There is no doubt about the passion that drives college football fans around the country. However, the reality is that sometimes they can think a little too much with their hearts rather than their heads. Every fan base will enter this season with a sense of optimism that they can do better than they did a year ago but some fans seem to have set the bar considerably higher than they should at this point. Here is a look at the four most delusional fan bases in college football heading in to the 2016 season.
Miami Hurricanes
You have probably heard it by now: The “U” is back. That might be true in terms of the fact that they seem to have landed a quality head coach in Mark Richt and the hype surrounding the program is palpable but the reality is that Miami has a long way to go before it is ready to be considered a legitimate contender in the loaded ACC. Start with the fact that it’s a new staff taking over a roster that is still littered with holes and factor in the fact that they will be competing with a pair of legitimate national championship contenders in the ACC with Clemson and Florida State both reloading and it’s clear they will face some tough challenges in 2016. The Hurricanes are headed in the right direction and could be at the start of something special but the Miami fan base might be a little over its head to think the “U” is ready to contend for an ACC championship at this point.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska football fans will have to wait a little longer for a return to the glory days as their team still has a long way to go to turn things around after seven losses last season. They have a quarterback with the potential to be very good but is still very inconsistent, there are holes throughout the lineup and when you factor in how dangerous the rest of the Big Ten is it is clear that they have a lot of work to do before they are ready to return to prominence. The Huskers certainly have some impressive pieces but that won’t pull them from the shadows of the legitimate Big Ten contenders like Ohio State and Michigan.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers still need to figure out the answer at quarterback and unfortunately for Auburn football fans they won’t be able to bring back Cam Newton. John Franklin III will compete for the starting job but there is no reason to expect him to be the savior he has been cast as at this point and it’s important to remember the Tigers still play in the loaded SEC West. Auburn has some intriguing pieces in place but their schedule is absolutely loaded including a non-conference showdown with Clemson in their opener and SEC games at Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Tigers have the potential to be good but just don’t buy in to the hype that they will be national title contenders this season.
Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State played at a very high level en route to a Big Ten title in 2015 but they could be in for a rude awakening this season. Tyler O Connor and Damion Terry will fight to replace Connor Cook at the quarterback position and neither one of them should be expected to step right in and fill the void after what Cook did for the Spartans last season. It also won’t help that star left tackle Jack Conklin also graduated to the NFL ranks as a projected first round pick. Michigan State scraped out close wins over the Buckeyes and Wolverines a year ago but both teams have improved on paper and it will be tough to beat either one of them without Cook under center. The Spartans are expected to challenge for another conference title in 2016 but the reality is they could take a major step back with a handful of teams on the rise in the Big Ten this season.
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