Based on several factors: coaching stability/ability, recruiting base/ability, revenue streams, wins-losses, fielding NC caliber teams, predictor of future successes, etc 1. USC 2. Oklahoma 3. Ohio State 4. LSU 5. Florida 6. Texas 7. Georgia 8. Auburn 9. Virginia Tech 10. Florida State (tie) Michigan Just missed the cut: Tennessee, West Virginia, Miami-FL
I think you can put 3/4 of the SEC on there due to support and money. Many other conferences have other sports as their main programs. I would have Florida #1 due to the recruiting factor, even though they do not have much history. Texas ahead of LSU too, but LSU near Ohio St. I would put Penn St. in there and take Virginia Tech out... Ill do my list in a minute.
Well try your best to base it on all the factors I listed above. And the school must have some length of success (can't be a newcomer or someone who appears to be turning it around). For example, Michigan's uncertainty in their head coach position knocked them down on my list to #10. Florida State's recent win-loss records knocked them down as well. Virginia Tech's stability and ability at head coaching plus a very good streak of winning football puts them in my top 10, although recruiting inadequacies won't allow them to go up any further than #9. So, just don't wing it, put some thought into it (not that I am assuming you or anyone else would wing it).
1. Florida - Money, young coach, recent success, recruiting. 2. USC - Great recruiting and support plus they have a conference that will allow them to be top 3 each year. 3. Texas - Recruiting, money, tradition and recent success 4. Oklahoma - Proven, young coach with almost a guarantee to do well soon with lots of tradition. 5. Georgia - Stability with large recruiting base and young coach. 6. LSU - Moved way up with Miles staying. Easy recruiting and lots of talent with good tradition. 7. Alabama - Support, good recruiting, and good tradition. 8. Ohio St. Only this low because of how bad Big 10 has been lately. Obviously they are better than rest of conference but but need Big 10 to be better to judge them. Stability wise, near the top. 8. Penn St. - Large alumni base with possibility of good coach coming ion soon. 9. West Virginia - Rich Rod created the spread and is a great recruiter with a new contract. Should be a factor for a while. 10. Arizona St. Thought I would throw a random one out there. Good coach and good recruits...prob. not # 10 but I wanted to go out on a limb. Others: Wisconsin, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida State, Miami. On the rise: Miss St, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Connecticut On way Down: Texas A&M, Cal, Miami, Michigan, Texas Tech, Washington, Notre Dame
If you are talking the last 30- 40years bama shouldbe in the top ten, if the last 10 years bama shouldn'tbe close to the top ten.
Based on your criteria, I agree that USC is the #1 program. This would be my list of current powerhouses, in alphabetical order: ACC -- FSU BIG EAST -- garbage BIG TEN -- Ohio State, Michigan BIG 12 -- Oklahoma, Texas PAC-10 -- USC SEC -- Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee Miami, VT and Auburn are very close to making the list (but so are others). WV is below Miami, VT and Auburn (and others).
You could say that about a lot of teams, but I am not biased. I figured if figureheads Fran, Dubose and Shula could win 10 games, Saban could too. This involves the future, too. My big time sleeper is UNC.
Bama didn't make my top 14 mainly due to mediocre won-loss records over the past several years. As I stated, I would not consider a program that may be back on the rise to be a top 10 caliber team. They need to prove that they are back to stay. Penn State is perplexing. On the one hand their coach is as stable as it comes, but his ability to coach has waned in the last 10-12 years. Too many mediocre years to consider them top 10 anymore. Top 20, sure.
I agree with most of your points, but due to recruiting factors and such I made mine based on future results. In other words how a program is now combined with how they could be in 5-10 years. Penn St. was hard for me to do, but I have a feeling a certain Rutgers coach will be there soon, otherwise they would not have been in my top 20.
you're projecting into the future, e.g., Saban resurrects Bama into a national power once again that's cool, I just tended to base mine much more on the here and now Saban may work out for Bama, I just couldn't project that far into the future. I would have Bama in the top 20 however based on the fact that they are as stable in coaching as they have been for quite some time.
