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Seeing Michigans recent resurgence got me thinking. Which CFB program that was stories in the past is most likely to have success soon. I’m picking schools that have a household name but have struggled or been mediocre for some time.
Michigan was getting blown out 34-3 late in the UGA game, so I don't think they are "back" just yet.
They are improving, but getting blown out by the #3 ranked team, and having the 13th and 9th best recruting squads for 2021 & 2022 isn't "back". We can only say that Michigan is improving.
Teams are not "back" until they can beat the top SEC teams. 12 of the last 16 national championships were won by SEC teams. 1 was won by a Big Ten team. Michigan must raise its sights above beating Ohio State, and winning the Big Ten, to be back.
Look at the 2021 & 2022 recruiting rankings to see who has the best chance at getting "back".
A quick glance down the list:
Nebraska: They are a mid tier team at this point. They and their fans just dont realize it yet. They keep scratching their heads wondering why they havent returned to greatness yet, not realizing that it's not going to happen. What would make more sense would be for them to drop down to a mid tier conference like Conference USA or something where they could win the conference some of the time, but of course they wont do that, and so will keep getting blown out by the real BIG heavyweights till the next conference realignment where they get dropped. Leaving the Big 12 was probably their worst mistake ever. At least there, they had some cachet and could get a little bit of respect from the others. But in the Big 10? they are the new guy who isnt that good. No one cares. Feel bad for them.
Miami: It always was a shock to me how a small private school like Miami could punch above its weight and compete with the big boys like Florida and Florida State in terms of winning as well as recruits. Well now it seems the magic is gone and the reality has finally crashed in. A small school like that had to have everything working perfectly to keep the ride going, excellent coaching, winning results on the field. Well they dont have the coaches any more and they dont win. So now Florida and FSU are going to crush them in recruiting. This is another team that is headed to irrelevancy and if they are not careful are going to be relegated to the USF and UCF levels.
USC: Another small private school but with more resources than Miami. They just need the coaching to get things back on track. Time will tell if Riley is the answer. I still feel like he under achieved in Oklahoma. He had everything perfectly aligned for him to win at least one championship: Texas sucked, he had several great college QBs one after the other, yet he didnt win anything, getting blown out at least twice. In my opinion he has to win one championship or at least be competitive in a championship game during his tenure otherwise I think it has to be held against him as a coach.
Tennessee: I put them in the Nebraska category honestly. The only time they had been truly relevant was because they somehow got Peyton Manning to go there and then winning the championship the year after he left. I just dont see them ever being able to out compete Georgia, Alabama, Florida or even LSU any time soon. Now that Texas and OU are also coming to the SEC cookout, expect even fewer scraps to be left for them. At this point, both Kentucky and Vandy are going to be more relevant to SEC football in the near future. That's just shocking to say but here we are.
Texas: With all the money they have, I still dont know why they have not just made the big boy move and REALLY gone after a reputable coach, instead dealing with the likes of Strong, Herman and now Sarkissian. Personally, if I was the Texas AD I'm taking the risky but ballsy move of going after Urban Meyer whenever he's ready to coach again, and after the way he was fired at Jacksonville, he needs some coaching redemption. There's no shame in admitting that. Even Saban struggled in the NFL. Meyer is a GREAT college coach. Texas would be an attractive landing spot with the resources that he would need to create another champion. They need to make this happen.
Florida State: I dont live in Florida so I dont know much about the dynamics of college football in that state. I was surprised to read an article a while back that stated that Florida State is at a competitive disadvantage compared to Florida in terms of resources, alumni donations etc. This is hard to believe considering all the years that Bowden seemed to rule the state and go toe to toe with Spurrier all those years. But this is another team that has struggled to find the right coach as well and the state of Florida is just too competitive recruiting wise to be mediocre. So yeah I guess they too are headed in Miami's direction as well.
Miami isn't that small a private university, they have over 18,000 students.
And USC not only isn't small, it's one the largest colleges in the nation with 49,500 students.
It’s all relative. Miami is relatively small. The number you are quoting is total enrollment at all levels, including grad school and their global/online programs. Their undergrad enrollment is about 11,000. Not small, but a lot smaller than state schools, which tend to be much more competitive in football. For reference, Florida State and Florida each have over 40,000 students.
Talks with Meyer did not go down well with Texas before he went to the NFL.
Besides his age and erratic off the field baggage, he is not a fan favorite in Austin.
Sark still has a couple of years to right things for the Longhorns. If he doesn’t there will be another hotshot who will accept the challenge (and a boatload of money).
Talks with Meyer did not go down well with Texas before he went to the NFL.
Besides his age and erratic off the field baggage, he is not a fan favorite in Austin.
Sark still has a couple of years to right things for the Longhorns. If he doesn’t there will be another hotshot who will accept the challenge (and a boatload of money).
Texas already tried the young hotshot deal with Herman when he was the best thing since sliced bread in Houston. At this point, Texas needs to swallow its pride and beg Meyer to come. He's tried and proven at the college level, winning in different conferences as well as being the guy who has beaten Saban before, and can at least reduce the coaching advantage that Saban seems to have with almost every matchup. Going into the SEC, having him would be a huge leg up for Texas when having to see Alabama every year.
Texas already tried the young hotshot deal with Herman when he was the best thing since sliced bread in Houston. At this point, Texas needs to swallow its pride and beg Meyer to come. He's tried and proven at the college level, winning in different conferences as well as being the guy who has beaten Saban before, and can at least reduce the coaching advantage that Saban seems to have with almost every matchup. Going into the SEC, having him would be a huge leg up for Texas when having to see Alabama every year.
If Sark doesn’t work out by two more years, Meyer won’t be at the table. There will be other options.
In my opinion, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Miami will never get back to prominence.
By that, I mean they will never again be in serious contention for a national championship.
USC, Texas, and Florida State will be. Which of the three will get there the quickest...I think Florida State is in the best position to right now.
That said, college football as a sport is very much in the beginnings of a transitional phase right now due to NIL. We may have things shift dramatically with non-traditional powers coming to prominence, and traditional powers being relegated to the dustbin based on how they utilize NIL to their advantage or fail to do so.
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