College Football: We Don’t Believe You

By: Joe “Cartright” Cardoso

We are 51 days away from the start of another College football season, and I, for one, cannot wait. I will always be up for the ‘why college football is better than the NFL’ debate. But one thing that fuels the college game is the HYPE. Some universities have been riding the wave of hype for years. All the so-called experts and diehard fans scream, “This is our year!” over and over. We are glued to the web for info on the latest recruits who will make the difference and push our team to the next level.

The time has come for a Top 10 OVERRATED TEAMS List. I am not saying these schools football programs aren’t good. I am saying that year after year we expect greatness and instead we get a so-so performance or worse. My list is based on where the teams are ranked in the pre-season year after year, and where they end up. I also used the media coverage; how much these teams are thrown in our faces. Of course the main research I did was by looking into the teams’ records over the last few years. This is NOT in any particular order. So without further ado, I give you the first five overrated teams:

1. Michigan Wolverines: My beloved wolverines… Where did it all go wrong? The 1997 national title was so long ago. In the last 15 years, 6 bowl game wins versus 8 loses with the biggest bowl game win being the 2012 Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech (Oh Hokies, your time is coming!). With coach Harbaugh on the sidelines, can he bring the wins that fans of the maize and gold want? Either way they’ve been over hyped for years. With 31 ex-players in the NFL, they have the talent, but when will it get them to the big stage again? In 2005 they were ranked #4 in the country PRESEASON poll. When the season ended we were not ranked at all…
2. Georgia Bulldogs: Where do I begin? 12-5 bowl record since 2000. Joe is nuts man! Am I? Their biggest wins were the Capital One Bowl against Michigan State and the Sugar Bowl against mighty Hawaii. They have had a great list of top 10 recruiting classes, still the end results have not been what fans expected. They gave Mark Richt the longest rope perhaps ever, and finally they had enough. 2010, per www.rivals.com, is the only year since 2000 that they didn’t have a top 10 class. Their last SEC title, not conference title, was 2005. I love the passion and uniforms of the UGA fan base, but it’s time for a big win when it matters most.
3. Texas Longhorns: Vince Young isn’t walking thru that door people. 31 Longhorns are in the NFL right now, and Charlie Strong has HIS players on this squad, but still the hype train is loud in Austin. Let’s check the stats: 2012 was the last time they won the Big 12, and still the fan base looks for a national title only to have their hopes killed mid-season. Their last national title was in 2005, and the last national title game they played in was 7 years ago. Their last conference title was in 2009. Since the game vs USC, the Longhorns are 78-43. Not bad at all, but based on the hype you would think they have 2-5 loses. In 2010 they were ranked number 5, by season’s end they were NOT ranked…
4. Louisiana State University Tigers: One of the best trips of my life was the weekend I spent in Baton Rouge to see the Tigers beat Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators in person. The fans and the atmosphere were unreal. They won a national title that year. Year after year the best of best sign up to play for The Hat, to hear fans sing Hot Poudin and for those classic night games. It seems to always come to this where in the world is a decent quarterback for this stacked team? How can they never get a top flight signal caller? 12-4 since 2000 in bowl games is outstanding, BUT based off of the love they get all season and off season you expect a National Championship bid yearly. 3-3 in bowl games since the last championship, how many of those seasons could been for all the marbles if the great Les Miles had a good QB? I expect more and so do Tiger fans.
5. Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have been to a bowl game every year since 1993, and that is no small feat. It seems that almost each year they are a preseason top ten team and then they fall flat. I respect the fact that they will play anyone, anywhere, but this is also one of the reasons they are overrated. What I mean is, does anyone look at who they play in these games? Talent-wise they rarely matchup well with USC, Alabama, or the top flight teams they play. Hokies are built up all season as a powerhouse and then get blown out! Who is surprised? They are 8-8 in bowl games since 2000. And the conference they play in is not exactly the SEC or PAC 12. What they have built is something to be proud of, but the hype they get on a national stage as a powerhouse, not so much.

The last five overrated teams can be found here http://nutsandboltssports.com/college-football-dont-believe-ii/ and the college football season can’t start soon enough! In the meantime follow our blog @NutsAndBoltsSportsSP, or chat with me @Cright for more sports debate.