Classifying College Football Programs

Submitted by SBo on

Being that this is a relatively slow day on the board (other than JEETS) I thought this was appropriate. This should get some good discussion going. I've been fascinated for a while about how people classify "Blue Blood" programs in college football. I think the criterium are Prolonged success (not just one coach's), large fan base, an iconic tradition, and yes, brand. I've determined these programs to be:

Michigan

Notre Dame

Ohio State

USC

Alabama 

Texas

Oklahoma

 

Then there are the programs that have greatly benefited from dominance in one era, the "quasi blue bloods" (dumb name I know) Those include:

Miami

FSU

Nebraska

PSU

Georgia

LSU

TAMU

UCLA

Auburn

Florida

Tennessee

Clemson

VT

The last level of classification I will go into are the programs who compete for a conference once every few years and once in a generation win a national championship, but the last is not a requirement. Those programs are (and I can't name all of them):

Wisconsin

MSU

Oregon

Cal

Stanford

Iowa

Etc...

 

 

What do you guys think? Who are your "blue bloods"?

MGoBoard

alum96

January 31st, 2016 at 10:47 PM ^

Neb is more than one era - Osborne is the winning % coach of all time I believe of major programs and was there for decades and then they had another guy who was not far behind who was another 15+ yrs.

Teams ranked by all time win % > 70%

  1. ND
  2. UM
  3. OSU
  4. OK
  5. Bama
  6. Texas
  7. USC
  8. Neb

Next group

  • PSU 68.5%
  • TN 68.0%
  • FSU 68.0%

 

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alum96

January 31st, 2016 at 10:55 PM ^

PSU is also ahead of USC and TN in all time wins....5 behind Oklahoma fergodsakes.

GA has a 65% all time win % with 26 less wins than USC.   LSU has a 65% win % with 17 wins less than GA.

Then you drop off significantly to Auburn at 63% and 29 wins below LSU.

So at minimum you incl PSU and Neb in bluebloods and your debate is at Georgia.

-----------------------

By the way West VA has 46 more wins than MSU and the same all time win % of 60%.  VA Tech has 37 more wins than MSU and same all time win %.  Texas A&M has 36 more wins than MSU and same all time win %.  Washington & Clemson both have 22 more wins than MSU and same all time win %.  Etc

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NittanyFan

January 31st, 2016 at 10:53 PM ^

I know Stewart Mandel has used that terminology when he does this same sort of thing: I do sort of like his naming system.

Anyway: Nebraska definitely should be in your group of Top 7, IMO.  But they'd be my only addition.

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SBo

January 31st, 2016 at 11:47 PM ^

You should google it. Michigan is LITERALLY ranked ahead of them in everything. ND is a peer in undergrad programs. Thank Larry Page, a Michigan graduate, for the information your google search brings you. I couldn't find anything. They are not a peer. Neither is ND in graduate programs. We're top ten in every graduate program.

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cp4three2

February 1st, 2016 at 12:12 AM ^

Ok. I see from another post that you're in high school, so I'll just say that I'm very happy you root so much for Michigan and welcome you to one of the best college football blogs on the Internet. I'm not going to get into a long debate on how academics decide these things, but I'd point you to this: http://facultysenate.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2015/03/12-1…




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SBo

January 31st, 2016 at 11:26 PM ^

This isn't necessarily about national titles (Although we have plenty, fuck anyone who discredits that). It's more about consistent dominance. I'll forgive each blue blood a ten year run of mediocrity (OSU in 90's, Bama early 2000s, Us up until Dec. 30, 2014) basically programs that run like a machine and are always in the public eye.

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UMxWolverines

January 31st, 2016 at 11:50 PM ^

You can't really say OSU was mediocre in the 90s...they went 8-3-1,10-1-1, 9-4, 11-2, 11-1, 10-3, 11-1 from 1992 to 1998. They pooped themselves when it really mattered but they got about as close to winning a national title as you can get without actually winning one. Unless you consider what Lloyd Carr did mediocre (which I wouldn't call mediocre, just underachieving) but everyone else on this site doesn't seem to think that way. Considering the two coaches have the same number of top five finishes and top ten finishes. 

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Ghost of Fritz…

January 31st, 2016 at 11:19 PM ^

should be heavily influenced by the last 25 years. 

It is not a list if the 'elite' programs in your and my lifetimes. 

It is a list of 'blue blood' programs, and that means it is based on a lot longer time frame than 25 years. 

FSU is 'elite' (now and recently at least).

