Snrfn4ever08
6/28/2006, 12:53 AM
i thought this was pretty interesting. it was on the college football news site. this is great stuff for anyone on the board, including myself, who hate the domers and the shorthorns. i've split this article into two posts because of the length: 31-16 (31 being the most underrated) and 15-1(1 being most overrated) i think most people here will be pleased to see OUr placement
Part One
The Most Underrated Team Has Been ...
31. Miami – The ‘Canes were a little late getting to this party, but once they arrived in the early 1980s, they were here to stay. The 1983 team traveled from No. 20 to No. 1, and kicked off a 10-year stretch in which Miami finished in the Top 10 eight times. Since that championship season, they’ve also crashed and burned just once. That was the one-year rebuilding period of 1997, when the ‘Canes went 5-6, lost by 47 to Florida State and had a rare postseason without a bowl game.
*Composite Score: -2.41
30. Florida State – To understand Florida State’s place in this analysis, all you really need to know is that from 1987 to 2000, the ‘Noles never finished a year outside the AP’s Top 5, a truly incomprehensible accomplishment. Now, the program hasn’t been back to that zip code since, which is why they’ve recently fallen behind Miami. Not since 1983, when they lost five games, has Florida State finished a season unranked that they began in the Top 25.
*Composite Score: -2.64
29. Virginia Tech – The Hokies’ first preseason AP ranking didn’t occur until 1994, but they’ve attracted enough attention to pick up the requisite 10 mentions to qualify for this debate. They’ve replaced spectacular with steady, notching at least seven wins and a bowl berth in each of the last 13 seasons. The bottom has yet to fall out since they started getting respect in the polls, and they’ve had just enough double-digit jumps in the polls to manufacture a very respectable composite score.
*Composite Score: -2.70
28. Nebraska – Of those programs that have been preseason ranked in at least 30 of the last 35 years, none has been more reliable and consistent than Nebraska. Considering that there’s always been far more territory in the rankings background than foreground, the Huskers’ composite score is alarmingly good. The numbers paint a clear picture of sustained dominance. Nebraska has been ranked at the beginning of the year 32 times since 1971, yet finished just one of those seasons—2002—unranked. And of the 29 times the Huskers started in the Top 10, they stayed there until January 23 times.
*Composite Score: -3.25
27. Georgia – Georgia’s strength has come from its ability to fool the forecasters more regularly than any other team in college football over the last 35 years. They’ve been ranked in the preseason two dozen times and have met or exceeded expectations a cool dozen of those years. That’s helped to offset the inevitable slip and fall that bit the Dawgs in 1977 and 1993. Since Mark Richt arrived five years ago, the program has continued its positive trend, climbing the rankings three years and sliding just four spots in 2004.
*Composite Score: -3.29
26. Oklahoma – There were some dark days in the 1990s, when Oklahoma wasn’t Oklahoma, but the Sooners built a foundation of success and reliability in the 1970s and 1980s that still endures today. For an amazing 10-year run beginning in 1971, OU either met or passed its preseason placement nine times, mostly under the watchful eye of Barry Switzer. Before last season’s decline, Bob Stoops was building an unmistakable bridge to those glory days of Oklahoma football. The 2000 team came from the No. 19 hole to cop that year’s national championship.
*Composite Score: -3.68
25. Ohio State – The Buckeyes are a fixture in the preseason polls, and they’ve earned that luxury through consistency. Ohio State has rarely deviated far from expectations, and when they do, it’s often in a northern direction, such as the 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 squads, all of which were +6 or better at the end of the year. The one gross deviation that sticks out came from John Cooper’s 1999 team, which was picked ninth when the season kicked off, but went 6-6 and became the first Buckeye team in 11 years not to play in a bowl game.
*Composite Score: - 4.06
24. Michigan – Since 1971, no school has been ranked in the AP preseason poll more times than the Wolverines. They’ve been unranked just once, in 1985, a slight that prompted a defensively-dominant 10-1-1 season and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Nebraska. Last year’s unexpected freefall to 7-5 represented just the second time in the last 35 years that Michigan began the year in the Top 25, yet couldn’t maintain their ranking at the end of the bowl season.
