Michigan Football and 10 Programs That Just Aren't What They Used to Be

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Michigan football was once a prestigious program, one where elite coaches wanted to coach and first-class players wanted to play.

But the Wolverines have been less like superheroes lately, and more like the helpless leading lady who needs to be saved. With Brady Hoke headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan might be headed in the right direction.

Just maybe.

But it's also no secret that the school's football team is no longer at the level of the nation's top programs. Michigan isn't the only school with that problem, though.

Here are 10 college football programs that just aren't what they used to be.

10. West Virginia

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West Virginia won't be a popular pick on this list, considering the Mountainers finished the 2010 campaign at 9-4 overall.

But under Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia won four Big East titles from 2003-07, including three straight double-digit win seasons (2005-07) that ended with BCS bowl wins.

West Virginia lost just five total games in Rodriguez's final three seasons with the program.

Since Rodriguez left and Bill Stewart took over, however, the Mountaineers—excluding Stewart's win as interim coach in the Fiesta Bowl in the 2007 season—have zero seasons with double-digit wins, have lost four games each season, have just one conference title in a weak Big East, and have zero BCS bowl appearances.

9. Kansas State

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During Bill Snyder's first tenure at Kansas State, the Wildcats won 11 games in six of seven seasons from 1997 to 2003.

After two sub-.500 seasons, Snyder was ousted from KSU and replaced by Ron Prince, who went 17-20 in three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats (2006-08).

The school decided to take a ride in the DeLorean and bring Snyder back for the start of the 2009 season, and Snyder has gone 13-12 the past two seasons.

After going to 11 straight bowl games and compiling a 136-68-1 record during Snyder's first tenure, the Wildcats have gone just 30-32 since 2006, with two bowl losses.

When's the last time Kansas State really mattered in the Big 12?

8. USC

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The pick I'm sure you 80 percent of you will disagree with is USC.

Yes, the Trojans have won double-digit games in all but three years since 2001, including a ridiculous 7-1 mark in bowl games.

But with Pete Carroll leaving and the sanctions on USC's football program, this isn't the same USC.

Scholarships have been cut, recruits have been lost and players have transferred.

USC is 17-9 over the past two seasons, and those nine losses are more than the Trojans had during the seven seasons from 2002 to 2008 combined.

The Trojans will likely be back among the elite teams sooner rather than later, but when you're at the top, the only way to go is down.

7. Virginia

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When Al Groh was the head coach at Virginia (2001-09), the Cavaliers never won an ACC title but were above .500 in five of his first seven seasons, including a 3-2 mark in bowl games.

But since 2008—two seasons under Groh and one under first-year head coach Mike London—Virginia has gone just 12-24 (6-18 in the ACC) and hasn't won more than five games in a season.

The Cavaliers have finished fifth or worse in the ACC Coastal Division in each of the past three seasons.

Man, it really sucks to be a fan of any Cavaliers team these days, huh?

6. Louisville

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I would really hate to be Steve Kragthorpe, who managed to take Louisville from the BCS to the bottom of the Big East barrel.

Kragthrope succeeded Bobby Petrino, who went 41-9 at Louisville with at least nine wins in each of his four seasons there, including two seasons with at least 11 wins and a victory in the 2007 Orange Bowl.

But Kragthorpe set Louisville football back three years, going 15-21 in three seasons, with zero bowl appearances and a 5-16 mark in the Big East. 

He was replaced by Charlie Strong this season, and Strong led the Cardinals to a 7-6 record and a bowl win in 2010.

Maybe he's the guy who can right the ship at Louisville. 

5. Tennessee

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In 1998, Tennessee won the national championship under Phil Fulmer, and they've since had multiple seasons with double-digit wins.

But since 2005—under Fulmer, the one-year debacle of a tenure under Lane Kiffin and with Derek Dooley taking over prior to last season—the Volunteers have had three losing seasons, are just 1-3 in bowl games and have just one SEC East title.

Tennessee is young and talented, recruits well and seems to have found a solid head coach in Dooley, but the Volunteers have floated more toward obscurity than importance in the SEC.

The program had three seasons with double-digit wins from 2001 to 2004 but have just one in the last six years.

4. Colorado

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When's the last time Colorado finished a season ranked in the Top 25 of the AP Poll?

Here's a hint: LeBron James was in his senior year of high school. Yep, it was back in 2002.

The Buffaloes haven't had a winning season since 2005, a period marred by Dan Hawkins and his 19-39 record at the school.

Overall, Colorado has just one season with at least 10 wins and one bowl win this millennium. 

If only Kordell Stweart was still around.

3. Notre Dame

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Notre Dame still attracts recruits like a sideline reporter attracts New York Jets football players, but the results on the recruiting trail haven't translated to a ton of success on the football field.

Since 2003, the Fighting Irish only have one season with double-digit wins, five seasons with seven wins or fewer and only two bowl wins.

Notre Dame is 64-47 over that same span, which isn't bad but isn't Notre Dame good.

With Brian Kelly in his first year at the school in 2010, the Fighting Irish did seem to take a step in the right direction, going 8-5 with a win in the Sun Bowl.

But Notre Dame has traditionally been a national powerhouse, and anything less than nine or 10 wins on a consistent basis just won't cut it there.

See: Charlie Weis.

2. Michigan

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Blame Lloyd Carr. Blame Rich Rodriguez. Blame whoever you want.

But you'd have to take out a magnifying glass to find Michigan on the college football map.

Between 1997 and 2004, the Wolverines won five Big Ten titles and a national championship.

Since then? One BCS bowl appearance, zero conference titles and just one bowl win.

Michigan is just 42-33 (24-24 in the Big Ten) during that span and has failed to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in each of the last three seasons.

1. Miami

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From 2001 to 2003, Miami was arguably the top program in all of college football.

The Hurricanes went 35-3 with three Big East titles, a national championship and three BCS bowl appearances.

Since then, Miami has had zero conference titles, zero BCS bowl appearances and just two bowl wins.

Once the most feared school in the nation, Miami has become just another team in the mediocre ACC.

It's up to Al Golden to turn that around next season.