Toughest football rebuild of p5 teams?

[FinalFourCy]

Vandy because they care far, far less than their conference peers.

Rutgers, for the same reason Illinois struggles. You have to spend time in the area to know a map doesn’t articulate just how far away they are from recruits and relevancy. As a G5, it’s a lot easier. The best of the rest wins as a G5. As a P5, they still mostly just get the best of the rest, but now have a real schedule.

Duke and WF for obvious reasons.

BC and Syracuse aren’t any easier than ISU, KU, Iowa, KSU etc.

Really any Big 12 North or Big 10 West team has a the same challenge and needs to win with the same model. The difference in the ability of the coaching staff to identify and develop talent is far greater deal than any inherent characteristics. For another decade NU may be the exception as they live off the 90’s, but that’s proven to be optimistic.

 

[beentherebefore]

.......
Really any Big 12 North or Big 10 West team has a the same challenge and needs to win with the same model. The difference in the ability of the coaching staff to identify and develop talent is far greater deal than any inherent characteristics. For another decade NU may be the exception as they live off the 90’s, but that’s proven to be optimistic.

It seems to take coaching (and consistency of the staff), administrative, and fan patience. Success can happen anywhere, but I believe for success to be sustained, all three elements have to be there. Just a reminder, whenever ISU has had really good coaching (head coaches and otherwise) in the past, those guys left and the success left with them.

 

[Jerms]

It may not be meaningful history filled with big success and exposure, but Rutgers does have an interesting historical fun fact: It hosted and played in the first game of intercollegiate football vs Princeton and won.

Not going to reel in big recruits with that one, but kind of a neat piece they should (and probably do?) feature in some way.

So at that point in time, they were the winningest football program in the history of college football. Not many programs can say that. Kind of surprised the Big 10 doesn't play that up more with the way they play up Nebraska's history...

 

[Al_4_State]

OK State has had a tough time historically. They’re at a big risk for regression post Gundy.

It’s not the toughest, but it’s hard.

 

[beentherebefore]

I suppose it may always be tough to attain/regain success as the perceived #2 or #3 school in an area/state. NU has no other big school to compete against in Nebraska. Thus once they had success, people expected that same success. So I can see at least a little bit why their fans expect the team to win 10 games or more every year.

Rutgers is the state school of New Jersey, but I assume the best players in that area want to go to Penn State or Ohio State.

It's probably even tough being Auburn in the state of Alabama.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Glass houses and all. Rutgers is down and the future looks bleak, but they went to 9 bowl games in 10 years prior to the last 4. They've also had an 11 win season. We've done neither.

We are like the guy who got a raise and has a little pocket change and is now mocking the guy who got laid off but used to drive this car we would have swapped for a few years back. It's just ******* weird.

 

[OPButtrey]

A case can be made for Iowa State. 9 conference games including 2 blue bloods and no gimmes except KU. One non-con is always Iowa. Located in a northern outlier state with a low population and another P5 program.

 

[Acylum]

A case can be made for Iowa State. 9 conference games including 2 blue bloods and no gimmes except KU. One non-con is always Iowa. Located in a northern outlier state with a low population and another P5 program.

I've always been leery of the hawks having a young, innovative, offense-minded coach and how detrimental that could be for us. I hope the boring brand of football they play goes on for decades.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I've always been leery of the hawks having a young, innovative, offense-minded coach and how detrimental that could be for us. I hope the boring brand of football they play goes on for decades.

Iowa's due for a post Ferentz dip though. I'm 40 and Iowa has had two coaches in my lifetime which is absolutely unheard of.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

It almost has to be Rutgers just from a schedule standpoint. Look at their annual slate and it's tough to even find 6 wins with an average team.

 

[Dandy]

OK State has had a tough time historically. They’re at a big risk for regression post Gundy.

It’s not the toughest, but it’s hard.

Especially if the T Boone Pickens money well runs dry now that he passed away.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Iowa's due for a post Ferentz dip though. I'm 40 and Iowa has had two coaches in my lifetime which is absolutely unheard of.

