Top 10 Greatest College Football Teams Since 2000

[Rednilla 5,383]

5 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

No disrespect red but Tyrik that's reaching big time

I still believe they would have done so if they didn't already have Cam coming, but my prediction is based upon any of the QBs we had that year behind the veteran offensive line of 2010.

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, mcgufcm said:

You had Ratliff and TJ Jackson inside.

One of my favorite Tigers ever. I won't try to argue that he was one of the best interior linemen ever, but he was a damn good college tackle and one of those guys that I want on my team and in my locker room. At least that's how he came across on TV for me. 

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

On 5/16/2017 at 0:05 AM, oracle79 said:

Off this topic, but does anyone recall a worse beatdown for the NC than the 1996 Fiesta Bowl with Nebraska vs. Florida?  The fun and gun wasn't much fun that night...lol.

Just watched the first half.  I forgot how much I hated Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier when he was at Florida.  This was a very satisfying beat down.  And no, I'm not an SEC guy; just an Auburn guy.

Watched that game with a bunch of UF fans at Seville Quarter in Pensacola. The bar was empty at half time. What a beat down. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

14 hours ago, Rednilla said:

No it wasn't. If Cam hadn't been available, the coaching staff would have done whatever it had to do to get Tyrik Rollison eligible, and that offensive line was too good not to have paved the way to at least 9 wins in the regular season with a chance at 10 in the bowl even if it'd been Barrett Trotter, Neil Caudle, or Clint Moseley and the run game.

I don't know Red.  I usually agree with you, but that team ran on heart and that heart came primarily from Cam. Thinking you can just throw another dual threat in there and pull of some of the close call games they did doesn't compute for me.  Cam also accounted for WAY too much of that offense to think you could plug and play another QB and not take a huge hit in production.

No Cam and we likely drop Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, Bama (the last two were all Cam), and possibly Mississippi State.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

I can't ride with you on Bama being "all Cam." The defense pulled that game out of the L column. Cam was a hot pile of butt for at least the first half. Antoine Carter and Nick Fairley had at least as big an impact on that game as Cam. Nick was probably the MVP that day.

On the other hand, I completely agree with the 8-5 assessment. Heck, the year before? 8-5. The year after? 8-5. It felt like an 8-5 maaaaaybe a 9-4 roster plus the best individual college player in at least a decade, which as it turns out, makes you an undefeated team.

@McLoofus TJ was a good player and a funny guy. I had a few classes with him. Loud, gregarious dude that you would definitely want in any locker room.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

3 hours ago, mcgufcm said:

I can't ride with you on Bama being "all Cam." The defense pulled that game out of the L column. Cam was a hot pile of butt for at least the first half. Antoine Carter and Nick Fairley had at least as big an impact on that game as Cam. Nick was probably the MVP that day.

The D gave up 24 unanswered points in the first half.  Then, save extra points, Cam scored every single point to come back and win it. Yes, we got 2 key forced fumbles, but all they did is save more scores. The D gave no field position advantage.  Every scoring drive was 65+ yards. You can remember whatever you want, but no Cam, no 2010 Iron Bowl win. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

 no Cam, no 2010 Iron Bowl win. 

That's a lot different than your original "all Cam" comment, and could also be said about several other players. As mcgufcm said, we don't win the game if Hot Carter doesn't make one of the greatest hustle plays in Auburn history. Also, it's telling that you'll bag on the defense for surrendering unanswered points but not the unit that repeatedly failed to provide that answer.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

And credit Cam for producing in the second half but won't mention the defense forcing three turnovers and holding Bama to two FGs (one set up by a muffed punt) over the final three quarters. Fairley's sack/fumble just before the half was one of the biggest plays of that season, much less that game. No Fairley, no 2010 Iron Bowl win.

[GwillMac6 20,607]

The only thing I know to be sure of is that 2001 Miami Hurricanes is the best team I have ever seen and Cam Newton is the best college football player ever.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

I have 2001 Miami on the list, but I don't know if it is the best team I've ever seen. Mid-90s Nebraska wrecking crews and 1992 Bama (they still scare me at night)... for my money, those teams are still up there.

Also, I did a little digging in the back of my head, this article definitely short-changes 1999 FSU. That passing game alone was just crazy (Peter Warrick, Ron Dugans, Laveranues Coles, and Snoop Minnis, and baby Anquan Boldin at WR? yeesh).

[lionheartkc 6,150]

12 hours ago, McLoofus said:

That's a lot different than your original "all Cam" comment, and could also be said about several other players. As mcgufcm said, we don't win the game if Hot Carter doesn't make one of the greatest hustle plays in Auburn history. Also, it's telling that you'll bag on the defense for surrendering unanswered points but not the unit that repeatedly failed to provide that answer.

Gotta say, Loof... it feels kind of like you are nitpicking and being ultra literal just to find a reason to disagree on this one. I'm really surprised that anyone would argue that that game wasn't one of Cam's two biggest resume moments (LSU being the other) and he didn't, infact, pick up a team that was getting their butts handed to them, and carry them to a win.

Yes, Carter made an amazing play that saved yet another score, but as I said before, he and Fairley stopped the bleeding with big turn-overs, but those turnovers were deep in bama territory, the D did nothing to flip the field in that game.

[Win4AU 4,052]

Arkansas, LSU, Bama would have been loses in 2010 without Cam.  Clemson, USC, and Miss State are hard to say because Cam wasn't unleashed yet and another qb may have actually performed better.  UK was on the coaches.  UGA was 6-5 that year but still required a comeback in the 3rd before Auburn pulled away.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Gotta say, Loof... it feels kind of like you are nitpicking and being ultra literal just to find a reason to disagree on this one. I'm really surprised that anyone would argue that that game wasn't one of Cam's two biggest resume moments (LSU being the other) and he didn't, infact, pick up a team that was getting their butts handed to them, and carry them to a win.

