So I did this for college basketball awhile back and thought about doing it for football as well. It's on a 1* to 6* scale like EA's NCAA Football. I will do it by conference. I'll start with the ACC since I know that conference the best, then probably the SEC after that. Things that factor in are national championships, conference championships, bowls (record, # of bowls, # of the big four bowls: Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, and Rose Bowl), fanbase, and past greats. While history has an impact on these rankings, one can't ignore the present and how these programs are now viewed. Otherwise programs like Army would be on par with programs like Florida State if we just awarded each accomplishment a set point value.


ACC

Boston College - *** (no one cares about BC football) - 1 "Disputed" National Championship (1940). The story behind the 1940 National Championship that BC claims is a little odd. BC's undefeated (11-0) team captured the 1941 Sugar Bowl championship and the school claims on its web site to have won a share of the national title, even though the NCAA does not consider BC one of its national champions for this year. Stanford and Minnesota are two schools that claim national championships from this year. Here's a picture of a banner made listing all of the scores from that year.

Coach Leahy would leave BC after that year to go coach Notre Dame, his alma mater. They have made 18 bowl appearances, going 12-6 in those bowl games (think about how many of those were in the TOB era). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Doug Flutie 1984). 1 Four Way Co-Big East Conference Championship (2004). No one in Boston cares about BC Football. Despite having a fairly respectable history they have a poor fanbase.

Clemson - ***** - 1 National Championship (1981). 15 Conference Championships (Southern Conference - 1939, 1940, 1948, ACC - 1956, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991). Bowl record 15-13. Fanbase is one of the most rabid in the nation, as Tommy Bowden pointed out Steve Spurrier went 7-5 and got a contract extension, if he goes 7-5 he's on the hot seat and at risk of losing his job.

Duke - ** - 7 ACC Championships (1953, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1989). The Blue Devils have fallen on hard times recently in the past decade. Fanbase is pitiful. A once fairly respected program is now one of the biggest laughing stocks in college football. I'm glad I'm not Ted Roof.

Florida State - ****** - 2 National Championships (1993, 1999). 15 Conference Championships (1949, 1950, 1951 <-- all 3 in the defunct Dixie Conference, ACC --> 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005) 2 Heisman Trophy Winners (Charlie Ward 1993, Chris Weinke 1999). Bowl record 20-13-2 (lots of big four bowls). Fanbase is rabid, but has been a little spoiled by the success of the 90s. FSU along with Nebraska were the teams of the 90s.

Georgia Tech - ***** - 4 National Championships (1917, 1928, 1952, 1990). 15 Conference Championships (SIAA – 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1921, Southern Conference – 1922, 1927, 1928, SEC – 1939, 1944, 1951, 1952, ACC – 1990, 1998). Bowl record 22-13, the 22 bowl wins puts GT at 8th all time in bowl wins. Despite having one of the richest histories in all of college football, the fanbase is not very rabid and at times seems apathetic in recent times. It's hard to think of another BCS conference team with 4 national titles that has trouble filling up their stadium, a relatively small one at that (55,000). The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech still are one of the most tradition packed programs in all of college football.

Maryland - **** - 1 National Championship (1953), this is odd since they lost the 1953 Orange Bowl. This just goes to show you how screwed up college football was back in the day. 10 Conference Championships (Southern Conference - 1937, 1951, ACC - 1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2001) Bowl record 9-10-2. The Terrapin football fanbase isn't exactly fairweather, but at times unsupportive. They can be really rabid when things are going good, but if they are having a bad year, then the 51,500 seat Byrd Stadium has trouble either selling out or just getting loud.

Miami - ****** - 5 National Championships (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001). 9 Conference Championships (Big East - 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003). Bowl record 18-13. 2 Heisman Trophy Winners (Vinny Testaverde 1986, Gino Torretta 1992). Fanbase is not very rabid and only shows up when Miami is winning.

North Carolina - *** - 8 Conference Championships (Southern - 1922, 1946, Dixie - 1949, ACC - 1963, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1980). Bowl record 12-13, last bowl win was 2001, the last year they had a winning record. One of the worst fanbases for a large state school in a BCS conference, Rutgers used to take the cake.

North Carolina State - **** - 11 Conference Championships (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Championships - 1907, 1910, 1913, Southern Conference - 1927, ACC - 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1973, 1979). Bowl record 12-10-1. Past head and assistant coaches read like a who's who of college football, Lou Holtz, Norm Chow, Pete Carroll, Dick Sheridan, Bo Rein, Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, and Tyrone Willingham. Lay claim to the ACC's all-time leading rusher (Ted Brown) and passer (Philip Rivers). One of the most rabid fanbases around, despite not having as strong of a history as other programs. Tailgating is an art here.

