ESPN.com will reconfigure Division I football

[Piotr Rasputin]

Columnists get together to eliminate the so-called "have-nots."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4369091&sportCat=ncf

(Worth noting that Mr. Forde's own beloved alma mater would be on the cut list during its "normal" seasons).

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Well done, as usual, Mr. Forde.

The ridiculous part is how badly a conference such as the Mountain West has been treated for years. As a whole, its top teams have shown it can hold serve against the so-called elite of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

(It hurt to type that, but sometimes truth hurts.)

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

"2009 featured Toledo over Michigan, Arkansas State over Texas A&M, UNLV over Arizona State"

Did he mean 2008?

Otherwise, a fun read.

 

[Batman]

So who will the other 28 teams be?
[/SECfanboilooser]

 

[BYH]

How long until this actually happens?

 

[Della9250]

I'm surprised it hasn't happened already.

 

[Bubbler]

I liked this ... when Sporting News did it in one of their season previews ... in 1989 or 1990.

As I recall, Kansas State, then a total laughingstock, was drummed out of Division I. This was also before all of the conference realignment, so they had Arkansas headed to the Big 8 to take K-State's place. Fascinating article.

I'm presuming Indiana State is taking one of the open FCS spots, right?

If they really did this, with relegation and promotion to a super-conference, with sub-conferences below just as in European soccer, it would totally rock.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

I think that was a Jeff D'Alessio piece, unless I am thinking of one a few years later. It was quite a talker at media days at I-AA conferences and schools.

 

[Wenders]

I liked this ... when Sporting News did it in one of their season previews ... in 1989 or 1990.

As I recall, Kansas State, then a total laughingstock, was drummed out of Division I. This was also before all of the conference realignment, so they had Arkansas headed to the Big 8 to take K-State's place. Fascinating article.

I believe it was 1988. Bill Snyder took over the program in 1989, when it was widely recognized as the worst program in D-1.

 

[Football_Bat]

I liked this ... when Sporting News did it in one of their season previews ... in 1989 or 1990.

As I recall, Kansas State, then a total laughingstock, was drummed out of Division I. This was also before all of the conference realignment, so they had Arkansas headed to the Big 8 to take K-State's place. Fascinating article.

I believe it was 1988. Bill Snyder took over the program in 1989, when it was widely recognized as the worst program in D-1.

To quote Snyder, it was a job only a fool would take.

 

[Football_Bat]

"2009 featured Toledo over Michigan, Arkansas State over Texas A&M, UNLV over Arizona State"

Did he mean 2008?

Otherwise, a fun read.

The correction has been made.

 

[Armchair_QB]

How long until this actually happens?

It won't. Somebody has to go 3-9 every year.

 

[mustangj17]

This is great! I can't wait to see which teams get cut.

I love that the play-in game is in Dayton.

This should be fun.

Here's my top 40, in no real order, for the hell of it.

1. USC
2. Florida
3. Utah
4. LSU
5. Oklahoma
6. Oklahoma State
7. Texas
8. Texas Tech
9. Ohio State
10. Penn State
11. Michigan State
12. Michigan - only because this is a first-year draft.
13. Auburn
14. Tennessee
15. East Carolina
16. Missouri
17. Florida State
18. Clemson
19. Virginia Tech
20. Georgia Tech
21. Georgia
22. Boston College
23. West Virginia
24. Cincy
25. Brigham Young
26. Wisconsin
27. Iowa
28. Oregon
29. Oregon State
30. Arizona
31. North Carolina
32. Maryland
33. Nebraska
34. California
35. Alabama
36. Mississippi
37. Ball State
38. Central Michigan
39. Pittsburgh
40. Rutgers


FIRST FIVE OUT:
Michigan
Tennessee
Auburn
Iowa
Clemson

NEXT SIX IN:
ND
Northwestern
Miami
Minnesota
UCLA
ARIZONA STATE

There are so many teams with mediocre records that I had to leave some out. I'm sure I also forgot some teams. I wanted to make sure I had some mid-majors involved. Maybe East Carolina should have made the cut.

If this were not in its first year, Auburn, UT, Michigan and Illinois would probably not be on this list.

 

[Oz]

So no Kansas in your top 51? Really? They have won a BCS bowl in the past two seasons. [/fanboi]

 

[Garfield]

I'd think Boise State has to be on that list. Undefeated regular season last year, def. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a couple years ago, one of more consistent programs in the country the last decade (5-4 in bowl games, won six WAC titles in seven years, and two Big West titles before that).

 

[Armchair_QB]

I'd think Boise State has to be on that list. Undefeated regular season last year, def. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a couple years ago, one of more consistent programs in the country the last decade (5-4 in bowl games, won six WAC titles in seven years, and two Big West titles before that).

I'd add Boise, Miami (Fla.) and Northwestern and drop ECU, CMU and Pitt

 

[mustangj17]

I'd think Boise State has to be on that list. Undefeated regular season last year, def. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a couple years ago, one of more consistent programs in the country the last decade (5-4 in bowl games, won six WAC titles in seven years, and two Big West titles before that).

Boise is on the list twice now. The second time they put the Broncos' logo up was for BYU.

I'd add Boise, Miami (Fla.) and Northwestern and drop ECU, CMU and Pitt

 

[Inky_Wretch]

It'll never happen, but I'd love to see the BCS schools form a mega-conference with promotion and relegation as a part of it.

 

[Della9250]

I was surprised they didn't take TCU.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Here's the list: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4375901

I would put TCU and Cincy in mine. Both have great coaches who seem committed to staying.
Also, Notre Dame wouldn't sniff my top 20. **** them.

I'm not exactly sure what the criteria was for this little exercise, but it certainly seems like there are some teams that could make some damn good arguments. Schlabach put Okie State in the top 25, which is fine based on what they were a year ago and what most expect them to be in the future, especially in 2009. But the Pokes hadn't done **** since joining the league in '96. Kansas has sucked until recently. And Kansas State, which I'd imagine wasn't even in the discussion, is a team that's had something like six 11-win seasons in the last 10 years or so and is the last North team to win a Big 12 title. That said, they'll probably suck until forever.

No real complaints with the SEC teams or the slotting. Same goes for the ACC. Was okay with the Big East aside from the Cincinnati omission -- though Pitt and Rutgers and USF probably deserve to be in the discussion.

Hated seeing Penn State in there over Michigan though I think the two schools are comparable. But if the criteria is based on what will happen in the future, I'd say Michigan is better equipped w/ Rich Rod than Penn State is with JoPa. Was glad to see Iowa get picked so high. An underrated program by my estimation. Hated seeing Wisconsin go that high. They've gotten worse each of the last three years and, like Forde said, might be headed for a sub-.500 season in '09.

Pac-10. Hmm. Hard to take Washington after an 0-12 season, but it's also hard to leave them out. Willingham set the program on fire but I don't think there's any doubt that they'll be back soon.

Overall, a fun list.