Nebraska a Top Football Program, K-State is 3rd Rate

[Huskerfan]

You talk about how Georgia fans hold an inflated perception of their place in the national scene. Can you give us rankings of schools and their prestige and place in the national scene? I am a huge Penn State fan (I went there) and would like to know where you place them.

Here's what makes this question so intriguing. By any quantitative standard, Georgia has been a far better program than Penn State for some time now. Heck, the Nittany Lions have had four losing seasons this decade, while the Dawgs haven't won less than eight games in a season. And yet, I would tell you without a moment's hesitation that Penn State is a national power while Georgia is not.

So I suppose this raises a question: What exactly constitutes a "national power?" To be honest, I don't have a specific answer. Obviously, a history of on-field success (national championships, major bowls) is the key component, but the program must also continue to maintain relevance -- after all, Minnesota has a bunch of national titles on its mantle, but no one views the Gophers as a national power.

No, it's something more than wins and losses. It's a certain cachet or aura. It's the way a program is perceived by the public. Let me put it to you this way:

Suppose we went to, say, Montana. And suppose we found 100 "average" college football fans (not necessarily message-board crazies, but not twice-a-year viewers, either) and put them in a room. If I held up a Michigan helmet, my guess is all 100 would know exactly what it was. If I held up a picture of the USC song girls, all 100 would know who they were. If I happened to bring Joe Paterno along with me, all 100 would say, "Hey, look, it's Joe Paterno!"

But if I held up a Georgia "G" helmet, how many of them do you think would be able to identify it off the top of their head? And with all due respect to Mark Richt, if we secretly inserted him into a police lineup, how many of them would actually say, "Hey, look, it's Mark Richt!" (I swear, Dawgs fans, I'm not trying to pile on Georgia. It's just the example I was given. Don't hate me. Here -- Larry Munson is a god.)

So with this admittedly vague yet somehow telling criteria as my guide, I will accept Adam's challenge and rank the "prestige level" of all 66 BCS schools (including Notre Dame) by dividing them into four tiers.

Kings
Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee*, Texas and USC.

* Tennessee is the lone school in the group that caused any hesitation. The Vols would have been a no-brainer 10 years ago, but they have fallen off the map a bit lately. In the end, I figured those 100 fans in Montana still know "Rocky Top," the checkered end zones and that Peyton Manning went there.

Barons
Auburn, Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, LSU*, Texas A&M, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Washington and Wisconsin.

* While LSU is clearly a premier program right now, its big-picture tradition does not match those of the 13 kings. However, if the Tigers were to add another national title here in the next couple of years, they may well graduate to that group.

Knights
Arizona State, Arkansas, Boston College, Cal, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Maryland, Michigan State, Missouri, N.C. State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, Syracuse*, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington State.

* In normal times, Syracuse would qualify as one of the barons, but they're just so darn bad and so irrelevant right now.

Peasants [/u]
Arizona, Baylor, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Rutgers*, South Florida*, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt.

* Rutgers is another program that could be on its way up a tier, and South Florida is here by default because it's essentially a start-up.

There is one school intentionally missing from the list, and that's because I have no idea where to put it: Louisville. History-wise, the Cardinals are peasants, but the program has completely reinvented itself over the past decade and now gets mentioned with the kings and barons. For now, we'll just say: TBD.

Already anticipating what may be my biggest barrage of hate mail yet, all I ask is that you spare me any lists of all-time winning percentages, bowl wins, conference titles and whatnot. Remember -- being called a "powerhouse" is more about public perception than it is reality. Better yet, just apply the Montana test.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/08/08/cfb.bag/index.html

[The Manhatter]

whatever you want to tell yourselves.

no conference titles since '99...one North division title since '99.

Kings 

[Huskerfan]

3rd Rate K-State has a nice ring to it. 

[fatty fat fat]

LOL. Nebraska is not in the top tier.

[greasd up deaf guy]

  - Huskers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

[sonofdaxjones]

So you are using postings from other fan BBS's rating various football programs to come over and attempt (poorly) to use them to talk smack??

Geezus you are a Mongoloid.

[SuperSoulFighter]

If Alabama is in the top tier, Nebraska should be there too.

[Huskerfan]

LOL. Nebraska is not in the top tier.

We actually are...but thanks for playing. Just more reinforcement of why you're restricted to 2 star recruits.

 

[Hossman]

Nice job on your "3rd rate" attempt at feeling good about yourself and your team....