Virginia - *** - 3 Conference Championships (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association - 1908, ACC - 1989, 1995 both were co-championships). Bowl record 7-9. I didn't realize how bad of a history they had. They get 3 stars only b/c of their current situation. They have been very competitive since the George Welsh era. Their fans do care about football unlike Carolina fans, which is evident by even though not having a good history they have acted like they are entitled to better in the past. Good thing Groh had a breakout year or he would have surely been gone.

Virginia Tech - ***** - 5 Conference Championships (Southern - 1963, Big East - 1995, 1996, 1999, ACC - 2004). Note VT was an independent in football from 1965-1990. Bowl record 6-13. Despite not having a lot of history in their program, Virginia Tech has really became one of the more recognized programs nationally, especially in the past 15 or so years. They seem to be a perennial Top 25 team now. Their fans are rabid and now expect BCS bowls regularly. They also have a lot of traditions at Lane Stadium, that while young are just as good as those that you will find down at LSU and Florida.

Wake Forest - ** - 2 Conference Championships (ACC - 1970, 2006) Bowl record 4-3. The Demon Deacons have an all-time winning percentage of (.406).

11/15/2007 7:59:51 PM

Quote :

"Tailgating is an art here."

11/15/2007 8:03:07 PM

instead of shitting all over this thread like i did with the basketball one, i'll just say this is stupid and i don't agree with any of it

duke 2 stars?

state 4 stars?

11/15/2007 8:17:00 PM

This was a waste of time.

11/15/2007 8:45:25 PM

^^ well how would you have them. iirc that's how both teams are on NCAA Football as well. I think 1* is reserved for bad teams in the Atlantic Sun and other similar conferences.

[Edited on November 15, 2007 at 9:16 PM. Reason : ]

11/15/2007 9:15:37 PM

all these teams are overrated except nc state

11/15/2007 11:13:30 PM

Virginia at one point had like a 30 game losing streak. Before Welsh they were nothing.

Same at Virginia Tech with Beamer minus the horrid losing streak.

Maryland's championship ranks them higher than us alone. Don't forget they won an ACC title in the last 25 years.

11/15/2007 11:21:46 PM

Overall a reasonable and well thought out ranking of ACC schools. Whoever was bitching about Duke being a ** should keep in mind that they won an ACC championship more recently than we did.

11/15/2007 11:56:03 PM

SEC

Alabama - ****** - 12 National Championships (1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992). 25 conference championships, including 21 SEC Championships (Southern Conference - 1924, 1925, 1926, 1930, SEC - 1933, 1934, 1937, 1945, 1953, 1961
1964, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1992, 1999). Bowl record of 30-21-3.

Arkansas - **** - 1 National Championship (1964, Arkansas was the only team to finish the regular and bowl season undefeated; Alabama, despite losing its bowl game, was named champion by the two most recognized polls — the AP and UPI — since at the time those polls awarded their championships before bowl games were played). 13 Conference Championships (Southwest Conference - 1936, 1946, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1975, 1979, 1988, 1989). Bowl record 11-21-3 (what a terrible record).

Auburn - ***** - 1 National Championship (1957 AP, 6 others are claimed as well, 1913, 1914, 1958, 1983, 1993, 2004). 10 Conference Championships (SIAA - 4, SEC - 1957, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2004). Bowl record 18–13–2. 2 Heisman Trophy winners (Pat Sullivan 1971, Bo Jackson 1985).

Florida - ****** - 2 National Championships (1996, 2006). 8 Conference Championships (SEC - 1984, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006). 2 Heisman Trophy winners (Steve Spurrier 1966, Danny Wuerffel 1996). Bowl record 16–18.

Georgia - ***** - 1 National Championship (1980). 12 Conference Championships (1942, 1946, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2005). 2 Heisman Trophy winners (Frank Sinkwich 1942, Herschel Walker 1982). Bowl record 22-16-3.

Kentucky - ** - 1 claimed National Championship (1950, #1 in final Sagarin rankings). 2 Conference Championships (SEC - 1976, was retroactively claimed by the school due to later forfeiture by Mississippi State, although they did lose at home to the recognized conference champion Georgia, 1977, did not play in bowl game due to NCAA sanctions) now that's just sad. Bowl record 7-5.

LSU - ****** - 2 National Championships (1958, 2003). 12 Conference Championships (SIAA - 1896, 1908, Southern - 1932, SEC - 1935, 1936, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1986, 1988, 2001, 2003). 1 Heisman Trophy winner (Billy Cannon 1959). Bowl record 18-18-1.

Mississippi - *** - 3 National Championships (1959, 1960, 1962). 6 Conference Championships (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). Bowl record 19-12. Despite having decent history, it's all from the 50s and 60s. The Ole Miss Rebels have really fallen off since.

