What's up everyone? My friends and I were having a conversation about the short term future of college football, looking down the line at the next 5-10 years. The SEC has dominated NCGs as of late, but I think some teams are gaining ground and will challenge the SEC for titles in the short term future.
What teams do you guys think will step up and challenge them?
Here's a few categories that I think look about right. I base them off of staff continuity, offensive and defensive strength, and recent recruiting/tendencies:
Top Candidates:
- Southern Cal
- OSU
- Michigan (an improved defense and Shane Morris as the golden boy could spell trouble)
- Texas
Not too far behind:
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Florida State
- Wisconsin
- Michigan State
- Stanford
Could break through with a few tweaks:
- Oklahoma State
- Virginia Tech
- Nebraska
- Clemson (almost want to move them to "Not too far behind")
- Notre Dame
- Boise State
I think USC and OSU have to be your top 2. Meyer knows how to build a team that can compete with SEC competition and he has done that defensively with the 2012 and 2013 classes. I think we are a few OL and skill players away from having a UF type team that he developed. The past 2 defensive line groups are ridiculous and that's what it takes. The d-line controls everything. Just look at the past 3-4 national championship teams. Their d-lines were big and fast. That's the difference between the SEC and every other conference. I believe Meyer is recruiting kids who can play in the SEC and that is smart.
No way MSU can compete with the "elite" teams in the SEC. Now yes the beat UGA last year, but they aren't competing with Bama LSU and UF when they are at their best. Other than that I think your list is fine. Michigan will be taking most of their future recruits too.
Your top 4 is spot on. I may move FSU in there too. They are going to have a huge year in 2012.
"You'll be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the football field."
I think Oregon has a better chance at competing vs. the SEC than Texas does. They're easily the top recruiting school over the last ten years, but they seem to have a hard time developing their talent. Especially when you consider where they are now, I'd say they're at least a few years out of contention with the nation's elite.
I was just talking about this exact subject with a co-worker. USC is going to be tough. Very tough. Very soon. I hope we can be too (and more). As far as who scares the sec into a bunker with Eva? USC no doubt in my mind.
I'm not the first to say or think this by any means but I see some gigantic showdowns between USC and Ohio State in the near future.
I'm really hoping for a 2005/2006 kind of renaissance, with OSU, USC, maybe Texas, and a few others outside the sec getting back in form and helping bitch slap the sabans and grass eaters of the world to the back of the line.
ND has no place in these plans btw.
I know there's a game saturday, and my ass will be there.
@Bucki, they were going to be there originally, but they've really disappointed when faced with any sort of expectations. And the reason I put Texas over Oregon is the somewhat more traditional offense (a la SEC) and that they will probably play better defense than Oregon in the near future.
I just included ND because hey, anything can happen.
Remember Oregon vs. Auburn 2 years ago? The Oregon offense can win against SEC competition. Oregon wins that game if the Auburn RB doesn't roll on top of the defender and Oregon's D watch him run for another 30 or so yards. I think you bump Texas down, and move Oregon and FSU up.
@urbzrenewal Fair point, I do believe this will be their leap year, so to speak. I think they'll be 12-1 or 11-2 heading into a BCS bowl.
"You'll be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the football field."
Silas Redd heading to USC now has to make them a very serious NC contender (is it this year or next year they are bowl eligible?).
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
This year, they were a contender well before Silas Redd's arrival, but he can def help.
"You'll be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the football field."
Buckeyes.
Camp starts soon, start thinking about your game face.
i see a sec team in the title game for the next couple of years at the very least. challengers will be usc, oregon, ohio state, fla st, oklahoma, texas, perhaps that team north of ohio somewhere near the city of aa.
UM will be good in coming years I think. Defense will have to lead that transformation though.
USC seems likely in the next year or two. OSU, hopefully, will be in the race by Urban's year two. I also think Texas could make a comeback, but they have sketchy QB play so only if that clears up. I think the "Not too far behind" list is too broad. WV, maybe now that I think about it, but my gut says no. But FSU, they still haven't done much but hype, and a Luck-less Stanford is doubtful. FSU and down could easily drop down to the next group
Florida State should have been included in the top category with the other four, IMO. They may not be like they were in the 80's and 90's, but they are on a serious upswing.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
BuckeyeDude: What upswing? FSU has had great recruiting classes recently and done nothing with them.
"Attack the Strong, Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead!"
-Former OSU S&C Coach Lichter
Regarding ND - By "tweak" i assume you mean fire Brian Kelly?
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
Okie State seems to have something special going down in Stillwater, and their D is improving gradually over the past few years
"You win with people." - Woody Hayes
i think texas will be legit again... they always get top talent recruiting wise and brown consistantly wins games. usc 100% without a doubt has enough to beat the sec teams..the thing with fsu is they do have soo much talent but can never seem to put it together in a weak acc.teams in the near future i think that can give the sec all they want are... USC TOSU Texas and FSU... i like kellys offense but he doesnt have the horses on d yet... I also dont know what clemson is doing but they have been pulling some seriously good classes as well
mark may wins douchebag of the year... again
(1) USC is the obvious first choice and I think they will win it all this year. I hate them but it will be nice to not hear an SEC chant at the end of a championship game. (2) OSU can and will but it will be a few years IMO. We definitely need an upgrade and depth on O-line along with a legit super-quick athlete (some approximation to Percy Harvin). (3) Texas will eventually if they get rid of Mack Brown and that could be this year. Few schools can recruit top 5 classes in their back yard and Texas does it yearly. As much as I hate to admit, (4) Michigan could be in there easily and they do have a
pretty goodwinning record against the SEC (although they are going to get dismembered this year by 'Bama). (5) Oregon isn't going to run through the PAC-12 anymore now that USC is back, but then again USC drops at least one game per year they have no business dropping. I don't have much faith that Oregon's offensive line will ever win a war against a topSECdefensive line. Auburn's d-line stood them up in the red zone almost every time last year and OSU's did in 2010. I don't think that the Ducks will win an NC if it involves playing a top defensive team for it. (5) Same goes for Oklahoma State. Play defense bros and you might have a chance. (6) Oklahoma still has "Big Game" Bob Stoops so they won't win sh*t. In a shootout these two teams might win but most championship caliber teams play defense. And that concludes my half-assed analysis.I've never said this before but I agree with poop!
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
I think it would help compare by putting sec teams on a list like this too. I would say top canidates are Alabama LSU. Not to far behind is South Carolina. Could break through would be Auburn and Florida. I really think this is the year that the sec doesnt win it.
@poop
Clemson is a product of the media. Commentators love to say that they are the closest to the vaunted SEC environment as any team in the ACC. They have 1 conference championship in the past 20 years, and on the heels of that championship moment, they gave up 70 (could have easily been 100+) in their bowl game.
Dabo Swinney is 29-19 in 4 years at the school, yet ESPN circles jerks him as the next great one. It took Jim Tressel 8 years at OSU to lose 19 games. Uran Meyer had 18 losses after his first 9 years as head coad @ BG, Utah and Florida combined.
Clemson is a hype machine fraud that makes even Jimbo Fisher jealous.
BTW, to answer the forum topic-
Southern Cal, Michigan (maybe a 1 game Sept. challenge only) and Oklahoma challege the SEC in 2013.
Ohio State and Texas challenge them in 2014.
SEC has had their run.