Yes, Carter made an amazing play that saved yet another score, but as I said before, he and Fairley stopped the bleeding with big turn-overs, but those turnovers were deep in bama territory, the D did nothing to flip the field in that game.

Just talking through a disagreement that, no, I'm not looking to have just for the hell of it. Clearly I'm not the only one who disagrees with you.

Cam didn't do much of anything until Carter made *the* play that turned the game around. Also, it's not nitpicking to say that taking away 7 points from the opponent is equivalent to scoring 7 points any more than it's nitpicking to insist that water is wet or the earth is round. 

Cam deserves all the credit in the world, and I regularly give it to him, but not at the expense of the other heroes on that team. He was easily the most important player on the team. He was a giant. But he was also human and every once in awhile we won a game because his teammates lifted *him* up. It's okay to say that. It doesn't diminish his legacy.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 minute ago, McLoofus said:

Just talking through a disagreement that, no, I'm not looking to have just for the hell of it. Clearly I'm not the only one who disagrees with you.

Cam didn't do much of anything until Carter made *the* play that turned the game around. Also, it's not nitpicking to say that taking away 7 points from the opponent is equivalent to scoring 7 points any more than it's nitpicking to insist that water is wet or the earth is round. 

Cam deserves all the credit in the world, and I regularly give it to him, but not at the expense of the other heroes on that team. He was easily the most important player on the team. He was a giant. But he was also human and every once in awhile we won a game because his teammates lifted *him* up. It's okay to say that. It doesn't diminish his legacy.

People disagree with me a lot... sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong, sometimes there is no right or wrong. I'm just sighting the fact that I said the Iron Bowl was "all Cam" and you and @mcgufcm spun that as if I said no one else was on the field with him, when what I was pointing out is he lead the team to one of the biggest comebacks of all time by driving a full field four times and being credited for all four of those scores. Omac chipped in 50 yards. Dyer... a whole 27. No single receiver stood out from the pack. Sure, others did great things and played well, but Carter had one highlight reel play. Fairly had one highlight reel play (heck, his other sack ended up gaining them 4 yards, because he gloated, knowing he was under extra close watch). Bell probably has the least remembered but very important sack, late in the game. Cam, on the other hand, had a great half plus one drive in the 2nd quarter. 

Now it sounds like you think I'm glorifying him as the only player on the team for the whole season. Heck, I give him very little credit for the championship game. He didn't play up to his usual level for most of that game and, as you say, the rest of the team lifted him up in that game. He also didn't have a huge impact on Mississippi State, which is why I sited that as a "possibly lose" without him. It was actually Dyer who owned Ole Miss, though we might have been able to beat them with backups.

Still, let's face it, the 2010 D was just okay, except for a handful of highlight reel plays... most by Fairly.  We gave up 360 yards and 26 points per game against SEC opponents (446 in the Iron Bowl). The 2010 O was the story and had some serious weapons, but when you look at the numbers, Cam accounted for a gaudy percentage of yards and points even with Dyer and O-Mac doing their things (62% of yards and 69% of scores, for the record).

Oh... and taking away 7 points isn't the equivalent of scoring 7 points, because if the other team is already up, it gets you no closer to catching up.

[GwillMac6 20,607]

4 hours ago, mcgufcm said:

I have 2001 Miami on the list, but I don't know if it is the best team I've ever seen. Mid-90s Nebraska wrecking crews and 1992 Bama (they still scare me at night)... for my money, those teams are still up there.

Also, I did a little digging in the back of my head, this article definitely short-changes 1999 FSU. That passing game alone was just crazy (Peter Warrick, Ron Dugans, Laveranues Coles, and Snoop Minnis, and baby Anquan Boldin at WR? yeesh).

http://www.rosterresource.com/ncaa-historical-depth-charts-2001-miami-hurricanes/ look at all the future pro bowlers on this miami team. Absolutely loaded top to bottom. I think those 90's nebraska teams were great for their time but they are so system oriented. That miami team could beat you every which way. They just had more talent than everyone else. When frank gore is your third string rb behind clinton portis and willis mcgahee you know you are stacked to the rooftops! haha.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

7 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

http://www.rosterresource.com/ncaa-historical-depth-charts-2001-miami-hurricanes/ look at all the future pro bowlers on this miami team. Absolutely loaded top to bottom. I think those 90's nebraska teams were great for their time but they are so system oriented. That miami team could beat you every which way. They just had more talent than everyone else. When frank gore is your third string rb behind clinton portis and willis mcgahee you know you are stacked to the rooftops! haha.

Who would have guessed that 15 years later, they'd be hiring Georgia's recently fired coach in an effort to "turn things around"? 

[AU-24 3,063]

On 5/15/2017 at 8:30 PM, GoAU said:

Back in 2004, it didn't matter what happened, with USC and OU starting at #1&2, you never moved down unless you lost.  Even though we were much better, IMO than the Sooners. 

Schedule strength should have mattered, but it didn't. AU played and beat 5 or 6 teams in the Top 10 to Top 15 in the country! (Tenn twice, Va Tech, LSU, Turds, Georgia) I believe there may have been another team or two ranked when we played them; they dropped from rankings after the loss.

Oklahoma nor USC (with their illegal players to include Reggie Bush) didn't have near as tough a schedule!