College Football: We Don’t Believe You II

By: Joe “Cright” Cardoso

As promised, here’s the second half of the Top 10 Overrated Teams list of college football teams that have more bark than bite. Part One can be found here http://nutsandboltssports.com/college-football-dont-believe/  Teams who have been boosted up as powerhouses or up-and-coming who, when you really look at it, haven’t lived up to the expectations. Last week I gave you my first five teams, now I’m revealing the last five. Getting to bowl games is great, but what happens in those games? Without further ado I give you the rest of my list which is not in any particular order:

6. Texas A&M: The Aggies are the new kids in the SEC Western Division, and they have one of the best fan bases in the country. When you rank traditions, A&M has to be in that conversation; from midnight yell practice, to the bonfire and the 12^th man. That atmosphere is electric, but games aren’t won in the stands, they are won on the field. Who remembers the last national title in 1939? Or conference title in 1998? Since 2000 the Aggies had a 5-7 bowl game record. In the last 15 years they have finished OUTSIDE the top 25 three times. Anyone who watches college football can’t deny they have talent and a boat load of players in the NFL, but year after year, even pre-Johnny Manziel, A&M starts out ranked high and expected to do great only to have a shocking mid-season loss that they never recover from. A Good program, but not elite.
7. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish are an American icon. Everyone knows the fight song and recognizes the logo and most of the great players from years past. Well, Rudy isn’t walking through that door with the NBC contract and the money behind them, people. College football fans have no choice but to be beat us over the head with Fighting Irish hype. They are “This is OUR year!” personified. No matter the roster, the Irish are always back. I look at them as the Duke University of the sport, except Duke wins games and Championships. I am all for tradition and legacy, but you have to win some recent BIG games to be considered an elite program. 1988 The last national title they won was in 1988. That wasn’t last week people! Nine times out of the last 15 years they did not finish in the top 25. Hey, all they need is that good corner and they are going to win it all, right? If this was a ranked list I would have them in the top three for sure based off the media machine behind them compared to the results on the field. They’ve had four wins versus eight losses in Bowl games since 2000, and I won’t talk about the beat down Bama (who is an ELITE program) gave them; that would just be cruel. As I write this the newest hype video is being edited, so let’s see what happens in 2016.
8. Oregon Ducks: The Ducks have it all: a world class training facility, an out-of-this-world fan base, a great home field advantage, and what seems like over 100 uniform combos. I mean even the field glows in the dark it seems. Has any school taken today’s look-at-me swag and flash lifestyle to higher levels? They also have SPEED all over the field. You grab a beer and a burger, come back and they may have put two touchdowns on the board. Did I mention the sick uniforms? Now on the field Chip Kelly made people take notice of the Pacific Northwest and even us east coast peeps stayed up for those Pac 12 games, Lord knows I did. Now wait Duck fans, I am fully aware of the two National Championship games in the last 15 years and all the award winners, BUT you did this to us. With all the HYPE I expected WINS. I expected Eugene to be the new mecca of college football where stars go to follow in the footsteps of those who played before them. Instead we don’t have one title to show so far. When Ducks? When will it all come together?
9. Miami Hurricanes: Where is Larry Coker or Jimmy Johnson when you need them? It’s been a rough couple of years for the Canes. 12 years ago “The U” won a conference title, and they’ve had a 6-8 bowl game record since 2000. With all those stats, chaos in the coaching ranks and in the program as a whole, people still seem to think it’s a top flight national championship contending program. Why? How? They haven’t produced a winner in a long time and they play in a half empty stadium week after week. People who cover the game need to stop trying to make today’s Canes seem like the team from the glory days – they aren’t even close. Don’t let a new coach hire in Mark Richt all of sudden mean New Year’s Day bowl games. RELAX

   

10. USC Trojans: The NCAA hammered the Trojans for breaking rules, took away scholarships and the allure of playing for the team. It went from being a school kids wanted to go to an afterthought. Do Trojan fans realize that? I ask because with the one hand tied behind its back they are still expected to be the best team in Southern California. Have you guys seen UCLA lately?! 2004 seems like another life time when they were the baddest team in the game. A boat load of NFL players from USC take the field every Sunday. The Trojans make my list based on two things: the fans blowing them up every year to the point that it becomes annoying, and media outlets painting a picture of this glorious return to greatness that just isn’t happening. Unlike some teams on this list, their past glory was not that long ago, but a return to it won’t happen that fast. Fight On indeed…

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