But Nebraska has a stonger claim to 'blue bood' status than FSU, even though FSU has been the better program since Osborne retired.. 

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ThadMattasagoblin

January 31st, 2016 at 11:09 PM ^

Nebraska had Bob Devaney and Osborne in both the 70s and 90s. There are 8 blue bloods in Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, alabama, usc, notre dame, and Nebraska. Then there's your Tennessee, Penn State, Florida, FSU, Miami, LSU tier then Wisconsin, MSU, Arkansas, UCLA etc.

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cp4three2

January 31st, 2016 at 11:10 PM ^

Washington should be in there somewhere, probably bottom of the second tier, especially now that they've gotten their crap together and hired Petersen. Their second in Rose Bowls after USC, especially if you're putting UCLA, Auburn, and A&M there.



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smwilliams

February 1st, 2016 at 12:28 AM ^

I actually did this for kicks a while back using CFB's W-L % and National Championships as a barometer.

Came up with the following:

TIER 1

Florida State/Miami/Michigan/Ohio State/Penn State/Nebraska/USC/Texas/Oklahoma/Notre Dame/Alabama/Auburn/LSU/Georgia/Florida/Tennessee

These 16 teams have won every title since 1992, and 70 of the 90 poll era titles. They have the 16 highest win %s of all-time. They have won the majority of their conference's championships. They have the history, the prestige, etc.

TIER 2

West Virginia/Clemson/Georgia Tech/Virginia Tech/Pittsburgh/Syracuse/Michigan State/Wisconsin/Arizona State/UCLA/Washington/Colorado/Texas A&M/Arkansas

These teams are on the cusp, but don't have the pedigree of the Tier 1 teams. They will be in contention for a NC once every 20-25 years and with the right coach and a downturn for one of the blue bloods can find a sustained period of success. For some reason, the 1980s and early 1990s saw a run of national titles for these teams.

TIER 3

Boston College/UNC/NC State/Virginia/Minnesota/Iowa/Purdue/Maryland/Illinois/Rutgers/Texas Tech/Oklahoma State/Baylor/Ole Miss/Missouri/South Carolina/Missisippi State/Cal/Stanford/Oregon/Arizona

This is the large morass of teams that aren't quite the dregs of the traditional power conferences, but they don't have a history of being great or even good. The right coach can turn this program into a power (see Harbaugh/Shaw at Stanford, the Oregon death machine), but more of than not a couple seasons of 10 wins will give way to the usual 7-5/8-4 season. Bad coaches send these teams into those 3-9 and 4-8 seasons.

TIER 4

Duke/Wake Forest/Northwestern/Indiana/Vanderbilt/Kentucky/Kansas/Iowa State/Kansas State/Washington State/Oregon State

Woof. These are the bottom of the barrel programs. A winning season at one of these programs is an achievement. Consecutive winning seasons or a conference championship will get you a statue and the field named after you.

Now, outside of these 4 tiers you have the mid-major kings like Boise State, Toledo and then former mid-major teams that have spent time in a power conference. Some (Utah) are stronger than others (Temple).

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M-Dog

February 1st, 2016 at 12:48 AM ^

 
 
 
 
A-List Blue Bloods (This is all time, not just the last 20-25 years):
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Nebraska
- USC
- Notre Dame
 
B-List Blue Bloods (Just below the A-Listers):
- UCLA
- Auburn
- LSU
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Penn State
- Clemson
 
Nuevo Rich (Dominant programs in the last 20-25 years, but were weak before that):
- Florida
- Florida State
- Oregon
- Stanford
- Wisconsin
- Kansas State
 
Flash in the Pan (Dominant for a short time, or for the tenure of one coach):
- Miami
- Virginia Tech
- Pitt
- Washington
- Colorado
- Army
- BYU
 
Way Too Soon to Tell:
- Baylor
- TCU
- Ole Miss

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UMxWolverines

February 1st, 2016 at 2:03 AM ^

It isn't just the last ten years. I don't think people really realize how not so elite we have been the last 25 years. We have had 19 out of 25 seasons end with 3 or more losses. By comparison OSU has had 10...half of us. Wisconsin also has 19. Essentially since the 90s we have only been in that second tier group. Hopefully that's about to change this year.

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Human Torpedo

February 1st, 2016 at 2:26 AM ^

determining a blueblood in CBB. Everyone is in a conference now so you can use conference dominance as part of the criteria. The way I see it there are 8 clear bluebloods in that sport. UConn, Louisville, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, UNC. What do they all have in common? They all have at least 20 conference titles (regular season) and at least 3 national titles

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