Top 25 football programs since 1993, U-M is #12

Submitted by Human Torpedo on

To tell you the truth, I think we got a highly considerate ranking. That was just after our dominant run from 1988-92 of five straight conference titles and five top-10 finishes. Gives me hope though that our trend of mediocrity lately is not too huge or insurmountable to overcome

https://thebiglead.com/2018/05/18/top-25-college-football-programs-of-t…

chatster

May 22nd, 2018 at 8:08 AM ^

Overall record of 74-53 (.583 winning percentage) with no conference or division championships; only three seasons with more than eight wins; five seasons with fewer than eight wins; 2-5 in bowl games; only two seasons finishing higher than third in division; five seasons finishing no better than fifth in conference or division.
 
Unfortunately, most of today’s high school football players may have no recollection of a time when Michigan Wolverines football was very good over an extended period of time.
 
By comparison, in Lloyd Carr’s final ten seasons as head coach (1998-2007), the Wolverines were 93-32 (.744 winning percentage) with four conference championships; eight seasons with more than eight wins; only one season with fewer than eight wins (although the 2005 team's five losses were by a combined total of 21 points); 5-5 in bowl games; never finishing below third in conference.

Wolverine Devotee

May 21st, 2018 at 11:15 PM ^

Once you go through the list, fair honestly. All of the teams in front of us have national championships in that timespan like us so I don't have a gripe there.

I don't agree with Nebraska being ranked ahead of us though. Yeah they claim 3 national titles since but have had 5 .500 or worse seasons in that timespan while have had 3. 

TrueBlue2003

May 22nd, 2018 at 12:00 AM ^

200% more national titles than M does and has more top 10 finishes and significantly better overall record in that time certainly outweighs having 66% more .500 or worse seasons than M has in that span.

I'm fine with them ahead of M in this time frame, sadly. 

Kevin13

May 22nd, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^

a little surprised at where Nebraska was ranked. From 93-97 they were very dominate and won a ton of games. But, from 97 on I don't think they have been very relevant or had many very good seasons. Have actually had a lot of very poor seasons in that time frame.

NittanyFan

May 22nd, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^

they've "only" had 4 losing seasons in the 1993-2017 season.  It intuitively feels like more, but that's it.  None of those losing seasons were back-to-back either, FWIW (2004, 2007, 2015, 2017).

If you go by straight winning %, Nebraska is 7th best in the NCAA in the 1993-2017 time span.  They had a hell of a peak in the mid-1990s, of course.  They also had a run from 2008-2016 where they had 8 of 9 seasons with 4 losses.  Those 4 loss seasons weren't great but they wouldn't crater the aggregate winning percentage either.

 

DoubleB

May 22nd, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^

was Alabama today from about 1993 to 2001 (103-12 record in that time).

There was a great article in 2011 about Nebraska being "NEBRASKA" ended on one day in late November against Colorado in 2001. They lost 62-37 and it wasn't that close. Miami beat them in the BCS title game a month later and they have never come close to that level of success since.

NittanyFan

May 22nd, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^

of that era of Nebraska football.

The thing is -- that game came as a lightning bolt out of a clear sky.  Nobody saw it really coming.  And it was a fast lighting bolt out of a clear sky.  Colorado led that game 35-3 after 17 minutes!

In terms of a program taking a HUGE fall directly after ONE game - that one is the standard during my lifetime of following college football (early 1990s onward). 

Only thing close is:

(1) Miami going on their incredible run in the late 1990s and early 2000s (4 straight Top 5 finishes 2000-2003),

(2) going 9-3 in 2004 and then 9-2 in the 2005 regular season,

(3) going to the 2005 Peach Bowl and losing 40-3 (!!!!) to LSU, then starting a post-game brawl (that they also lost),

(4) having only 1 Top 20 finish in the next 11 seasons (19th in 2009).  Did have a good 2018, of course.

buddha

May 21st, 2018 at 11:28 PM ^

Nebraska has THREE championships in this time frame! We haven’t had three championships since my grandpa stormed Normandy. I would gladly accept a few years of mediocrity - like Nebraska, USC, Auburn, etc. - to at least compete for years at a time. Granted, Nebraska’s championships were a while ago...but that’s legit and something to be very proud of...

buddha

May 21st, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^

Ha! As a pretty new grad, I accidentally hit “Reply All,” making a not-so-funny comment regarding the sender’s internal politics (read: corporate politics...not- ya know).... Needless to say, it did not go well! Since then, I learned a very valuable lesson! Sadly - though - I reverted back to my “new-grad” days tonight. :-/

mGrowOld

May 22nd, 2018 at 9:13 AM ^

Back in 2008 I was simulataniously going through a messy divorce AND recovering from cancer surgery (2008 was a bad year for M football and me).   Anyways my soon to be ex-wife in one of her few acts of somewhat kindness towards me decided to send to my entire network of friends and family an update on my cancer and my diagnosis for survival.   And when she did this she obviously included my 85 year old mom.

Well it seems this email from my soon to be ex-wife stirred a LOT of emotions in mom and she took the opportunity to tell the soon to be ex EVERYTHING she thought about her and every sordid detail of every thing mom thought the ex should've done or not done as a wife and parent over the 20+ years we were together.  Mom unloaded both barrells of emotion and let it all out in one fireball email.

And then mom hit "reply all".

butuka21

May 22nd, 2018 at 8:05 AM ^

I really don’t care what I do know is right now Alabama Clemson Ohio state Georgia and Oklahoma look like the top 5 programs today and today is all that matters to me. I don’t care that we won a championship 21 years ago anymore let’s win the big ten east first and go from there today not yesterday

Boner Stabone

May 22nd, 2018 at 9:09 AM ^

The 7 years of RichRod/Hoke was a disaster.  Our winning pct. during that time was 51%. 

During the first 3 years of Harbaugh we are now winning games at a 72% clip.  A couple of more 10 win seasons from Harbaugh the next 2 years and we will be back among the heavyweights.  We are getting closer, but it is time to take the next step this year!

Scioto

May 22nd, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^

to this list, but I agree, Nebraska is ranked way too high.  Same for Tennessee, and probably Texas as well.  It seems to me those schools are on the list for what they did in the 1990s and early/mid 2000s, but have mostly been somewhere between also-rans and basket cases since.  Clemson strikes me too.  Wow.  Just goes to show how tithes and offerings can change the meaning of "Clemsoning."  Mark my word, in 5-10 years maybe sooner, Dabo Swinney will be the new Hugh Freeze or Rick Pitino.  

It's still great being a Buckeye fan!  In my lifetime, one losing season!  Although I think there was another one in the early 60s that would make it two.  I remember as much about 1969 as I do 1968.  For me, it starts with 1970 and that Rose Bowl disappointment.  It's not seasons that I remember so much as it is the championship victories or defeats.  1970, 1975, 1979, just about every fourth Saturday in November in the 1990s, 2006, 2007, 2016.  But then there's 2002 and 2014, and just about every fourth Saturday in November since 2000.  Been fortunate to have four really good coaches in my lifetime.