Dynasties in college football don’t last long these days. Heck, there’s barely time to get a dynasty started before a program tumbles back into the hole it crawled out of. Would Boise State be dominating as long as they have been if the Broncos joined the PAC-10 four years ago? I don’t have any doubt Boise would be a top program in the conference, but to dominate like they have over the last decade is something of a rarity in the new BCS world of college football.
Some records and streaks for winning may never be broken. The Oklahoma Sooners hold the record for the longest win streak in the history of college football at 47 games, from 1953-1957. The most recent programs to challenge the Sooners record were Miami (FL), from 2000-2002 and USC, from 2003-2005 with a streak of 34 wins. Both ended in National Championship game losses (Miami, below). The current longest streak belongs to Boise State, at 21 games.
Home field advantage isn’t even what it used to be. The longest home win streak in the history of the game belongs to the Hurricanes as well, at 58 games dating from 1985-1994. The current holder, Oklahoma, holds 34 straight home wins and holds it by a finger nail.
Win streaks may never be broken, but why are programs spending less time at the top these days? For one, the pressure of winning has taken an enormous turn. Technology in particular has placed a heavy burden on teams to produce wins. Fans have the ability to track their teams recruiting, checking in to see where the top recruits on national recruiting sites are heading. Programs also need to meet the standards of the BCS computers, which Oregon is still trying to figure out. Fans and viewers nationwide are exposed to more team coverage than ever, bringing preseason expectations for their programs to new heights.
My days of watching and studying college football have been short compared to others but there are still some things that I’ve seen as of late that I didn’t expect to ever witness: Bobby Bowden being run out of Florida State. Michigan with a 1-7 Big Ten record, while running the spread none the less. Joe Paterno ditching his thick framed glasses. Florida losing two consecutive games at the Swamp under Meyer. Texas with a No. 83 ranked rush offense. Miami, who once played at the legendary Orange Bowl, playing on a makeshift baseball field. Notre Dame finishing 3-9. Cheerleaders as good looking as Oregon’s (above). I'm almost out of breath listing things that hit me like a Pulp Fiction adrenaline shot.
Many of the “Royal with cheese” programs of college football aren’t even what they used to be this season. This year, you will be hard pressed at finding some of the programs that have dominated the last decade in the BCS rankings. Florida, who brought in a 13-1 season last year, currently sit at 4-3. Texas’ season has been as blotchy as a Ricky Williams beard. While USC, a program that brought in at least 11 wins from 2002-2008, has a 5-2 record and soon to be falling. Some Georgia fans have even called for the firing of head coach Mark Richt, the man who has led the Bulldogs to six 10 plus win seasons the last decade and had a 90-27 record heading into 2010. All might not be signs of the apocalypse, but signs of a new and short lived life at the top of college football, yes.
So how will a few of the countries traditional powers that started the 2010 season on sour notes finish: I’ll break down eight programs that may sink lower or rise back to grab whatever ounce of dignity they can this season.
Team 2009 2010 The Breakdown: Texas 13-1 4-3 The Longhorns have lost two games at home for the first time since 2006. The fact that they have lost two at home wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t to UCLA and Iowa State, however. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Longhorns the rest of the way. Games against Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M will all be challenges. Against the Bears this Saturday, we’ll see how the Longhorns respond from the ISU loss. Regular Season Prediction: 8-4 Florida 13-1 4-3 Things looked bad for the Gators when head coach Urban Meyer stated in the offseason he may need to take some time off because of health concerns. Turns out Meyer knew this team might raise his blood pressure before anyone else. The Gators have lost three games in a row, a first for Meyer, including two in a row at the Swamp. The offense has been plain ugly. Remarkably, the Gators still have a shot at the SEC East. With games against Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State to come, though, the wins may not pile up. Prediction: 7-5 Penn State 11-2 4-3 Joe Pa has been known to have a down season mixed into a decade of wins. The offense is rebuilding with true freshman Robert Bolden at the helm, which explains the Lions inability to move the ball on anyone this season. The scary part about this Nittany Lions team, though, is that they haven’t even hit the challenging part of their schedule. Games against Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State and Michigan State are still to come. If they can walk away with one of those wins, the team may be OK for the future. Prediction: 5-7 USC 9-4 5-2 A lot of people question what the Trojans have to play for this season. A lot, however, is still on the line for this USC team. The coaches have their records at stake and trust me, Kiffin needs some wins, recruiting for the future is at stake and conference pride. Even if USC can’t go to a bowl they can still be crowned conference champions. I don’t think that will happen, however. Not with the likes of Oregon, Arizona and Oregon State left to play. At UCLA to end the season may be a tough game for the Trojans as well. Prediction: 8-5 Michigan 5-7 5-2 The Wolverines started the season as one of the nation’s hottest programs. Denard Robinson was handed the Heisman and the Wolverines were cured of their gloomy recent past. Not so fast my friend. Michigan has lost their last two, looking like a team that started the 2009 season with an eerily similar 5-2 start. The Wolverines have yet to play Wisconsin and Ohio State, but it’s Illinois who Michigan fans should be weary of. It may be another tough finish for Rich Rod in Ann Arbor. But an improvement. Prediction: 7-5 Georgia 8-5 4-4 The Bulldogs looked horrendous at times during the first half of the season. Offensively, they couldn’t move the ball. Since gaining back wideout AJ Green, however, the team has a new found spark. Georgia has won three straight SEC games and with Florida and Auburn left, they have a chance to make a late push. Against the Tigers, though, let’s be real. The Gators, however, are fresh kibble for the ‘Dogs. Prediction: 7-5 BYU 11-2 3-5 The Cougars may have picked the wrong season to turn independent following the year. The offense is led by true freshman quarterback Jake Heaps, which would explain part of the Cougars struggles. Heaps has a bright future, but this season is all cloud covered skies. The Cougars have dropped two Mountain West games and two games against the WAC. A weak season ending may turn things around, except for a Utah meeting to end the year. Prediction: 5-7 Notre Dame 6-6 4-4 Head Coach Brian Kelly was supposed to finally be the answer to the Irish struggles. Last season, Weis turned down a bowl game with a 6-6 finish. It may not be much better this year. Not even Touchdown Jesus can help this team. The Irish dropped its last game to Navy, a low point of the season. They looked as if they had turned things around, winning three straight, including wins against Pitt and Boston College. Games against Utah and USC still remain, but so do games against Tulsa and Army. If the Irish drop more than two of those games, the program needs some time off to rethink this football thing. Prediction: 6-6
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