Which Schools Should Be Considered College Football Royalty? (ESPN)

[Drew]

Says there are 8 true "Blue Bloods"

1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Michigan
7. Texas
8. Nebraska

UConn comes in T-101 with a score of 1

Who are college football's blue-blood programs?

 

[SubbaBub]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

 

[Adios]

F Texas.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I hate the criteria they use. The fact that FSU is not on there is ridiculous.

 

[Exit 4]

Should have stopped at 7.

Blue bloods in the making if they continue their success of the past 20 year forward another 20 years; FSU, LSU, Oregon?

 

[BugsyCT]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

Actually, Nebraska won 3 NCs in the mid 1990s. But once Osborne retired the party was over.

 

[Excalibur]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

The 1995 team is still considered by many to be the best ever. I doubt they will ever be truly relevant on the national stage again, but you are selling them a bit short.

 

[IMind]

They have Miami ranked way too high... they had a decade of absolute dominance but ... it would be like calling Golden State one of the top basketball franchises of all time... it's just too short a period of excellence given the 100+ years of college football.

 

[Chin Diesel]

All 8 of those teams were dominant program while FSU was still a girls school.

You could actually compare FSU football to UConn Bball in terms of new money and old money.

 

[huskymedic]

Sigh: Big 12 lacking in high-profile football schools

>>Among the Big 12 expansion candidates, Brigham Young is 27th; Boise State 35th; Navy 51st; Houston and Air Force tied at 63rd; Cincinnati, Colorado State and San Diego State tied for 69th; Memphis 80th; Central Florida 83rd; East Carolina 84th; South Florida 93rd; Tulane 97th; and Connecticut 101st.<<

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

you are nuts. Nebraska won three titles in the 1990s and if the referees weren't determined to give Bowden his first title, Nebraska would have won four that decade.

ESPN's list is actually pretty damned accurate. The only possible error is that Miami (it pains me to say it) may also belong, in a manner similar to UCLA for men's hoops.

 

[SubbaBub]

OK so Nebraska has only been irrelevant for 20 years instead of 30. Yeesh, you people.

The FB "Kings" club, of which this article is a poor imitation. Is very small.

It's ND, Bama, OSU, Michigan, OU, USC, FSU, and Texas. Texas had better right the ship quick or they might be dropped.

Oregon, Wisc, Penn St, Nebraska, Miami, Florida, LSU plus a few others are the next level.

If you aren't winning conference titles decade and competing for the NC regularly then you aren't in the discussion.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

This is probably the biggest waste of time and resources I've ever seen ESPN dedicate to an article... Wow... Can't wait for the season to just get here!

 

[Srqhusky]

Burt Reynolds was a fullback for FSU. Anyone want to guess who his roommate was?

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Burt Reynolds was a fullback for FSU. Anyone want to guess who his roommate was?

Lee Corso?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

OK so Nebraska has only been irrelevant for 20 years instead of 30. Yeesh, you people.

The FB "Kings" club, of which this article is a poor imitation. Is very small.

It's ND, Bama, OSU, Michigan, OU, USC, FSU, and Texas. Texas had better right the ship quick or they might be dropped.

Oregon, Wisc, Penn St, Nebraska, Miami, Florida, LSU plus a few others are the next level.

If you aren't winning conference titles decade and competing for the NC regularly then you aren't in the discussion.

how long was Alabama irrelevant prior to hiring Saban? USC prior to hiring Carroll? ND with or without believing Kelly has brought them back to relevance? How is Michigan still relevant if Nebraska is not?

The thing is there are a few schools (pretty much the ESPN list above) who will never be more than one correct hire away from being a consistent national power. The schools I named in the first paragraph, Oklahoma with Stoops, Texas with Mack Brown and Ohio St with both Tressel and Meyer are all evidence of that.

Nebraska has a sellout streak approaching fifty five years. Comparing Oregon (nice recent run), Wisconsin (pretty solid for the past three decades but not s lot before that and nothing truly exceptional now) to Nebraska shows a very limited understanding of college football. Putting FSU ahead of them would be similar to claiming Florida should be above Kansas in terms of historic men's hoops status.

 

[coachRD]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

The petty part of me is pleased that Nebraska has struggled through mediocrity ever since Solich (long-time Osborne assistant) was cut loose after his "unacceptable" string of winning 75% of his games. I know there was a drop off from Osborne, but how could there NOT be?!

 

[huskymedic]

Nice spin by the usual BYU toad:

Jeffrey Fuller@jjfuller72 2 hours ago · Alabama
espn.com/college-footba… ESPN's "most important programs":
Big12 candidates
BYU 27
UH 63
Cinci 69
ColoSt 68
Memph 80
UCF 83
USF 93
UConn 101

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

The Indiana of football.

 

[Srqhusky]

Lee Corso?

Winner

 

[freescooter]

I hate the criteria they use. The fact that FSU is not on there is ridiculous.

I don't know about that. FSU was a women's college when Texas Alabama Michigan Notre Dame et al were winning national championships. If Nebraska hasn't been relevant since the 80s Florida State wasn't relevant until the 80s. Same issue we run into in basketball. Most national titles since 1999 but UNC was winning them when we played Ne Hampshire.

 

[SubbaBub]

how long was Alabama irrelevant prior to hiring Saban? USC prior to hiring Carroll? ND with or without believing Kelly has brought them back to relevance? How is Michigan still relevant if Nebraska is not?

The thing is there are a few schools (pretty much the ESPN list above) who will never be more than one correct hire away from being a consistent national power. The schools I named in the first paragraph, Oklahoma with Stoops, Texas with Mack Brown and Ohio St with both Tressel and Meyer are all evidence of that.

Nebraska has a sellout streak approaching fifty five years. Comparing Oregon (nice recent run), Wisconsin (pretty solid for the past three decades but not s lot before that and nothing truly exceptional now) to Nebraska shows a very limited understanding of college football. Putting FSU ahead of them would be similar to claiming Florida should be above Kansas in terms of historic men's hoops status.

Bama has had two distinct dynastic runs each outpacing nearly every other school taken alone.

USC has also had two distinct runs, what happens in between pales in comparison.

Nebraska's legacy while just as impressive back in the say isn't coming back. They built their legacy on a system that no longer exists. They may always be good, but they aren't going to be at the top of the food chain consistently ever again. Population and location have a lot to do with it.

NU like anyplace with outsized expectations isn't going to attract a Meyer or a Saban. Both places they moved to were ready made for a turnaround. NU doesn't have the same base.

Now, if they did get a star HC or QB and went on a couple year run you might attract a string of classes to keep it going. But is that really likely? No.

LSU, FL, GA and Texas have a much better chance of getting back to the top. Even Miami, who finally attracted a name coach (if underachieving), has a chance because I think Richt is one of those guys. He just wasn't Saban.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I really don't have too many complaints with this list. They are not rating recent accomplishments more highly than past accomplishments. The best thing is how far down West Virginia is. I bet the Dude is emailing ESPN with lengthy diatribes as we speak.

As for Nebraska, while they haven't challenged for an NC recently, they have won their division as often as not in the B1G and finished ranked several times this decade. That's their "down" period. If Scott Frost is the miracle worker at UCF that the media predicts, he'll be back in Lincoln fairly quickly.

I think Michigan should be above OSU, and FSU above Georgia but those are nits.

 

[Alum86]

That's awfully kind to Nebraska. Considering they haven't been relevant since the 80's.

FSU should be ahead of Texas.

Johnny Rodgerz 72 Nebraska. Best college team. Huskers belong.