Mississippi State - ** - 0 Conference Championships (if anyone can find evidence to dispute this please do, they did win the SEC West in 1998 though). Bowl record 6-6.

South Carolina - ** - 1 Conference Championship (ACC - 1969). 1 Heisman Trophy winner (George Rogers 1980). Bowl record 4-9.

Tennessee - ****** - 6 National Championships, 4 wire (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998). 16 Conference Championships (SIAA - 1914, Southern - 1927, 1932, SEC - 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1967, 1969, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998). Bowl record 24-22.

Vanderbilt - ** - 2 National Championships (1906, 1911, these two were awarded by the Billingsley Report). 13 Conference Championships (SIAA - 1897, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915, Southern - 1922, 1923). Bowl record 1-1-1. Their early dominance is the only thing keeping them from having a sub-.500 all-time record, All-time record: 537-527-50 (.505).

11/19/2007 7:12:47 PM

^ hmmm, looking at overall history I would have Florida a 5, LSU a 5, and Georgia a 6

11/19/2007 7:15:14 PM

Well yeah, you could argue that b/c Florida wasn't really anything before Spurrier, but right now most people see Florida and LSU as being slightly more prestigious programs than Georgia, also both of those programs have 2 national championships while, Georgia only has 1. Also as of late a lot of college football analyst have been talking about Georgia being a regional power, and haven't reestablished themselves as a national power.

11/19/2007 7:19:15 PM

true... I could handle Georgia staying at 5 if Florida and LSU were dropped to 5 as well

11/19/2007 7:22:54 PM

Well here's the dilemma, if I raise Georgia, do I raise Clemson too? If I drop LSU and Florida, do I drop FSU as well? I don't really know what to do. I wish others would ring in on this.

11/19/2007 7:34:03 PM

Big Ten

Illinois - *** - 4 National Championships (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927). 15 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1910, 1914, 1915, 1918, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1946, 1951, 1953, 1963, 1983, 1990, 2001). Bowl Record 6-8. Illinois was once a powerhouse team in the early era of college football and claims arguably the greatest linebacker of all time, Dick Butkus, as an alum. They have fallen off considerably in recent years though and have an under .600 overall record, 595–455–49 (.541).

Indiana - ** - 2 Conference Championships (Big 9 (Big Ten without Chicago fielding a team) - 1945, Big Ten - 1967). Bowl record 3–5. Despite being a pretty lackluster program for most of it's history, the Indiana program at least can claim one notable current NFL player Antwaan Randle El.

Iowa - **** - 1 National Championship (1958). 12 Conference Championships (Western Interstate University Football Association - 1896, Big Ten - 1900, 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1981, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2004). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Nile Kinnick 1939). Bowl record 11-10-1.

Michigan - ****** - 11 National Championships (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997). 42 Conference Championships, the most of any school (Big Ten - 1898, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004). 3 Heisman Trophy Winners (Tom Harmon 1940, Desmond Howard 1991, Charles Woodson 1997). Bowl Record 18-19. Most wins (868) and highest winning percentage (.745) in NCAA Division I-A football history.

Michigan State - ***** - 6 National Championships (1951, 1952*, 1955, 1957, 1965*, 1966, * denotes wire national championship). 9 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990). Bowl Record 7-10. While the Spartans have a very good history, they have recently become the most notorious chokers in all of college football. They have been slipping and may end up dropping to a 4* program if Mark Dantonio doesn't return them to the glory days that they once enjoyed.

Minnesota - **** - 6 National Championships (1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960). 20 Conference Championships (Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest - 1892, 1893, Big Ten - 1900, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1915, 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1967). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Bruce Smith 1940). Bowl Record 5-6. Bronko Nagurski is perhaps the Golden Gophers most famous alum, with Tony Dungy not too far behind. Minnesota was once college football royalty, now they aren't even close. It can't be completely blamed on the move to the Metrodome, considering that after 1967 they didn't win 8 games or more for 32 years. They moved into the Metrodome in 1981. Perhaps with their upcoming 2009 move to the on campus TCF Bank Stadium, the Golden Gophers program will rise back to prominence.

Northwestern - *** - 8 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1903, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1995, 1996, 2000). Bowl record 1–5. Overall record 449–596–44. Their unbelievable runs to Big Ten Championships in 1995 (outright), 1996 and 2000 (both co-championships), keep them from having Duke like futility over the past 15 years.

Ohio State - ****** - 13 National Championships (1933, 1942*, 1944, 1954*, 1957*, 1961, 1968*, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1998, 2002*, * denotes wire national championship). 32 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1916, 1917, 1920, 1935, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007). 6 Heisman Trophy Winners (Les Horvath 1944, Vic Janowicz 1950, Howard Cassady 1954, Archie Griffin 1974, 1975, Eddie George 1995, Troy Smith 2006). Bowl Record 18-19.

