College Football: 10 Teams That Need to Go Back to FCS
Every college football program runs into down seasons for one reason or another. Then there are the teams that seem to have horrendous seasons year-in and year-out.
The Football Bowl Series (FBS) is home to the top-tier programs in the country, or the big brother to the Football Championship Series (FCS) in other words. Many teams in the past have been brought up from the FCS to participate in the FBS, and have proven to be successful, but a handful of these promoted teams just seem out of their league, literally.
Here is a list of 10 teams that just aren't cutting it in the FBS, and should possibly be demoted in order to give another FCS team a shot with the big boys.
Eastern Michigan
1 of 10
Eastern Michigan went winless for the 2009 season for the eighth time in school history. The rest of the 2000s weren't much better, as the Eagles could never seem to get past the four-win mark.
The team has never ended a season ranked in any major poll, and is among the worst Division I FBS schools both in all-time win percentage (45.4%, for 107 out of 120).
To add to the messing findings, since playing in the Mid-American Conference in the FBS, the Eagles have won only one conference championship back in 1987.
North Texas
2 of 10
The North Texas Mean Green last one a Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2004, giving them a berth in the New Orleans Bowl against Ole Miss, only to get blown out of the game.
The year 2004 also boasts the last winning season for the Mean Green in the 2000s. Over the next five years, North Texas has not been able to bring in more than three wins in any season, and it doesn't look like that is changing anytime soon.
In 2006, North Texas looked to revamp the losing program by bringing in a "high-profile hire" by their accounts. The new hire was Todd Dodge, one of the most successful high school football coaches in the country.
As it turns out, their problem solving at North Texas is anemic, seeing that Dodge has gone 5-31 as head coach.
San Diego State
3 of 10
The San Diego State Aztecs haven't reached the six-win mark since the 2003 season and have been dwelling the bottom of the Mountain West Conference for the majority of their time since joining.
The Aztecs have had only five bowl appearances in school history, their last appearance being in 1998, and their last bowl win was back in 1969.
The team's lackluster performance year-in and year-out may be do to their location in Southern California. It is extremely difficult for a Mountain West team to compete in recruiting with such powerhouse schools as USC and UCLA being just up the coast from the school.
One thing is known about playing in the Mountain West Conference; most people do not respect the conference as it is due to the low competition factor. If Boise State is still getting guff about their undefeated seasons in the WAC (somewhat comparable to the MWC), then San Diego is just not cutting it in the FBS with their records.
New Mexico State
4 of 10
The New Mexico State Aggies haven't had a winning season since 2002, in which they went 7-5. The rest of the decade resulted with a best record of 5-6 in 2004, and a winless season in 2005.
In fact, the Aggies have only made three bowl appearances in school history, the most recent one being a win over Utah State in the 1960 Sun Bowl. The school also has yet to win a conference championship in FBS play.
Tulane
5 of 10
The past has not been friendly for the Tulane Green Wave football team. The school has had only four winning seasons in the past 20 years, their last being in 2002.
The Green Wave have only boasted one conference championship in 1998 after the joining and creation of the Conference USA in 1995, where they went undefeated, only to have a 3-8 record the following season.
Tulane has also only been ranked in the top-25 once since the creation of the BCS, as well as the last 20 years.
With one of the easiest strength of schedules in the FBS every year, the Tulane Green Wave just can't seem to survive in the FBS, and a non-BCS conference for that manner.
Akron
6 of 10
In 1987, the Akron Zips made their move from Division I-AA (FCS) to Division I-A (FBS), and it might be that time for the school to move back down the ladder.
Although the Zips won their one and only Mid-American Conference Championship in 2005, the rest of the team's history in the FBS has been discouraging.
Only pulling in six winning seasons over the past 23 years is a tough statistic to overcome when trying to prove their worthiness within the FBS. The Zips have also made only one bowl appearance since their inception into Division I-A in 2005, which they lost to Memphis.
New Mexico
7 of 10
The New Mexico Lobos ranked in the lower half of nearly every category in 2009, much like the rest of their history after joining the Mountain West Conference in 1999.
The Lobos haven't been total strangers in bowl games in the 2000s, having five bowl berths, but only one win in their last 2007 bowl appearance. Two of their five bowl games were against BCS teams (Oregon State and UCLA), in which they were no competition for, being completely overpowered by the larger programs.
To add fact to disappointment, the Lobos haven't won a conference championship since 1964, when they were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
Vanderbilt
8 of 10
The Vanderbilt program is a part of history. Not for it's play on the field, but rather for it being one of the original members of the SEC, dating back to the 1930s. Tradition is great, but it may be time to let another worthy team into the South Eastern Conference.
The Commodores have had two winning seasons in the past 30 years, their last being in 2008 where they made their first bowl appearance in 26 years. The program also has yet to win, or even come close to winning, a conference championship in the SEC.
One argument for Vanderbilt's poor play is their lack of eligible recruits to fit into their strict admission guidelines. It's great that Vandy places a huge emphasis on education, whipping out doctors and lawyers right and left, but should they really be playing ball in the FBS? And the SEC for that manner?
Florida International
9 of 10
Following the 2004 season, the Florida International Golden Panthers became the fastest school to reach the FBS platform, after having their inaugural football season in the FCS just three years earlier.
Many people thought that this move was extremely premature after having three losing seasons at the FCS level before being promoted to the Sun Belt Conference, and they were probably right.
Since joining the FBS (and inception of a football program), the Golden Panthers have yet to put up a winning season and having an overall school record of 14-64.
The non-existent success may be due to the team only being nine years old, but the move to the FBS stage after not proving to be worthy might have been a mistake altogether.
Buffalo
10 of 10
The Buffalo Bulls football program has had just one winning season since joining the FBS Mid-American Conference in 1999. Among their remaining 10 losing records in the FBS, they had three one-win seasons, three two-win seasons, and one win-less season.
The Bulls' only FBS bowl berth was after their only winning season in 2008, which they lost to Connecticut 38-20.
Buffalo may be another team that prematurely made the leap to FBS after having little success in the Football Championsip Series and posting a total FBS record of 30-99.
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