@RapSheet Ian R. RapoportIt produced a spirited response to say the least, but it got me thinking: what are the best jobs in college football? What other schools have a case? What schools on this list don't belong? What makes a coaching job amongst the best?
In my opinion, there are 5 college jobs better than all but about 5 NFL jobs: Bama, PSU, USC, Texas, Michigan. O'Brien had to take it
Recruiting is said to be the life blood of college football. You need to recruit to get the talented athletes to compete on the field. While the prestige of a program might help with that, it is extremely helpful to be in a talent rich state or region.
Tradition is another important aspect of a program and the allure of the job. Much of that is tied with winning, but it also comes with other things like important rivalries, history, and things of that nature. There are some schools that have just spent money on the facilities to raise the profile of the program. That's not really tradition. That's not prestige.
The program also has to produce NFL caliber players. NFL players raise the profile of the school and ultimately, most of the players going to these schools want to go to the NFL.
Let's take a look at some of the best jobs:
Texas - This is really a no brainer. Texas is probably the easiest school to recruit at. Texas is by far the most prestigious school in the most talent rich state in the country. If a kid is offered early by Texas, he is very likely to commit. They can both be selective and aggressive to get the kids they want. That makes a huge difference. The program itself has gone through ups and downs, but it has some great rivalry games like the Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma. Losing the Texas A&M game hurt the program, but Texas is still clearly one of the best jobs in the country. Oh yeah, Texas is a pretty good academic school as well if that's what you're looking for.
USC - While USC has had some sanctions placed on the program, I still think it is the most prestigious program in the Pac-12. It has produced countless NFL players, it has many Heismans, and it has a winning tradition. It is in a talent rich state where it is the dominant recruiting power. Back to that winning tradition, not only has it dominated its rivalry with UCLA, it has dominated its conference. USC is a pretty good school and its campus is beautiful.
Michigan - A lot of people are down on Michigan, but let's review the facts: Michigan has the biggest stadium in the country, Michigan has the winningest program in the country, Michigan has the best uniforms in the country. Furthermore, Michigan plays in the best rivalry in college sports with Ohio State. Michigan produces NFL players. Michigan is one of the few top academic schools that also has a top level football program. The facilities are as good as it gets. Recruiting-wise, Michigan isn't as talent rich as Ohio, Texas, Florida, or California, but its always managed to get great players from all over the country while getting the best in the midwest.
Alabama - The Crimson Tide have one of the most storied programs in the nation with 9 poll-era national titles and 14 claimed national championships. They're the most successful school in the best conference in the nation. They have a recruiting base through out the Southeast. Bama has one of the biggest stadiums in the country. Furthermore, the Crimson Tide produce a lot of NFL players every year.
Ohio State - Despite the NCAA sanctions, Ohio State remains one of the best programs in the country. It is the other piece of the best rivalry in college sports. It is the best school in the most talent rich state in the midwest and thusly attracts talent very easily. They have a historic stadium and a history of producing not only NFL players but also Heisman winners. Over the last ten years, they've cemented their status as an upper tier program.
Notre Dame - Despite high academic standards and a recent track record of not living up to pre-season expectations, Notre Dame has continued to attract top level talent. It is one of the winningest programs and it has produced several Heisman winners. It has one of the most historic stadiums in college football and there is great tradition. While Notre Dame is an independent and doesn't play in conference championships, it has its on deal with NBC and in any good year will find itself in a BCS game. Furthermore, more than any other school, Notre Dame has a national following. It is one of the few schools that plays teams in more than a couple of the BCS conferences.
There are a few programs that will want to make their case, but I can't say they're at that level:
The Three Major Florida Schools - Despite having the richest base of talent, the Florida schools have the trouble of having to fight each other for talent as well as fighting outside schools. None of the schools has history or tradition above the other. In fact, a lot of the history and tradition is dependent on each other. This is why I think that these schools aren't at the top top level.
Penn State - I did not know that people considered Penn State such an elite program. I always felt that it was between Michigan and Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten. It was not quite elite. Of course, they have a great stadium and have produced great players. However, in the Big Ten era, they have scarcely contended for the Big Ten Championship. While Pennsylvania is a good talent base, the East Coast is kind of scarce and Penn State can't really compete with Michigan and Ohio State in the midwest. The Sandusky case really tarnishes anything they had.
Oregon - I'm only including Oregon because they've been a consistent contender for the last five years and have become a high profile program. They're not on the top level because they don't have the history and tradition. They don't really produce NFL players. They have a horrible stadium and they play a non-traditional offense. They're known for their uniform changes and that's all.
I think that about covers the entire conversation.
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