Penn State - ****** - 2 National Championships (1982, 1986), although they have been voted national champions in 1911, 1912, 1969, 1981, and 1994 by other outlets besides the AP. 7 Perfect Seasons (1887, 1912, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, 1994). 2 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1994, 2005), it should be noted that Penn State did not join the Big Ten until 1993 and were independent up until this time. 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (John Cappelletti 1973). Bowl record 25-12-2.

Purdue - *** - 8 Conference Championships (1918, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1943, 1952, 1967, 2000). Bowl record 7–7. The only reason why I would think about upgrading Purdue to 4* is b/c of the number of notable quarterbacks that they have produced, such as Dale Samuels, Bob DeMoss, Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps, Mark Herrmann, Scott Campbell, Jim Everett, Eric Hunter, Billy Dicken, Kyle Orton and Drew Brees.

Wisconsin - **** - 11 Conference Championships (Big Ten - 1896, 1897, 1901, 1906, 1912, 1952, 1959, 1962, 1993, 1998, 1999). 2 Heisman Trophy Winners (Alan Ameche 1954, Ron Dayne 1999). Bowl record 10-8. All-time record of 577–451–53.


It seems like the Big Ten was far and away the best conference in the olden days, with teams like Michigan State, Minnesota, and Illinois to go along with Ohio State and Michigan in terms of national powerhouses. College football has been messed up since well forever, and many teams can claim national titles in the same year. They have fixed it somewhat with the BCS, but college basketball truly fixed it in 1939 with the NCAA Tournament.

[Edited on November 27, 2007 at 8:18 PM. Reason : ]

11/27/2007 8:17:29 PM

DO THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE

11/28/2007 9:33:49 AM

good read

11/28/2007 10:21:55 AM

Quote :

" Fanbase is one of the most rabid in the nation, as Tommy Bowden pointed out Steve Spurrier went 7-5 and got a contract extension, if he goes 7-5 he's on the hot seat and at risk of losing his job. "

not to mention the "Ol' Ball Coach" is 6-6 and probably not going bowling this year
i think people put too much stock in names and less on coaching ability.

i'll say it again....i dont even think Jesus Christ himself could ressurrect USC's football program.

11/28/2007 10:29:31 AM

meh im too lazy to look stuff up

[Edited on November 28, 2007 at 10:33 AM. Reason : ]

11/28/2007 10:31:37 AM

Big XII

Baylor - ** - 5 Conference Championships (Southwest Conference - 1922, 1924, 1974, 1980, 1994* shared). Bowl record 8-8. Every conference has a Duke in football, and Baylor is the Big XII's Duke. Although most of the other conferences' Duke like teams are better than Duke. Baylor at least usually wins more than one game a year. The Baylor Bears have a 13-43 record in Big XII play since the conference was formed in 1996.

Colorado - ***** - 1 National Championship (1990, note Georgia Tech also claims the national championship from this year). 26 Conference Championships (8 Colorado Football Association - 1894-1897, 1901-1908 <-- apparently their must have been a few years where it wasn't awarded, 1 Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference - 1909, 7 Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic (RMFAC) - 1911, 1913, 1923, 1924, 1934, 1935, 1937, 4 Mountain States - 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944, 5 Big 8 - 1961, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1 Big 12 - 2001. 4 Big 12 North Championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Rashaan Salaam 1994). Bowl record 12–15. The Buffs are 16th on the all-time win list and 22nd in all-time winning percentage (.614) in college football. Despite having a couple of down years recently, they are one of the more noteworthy programs in the Big XII North and won that division 4 times in 5 years. For a couple of years in the late 1980s to early 1990s they were undefeated in Big 8 play.

Iowa State - ** - 2 Conference Championships ( Missouri Valley Conference - 1911, 1912, both were shared). Bowl record 2–7. The only thing really of note about Iowa State's programs is that the legend Glenn "Pop" Warner coached there from 1895—1899. Something I found interesting to State fans is that NC State met up with Iowa State in the 1977 Peach Bow which looked like it would be a matchup of two stellar running backs, NC State's Ted Brown and Iowa State's Dexter Green. The game however was dominated by QB Johnny Evans, Daniel Evans father, who put up 264 yards of total offense. Remember that QBs didn't throw as often back in those days. NC State won 24-14.

Kansas - ** - 8 Conference Championships (Western Inter-State University Association - 1892, 1893*, 1895*, Missouri Valley Conference - 1908, Big Eight - 1930, 1946*, 1947*, 1968*, *denotes shared championship). Bowl record 4–6 (2 of those losses came to NC State in the 1973 Liberty Bowl and the 2003 Tangerine Bowl. ). Kansas, outside of this past year, has been an embarrassing program over the years. They are at this point around 10 or so games over .500 in their all-time record.