Any Big 12 North or Big 10 West program is a hire away from Cummings or Lauterbur ineptitude.

 

[Al_4_State]

Especially if the T Boone Pickens money well runs dry now that he passed away.

Exactly. That’s not going to be a perpetual boost.

They’re a bad hire away from being bottom of the league. Just like us and the Kansas schools.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Exactly. That’s not going to be a perpetual boost.

They’re a bad hire away from being bottom of the league. Just like us and the Kansas schools.

There are few programs in which that isn’t true. Even UT was a bad hire away from middle of the conference.

The only programs definitively ahead of Ok St in the conference are UT and OU. That alone makes them in a good spot.

 

[exCyDing]

Nebraska, due entirely to fan expectations that persist despite the last 20 years. They (largely) truly, truly believe the 90’s are a baseline for the program and seem to have trouble grasping the changes in college football since the Big 8 days.

Right now, they’d take 10 win seasons. But as soon as they get a couple, the coach’s seat would get hot for failing to win the big one or the games that counted. They’ve done that twice in the past 20 years.

They won’t be “rebuilt” until they’re winning multiple national championships OR the portion of the fanbase that expects the 90s to happen again dies off. I think a realignment of expectations for the program is out of the question.

All the other schools on this list would be “rebuilt” with 9-10 win seasons. That’s a hell of a lot easier to do than winning everything.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Somebody mentioned Kansas State had done it. I'd say Northwestern would have been similarly, if not more, difficult.

Of the choices, I'd say Vanderbilt. The current ceiling is very low.

I'd say Oregon State would be the easiest. They've had decent success fairly recently.

Also, if Baylor ever goes into a prolonged slide it could be pretty tough for them to slip out of it.

No SEC school belongs on the list. Not even close. The schools in the NW have a tough go because they have a hard time recruiting nationally and schools without history to the north, are on the list. If you're in the south or even vaguely to the south, you get no excuses.

 

[Tre4ISU]

I'm not sure I agree. Their schedule this year is pretty tough. The Big Ten East is nowhere close to a cakewalk. TheOSU, UM, PSU, MSU, Maryland, and even Indiana is showing some life this year. From the west they got Minnesota. Played Boston College out of conference.

Sagarin ranks their schedule #26.

Yeah, Rutgers gets UM, OSU, PSU and MSU every year. It's hard to have a cupcake schedule with that going on.

 

[CyCrazy]

I say between Kansas and Rutgers. I don't know what Rutgers has for Facilities but Kansas has down right bad stuff. I hear they may be redoing the stadium. Which would help since it's a horrible stadium.

BTW the thread title says Rebuild. Kansas, Oregon State, Rutgers, and Indiana have never been built.

Kansas won an Orange bowl. So yes they have. We haven't ever sniffed that type of bowl.

 

[heitclone]

The Nebby situation got me thinking, what is a rebuild? How long should someone get to rebuild? On the second question, I used to think you should get enough time to have a roster full or your own recruits but CMC swung this dumpster fire around in about a year and a half. Honestly, after his first 3 or 4 games, he had us competitive. In '16, following the SJSU win, only Texas and #19 WV were lopsided games. If a guy can that at ISU this quickly, are fans at a school like Nebraska (history, resources, fan support, only in state d1 program) justified in thinking a coach only needs a couple years to be where they expect?

 

[harimad]

The Nebby situation got me thinking, what is a rebuild? How long should someone get to rebuild? On the second question, I used to think you should get enough time to have a roster full or your own recruits but CMC swung this dumpster fire around in about a year and a half. Honestly, after his first 3 or 4 games, he had us competitive. In '16, following the SJSU win, only Texas and #19 WV were lopsided games. If a guy can that at ISU this quickly, are fans at a school like Nebraska (history, resources, fan support, only in state d1 program) justified in thinking a coach only needs a couple years to be where they expect?

Wasn't there an article a few years ago comparing the successful rebuilds of football programs, and one of the things they all shared was a breakthrough in year two or three?