BCS Teams 4 Tier pecking Order

[Suerreal]

I guess Stewart Mandel didn't have enough hate mail...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/08/08/cfb.bag/index.html?eref=si_topstories


Kings

Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee*, Texas and USC.

* Tennessee is the lone school in the group that caused any hesitation. The Vols would have been a no-brainer 10 years ago, but they have fallen off the map a bit lately. In the end, I figured those 100 fans in Montana still know "Rocky Top," the checkered end zones and that Peyton Manning went there.
Barons

Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, LSU*, Texas A&M, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Washington and Wisconsin.

* While LSU is clearly a premier program right now, its big-picture tradition does not match those of the 13 kings. However, if the Tigers were to add another national title here in the next couple of years, they may well graduate to that group.
Knights

Arizona State, Arkansas, Boston College, Cal, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Maryland, Michigan State, Missouri, N.C. State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, Syracuse*, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington State.

* In normal times, Syracuse would qualify as one of the barons, but they're just so darn bad and so irrelevant right now.
Peasants

Arizona, Baylor, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Rutgers*, South Florida*, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.

I'd have put Texas Tech up in the Barons, but other than that, I think he's classified the Big XII pretty well.

- Sue

[KantoSooner]

Why on earth is Coloroado that high?

[colinreturn]

is he talking about the prestige since the creation of the bcs, or the prestige overall. Because alabama hasnt been so hot since the bcs started.

[Big Red Ron]

I think Bama and ND have slipped to Barron status and UT has earned their right into King status with their 2005 MNC. If not for the VY season, they are by his own definition Barrons.

[soonerboomer93]

overall prestige/recognizability

which is why bama and ND are on the list and why tech is not a baron

[fadada1]

ivan must've stayed up all night to come up with terms from the robin hood era to signify "top tier", "second tier", "third tier", and "just plain bad".

and to think, he went to a degree granting institution.

[IndianJack]

I think Bama and ND have slipped to Barron status and UT has earned their right into King status with their 2005 MNC. If not for the VY season, they are by his own definition Barrons.


If Bama and ND were judged solely on the past few years then possibly. It's hard to argue against those two programs not being the two most recognizable of all, and believe me, I absolutely loathe ND.

texas is the only team that competes with ND for my ire, but BRR, the "King" himself has proclaimed texas to be the "best job in the country." If that does not give them king status (I just threw up a little), I don't know what would.

By the way, and I realize this is off topic, but what is up with every ESPN prognosticator stating that we have lost 3 straight to texas? May and Holtz I expect it from, but its foockin' everybody. ARRGGGHHHH!!! Idiots.

As for pokes=barons... Let them eat cake.

[The_Red_Patriot]

Mandel is the only guy asking the same questinos fans across the country are asking all the time.

What about USC? Why do they get off?

Im not crying about it but he does write about that alot.

[stoopified]

Hey mods shouldn't this thread be merged with the osu knights thread?

[Suerreal]

probably; I didn't see the other one when I started this one...

- Sue

[Octavian]

These lists usually fall short for lack of definitions or criteria, but I think Mandel actually did a pretty good job.


Presitge and achievement are also two different animals. If we're talking prestige in the here and now...then Mandel's list is fine sans LSU. If we're talking historical prestige....Mandel's list is again pretty spot on.



But if we're talking historical accomplishments....Mandel's list of 'kings' is too long.


(in no particular order...)

Bama
USC
OU
Notre Dame


....and then everybody else.


A solid case could be made for any of those four programs as the #1 college football program historically.


A good case can't be made for Nebraska, Michigan, Texas, Ohio St., Miami, Penn. St., Tennessee, etc. as the #1 historical program above those first four. That's the difference between the historical superpowers and Mandel's prestigous 'kings.'



Now that doesn't mean squat to a current recruit or the perception of fans or pollsters....and it shouldn't. Recruits and pollsters will (rightly) give no preference to an Oklahoma over a Texas or a USC over a Michigan based on name recognition. Mandel's kings all have roughly the same name recognition or value. In that sense, they're are all equal heavyweights at a long table where the rich just get richer.


But just from a historical standpoint based on accomplishment, Mandel's 'kings' are not all equal. Its probably more something for the uberfan geeks...but there is a pronounced drop-off of historical achievement after those four.




Ah, the last throws of the offseason. :rolleyes: ;)


We need some football soon.