Kansas State - **** - 2 Conference Championships (Big Eight Conference - 1934, Big XII Conference - 2003). 3 Big XII North Division Championships (1998, 2000, 2003). Bowl record 6-7. Despite being a historically terrible program, the Wildcats of Kansas State have been one of the best programs of the past 15 years, mainly due to one man, Bill Snyder. At one point the Wildcats had a streak of 11 straight bowl appearances that lasted from the 1993 season to the 2003 season. They have had 125 wins since 1993, 10th most in college football. From 1992-2006 they had a 71% winning percentage,
which ranks just behind such powerhouses as
Florida State (80%)
Nebraska (79%)
Florida (78%)
Ohio State (78%)
Tennessee (77%)
Miami (75%)
Michigan (75%)
Texas (74%)
Virginia Tech (72%)

Just watch this video to see how one coach can turn around a program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqWOhweImn0


Missouri - **** - 15 Conference Championships (Western Inter-State Universirty Association - 1893*, 1894*, 1895*, Missouri Valley Conference - 1909, 1913*, 1919, 1924, 1925, 1927, Big Eight Conference - 1939, 1941, 1942, 1945, 1960, 1969*, * denotes shared championship). 1 Big XII North Division Championship (2007). Bowl record 10-14. Through 2006 the Midwestern Tigers had an all-time record of 582-501-52 (.537). If they make the national championship game, heck even win it, they will surely jump up some in the prestige rankings, but we've got to make sure they aren't just a flash in the pan. Before this year I may have been tempted to rank them as a 3* program. If Pinkel stays and continues to build on their recent success, then this could become one of the premier programs in the Big XII.

Nebraska - ****** - 5 National Championships (1970 shared with Texas, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 shared with Michigan). 46 Conference Championships (Western Inter-State Universirty Association - 1894, 1895, 1897, Missouri Valley Conference - 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, Big Eight Conference - 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, Big 12 Conference - 1997, 1999). 4 Big XII North Division Championships (1996, 1997, 1999, 2006). 3 Heisman Trophy Winners (Johnny Rodgers 1972, Mike Rozier 1983, Eric Crouch 2001). Bowl record 22–21. Despite the struggles recently they are like Miami and are still considered college football royalty as of now.

Oklahoma - ****** - 7 National Championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000). There are 9 additional years in which the NCAA record books recognize the Sooners as national champions (1949, 1953, 1957, 1967, 1973, 1978, 1980, 1986, 2003), but Oklahoma doesn't recognize these championships b/c they were not awarded by the Associated Press, United Press International (UPI), USA Today Coaches Poll, or the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), unlike many other historical football powerhouses. 38 Conference Championships (Southwest Conference - 1915, Missouri Valley - 1920, Big Eight Conference - 1938, 1943, 1944, 1946*, 1947*, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1967, 1968*, 1973, 1974, 1975*, 1976*, 1977, 1978*, 1979, 1980, 1984*, 1985, 1986, 1987, Big XII Conference - 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006). 5 Big XII South Division Championships (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006) 4 Heisman Trophy Winners (Billy Vessels 1952, Steve Owens 1969, Billy Simms 1978, Jason White 2003) Bowl record 24-15-1.

Oklahoma State - *** - 9 Conference Championships (Missouri Valley Conference - 1926, 1930*, 1932, 1933*, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1953*, Big Eight - 1976*). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Barry Sanders 1986). The Cowboys football program has garnered the nickname "Tailback U" because of their history of producing oustanding running backs such as Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas,Terry Miller, Bob Fenimore, and Tatum Bell. Bowl record 10-6. The Cowboys have an all-time record of 484-505-48 (.490).

Texas - ****** - 4 National Championships (1963, 1969, 1970, 2005). 29 Conference Championships (TIAA - 1913, 1914, Southwest Conference - 1920, 1928, 1930, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1950, 1952, 1953*, 1959*, 1961*, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975*, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1994*, 1995, Big XII Conference - 1996, 2005). 4 Big XII South Division Championships (1996, 1999, 2001, 2005). 3rd in all-time wins and all-time best winning percentage (.715). 2 Heisman Trophy Winners (Earl Campbell 1977, Ricky Williams 1998). Bowl record 23–21–2.

Texas A&M - ***** - 1 National Championship (1939). 18 Conference Championships (Southwest Conference - 1917, 1919, 1921, 1925, 1927, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1956, 1967, 1975*, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, Big XII Conference - 1998). 2 Big XII South Division Championships (1997, 1998). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (John David Crow 1957). Bowl record 13–17.

