Editor’s word: All week, The Athletic has been wanting again at the perfect of the primary 25 years of the 2000s in faculty soccer. Additionally learn the highest 25 groups, high 25 gamers, high 25 coaches and high 25 video games.
We as faculty soccer followers typically undergo from quick recollections. This train will function a pleasant reminder that the majority packages haven’t been precisely pretty much as good or precisely as dangerous as they’re proper now over the course of 25 years.
The components I thought of when rating the highest packages of the 2000s to this point: Total profitable share, BCS or New Yr’s Six bowl appearances (together with final yr’s first-round CFP video games), nationwide championships, convention championships*, wins towards ranked opponents (through Stathead), share of whole weeks spent within the AP Prime 25 and high 10 (through Faculty Ballot Archive) and, as a counterbalance, their variety of shedding seasons.
*As a result of each league however the SEC had co-champions sooner or later this century, I used every league’s automated BCS/CFP entrant to make sure just one champion per yr in every convention.
Michigan State’s general numbers aren’t nice. However from 2010-17, Mark Dantonio led the Spartans to 6 double-digit-win seasons, together with a Rose Bowl win in 2013 and CFP berth in 2015. Then got here an 11-win season and New Yr’s Six bowl win in 2021.
They beat out West Virginia, Louisville, Kansas State and Stanford for the ultimate spot.
Washington’s modest win share and eight shedding seasons don’t assist its case to be included in these rankings. However the Huskies began the century with a No. 3 end in 2000 and returned to prominence within the 2010s with three consecutive double-digit-win seasons (2016-18) and a Playoff look underneath Chris Petersen, earlier than back-to-back top-10 seasons and a visit to the nationwide title sport underneath Kalen DeBoer within the 2020s.
That is the one program that has had the identical coach, Kirk Ferentz, for your entire century. He averaged 8.2 wins over that span (not together with 2020). The Hawkeyes reached a bowl sport in all however three seasons, together with two Orange Bowls (2002 and ’09) and a Rose Bowl (2015), and have completed a season ranked 11 instances.
Utah, then a member of the Mountain West, posted undefeated seasons in 2004 (underneath City Meyer) and 2008 (underneath Kyle Whittingham) earlier than shifting as much as the Pac-12 in 2011. Whittingham has led the Utes to 4 double-digit-win seasons since then, with Pac-12 titles in 2021 and ’22, however they’re extra typically an eight- or nine-win group.
Mike Gundy’s Cowboys posted eight double-digit-win seasons from 2010-23 and have completed as a ranked group 10 instances since he took over in 2005, greater than the varsity registered within the twentieth century. They greater than held their very own towards Prime 25 competitors, too.
Their two obvious holes are only one Massive 12 title (in 2011, once they got here up simply in need of the BCS title sport) and a 6-18 document towards rival Oklahoma.
Determining the place to rank Boise State was by far my largest problem. The Broncos’ .808 profitable share and nil shedding seasons, even in Group of 5 leagues, are exceptional, as are their 4 Fiesta Bowl appearances (together with two wins). However their comparatively few ranked wins (18) are a reminder of the extent of competitors.
Gary Patterson spent the primary dozen years of the century racking up double-digit wins in Convention USA and the Mountain West, culminating in an undefeated season with a Rose Bowl victory in 2010. The Frogs have been much less constant within the Massive 12, however they’ve nonetheless received not less than 11 video games 4 instances since making the leap, most notably their journey to the CFP championship sport in 2022.
Virginia Tech underneath Frank Beamer was one of many nation’s high packages from 2000-11, ending within the Prime 25 all however one season, together with 5 top-10 seasons, and profitable 4 ACC titles from 2004-10. However the Hokies have had solely two ranked finishes since then, in 2016 and ’17, and noticed their streak of 25 straight profitable seasons finish in 2018.
Penn State’s century obtained off to a tough begin with 4 shedding seasons in 5 years underneath the beforehand dominant Joe Paterno. He rebounded to win Massive Ten titles in 2005 and ’08. Extra lately, James Franklin has received double-digit video games in six of the previous 9 seasons. However the lack of huge wins is obvious — simply seven towards top-10 foes this century.
Wisconsin was an image of consistency till lately, profitable not less than 10 video games all however 5 instances from 2005-19 underneath coaches Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema, Gary Andersen and Paul Chryst. It went to 3 straight Rose Bowls from 2010-12. However the Badgers have additionally by no means reached the CFP and have simply 10 top-10 wins (tied for twenty eighth).
Arguably no program has skilled as many peaks and valleys this century as Auburn. The Tigers loved undefeated seasons in 2004 and 2010, profitable the nationwide championship within the latter, and reached one other nationwide title sport in 2013. However they’ve additionally received eight video games or fewer in 15 of 25 seasons, had a 3-9 debacle in 2012 and have gone 5-7 or 6-7 every of the previous 4 years.