    

[LimestoneOutcropping]

If Alabama is in the top tier, Nebraska should be there too.

Ditto Notre Dame.

It could be called "haven't pissed a drop in a decade" tier.

[SuperSoulFighter]

If Alabama is in the top tier, Nebraska should be there too.

Ditto Notre Dame.

It could be called "haven't pissed a drop in a decade" tier.

True.

Those rankings just expose the age of the writer.  He must be between 45 and 60 years old.  If he were 70-80 he would include Yale, Harvard, Army, and Navy in the "Kings."

We'll never be considered elite by that generation.  We have to look to the future.

[fb]

I am still waiting to see tradition win a game for somebody.  To my knowledge, it has not happened yet.

[HaberstrohBVBC]

fb hope you dont mind my use of your previous statement.

[Saulbadguy]

Where is Creighton on that list?

[LimestoneOutcropping]

Where is Creighton on that list?

lollicane at Creighton in every sport.  That's like being from Poland.

[Huskerfan]

Where is Creighton on that list?

lollicane at Creighton in every sport.  That's like being from Poland.

And yet Creighton makes the NCAA Tournament consistently...and you....don't.

Maybe it's not just your football program that's third rate...NIT appearances, Texas Bowl bids, what's next? Josh Freeman competing in the Special Olympics?

 

[SuperSoulFighter]

So, you're claiming that Dana Altman is the Frank Solich of Kansas State.  Interesting point.

[LimestoneOutcropping]

Where is Creighton on that list?

lollicane at Creighton in every sport.  That's like being from Poland.

And yet Creighton makes the NCAA Tournament consistently...and you....don't.

Maybe it's not just your football program that's third rate...NIT appearances, Texas Bowl bids, what's next? Josh Freeman competing in the Special Olympics?

 

LOL Creighton's flukey run in one sport propped up by a weak conference.

I really needn't look it up but has Creighton made the tourney a double digit number of times in their only sport?

[LimestoneOutcropping]

Looks like 16 times.  Not close to 22.

I am sort of surprised by that considering no one in country knows or gives 2 craps about that school.  I guess if you are a girls soccer fan or something.

creighton is funny.

[FUKU]

LOL at anyone who thinks that a team that had Jammal Lord as their starting quarterback for two years is elite.   

[Huskerfan]

LOL at anyone who thinks that a team that had Jammal Lord as their starting quarterback for two years is elite.   

LOL at anyone who thinks that a team soon to have Josh Freeman as their starting QB for the second year is anything other than 3rd rate.

  3rd Rate K-State!!!

[eRod v1.0]

The gaydar is going off, Bandwagon cornhole/Creighton fan must be around. 

[lynchmb1029]

LOL at anyone who thinks that a team that had Jammal Lord as their starting quarterback for two years is elite.   

LOL at anyone who thinks that a team soon to have Josh Freeman as their starting QB for the second year is anything other than 3rd rate.

  3rd Rate K-State!!!

..And yet you'd think the sky was falling when this third rate QB chose a third rate school over the elite Cornhole State........weird.

[mjrod]

LOL @ Corn fans needing validation from a sports writer.

[cyclist]

LOL @ Corn fans needing validation from a sports writer.

MJ,

Let's be honest.  Most of us just LOL @ corn fans...

[Huskerfan]

LOL @ Corn fans needing validation from a sports writer.

Our primary validation actually comes from winning, and the annual beatdown of Kansas State is particularly enjoyable.

We're going to once again remind you why you're 3rd rate in Lincoln this year.

[MOKSUAZ]

Our primary validation actually comes from winning, and the annual beatdown of 3rd Rate K-State is particularly enjoyable.We're going to once again remind you why you're 3rd rate in Lincoln this year.

then you might even the season series over the past decade.  domination hardly.

[K-StateProud]

LOL at Colorado being placed higher than us 

[NorthChamps07]

After we but the beatdown on the nubs in lincoln, I guess they'll still have the article.  Of course then their venom will turn to Callie. This is going to be fun!!!  

[LimestoneOutcropping]

LOL @ Corn fans needing validation from a sports writer.

Our primary validation actually comes from winning, and the annual beatdown of 3rd Rate K-State is particularly enjoyable.

We're going to once again remind you why you're 3rd rate in Lincoln this year.

"WE"

I get the impression you didn't even go to nu but instead are a weak bandwagon jumper.  Is that right, or am I mistaken?  Feel free to take your time in formulating an answer.