Texas Tech - **** - 11 Conference Championships (Border Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - 1937, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, Southwest Conference - 1976*, 1994*). It must be noted that the Red Raiders were independents during the spans of 1925-1931 and 1957-1959. Bowl record 9-20-1. At first I was going to rank the Red Raider program as a 3* program, but they have had consistent success for much of the past decade or so. They are the only Big XII team to hold the distinction of having a winning season each year since the conference was created in 1996. With 12 consecutive winning seasons the Red Raiders rank fifth nationally in consecutive winning seasons, trailing only Florida State (30), Michigan (22), Florida (19), and Virginia Tech (14). That's some elite company to be in. From 2000 to 2006, the Red Raiders have had 56 wins. Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska are the only Big XII teams to have had more wins in that span. They are also only 2nd to Texas in the Big XII in the number of post season wins.

[Edited on November 29, 2007 at 11:53 PM. Reason : ]

11/29/2007 11:53:08 PM

K-State should be lower. So bad for so long, and a rep for playing cupcake schedules

Colorado down a bit too

[Edited on November 29, 2007 at 11:57 PM. Reason : s]

11/29/2007 11:57:14 PM

Why do you think Colorado should be lower than a 5* program, but be fine with Clemson having 5*'s? They have won their conference way more recently than Clemson. They have a more recent national championship. Colorado is also 16th on the all-time win list and 22nd in all-time winning percentage. That's not too shabby.

I know Kansas State was so bad for such a long time, and I might be willing to drop them to a 3*, but you can't argue that they haven't been a very well respected program for say the past 15 years. They had 11 win seasons in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. While I agree that they had a fair amount of cupcake OOC schedules during this time of prominence, they were blowing most of those weak teams out of the water like the way good teams should. The best thing to look at is their conference record and they had a pretty good record in their conference during that stretch. The Big XII is usually a tough conference.

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/scores/KansasState.htm

[Edited on November 30, 2007 at 12:28 AM. Reason : ]

11/30/2007 12:26:39 AM

good read.. at first i was skeptical but some of this is pretty interesting and good for debate


the thing about Spurrier not being on the hotseat, is that if USC is 7-5 or 6-6, they are better than a 7-5 Clemson based on the level of the ACC & SEC

[Edited on November 30, 2007 at 12:31 AM. Reason : ppl need to make sure they dont react off the last 10-15 years and actually look at history]

11/30/2007 12:29:48 AM

Well if we can't overlook history, but we also can't forget how a program fits into the current realm of college football. Take Minnesota for example. They have 6 national championships, that's 2 more than Texas, but everyone perceives Texas as being the better program. Why is that? Well Texas has stayed nationally relevant over the years, while Minnesota fell off at the end of the 60s. One thing you can do is try and think like a recruit might when looking at these programs. Who would you rather play for? Think like a coach that's trying to get back into coaching after a hiatus. Which programs would you most like to work for based on facilities, traditions, how easy it is to attract top recruits, etc?

11/30/2007 12:42:24 AM

Quote :

"One of the most rabid fanbases around"

11/30/2007 1:26:54 AM

i agree with you pretty much except for the recruiting thing. If you look at recruits, most of them are dumb and only know what ESPN has told them the past few years. Im not saying State was the best team ever, but 95% or more of recruits would have state pegged much lower than their historical significance.

11/30/2007 1:42:30 AM

I don't see how you can rate us at ****. We have NEVER been to a major bowl, we have finished in the top 10 only once in our history (1974 and that was only the coaches poll), and our last conference championship was almost 30 years ago.

11/30/2007 12:45:21 PM

^Well I'm not the only one that thinks so. EA Sports has us at a 4* program, or at least on the 2006 version. That's the last one I bought. Besides we have a lot of famous former players and coaches. Not to mention that we have the ACC's career leading passing and rushing leaders.



Pac 10

Arizona - ** - 6 Conference Championships (Border Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - 1935, 1936, 1941, Western Athletic Conference - 1964*, 1973*, Pac 10 - 1993*). Bowl record 5-7-1.

Arizona State - **** - 16 Conference Championships (Border Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - 1931, 1939, 1940, 1952, 1957, 1959, 1961, Western Athletic Conference - 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973*, 1975, 1977*, Pac 10 - 1986, 1996). Bowl record 12–10–1.

California - **** - 2 National Championships (1920, 1937). 14 Conference Championships (1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1935*, 1937, 1938*, 1948*, 1949, 1950, 1958, 1975*, 2006*, * denotes shared championship). Bowl record 8-8-1. The Cal Bears have seen a resurgence under Jeff Tedford. If they continue on the path they've been on recently they will surely become one of the elite teams in the nation. They have a lot of early history, but they laid dormant for so long. Everyone's complaining about State being ranked a 4* program, but probably wouldn't question Cal being at least a 4* program. Despite this State has been to 23 bowls while Cal has been to only 17.

