There look to be plenty of teams not living up to their preseason hype this year, including my very own Tennessee Vols. Clemson, Auburn, Wisconsin, and Arizona State are all having seasons to forget...

Epic Failures: Top 10 Busts of the BCS Era

by Brian Hood (Analyst)

21214 reads

Rankings/List

November 10, 2008

There look to be plenty of teams not living up to their preseason hype this year, including my very own Tennessee Vols. Clemson, Auburn, Wisconsin, and Arizona State are all having seasons to forget.

This made me think.

Which teams of the past decade (BCS era) were the most overrated? I determined a ranking based on a team’s preseason AP rank and their finishing record, as well as eye-opening failures throughout the season.

To my disliking, SEC teams made quite an appearance on this list.

10. 2001 Notre Dame Preseason Rank: 17; Final Record: 5-6

Coming into the 2001 season, Notre Dame was the winner of seven of their last eight and had a top 20 ranking. They left with a 5-6 record and sent Bob Davie packing. They averaged 11 points in six losses. Good job, pollsters.

Colossal Failure

9. 1999 UCLA Preseason Rank: 16; Final Record: 4-7

Following back-to-back 10-2 seasons, UCLA came crashing down in 1999. They were outscored by 81 points, won zero road games, and got shutout by a 4-7 California team.

Elephantine Failure

8. 2002 Nebraska Preseason Rank: 10; Final Record: 7-7

After a fine 11-2 campaign in 2001, Nebraska reeked it up in 2002. They peaked in August, as their best win was against a six-loss Arizona State team in the first game of the year. They finished outside the top 25 for the first time in 34 years.

Stupendous Failure

Single Page

Author Poll

Which team of the last decade was the most overrated?

Author Poll Results

Which team of the last decade was the most overrated?

2000 Alabama

40.1%
1998 LSU

6.5%
2005 Tennessee

20.3%
2004 Kansas St.

12.1%
1998 Arizona St.

6.7%
Other

14.3%
Total votes: 743

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comments (45) write a comment »

reply to comment by Kyle
about 1 month ago

Liked the article.

Now what about epic success? As far as this season goes I would say Utah, Oklahoma State or Alabama could lay claim.
1. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Alabama hasn't had any success yet - after an unbelievably lucky season, they will still lose the SEC and end up in the Cap One Bowl.
  
  BTW, why isn't Notre Dame in the poll? They would win hands down!
2. by Micah
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Brian you don't get lucky in the SEC. You aren't lucky when you go 10-0. I agree they will lose the SEC championship, but to a Florida team who is hot as can be right now.
3. by Justin
  from about 1 month ago
  
  If there is a success article, Boise State has to be #1 hands down for doing what they did a few years ago!
reply to comment by Gail
about 1 month ago

Oh man, how do you top that 2000 Alabama team? Love it!

If you were going to do epic successes out of nowhere, Washington State in 2003, preseason unranked, finished 10-3, Boise State in 2006, preseason unranked, finished 13-0.
1. by Paul
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I think you're being modest, Gail. If Texas Tech can beat Oklahoma and win the Big 12, I would call this season an epic success for the Red Raiders. Not that it comes out of nowhere, but you're definitely at a school not known for winning the big games. Texas was a big game. Oklahoma State seemed like it might be a big game, but you guys blew them out.
  
  This is an epic year for Texas Tech, right? Or do you just not want to jinx it? ;-)
2. by Gail
  from about 1 month ago
  
  He just wrote about teams that were highly ranked and busted, I was thinking of teams that started unranked and finished high. First 10 win season since 1938? I think this definitely qualifies as an epic success!
3. by Robbie
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Don't forget that Alabama has been on probation for a number of years now...losing several scholarships and top players along the way. I believe they collapsed after several players left for schools without a scarlet letter to wear.
reply to comment by Winfred
about 1 month ago

