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Top 25 teams over the next Decade (BleacherReport warning)

hokiehead

Discussing music so others might think I'm human
Club Member
I see this is a reasonable off-season topic, hopefully some of you will feel the same -- which will be the best 25 college football programs of the next 10 years. Also, posting links to BleacherReport doesn't seem to get me in too much trouble over here.

the obvious:
  • B/R's top ranked are 1. 'Bama 2. FSU 3. Auburn // way to go out on a limb there, BR.
  • not listed:
    • VT (the run is over: Beamer resting on his laurels and I (hope I'm wrong, but) doubt VT has what it takes to lure a top 10 coach to Blacksburg after he's gone)
    • CU (agree with BR, the Buffs still won't be at this level. hope I'm wrong though -- it'd be a fun decade around here)
    • Boise St. (don't expect them to sustain their recent level of success)

the curious:
  • UTSA. yes, I understand they're in Texas where they apparently mass-breed 4 and 5* players, but putting them in this list is going out on a limb
  • Texas behind Baylor. you guys follow Texas football and recruiting more than I ever had, but really?
  • TCU not listed, but UTSA is?!?!?!
  • Nebraska only gets an honorable mention
  • Missou and Michigan not listed //pause for a moment -- I know they are considered to be on the decline, but do we really believe that over the next 10 years that Freso and UTSA will be bigger in CFB than those schools?
  • Fresno State -- really, can they compete with other Cali schools for a sustained time?
  • Cincinnati makes the list at #22 despite getting snubbed by all the BCS conferences
  • Clemson makes the list, USC-East doesn't
  • No schools anywhere near in the Northeast listed -- my candidates for consideration would be West Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse //consider this one for a moment: 1/6 of the USA lives in the Boston-Washington corridor driving most TV decisions, but not a single program expected to be close to elite status over the next 10 years. I could expect this fact to lead to some really poor television scheduling decisions.
 
by current conference [number of members listed]:
SEC: [6] Alabama, Auburn, A&M, Georgia, LSU, Florida
Pac: [5] UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, USC-W, ASU
B1G: [4] OSU-Midwest, PSU, MSU, UW-Midwest
ACC: [3[SUP]5/8[/SUP]] FSU, Notre Dame, Clemson, Louisville
XII: [3] Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas
other: [3] Cincinnatti, Fresno, UTSA​
 
Inclusion of any school not in P5 seems foolish. Costs to compete are rising, while state support and student fees will be less available to athletic departments.
 
I don't know if BR has changed its format, but if not... any one of us could publish an article on there with our "expert" opinion on a topic like this. Kind of the youtube of sports journalism.

That said, it's an interesting concept for a piece.

I'd look at growth states, recruiting footprints and resources.

UTSA is interesting from that standpoint, but take a back seat to UCF as the biggest up-and-comer. I'd also keep an idea on what gets built at Georgia State. There are some colleges with huge enrollments that have never risen beyond "commuter school" in the past. They have potential.

I think you also have to look at how population and wealth trends are shifting. Look to the Dakotas. It's booming up there.

Also, Colorado is a boom state as we look into the future and was a desirable enough place to attract recruits when CO had half the population it currently does. CU has a bright future.
 
I don't know if BR has changed its format, but if not... any one of us could publish an article on there with our "expert" opinion on a topic like this. Kind of the youtube of sports journalism.

That said, it's an interesting concept for a piece.

I'd look at growth states, recruiting footprints and resources.

UTSA is interesting from that standpoint, but take a back seat to UCF as the biggest up-and-comer. I'd also keep an idea on what gets built at Georgia State. There are some colleges with huge enrollments that have never risen beyond "commuter school" in the past. They have potential.

I think you also have to look at how population and wealth trends are shifting. Look to the Dakotas. It's booming up there.

Also, Colorado is a boom state as we look into the future and was a desirable enough place to attract recruits when CO had half the population it currently does. CU has a bright future.

IF UTSA is a perennial top 25 program I would be totally shocked. I agree the UCF and USF programs seem to have better potential.
 
..
I'd look at growth states, recruiting footprints and resources.

UTSA is interesting from that standpoint, but take a back seat to UCF as the biggest up-and-comer. I'd also keep an idea on what gets built at Georgia State. There are some colleges with huge enrollments that have never risen beyond "commuter school" in the past. They have potential.

I think you also have to look at how population and wealth trends are shifting. Look to the Dakotas. It's booming up there.

Also, Colorado is a boom state as we look into the future and was a desirable enough place to attract recruits when CO had half the population it currently does. CU has a bright future.

Agree that population shifts drive this, hence the decline of the B1G (or their move East, depending on POV). I thought about the Dakota's regarding this and regarding future conference expansion, but can't conceive of any of those schools breaking into "lower tier BCS level", much less "top 25 for a decade" level.

Regarding commuter schools, I finally looked up exactly what that meant. I was damn near schocked to see UW-West so high on the list (UTSA is higher, btw). Boise is the top football team on that list, and I think they're fading out of elite category.

Yes, CU's future is bright in football. Not a top 25 for the decade near-term future, though.

IF UTSA is a perennial top 25 program I would be totally shocked. I agree the UCF and USF programs seem to have better potential.

Yes, thought USF had more potential than some, maybe even UCF.

62 days until the start of college football season.
 
Sorry hokie, UCF is light years ahead of USF-- fan support, facilities, marketing and market growth all favor UCF. They have an indoor facility, an on-campus stadium they are improving, and a surprisingly cool game-day atmosphere. The Bulls are tenants in cavernous Tampa Stadium and have all the game day atmosphere you can squeeze into a flat, open, bahaia grass and sand parking lot. USF had the upper hand a few years ago, but all that has disappeared.
 
the curious:
  • UTSA. yes, I understand they're in Texas where they apparently mass-breed 4 and 5* players, but putting them in this list is going out on a limb
  • Texas behind Baylor. you guys follow Texas football and recruiting more than I ever had, but really?
  • TCU not listed, but UTSA is?!?!?!

Well, I stumbled across this article today. I was going to start a new thread, but this looks as good a place as any.

There are others that think that UT is losing ground to in state rivals... http://msn.foxsports.com/college-fo...hanges-lone-star-state-football-future-062514

Realignment Changes Lone Star State Football Future

After just three years, realignment has already fundamentally altered the trajectory of Texas football. The Texas A&M Aggies are surging like never before and they've done what many long considered to be impossible -- they've passed Texas to become the preeminent program in the state.

Hell, you can make the argument that right now Texas is the third or fourth best program in the state in the Big 12. Baylor and Art Briles are running circles around the Longhorns, Texas Tech has the most charismatic coach in college football and plays an exciting brand of football, and TCU plays the style of football that Charlie Strong wants to play, only they're better at it.
 
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Doesn't UCF have one of the biggest undergrad populations in the US? Would make sense here if that is the case.
 
Doesn't UCF have one of the biggest undergrad populations in the US? Would make sense here if that is the case.

They are top 2 with ASU. UCF is where all most of the engineers go for college in Florida. UF is too expensive and FSU is a clown school. Orlando gets hot as hell and rains a **** ton but that campus is really modern and nice.
 
Yes, UCF looks nothing like it did when I went for my Master's. They've doubled the size of the campus and still have 3x as much undeveloped land for their use. Really an anomaly in Florida as UF, FSU, USF and Miami are landlocked with limited space for growth, short of a satellite campus.
 
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