.
Who could be that team this year? Who is everybody forgetting about, but could be considered one of the best when it is all said and done?
Here are five potential teams who shouldn't be forgotten this season.
5. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan isn't some no-name school, but they have been forgotten in recent years.
During the reign of Rich Rodriguez the Wolverines had a record of 15-22. In the Big Ten, they had a pathetic showing of 6-18.
Rejoice Michigan fans, Rodriguez is gone.
Brady Hoke has arrived and is already showing an immediate impact. He plans to bring the "Pro-Style" back to Michigan, and it has attracted recruits.
Hoke has already reeled in some of the bigger names from this year's class, whatever his pitch may be.
Michigan also has a talented roster. Denard Robinson was mentioned as a Heisman candidate at one point last season.
An undefeated season may be a bit absurd, but there is no doubt that things are looking up for Michigan. They could start the march back to dominance this season.
4. Northwestern Wildcats
Another team with slim chances of going undefeated, but still boasting a pretty talented team.
Northwestern started the 2010 season off winning their first five games of the season.
In the following four weeks, they picked up one win, lost two very close matchups in Big Ten play and blew a 21-0 lead at Penn State.
After losing quarterback Dan Persa to injury, the team lost the remainder of their games.
Persa is one of the most underrated players in the nation, and gives Northwestern the potential to steal any game on any given weekend.
Realistically, the Wildcats have the opportunity to win anywhere from eight to ten games next season. Don't look past them.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
Nobody is showing any love to the Tar Heels.
Quinton Coples, Donte-Paige Moss and Zach Brown are all players on the North Carolina defense.
There is a strong possibility that each of them is drafted in the top 10 of the 2012 NFL Draft.
The Tar Heels have a very talented roster with tons of potential. They finished the 2010 season with an 8-5 record despite the NCAA investigation and suspensions of many players.
With things slowly getting back on track, don't be surprised if North Carolina finishes the season with double-digit victories.
2. Central Florida Knights
Right now, all the buzz at Central Florida is surrounding four-star quarterback recruit DaMarcus Smith.
Smith signed his letter of intent with the school, but is now asking to have it released so he can attend school at Louisville.
If he remains with the Knights, there chances for having a big year improve.
If he doesn't, the team will still be fine without him.
This is a team that boasted the eighth ranked scoring defense last season, allowing only 17.1 points per game.
They didn't do too bad on offense without Smith, dropping 32.1 points on average against opponents.
Throw in the fact that they have a very weak schedule, and this team could be destined for a run at an undefeated season.
The toughest opponent on the team's schedule: Boston College.
Hello, 12-0?
1. San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs have one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Ryan Lindley. He could very likely be a first round selection in next year's NFL draft.
Although lesser known, they also boast one of the best running backs in the nation in Ronnie Hillman.
Last season, as a true freshman, Hillman rushed for 1,532 yards, breaking the record held by Marshall Faulk for most rushing yards by a freshman at the university.
This is a team with all the manpower one could ask for on offense. They put up 35 points per game last season, and will likely have a similar showing in 2011.
There are only two things working against the Aztecs.
First, they just lost head coach Brady Hoke, who left the team to become the head coach at Michigan.
Also, despite being in a weaker conference, they still play some decent competition. TCU, Boise State and Michigan are all on the team's schedule.
If the team can win at least two of those three games, there is a strong chance you will see San Diego State ranked in the BCS Top 10 at the end of the season.