5 College Football Teams Who Could Go Winless in 2013
5 College Football Teams Who Could Go Winless
With one week before the first college football games of the season, a lot of fans are firing up the grills and getting the foam No. 1 fingers ready as many of the 125 Football Bowl Series (FBS) teams have a shot to do something this fall.
On the other side of the spectrum, though, are a handful of teams who could do nothing this season. It’s the simple law of mathematics. For every 12-0 team, there probably is going to be an 0-12 team. The same goes for 11-1 teams and 1-11 teams as well. For every team with fans waving No. 1 fingers, there are groups of fans who are chewing on their fingernails.
For every Alabama, there is a University of Massachusetts, a school with perhaps higher ambitions for their program than their resources allow. For every Notre Dame with its millions of fans and the backing of a major television network, there is a Georgia State, a school that did not have football five years ago and scrambling to put together a presentable radio network.
Two years ago, UMass, better known for its basketball program, was a somewhat successful but not championship-level team in the Football Championship Series (FCS) Colonial Athletic Conference. UMass may not be long for the big-time, though. The NCAA has told the Minutemen they must average at least 15,000 fans in the 68,756-capacity Gillette Stadium or it will be placed on a 10-year probation. That might be difficult considering the team averaged only 10,900 fans per game on the way to a 1-11 season last year.
Here are five teams who could go winless this season, including two from the same state and two from the same conference (not on either's schedule):
Mike Gibson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
5. Eastern Michigan
The Eagles of head coach Ron English lost defensive coordinator Phil Snow to Temple in the offseason. The Eagles have struggled as a program in the shadow of Ann Arbor, and their best chance for a win might be in the opener against Howard, a 7-4 team last year.
4. Hawaii
To demonstrate how much disarray the Warriors' program is in, head coach Norm Chow had to fire offensive coordinator Aaron Price on the first day of summer practice. Chow will probably take over those duties, and his schedule does him no favors as USC is coming to the island for the opening game. Hawaii's best chance for a win is in the Nov. 30 final against visiting Army.
3. Boston College
Steve Addazio is the new coach and he believes heavily in the run game. The problem for the Eagles is that they are in an ACC where just about every team is more talented. Even the home opener is tougher than it seems because Villanova, from the FCS, is the favorite of the tough Colonial Athletic Association. The Eagles' best chance for a win might be a Nov. 9 date against New Mexico State.
2. UMass
The Minutemen were only 1-11 last year under head coach Charley Molnar in their first year in the Mid-American Conference. They were outscored 482-152. The opener at Wisconsin could get ugly.
1. Georgia State
A number of true freshmen could start for head coach Trent Miles, and that's usually a recipe for disaster. The Panthers play before small crowds in the cavernous Georgia Dome and on the road schedule are Alabama and West Virginia.
Be sure to check out the Rant Sports 100 in 100 Series, a preview of the top 100 College Football Teams for the 2013 Season!
Sign Up
for the