*Composite Score: -4.21
23. Penn State – The 21st century has been a rollercoaster ride in Happy Valley, but the previous three decades held few surprises. Penn State was about as steady as they come from 1971 to 1999, giving voters the confidence they needed to champion them in the polls every summer. And they rarely disappointed. In fact, the Lions have improved their preseason ranking 15 times in 35 years, more than any other school in college football during that time. Recent black eyes in 2000 and 2003 have thwarted some momentum, and raised questions how the program will respond when ranked later this summer.
*Composite Score: -4.25
22. Alabama – For much of the last 35 years, ‘Bama has been as consistent as, well, the tides. There have been the occasional flops, but, year after year, few programs have been better at meeting or exceeding August expectations. From 1971 to 1981, the Tide won a pair of national championships and never fell more than four spots from their preseason perch. Deduct the debacle that was the Mike DuBose era, and ‘Bama soars to right behind Virginia Tech as the least overrated program. On DuBose’s watch, the team sunk to new depths in 1997 and 2000 just a year after winning 10 games.
*Composite Score: - 4.43
21. Washington – Those with short memories will forget just how competitive the Huskies were from the late 1970s until just a few years ago. They were the Pac-10’s most consistent program over that time, and as it turns out, the most underrated as well. Voters just never quite gave them enough preseason credit. From 1979 to 1984, they blew past their ranking four times, easily the best of any school during that stretch. All hasn’t been rosy in Seattle, however. Washington sunk badly in 2002 and 2003, and haven’t sniffed the polls since losing to Nevada three years ago.
*Composite Score: -5.63
20. Iowa – The Hawkeyes have had their share of disappointing years, such as 1988, 1989, 1992 and last fall, but have been able to offset those seasons with unexpectedly strong campaigns along the way. Iowa has gone north in the polls in nearly half of their 13 preseason appearances, which is well above the national average. Hayden Fry coached up his kids an impressive five different times between 1983 and 1996, and Kirk Ferentz has done his part to keep that tradition alive.
*Composite Score: -5.85
19. Florida – With Steve Spurrier on the sidelines, Florida never deviated more than seven spots from their preseason ranking in 12 years. With Doug Dickey, Charley Pell, Galen Hall and Ron Zook at the helm, the Gators were far less predictable, often sliding double digits or completely out of the picture by the time bowls began. Where the school goes from here is in the hands of Urban Meyer, who began with a solid -2 in his quest to guide the Gators back to being a perennial player in the SEC and national title chases.
*Composite Score: -6.08
18. BYU – There was a time between 1980 and 1994 that you couldn’t keep the Cougars off the preseason charts. That feels like a long time ago since the program has been ranked in the summer just once in the last 11 years. BYU really exploded on to the scene in 1979, paving the way for a No. 12 finish the following year. At that point, it was impossible to sneak up on anyone, and the bar was instantly raised to a level that wasn’t so easy to reach. From 1982 to 1993, the Cougars failed to match or surpass their preseason ranking in all eight years they were recognized. Ironically, that 1984 team that went 13-0 and won the national championship began the season outside the Top 20.
*Composite Score: - 6.33
17. Tennessee – Like so many teams in the SEC, Tennessee is a program that, historically, you can rank, put up your feet and assume they won’t make you look bad. Of course, last year was a huge exception to that rule. The 2005 Vols had the look of a fringe national championship contender, but wound up slipping under .500 for the first time in 17 years and playing the role of one of the year’s biggest disappointments. The 1998 squad that beat Florida State for the national title began the year at No. 10.
*Composite Score: -6.67
16. LSU – Throughout the years, LSU has been easy to predict for voters. With only a couple of exceptions, the program has rarely strayed far from its preseason poll position, a consistency that still exists today. Those exceptions in 1989 and 1998, however, were egregious enough to keep the Tigers from joining the elite programs in this evaluation. Both of those teams began the season in the AP’s Top 10, and ended it with hard-to-explain 4-7 records.
