WHAT MAKES A FOOTBALL PROGRAM ELITE?
Elite - The choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.
Elite - The choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.
Let’s talk about Elite national programs. My definition of Elite is combination of several factors. First, you have to a long history of being a national power. Next, your record has to show a lot of wins over the years. Then, that record must be sprinkled with national championships, and finally you need that “aura” which is subjective, hard to define, but every real football fans knows what I mean. An example is Boise State. They have been a power of late. But “of late” doesn’t mean a thing. That is why you have some programs that have won a national championship, but do not have have the “Aura”. I think the best examples that comes to mind is Florida State and Miami. Colorado won a National Championship. Being good for a decade doesn’t mean Elite, it means you’re hot for a while. It’s like you are playing golf and have a few great rounds with the putter. You enjoy it while you but you know it won’t last. One of my friends, Don Kelly, is the greatest putter I’ve ever known. I’ve been playing with him for 40+ years. Now, when I say great, I’m talking about pro great plus some. He is an Elite putter. He hasn’t putted as well the last year. He still putts better than me, I know he’ll be back with the low blade. Elite progams, like Elite putters may have a slump from time to time but you know they will be back.
Every fan has his or her list of great programs. However, if you looked for a general consensus a few stand out. These are programs with national prominence. These are teams that if you asked a PAC 12 fan to give you his list it would be basically the same as an SEC fan’s list. They have withstood the test of time and have both history and tradition on their sides to prove the rule. Closer to home that is why Alabama is an Elite program and Auburn isn’t. I’m not even suggesting that Auburn doesn’t have a great program but they will never be mentioned same breath as Alabama as far as national prominence is concerned. Elite does not mean that Auburn can’t beat 'Bama. We know they can. It is rarely about the individual. Last season was it Auburn that won the national championship or was it Cam Newton? Get my drift? In my mind an Elite program is sustained by players who never put themselves above their school and teammates. The year that Mark Ingram won his Heisman many felt that Trent Richardson was a better player. They were partners in great program. The program was larger than either of the players and they understood this. Mark acknowledged that at the Awards night. Ingram didn’t overshadow his team. An Elite team is often better than the sum of individuals. Elite program can make the player better and not the other way around as far as national prominence is concerned. Ingram was not only proud to have won his Heisman he was happier that Alabama finally had a Heisman winner.
Second tier programs are often associated with great players instead of their school. In fact, a lot of second tier programs are defined by great players. I am not saying that second tier programs are second rate. Those teams may frequently have teams better than Elite programs. It just doesn’t matter. That is why the list of Elite programs rarely change. Elite programs make college football what it has become. Let’s do a hypothetical. Ten years from now you have chance to turn on your 3-D interactive super duper television and watch a game. Would you rather watch Alabama vs. Southern California, or Mississippi State and Virginia? It is possible that both Mississippi State and Virginia might be better than either of the former named teams by that time. It’s not likely though. I’m talking about historically prominent teams. I’m talking about the bed rock of College football.
BCS Bowl selections of this season is perfect example. Why isn’t Kansas State or Arkansas in a major bowl? They were top ten teams, had excellent years, and have a lot going for them. Arkansas is a point scoring machine and Kansas State is the little football engine that could. It will be a classic match up when they play each other. But why did neither team make it to a major bowl game. People will say they don’t travel well, or they can’t sell all their ticket allotment. With an Elite program that is not a big deal. One reason is because Elite programs sell out their ticket allotment regardless of their records, and when they travel the fans come in waves and packs of credit card spending machines. The don’t d and take a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches in a brown bag and stop at the 7-11 for all their cokes and six packs.
Who is on my list of Elite programs: The Top 5
Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Southern Cal
This is the order I would put them and why -
1. Alabama - year in and year out, decade in and decade out, no program has the combination of factors I believe which make national Elite teams the University of Alabama. 13 Consensus National Championships in the Modern Era, conference champions with regularity, and they are tops of “if we beat them it makes our season” list. Great coaches, best facilities in the nation at the college level. Here’s an example of the national perception of Alabama. When Green Bay won the super bowl and someone asked Vince Lombardi if the Packers were the best team in America his answer was “I don’t know. We haven’t played Alabama.” Yell Roll Tide and anyone in the nation knows what that means. I once got a free haircut in Falmouth, Mass. just to tell Alabama football stories. No joke, by the time I left every man in the shop yelled “Roll Tide” when I left. Winner of more bowl games than any team in history. National championships won: 21 (as recognized by the NCAA records today) The best coach in college football was Bear Bryant. Beating Alabama is a big, big deal to anyone. Losing to Bama may not break your season, but beating Alabama will sure make your season.
2. Oklahoma - National championships, winner of 47 games in a row, great coaches, In the Big 12 if you beat Oklahoma you’ve had good year. They have won numerous conference championships, they have Heisman Trophy winners. If you saw “Boomer Sooner” on a tee-shirt you’d know who they are. Multiple bowl game winner, and rabid fan base. I think you may have to have a little age on you to remember some of their real glory days. In modern times the Sooners are still big dogs. National Champions won: 16 (as recognized by the NCAA records today) Bud Wilkinson, 11 National Championships. Every season it seems they have a chance to win a conference.
3. Notre Dame - The fighting Irish, the subway alumni, even the Pope’s who asked a player to attend Notre Dame. 21 National Championships (as recognized by NCAA records today). Heisman Trophy Winners, Great coaches. Knute Rockne. Notre Dame would be #1 on this is if wasn’t for an extended dry spell and they really haven’t shown many signs of getting. But, they will. "Win one for the Gipper",The Four Horseman, etc”. Bowl games, darling of the nation, and hated by many, but you cannot omit the Irish, nor should you. 21 National Championships. Notre Dame made college football in the America, except in the South.
4. Michigan - M go Blue. Traditional helmets. The Big House. Michigan vs. The Ohio State University, Heisman winners, great coaches, over 800 national wins. Winner of national championship and league champions. The Big House is considered by many to the greatest venue to watch college football. Ann Arbor in the fall. It just can’t get any better. 14 National Championships. The original Bo. The model for big time football.
5. Southern Cal - The Trojans are magnificent. The most powerful football team ever on the west coast. Student body right, the Heisman Tailback Tradition, John McCay, Hollywood, The Rose Bowl is all about USC other teams may play in the Rose Bowl but it is the property of Southern Cal. Cardinal and Gold uniforms which is a tradition that the Trojans always keep. The Trojan measuring stick of Western football to see how you compare to Southern Cal. It always has been that way and probably always will. You think Oregon is going to overtake Southern Cal in the long run.? Of course not. Oregon will never win National Championships like Southern Cal. Oregon has had great program recently, and and I stress recently. Southern Cal vs. Notre Dame is one of the most highly anticipated games of any season even when neither team is at the top of their games. 10 National Championships. Best cheerleaders ever... SC is LA cool. Like it or not, LA is the center of America.
There were other schools I considered. The Ohio State University (6) , Penn State (7) despite their current problems, Tennessee (9), Nebraska (8), and Texas (almost 5) would be my next five. LSU is getting close. Miami got close as did Florida State. But none of those three are there. LSU might because they are really good, have more than one national championship, but most important to the Tigers is that they play in the SEC. Florida State and Miami will never be because they are unable to show the long history. Florida was the talk of the SEC and now they have fallen like a rock.
I’m sure there will be a lot of disagreement with my list. I’d like to know which team you think I left our or did not consider. All I can say is that it’s really good to be a fan of an Elite program. One last thought. Why is Notre Dame play football last night? Do you think UAB would have been there with the same record? I rest my case.
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