Oregon - **** - 7 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1919*, 1933*, 1948*, 1957*, Pac 10 (PCC but with a new name) - 1994, 2000*, 2001). Bowl record 7–13.

Oregon State - *** - 5 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference Champions - 1941, 1956, 1957*, Pac 10 - 1964, 2000). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Terry Baker 1962). Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are perhaps the Beavers most famous alum as of right now. Bowl record 8–4.

Stanford - *** - 2 National Championships (1926, 1940* Tennessee and Minnesota claim the 1940 national title as well). 12 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1924, 1926, 1927*, 1933*, 1934, 1935*, 1940, 1951, Pac 10 - 1970, 1971, 1992*, 1999). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner ( Jim Plunkett 1970). Bowl record 9–10–1. Looking at the Cardinal resume one might want to put them at 4*'s, but they haven't really been all that competitive in much of the past 20 years save a year here and there. Again every conference has that one team that is usually pitiful, ala Duke football, but the Cardinal may be on the verge of breaking out of their worst than mediocrity funk with their new coach Jim Harbaugh who led them in an improbable upset over USC this past season.

UCLA - **** - 1 National Championship (1954). 18 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1935*, 1939*, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1954, 1955, Pac 10 - 1959*, 1961, 1965, 1975*, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987*, 1993*, 1997*, 1998). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Gary Beban 1967). Bowl record 13–13–1. I'm tempted to put them at a 5* just b/c of the number of conference championships.

USC - ****** - 11 National Championships, although two (1928 and 1939) have been disputed (1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004). 36 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1927*, 1928, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1938*, 1939*, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1952, Pac 10 - 1959*, 1962, 1964*, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987*, 1988, 1989, 1993*, 1995*, 2002*, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006*). 7 Heisman Trophy Winners (Mike Garrett 1965, O. J. Simpson 1968, Charles White 1979, Marcus Allen 1981, Carson Palmer 2002, Matt Leinart 2004, Reggie Bush 2005). Bowl record 29–16.

Washington - ***** - 2 National Championships (1960, 1991). 15 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1916, 1919*, 1925, 1936, 1959*, 1960, 1963, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992*, 1995*, 2000*). Bowl record 18–11–1. Washington was one of the better programs of the 90s. With their recent slump though they are headed toward a 4* ranking. Tyrone Willingham though will more than likely right the ship.

Washington State - ** - 4 Conference Championships (Pacific Coast Conference - 1917, 1930, Pac 10 - 1997*, 2002*). Bowl record 6–4–1. They might be considered to be a 3* program right now due to the fact that they have had three 10 win seasons in the past 6 years. Still historically they have been terrible and it would be hard to bump them to a 3* due to a small string of recent success that looks like it won't be sustained.

12/1/2007 12:15:24 AM

So over the past five years or so the SEC has overtaken the Big Ten for best conference in the country. Who will it be 10 - 15 years from now?

12/1/2007 1:57:42 AM

^ hahahahahahahhahahahahaha, what a sad sad stupid bitch... 5 years hahahahahahha


if anything the Big Ten has finally gotten somewhat close over the last 5-10 years with Ohio State finally being a big time player again, the SEC has been on top a LONG LONG TIME, at least since Bear Bryant in the 70s

"hey fellas! now that the US has passed France in the last 5 years! blah blah blah!"



[Edited on December 1, 2007 at 3:08 AM. Reason : slavs and polacks]

12/1/2007 3:00:20 AM

^ ....w.....t.....f.....

12/1/2007 10:48:54 AM

"the last 5 years"

you are right, wtf



more like the last 35 years

12/1/2007 10:52:44 AM

*sigh*

So anyways, where/when will the next power shift happen?

12/1/2007 10:57:11 AM

as long as there are a shitload of poor (hungry financially) athletic people, it will stay in the south

12/1/2007 11:17:01 AM

^good point

12/1/2007 12:16:58 PM

Big East

Cincinnati - *** - 9 Conference Championships (Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Association - 1933*, 1934, Mid-American Athletic Conference - 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1964, Conference USA - 2002*). Bowl record 5-4.

Connecticut - ** - 15 Conference Championships (Yankee Conference - 1949*, 1952*, 1956, 1957*, 1958, 1959, 1960*, 1968*, 1970, 1971*, 1973, 1982*, 1983*, 1986*, 1989*). You can't ask for much from a team that just became Div. I-A in 2000. Bowl record 1-0.

Louisville - **** - 7 Conference Championships (Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1947*, Missouri Valley Conference - 1970, 1972, Conference USA - 2000, 2001, 2004, Big East - 2006). Bowl record 6-7-1. While not historically great, Louisville has been one of the hottest programs of the past 15 years, and have a string of 9 straight bowl appearances.