*Composite Score: -6.74
Part One
The Most Underrated Team Has Been ...
31. Miami – The ‘Canes were a little late getting to this party, but once they arrived in the early 1980s, they were here to stay. The 1983 team traveled from No. 20 to No. 1, and kicked off a 10-year stretch in which Miami finished in the Top 10 eight times. Since that championship season, they’ve also crashed and burned just once. That was the one-year rebuilding period of 1997, when the ‘Canes went 5-6, lost by 47 to Florida State and had a rare postseason without a bowl game.
*Composite Score: -2.41
30. Florida State – To understand Florida State’s place in this analysis, all you really need to know is that from 1987 to 2000, the ‘Noles never finished a year outside the AP’s Top 5, a truly incomprehensible accomplishment. Now, the program hasn’t been back to that zip code since, which is why they’ve recently fallen behind Miami. Not since 1983, when they lost five games, has Florida State finished a season unranked that they began in the Top 25.
*Composite Score: -2.64
29. Virginia Tech – The Hokies’ first preseason AP ranking didn’t occur until 1994, but they’ve attracted enough attention to pick up the requisite 10 mentions to qualify for this debate. They’ve replaced spectacular with steady, notching at least seven wins and a bowl berth in each of the last 13 seasons. The bottom has yet to fall out since they started getting respect in the polls, and they’ve had just enough double-digit jumps in the polls to manufacture a very respectable composite score.
*Composite Score: -2.70
28. Nebraska – Of those programs that have been preseason ranked in at least 30 of the last 35 years, none has been more reliable and consistent than Nebraska. Considering that there’s always been far more territory in the rankings background than foreground, the Huskers’ composite score is alarmingly good. The numbers paint a clear picture of sustained dominance. Nebraska has been ranked at the beginning of the year 32 times since 1971, yet finished just one of those seasons—2002—unranked. And of the 29 times the Huskers started in the Top 10, they stayed there until January 23 times.
*Composite Score: -3.25
27. Georgia – Georgia’s strength has come from its ability to fool the forecasters more regularly than any other team in college football over the last 35 years. They’ve been ranked in the preseason two dozen times and have met or exceeded expectations a cool dozen of those years. That’s helped to offset the inevitable slip and fall that bit the Dawgs in 1977 and 1993. Since Mark Richt arrived five years ago, the program has continued its positive trend, climbing the rankings three years and sliding just four spots in 2004.
*Composite Score: -3.29
26. Oklahoma – There were some dark days in the 1990s, when Oklahoma wasn’t Oklahoma, but the Sooners built a foundation of success and reliability in the 1970s and 1980s that still endures today. For an amazing 10-year run beginning in 1971, OU either met or passed its preseason placement nine times, mostly under the watchful eye of Barry Switzer. Before last season’s decline, Bob Stoops was building an unmistakable bridge to those glory days of Oklahoma football. The 2000 team came from the No. 19 hole to cop that year’s national championship.
*Composite Score: -3.68
25. Ohio State – The Buckeyes are a fixture in the preseason polls, and they’ve earned that luxury through consistency. Ohio State has rarely deviated far from expectations, and when they do, it’s often in a northern direction, such as the 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 squads, all of which were +6 or better at the end of the year. The one gross deviation that sticks out came from John Cooper’s 1999 team, which was picked ninth when the season kicked off, but went 6-6 and became the first Buckeye team in 11 years not to play in a bowl game.
*Composite Score: - 4.06
24. Michigan – Since 1971, no school has been ranked in the AP preseason poll more times than the Wolverines. They’ve been unranked just once, in 1985, a slight that prompted a defensively-dominant 10-1-1 season and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Nebraska. Last year’s unexpected freefall to 7-5 represented just the second time in the last 35 years that Michigan began the year in the Top 25, yet couldn’t maintain their ranking at the end of the bowl season.
