Top Schools of the BCS Era

[Miller]

Here are the top 4 teams I think you can make an argument for as the top school of the BCS era to date.

** USC - 7 appearances, 6-1 (if you include their vacated title), 1 title, 1-1 in title games
** Florida - 6 appearances, 5-1, 2 Titles, 2-0 in title games
** LSU - 4 appeearances, 4-0, 2 Titles, 2-0 in title games
** OSU - 9 appearances, 6-3, 1 Title, 1-2 in title games

My opinion is that the two muli-title programs rise to the top. LSU's only knock is they have been very inconsistent. Ohio State by comparison has played in twice as many BCS games as LSU, but no one can argue what they do once they get there. Florida IMO, is the top BSC era program. They have multiple titles and a great record overall. USC has a great number of appearances as well and a great record at 6-1. If you drop the title though, they fall out of this discussion IMO and behind the Buckeyes.

Getting to a BCS Bowl by itself is an accomplishment most of the time. There are still too many politics involved and the auto qualifiers at times are a joke too, but most of the time to get to that point you are looking at a 10 win season. Oklahoma's 8 appearances is impressive, but they are 3-5 in BCS games with one title I think they come in right behind the top 4.

Here is a complete history of the BCS and about 1/2 way down is a table by school. How would you rank them in terms of success over the BCS era? Who would be your 5?
Bowl Championship Series - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My top 5 would be:
1. Florida
2. LSU
3. USC (if you take the vacated title out they fall to 4)
4. Ohio State
5. Oklahoma

 

[Kingdome]

My top 15 of the last 10 seasons:

1. USC 548
2. Ohio State 437
3. Florida 432
4. LSU 387
5. Texas 333
6. Miami 287
7. Auburn 276
8. Oklahoma 267
9. Alabama 247
10. Virginia Tech 190
11. Georgia 181
12. West Virginia 171
13. Boise State 170
14. Oregon 169
15. Utah 154

 

[Miller]

King, what are the numbers? I am also assuming that does not take the vacated title into consideration?

My top 15 of the last 10 seasons:

1. USC 548
2. Ohio State 437
3. Florida 432
4. LSU 387
5. Texas 333
6. Miami 287
7. Auburn 276
8. Oklahoma 267
9. Alabama 247
10. Virginia Tech 190
11. Georgia 181
12. West Virginia 171
13. Boise State 170
14. Oregon 169
15. Utah 154

 

[Kingdome]

King, what are the numbers? I am also assuming that does not take the vacated title into consideration?

I came up with a simple formula that weights heavily towards winning national championships and BCS bowl games. I tried to steer clear of politics, including vacated title and games. Over the last 10 years, USC has been by far the best program. Ohio State sneaks in at #2 due to solid consistency.

 

[Sgt John]

Ohio State has ran wild over the Big 10.

 

[Sgt John]

Lets see the formula

 

[mudloggerone]

Florida
LSU
Ohio State
Oklahoma
USC (How can you ignore the vacted title? It is a part of history. Cheaters suffer!)

 

[Miller]

Florida
LSU
Ohio State
Oklahoma
USC (How can you ignore the vacted title? It is a part of history. Cheaters suffer!)

The ONLY reason I did not for this argument is b/c I didn't want this entire thread to turn into a debate on if it should or should not count and overall, I think vacated titles and stripped wins are pretty much a joke.....it still happened.....and the NCAA is a joke when it comes to consistency so I find it hard to take their punishments too seriously any more. Also, if you want to go a step further, Bush also played in the title game against Texas.....but b/c they dind't win......they didn't have to vacate anything???? If you take away one, then you should take away both which would leave them at 5 appearance....but 5-0......and no titles...since there seems to be no consistency, I just kept them in.

 

[Kingdome]

Florida

USC (How can you ignore the vacted title? It is a part of history. Cheaters suffer!)

It was the greatest college team I have ever seen. It happened, I am counting it. Even if you remove that one players, that team is still amazing. Plus the NCAA system is such political BS anyway. Like I said above, I am staying clear of politics. Not counting Heismans, not removing vacated games when there are other programs that should have vacated games too.

Looking at the results on the field, USC was by far the best program over the last 10 years.