Brian, any real college football fan knows that Bama season has been a tremendous success thus far, and everything else that happens is just icing on the cake. Before the start of the season, if anyone would have told me that The Tide would have locked up a spot in the SEC championship game with 2 conference games left to play, it would be hard to believe. But now here we are as SEC West division champs so our team has exceeded expectations by far. This is a team with only nine seniors. Maybe you didnt't hear me. ONLY 9 SENIORS ON THIS FOOTBALL TEAM!!! And not to mention all of the true and RS freshmen who have made an impact for Bama. So when you talk about 2008 Alabama football season, keep the word luck out of your vocabulary. They got here by a lot of hard work and great coaching staff who gets them prepared every week to play winning football. Calling this season lucky is a slap in the face. You don't 6-0 in the SEC being lucky. Let alone win 4 on the road in some the most hostile stadiums in the country. It seems to me that you are afraid who we are and what direction the program is headed. With such a young team, THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL. WE ARE ALABAMA!!! WE ARE THE #1 TEAM IN ALL OF THE LAND, SO BOW DOWN!!!!
1. by Tony
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Brian is we like to call "a hater". I've never seen him praise anything.
reply to comment by Tony
about 1 month ago

Ok, now for a real comment:

I gave an extra star on the ranking for Notre Dame's Brobdingnag reference. That was awesome.
reply to comment by TAB
about 1 month ago

WHERE ARE THE 2007 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES? With top overall draft pick Jake Long, second rounder Chad Henne, all-time leading running back Mike Hart and a host of stud WRs, they were supposed to go all the way with ease.

And then lost to Appalachian St.
1. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  They still ended up 9-4, beating Illinois, Penn St. and Florida in the Capital One Bowl.
2. by Ryan
  from about 1 month ago
  
  TAB,
  Also went 8-4, so no, they probably aren't a top 10 bust.
3. by TAB
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I would argue that the roster the Wolverine's had, and their hype entering the season, makes 4 losses epic. I didn't even mention the defensive players from that roster that are now contributing on Sunday. The win over Florida was perhaps the only game in which Michigan played like the pre-season National Champion they were heralded to be.
  
  Great article
4. by Andrew
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I think they have to be a top 10. Yes they beat Florida last year in the bowl game but coming into the year they were expected to just roll through everyone including Ohio State. Instead they lost to App St, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Ohio State BADLY.
reply to comment by BabyTate
about 1 month ago

Wake the echoes.

Good point Tab but, did anything prepare the Wolverine faithful for this season?

Great work Brian !
reply to comment by Lew
about 1 month ago

Hey Brian,

Way to go! Fun article that points the finger at what makes college football so great and the "experts" commenting on college football, well...not so great!

POTD my friend! Well done.

Lew
1. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Thanks Lew, still don't understand why the polls don't come out midway through the season instead of at the beginning. I know the BCS waits but its computed ranking is based on the ap and harris polls! I figure the polls come out early to give everyone something to talk about but it has a negative impact if you ask me.
2. by Lew
  from about 1 month ago
  
  I agree with you on early polls serve the purpose of giving folks something to talk about. But the early polls do influence where some schools fall in the initial BCS rankings. That's why I love your article. The facts don't lie Brian. When it comes to college football, unpredictable is the watchword.
  
  Any day now, the debate over putting a college football playoff system in place will be heating up. As if that's going to make watching the game more fun. Not!
  
  Lew
reply to comment by Nelson
about 1 month ago

Some had Mississippi State as high as 11 before their 3-8 2001 season, embarassing...
reply to comment by Gerald
about 1 month ago

add 2008 arizona state to that list.
1. by Rob
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Unfortunate that my Sundevils will consume 2 spots on this list.
  
  I do appreciate two points on this article:
  1. Brobdingnagian - I had to look that up. Well played!
  2. 1999 Arizona: "Their football team has not been seen since." - Again, well played.
reply to comment by Michael
about 1 month ago

brain might want to educate himself on college football. Even if bama does lose to Florida they are going to the sugar bowl.

LSU fans, they just can't stand it.
1. by D
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Only if Florida is in the BCS title game.
reply to comment by Trey
about 1 month ago

Great article, Brian!

Yep, my SEC teams do know how to crash and burn! But we have just as many success stories as flaming failures...

Without any homework done... I am curious to know which "better known" DIV 1/BCS teams have really tanked over the last decade or so. Here is my list... again... without the benefit of solid research...

Notre Dame - Setting the bar (or lowering it) for big program failures... Extra points for lots of bad press coverage, coaching challenges, loosing to Navy, etc...

Washington - One great year with plenty of poor/mediocre play on either end... Plenty of scandal and poor press to boot.