*Composite Score: -4.21
23. Penn State – The 21st century has been a rollercoaster ride in Happy Valley, but the previous three decades held few surprises. Penn State was about as steady as they come from 1971 to 1999, giving voters the confidence they needed to champion them in the polls every summer. And they rarely disappointed. In fact, the Lions have improved their preseason ranking 15 times in 35 years, more than any other school in college football during that time. Recent black eyes in 2000 and 2003 have thwarted some momentum, and raised questions how the program will respond when ranked later this summer.
*Composite Score: -4.25
22. Alabama – For much of the last 35 years, ‘Bama has been as consistent as, well, the tides. There have been the occasional flops, but, year after year, few programs have been better at meeting or exceeding August expectations. From 1971 to 1981, the Tide won a pair of national championships and never fell more than four spots from their preseason perch. Deduct the debacle that was the Mike DuBose era, and ‘Bama soars to right behind Virginia Tech as the least overrated program. On DuBose’s watch, the team sunk to new depths in 1997 and 2000 just a year after winning 10 games.
*Composite Score: - 4.43
21. Washington – Those with short memories will forget just how competitive the Huskies were from the late 1970s until just a few years ago. They were the Pac-10’s most consistent program over that time, and as it turns out, the most underrated as well. Voters just never quite gave them enough preseason credit. From 1979 to 1984, they blew past their ranking four times, easily the best of any school during that stretch. All hasn’t been rosy in Seattle, however. Washington sunk badly in 2002 and 2003, and haven’t sniffed the polls since losing to Nevada three years ago.
*Composite Score: -5.63
20. Iowa – The Hawkeyes have had their share of disappointing years, such as 1988, 1989, 1992 and last fall, but have been able to offset those seasons with unexpectedly strong campaigns along the way. Iowa has gone north in the polls in nearly half of their 13 preseason appearances, which is well above the national average. Hayden Fry coached up his kids an impressive five different times between 1983 and 1996, and Kirk Ferentz has done his part to keep that tradition alive.
*Composite Score: -5.85
19. Florida – With Steve Spurrier on the sidelines, Florida never deviated more than seven spots from their preseason ranking in 12 years. With Doug Dickey, Charley Pell, Galen Hall and Ron Zook at the helm, the Gators were far less predictable, often sliding double digits or completely out of the picture by the time bowls began. Where the school goes from here is in the hands of Urban Meyer, who began with a solid -2 in his quest to guide the Gators back to being a perennial player in the SEC and national title chases.
*Composite Score: -6.08
18. BYU – There was a time between 1980 and 1994 that you couldn’t keep the Cougars off the preseason charts. That feels like a long time ago since the program has been ranked in the summer just once in the last 11 years. BYU really exploded on to the scene in 1979, paving the way for a No. 12 finish the following year. At that point, it was impossible to sneak up on anyone, and the bar was instantly raised to a level that wasn’t so easy to reach. From 1982 to 1993, the Cougars failed to match or surpass their preseason ranking in all eight years they were recognized. Ironically, that 1984 team that went 13-0 and won the national championship began the season outside the Top 20.
*Composite Score: - 6.33
17. Tennessee – Like so many teams in the SEC, Tennessee is a program that, historically, you can rank, put up your feet and assume they won’t make you look bad. Of course, last year was a huge exception to that rule. The 2005 Vols had the look of a fringe national championship contender, but wound up slipping under .500 for the first time in 17 years and playing the role of one of the year’s biggest disappointments. The 1998 squad that beat Florida State for the national title began the year at No. 10.
*Composite Score: -6.67
16. LSU – Throughout the years, LSU has been easy to predict for voters. With only a couple of exceptions, the program has rarely strayed far from its preseason poll position, a consistency that still exists today. Those exceptions in 1989 and 1998, however, were egregious enough to keep the Tigers from joining the elite programs in this evaluation. Both of those teams began the season in the AP’s Top 10, and ended it with hard-to-explain 4-7 records.
*Composite Score: -6.74