This is meant to be more of a conversation starter than a normal post. It goes like this: if you had to pick a list of ten schools that at least half of the next ten national champions will come from, who would you put on it? Here's my list in no particular order:
SEC
Florida - because of a high probability of a 2009 national title and because Meyer ain't leaving.
Georgia - because Mark Richt always has his team up there, all it'll take is the right special player or two to put him over the top.
Alabama - because Nick Saban recruits like a madman and is an exceptional coach.
LSU - because the reawakening of the program this decade looks like it's taken root.
Pac-10
USC - because I'd be a fool not to include the flagship program of one of the three best recruiting states, to say nothing of the job Pete Carroll has done.
Oregon - because I love Chip Kelly's offense and Oregon was a healthy Dennis Dixon knee away from winning it all in 2007, showing the program is capable of being up there.
Big Ten
Ohio State - because Jim Tressel will have his team near or at the top of his automatic qualifying conference every year, and that's all you need.
Michigan - because Rich Rodriguez nearly won one at West Virginia, and he'll get better players at Michigan.
Big 12
Oklahoma - because this program is rich in resources and right next to Texas, and because the program will eventually win one as long as it keeps getting to the big game.
Texas - because I'd be a fool not to include the flagship program of one of the three best recruiting states, and because Will Muschamp won't let things fall off if/when Mack Brown steps down before the next ten years finish.
Honorable Mentions
Arkansas - because I believe in Bobby Petrino the coach, but it's going to be tougher to get to a BCS game in the SEC West than it was at Louisville.
Miami - because Butch Davis showed that putting a great coach in this program will make it really good really quickly, and Randy Shannon is stocking the cupboards quite nicely for whoever will replace him.
Virginia Tech - because Frank Beamer has built a consistent winner, and perhaps Bud Foster will put it over the top whenever he retires.
Your Turn
What's your list of ten teams? And here's a couple more questions for you:
-If I gave you the entire Big East together as one team, would you take it?
-If I gave you the entire ACC together as one team, would you take it?
-If I gave you all of the current non-Big Six schools (as of today) together as one team, would you take it?