Decade rankings 21-30: Golden Domers down in Golden Decade
Decade rankings: 31-50 | 51-70 | 71-90 | 91-110 | 111-120
As a lead-in to our preseason coverage, CBSSports.com continues to rank each Division I-A program based on performance this decade. We're calling it The Golden Decade.
The list continues with Nos. 21-30.
21. Penn State: We thought JoePa was done when he went through that downturn from 2000-04. Now, incredibly, the Nittany Lions are a Big Ten contender each year and the old man has a three-year contract. Penn State is one of the great success stories of the decade because Joe keeps coaching, his staff stays intact and the Lions keep winning.
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| In his second stint at Oregon State, Mike Riley has made the Beavers a pesky bunch. (US Presswire) |
23. Wisconsin: Through Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema, Wisconsin continued to grow offensive linemen and produce punishing 1,000-yard rushers. What it didn't produce was a Big Ten title or many serviceable quarterbacks.
24. Oregon State: Mike Riley has coached the Beavers into becoming a spunky, upset-minded pain in the behind. Incredibly (for Oregon State) there have been only two losing seasons this decade. There have been at least nine wins in the last three. The decade kicked off with a Pac-10 co-championship and a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.
25. Kansas State: The Wildcats get into the decade's top 25 by winning 11 three times, winning a Big 12 title in 2003, going to four bowls and surviving the Ron Prince train wreck. Bill Snyder returns this season trying to Wabash Cannonball back on the tracks.
26. Notre Dame: How weird has the Irish Decade been? It began by Bob Davie getting into the Fiesta Bowl. It draws to an end with Charlie Weis trying to hold on to his job.
In between there have been three other coaches (George O'Leary, Tyrone Willingham, Kent Baer), two other BCS bowls and the worst season in school history (2007). Which way are the Irish headed? No telling, but it is all but assured that if Weis doesn't get to a BCS bowl, Notre Dame will open the new decade looking for its sixth coach since 2000.
27. BYU: Utah and TCU might have been bigger stories at certain times, but BYU is ending the decade with three consecutive 10-win seasons and Mountain West titles in 2006 and 2007. Bronco Mendenhall has the program poised to be a BCS buster soon.
Gary Crowton -- the guy to follow the guy -- underachieved at BYU after taking over for LaVell Edwards, then went to LSU and helped win a national championship.
28. Alabama: Things look good now but have you forgotten what a turbulent time this has been for 'Bama?
Six coaches (What, you forgot Joe Kines?). Four seasons of .500 or worse. Three seasons of at least 10 wins. Two January bowls. One BCS bowl and no SEC titles. Part of Alabama's resiliency is that it continues to fight through tough times. Each coach since Bear has won 10 games at least once. Nick Saban seems like he is just taking off after last year's 12-win season.
29. Hawaii: No matter how 2009 ends, this will be the most successful decade in Warriors history. So far it has included a Sugar Bowl, 74 victories, a Heisman finalist (Colt Brennan) and the leading passer in NCAA history (Timmy Chang). Thousands of miles from mainland football, Hawaii established itself as a quarterback factory and a BCS buster.
30. Clemson: The kings of underachievement. The Tigers haven't won an ACC title since 1991 and start over with Dabo Swinney.