Pitt - ***** - 9 claimed National Championships (1915, 1916*, 1918*, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937*, 1976*, *denotes consensus) visit here to find out more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Panthers_football.
Pitt has had 8 undefeated seasons: 1904 (10-0), 1910 (9-0), 1915 (8-0), 1916 (8-0), 1917 (10-0), 1920 (6-0-2), 1937 (9-0-1), and 1976 (12-0). 1 Conference Championship (Big East Conference - 2004*). 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Tony Dorsett 1976). Famous former players include Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, Joe Schmidt, and Mark May. Pop Warner coached at Pitt from from 1915 to 1923 to a 60-12-4 record. Bowl record 10–14. Although they get a 5* ranking b/c of their history they haven't done much to recently to reaffirm that they are among college football's royalty. I could see dropping them to 4*'s simply b/c they haven't played up to their potential for such a long time. Then again, any team that claims Mike Ditka as an alum gets an extra star just for that.

Rutgers - ** - 1 National Championship (1869, apparently splitting wins with Princeton in the first year of intercollegiate play makes them share the national championship from this year with Princeton ; you didn't even play anyone else).

Quote :

"In 1869, when Rutgers and Princeton met for the inaugural intercollegiate football game, they were the only two teams playing. Rutgers won the first game with a score of six runs to Princeton's four, on 6 November 1869.[2] However, Princeton was victorious in the next game, played the following week, with a score of eight to zero.[2] A planned third game, scheduled 29 November 1869, did not occur as the faculties of both schools presumably thought that the game would interfere with the studies of the respective school's student bodies.[5] Other sources claim that it may have been cancelled due to disagreement over what set of rules to play under.[6] While some might consider the awarding of a championship in the 1869 "season" to be disingenuous—as there were only two teams playing "football" at the time, both showing 1-1 records—Princeton and Rutgers have been regarded as having shared the 1869 national championship."

32 Conference Championships (Middle States Intercollegiate League - 1894, Middle Three Conference - 1929*, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1943*, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952*, 1953, 1954*, Middle Atlantic - Univ. Division - 1958, Middle Three Conference - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965*, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970*, 1972, 1973, 1974). Bowl record 1–2. Known as "The Birthplace of College Football" (when in reality the game that was played looked more like a rugby match), Rutgers has had little success in the sport.


South Florida - ** - Overall record 74–43 (.619). Bowl record 1–1. Most famous player Bill Gramatica. Despite being a young program the Bulls have had one of the fastest growing programs ever in college football. They have become a very competitive team in a very short period of time.

Syracuse - **** - 1 National Championship (1959). 4 Conference Championships (Big East Conference - 1996*, 1997, 1998, 2004*), note it must be considered that Syracuse was an independent until 1991 when they joined the Big East. 1 Heisman Trophy Winner (Ernie Davis 1961, the first African-American to win the award). Bowl record 12-9-1. Famous players include Donovan McNabb and Jim Brown.

West Virginia - ***** - 13 Conference Championships (Southern Conference - 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, Big East - 1993, 2003*, 2004*, 2005, 2007), it should be noted that WVU was an independent in the three following spans 1891-1924, 1928-1949, 1968-1990). Bowl record 11–15. The Mountaineers are the winningest college football program to never win the National Championship. Could that change this year? We'll find out.

12/1/2007 7:10:21 PM

the sec has not been on top for a long time... gaybee gets too worked up over it too. probably cause he knows hes wrong on this subject, as well as everything else he posts on here

12/1/2007 7:34:34 PM

Quote :

"The Mountaineers are the winningest college football program to never win the National Championship. Could that change this year? We'll find out."

I guess I jinxed them.

12/2/2007 7:35:59 AM

^^ for at least 30 years...

National Champs over last 30 years between the two:

1978 - Alabama (SEC)
1979 - Alabama (SEC)
1980 - Georgia (SEC)
1992 - Alabama (SEC)
1996 - Florida (SEC)
1997 - Michigan-split (Big 10)
1998 - Tennessee (SEC)
2002 - Ohio State (Big 10)
2003 - LSU (SEC)
2006 - Florida (SEC)

12/2/2007 2:13:23 PM

Quote :

"that's how both teams are on NCAA Football as well"

Quote :

"EA Sports has us at a 4* program, or at least on the 2006 version"

is it worse that you're basing a lot of these rankings on a video game, or that you're basing a lot of these rankings on a video game that's two years old?

12/2/2007 2:19:28 PM

I'm basing the rankings on what I think about the programs based on their history and current place in college football. I don't base any of this on the game. The only reason why I mentioned that NC State was rated a 4* on the game is b/c people were saying that anyone ranking us a 4* program was crazy, so I wanted to show that others gave us some respect as well, and that a 4* ranking wasn't that far fetched.

12/2/2007 6:04:38 PM