https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/Blue-chip-ratio-college-football-2...
 

I track that minimum required level of recruiting necessary to win a title and publish the teams who have met the standard annually in Blue-Chip Ratio. Since its inception in 2013 it’s been referenced on all the major broadcast networks and referred to by head coaches. It’s not the most complicated calculation in the world, but it’s a great way to figure out the top 10 percent or so of the teams in the sport which can actually take home the title.

What is the minimum level of recruiting required to win it all? 

Put simply, to win the national championship, college football teams need to sign more four- and five-star recruits (AKA “Blue Chips”) than two- and three-star players over the previous four recruiting classes. 

This has been true basically as far back as modern internet recruiting rankings have existed. 

Media will sometimes hype a team which has not met the threshold as a national title contender, but history has shown that is not a smart practice. Think Wisconsin, Baylor, Michigan State, TCU, Utah, etc. over the last decade.

This is a necessary but not sufficient condition. It does not guarantee a national championship, but a team not meeting it is almost certainly guaranteed not to win it all

The requirement to stack talent on top of talent makes sense when considering the violence of the sport of football. Even those teams who stay relatively healthy need depth to survive the season. Teams who sign elite class after elite class have greater competition in practice, and greater quality of depth.

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The teams making the cut aren’t too surprising but still interesting to have the data behind it.