Tennessee - last SEC championship in 98. Lots of press and predictions of greatness... As Fulmers waist increases the Vols record decreases...

FSU - Similar story over the last 6 years. This team was too hot for the kitchen until Bobby got a bit distracted with family matters...

Miami - a bit more recent decline - but what a decline it was! Funny watching Randy get upset at someone running up a score... There's a rumor that there is a You Tube video of him urging his Hurricane offensive buddies to do more in the '87 thrashing of the Hogs. If anybody knows about this I gotta see it!

Others...

Arizona
Arizona State
Clemson
Nebraska - Another Miami-like decline
Texas AM
Iowa
Penn State - Now looking more like the PSU of old!
Syracuse
Colorado State
Colorado
???
reply to comment by Brian
about 1 month ago

Last year's Cal team tanked, Maryland had a couple good years and now they're MIA. About the SEC, I would venture to guess there have been more SEC teams in the preseason rankings than any other so that might affect it.
reply to comment by Cameron
about 1 month ago

I'm not exactly sure on the year, but I believe it was 2001, when Sports Illustrated ranked the Oregon State Beavers #1 pre-season, only to have them end up 5-6. I remember Ken Simonton gracing the cover.
reply to comment by Phillip
about 1 month ago

You left out the Preseason number 1 Auburn Tigers, cover of SI and dropped the first two games. 2003 or 2004...
1. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  That one stuck out in my mind but they began No. 6 in both polls and finished 8-5. Bad? Yes, but not a complete collapse like the ones on this list, in my opinion. Thanks for the read Phillip
reply to comment by Dan
about 1 month ago

Good research, great read. So depressing that the first three belong to the SEC. I remember that LSU season...
reply to comment by Andrew
about 1 month ago

also Arizona state has to be on this list. Picked by some people to win the Pac-10 curently they are only ahead of Washington and Washington St. Enough said
reply to comment by Isaac
about 1 month ago

How about the 10 BCS successes of the BCS era. Like an unranked team ending up at No. 1 and winning the NC or something. Why do all the articles have to be negative???
1. by Andy
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Write it your self, motherfucker. Let this guy write whatever the fuck he feels like writing.
2. by Jeff
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Take a chill pill, Andy. Jeez.
3. by Isaac
  from about 1 month ago
  
  These people follow me everywhere. They are stalkers, and are probably such undesirable low lifes that they want to seduce people like me that have happy lives.
reply to comment by Chris
about 1 month ago

I do concur with Andy (but not quite as forcefully). If you want to see an article about the top ten successes... well... write it yourself...
reply to comment by Scott
about 1 month ago

Alabama lost to *gasp* UCLA?!?

Now *that's* truly awful.... ;-)

I'm a UCLA alum... but yes, that's still a jarring fact. I think the fact it was out in Pasadena was a factor, though... wouldn't have happened in Tuscaloosa, right?

Although 1999 UCLA was no picnic either (it's on the list), I had to vote for 2000 Alabama, given that lofty ranking and the final record. Wow... No. 3 preseason and a 3-8 finish. Plus the fact that that particular game opened the 2000 season and got the memories of 1999 out of Bruin minds, at least temporarily...
1. by Scott
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Oh... and just wondering, which team is that in the pic? I was gonna say New Mexico but then it would say "Lobos" on the helmet, not "Wolves"... is it a I-AA (FCS) school or lower?
2. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  Scott....I kinda cheated, I think it's just some high school or maybe lower division college team. I just loved the picture of the ball behind the guy's head with his arms stretched.
reply to comment by Andrew
about 1 month ago

errr uhhh
Louisville 2007 anyone?
1. by Brian
  from about 1 month ago
  
  that team was one of the last I cut before the final 10.
reply to comment by Michael
about 1 month ago

Great stuff Brian!

Speaking of the 2005 Vols...I would like to have that team right now. At least they were in most of the games they lost, unlike this year.

And I believe this will be the first time in forever that Tennessee will be underdogs to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky!
reply to comment by hgdfhgd
about 1 month ago

Are you kidding me? Notre Dame could fill the entire list and they aren't mentioned once?
reply to comment by Ron
about 1 month ago

So...where do the 2006 and 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes rank????

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About the Author Brian Hood (analyst)

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