Miami’s dominance in the beginning of the century in its ultimate years within the Massive East — it went 46-4 with 4 consecutive top-five finishes from 2000-03 — helped The U land within the high 15 regardless of a largely forgettable twenty years since becoming a member of the ACC in 2004. The Canes have reached double-digit wins solely twice since then, in 2017 and 2024, with out profitable a convention title — although they nonetheless rank within the high 20 in each knowledge level I checked out.
It’s been a story of two twenty first centuries for Notre Dame, which was mediocre for the primary dozen seasons (Charlie Weis’s 2005 and ’06 BCS bowls excluded) earlier than remodeling underneath Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman. Since 2012, the Irish have reached two nationwide title video games, performed in two different CFPs and hit the 10-win mark 9 instances.
The late Bobby Bowden reached his final of three consecutive BCS title video games in 2000 earlier than falling off. However Jimbo Fisher’s run of six double-digit-win seasons in seven years from 2010-16 (most notably profitable the 2013 BCS title) coupled with Mike Norvell’s pair in 2022 and ’23 greater than compensated for the Noles’ 5 shedding seasons since 2018.
Michigan went by some bleak years underneath Wealthy Rodriguez (2008-10) and Brady Hoke (2011-14). However earlier than that, Lloyd Carr led the Wolverines to 3 Rose Bowls in 4 years. After which got here Jim Harbaugh (2015-23), who delivered six double-digit-win seasons, culminating in a 37-3 run over his final three seasons and nationwide title in 2023.
This one shocked me, given the Gators peaked in 2009 underneath City Meyer. However consider it or not, 5 coaches — Steve Spurrier (who left in 2001), Meyer, Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen — notched not less than one 10-win season. Meyer received two nationwide titles in three years and Mullen went to 3 consecutive New Yr’s Six bowls.
Texas loved a dominant first decade underneath Mack Brown, profitable double-digit video games yearly from 2001-09, incomes one BCS title and taking part in for an additional. Then this system went within the tank for a lot of the subsequent dozen years, earlier than Steve Sarkisian led the Longhorns to consecutive CFP semifinals.
USC showing within the high 10 is a testomony to simply how dominant the Trojans have been underneath Pete Carroll from 2002-08, when it went 82-9, received six consecutive Pac-12 titles and two nationwide crowns (one shared). Whereas it looks like USC has been struggling ever since, it has added 4 extra double-digit-win seasons and three New Yr’s Six bowl bids.
Some might scoff at rating Oregon this excessive with out having received a nationwide championship, however each different knowledge level is that of an elite program. The Geese’ 182 weeks spent within the AP high 10 are larger than the likes of LSU, Clemson and Texas, amongst others. They usually’ve been to extra BCS/NY6 bowls than USC, Michigan and Notre Dame.
Clemson was admittedly nothing particular for the century’s first 11 seasons, peaking at 9 wins, and even then solely 4 instances. Then Dabo Swinney discovered his groove, and the Tigers received fewer than 10 video games simply as soon as over the previous 14 seasons. This system’s rise aligned with the beginning of the CFP, which it has reached seven instances since 2015, with nationwide championships in 2016 and 2018.
Whereas it might appear to be LSU has yo-yoed between peaks and valleys, it’s arduous to argue with 13 double-digit-win seasons throughout 4 coaches (Saban, Les Miles, Ed Orgeron and Brian Kelly), three of whom received nationwide titles. The Tigers have received a ton of huge video games, rating third in each Prime 10 and Prime 25 wins. A “dangerous” season has typically been 9-4 or 8-5.
The underappreciated Mark Richt led the Dawgs to double-digit wins in 9 of his 15 seasons, then handed the baton to Kirby Sensible who promptly took this system to a different stage. In 9 seasons he has a .846 profitable share and has accounted for 3 of this system’s 5 convention championships and each nationwide titles this century.
Oklahoma was much more constant than Ohio State till struggling two shedding seasons over the previous three years. No different energy program comes near the Sooners’ 13 convention titles (all within the Massive 12). Bob Stoops began the century with a nationwide title earlier than taking part in for 3 extra, and Lincoln Riley added three consecutive Playoff appearances.
These six nationwide championships between 2009 and ’20 just about say all of it, and Alabama performed for 3 others along with these. Its profitable share will get dragged down a bit by a 53-46 begin to the century, however Nick Saban’s groups then received not less than 11 video games in all however one season from 2008-23 — and received 10 within the different one.
Just one program has spent practically your entire century competing at an elite stage — and it’s not Alabama, which was mediocre for six of the eight seasons earlier than Nick Saban obtained rolling. Whereas Ohio State had solely 5 seasons out of 25 wherein it received fewer than 10 video games (and a kind of was an eight-game 2020 season). It’s received three nationwide championships, performed for 3 extra, and craziest of all, it has been ranked within the Prime 25 in practically 93 % of the 411 AP polls since 2000.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Brett Davis, Kevin C. Cox, Ben Jackson, Brett Deering / Getty Photographs)