 

[Kingdome]

Lets see the formula

I think I used 100 pts for NC, 20 for BCS bowl win, 10 for BCS bowl appearance, 5 for a conference title, 1 pt for 1-A win, -1 pt for a 1-AA loss (hello Michigan, Virginia Tech), plus had a bonus points for tough OOC schedule and for conference strength (had to do this or Boise State, etc. would be overrated vs. SEC teams).

 

[Kingdome]

If Florida is so great, why are they such pussies? USC and Ohio State will travel to tough OOC opponents, and shy away from 1-AA creampuffs. Factor in the Zook era, and it is easy to see why Florida slips to #3, despite their 4 year Tebow run.

 

[Miller]

If Florida is so great, why are they such pussies? USC and Ohio State will travel to tough OOC opponents, and shy away from 1-AA creampuffs. Factor in the Zook era, and it is easy to see why Florida slips to #3, despite their 4 year Tebow run.

You make very good points.....but they still have 2 titles and that goes a long way.

It kinda comes down to the consistency of someone like Ohio State and USC vs the multiple titles of Florida and LSU. As dominant as USC has been, they didn't do jack the first 4 years of the BCS and now the last 2 years and counting......they also have just the 1 title.

LSU is the team I struggled with, they have the 2 titles.....they are 4-0 in BCS games.....yet they only have the 4 years in which they have received a BCS bid......I put them at 2, but the more I think about it, they really should be at 4 I think despite the 2 titles Consistency has to be considered.

 

[mudloggerone]

It's a lot easier to be consistent when you're not playing in the SEC, lol. Plus a decent QB helps.

 

[Kingdome]

You make very good points.....but they still have 2 titles and that goes a long way.

It kinda comes down to the consistency of someone like Ohio State and USC vs the multiple titles of Florida and LSU. As dominant as USC has been, they didn't do jack the first 4 years of the BCS and now the last 2 years and counting......they also have just the 1 title.

2 Natl. titles for USC. They would have destroyed LSU that year. I count both USC's titles, again to stay clear of politics.

 

[Miller]

BCS era means BCS.....you are the one putting politics into it if you are counting a title in a BCS thread that was not a BCS title......they had a game, USC didn't play. Just like someone can argue that TCU would have beat Auburn this year.....will never know, but LSU still won the BCS title game that year.....the game that was actually for a title.

Also, I notice that you are only counting the last 10 years....wouldn't be b/c USC sucked in the begining of the BCS would it?

 

[Miller]

It's a lot easier to be consistent when you're not playing in the SEC, lol. Plus a decent QB helps.

You can't have it both ways Mud.....if the SEC teams want to get credit for the strength of their conference then they have to live with the downfall that a fact of playing in a brutal conference is that you are going to have a rotation at the top and it may be more difficult to stand out consistently. I don't think you can just give a team a free pass for 9 of 13 seasons b/c they play in the SEC.

 

[Sgt John]

If there is any school who has a shot at really putting a stranglehold on the SEC for a few years, its LSU. But theyve got to get this OC hire right.

 

[mudloggerone]

They would have destroyed LSU that year.

A couple of other schools felt the same way when they played us in the title games King, they learned different. I'm not willing to conceed that USC would have beat us even if every other Outlaw feels that way. You have to play the game to know the answer and it didn't happen.

 

[mudloggerone]

You can't have it both ways Mud.....if the SEC teams want to get credit for the strength of their conference then they have to live with the downfall that a fact of playing in a brutal conference is that you are going to have a rotation at the top and it may be more difficult to stand out consistently. I don't think you can just give a team a free pass for 9 of 13 seasons b/c they play in the SEC.

No argument from me here Miller. Being in the SEC gives us the chance to shine nation wide if we can hold our own. But it still makes it hard to win each and every year.

 

[Kingdome]

BCS era means BCS.....you are the one putting politics into it if you are counting a title in a BCS thread that was not a BCS title.

USC was recognized as National Champions that year. In fact they are regarded by many as the better of the two national champions of that year.

Also, I notice that you are only counting the last 10 years....wouldn't be b/c USC sucked in the begining of the BCS would it?

This thread succeeded my initial post.