Grabbing the Throne: Ranking Programs' Chances of Being the Next CFB Dynasty
Alabama's triumph over Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship last season solidified the Crimson Tide's place as the dynasty of the last decade.
Since 2009, 'Bama has celebrated five SEC crowns and five national titles. But there will come a day—or so we believe—when the program Nick Saban revived is no longer the king of college football.
Which school will steal the crown?
Clemson and Georgia are positioned well, but the ACC and SEC powers aren't the only teams seemingly poised for several seasons of national relevance in the immediate future.
7. Washington Huskies
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Foundation of success: Chris Petersen, previously a successful coach at Boise State, has wasted no time showcasing his ability to develop players. Over the last two seasons, the Huskies have posted a 22-5 record. Plus, U-Dub has stockpiled talent at quarterback. After four-year starter Jake Browning departs, the Huskies have a succession plan that includes Georgia transfer Jacob Eason, who has two years of eligibility left, and incoming 4-stars Colson Yankoff and Jacob Sirmon.
Biggest obstacles: The Pac-12 is weird—and that's not limited to unfriendly midweek road games. The North Division is volatile. Stanford is typically solid but regularly short of a national contender. Oregon and Washington State are often competitive yet inconsistent. Washington must build a talent advantage in order to catch a couple of breaks and avoid Pac-12 quirkiness.
Dynasty potential: Recruiting success has trended upward under Petersen, who signed a program-best No. 13 class in 2018. But there's a difference between improving and excelling. The team is working toward the latter, but UW only has three back-to-back 10-win seasons since 1970. While the future is unquestionably promising for the Dawgs, the dynasty discussion is only in its beginning stages right now.
6. Oklahoma Sooners
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Foundation of success: As long as Lincoln Riley is around as head coach, the Sooners should boast a superior offensive system. The program has also finished No. 1 or 2 in Big 12 recruiting rankings for the last decade, per the 247Sports composite rankings. Oklahoma is built to compete with any Big 12 challenger on a yearly basis.
Biggest obstacles: How much of this praise is a lingering credit to Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield? And if Kyler Murray chooses baseball or isn't a top-tier quarterback, do the Sooners have the right signal-caller to continue a budding dynasty? The Big 12 is an offense-driven league, and Riley's system—despite its excellence—cannot atone for deficiencies at quarterback all the time.
Dynasty potential: The three-time reigning conference champions, Oklahoma has already established itself as a Big 12 powerhouse. Making the leap to being a perennial national contender without Mayfield is a difficult task, though. The Sooners are more likely to thrive in the Big 12 yet stay narrowly shy of the highest tier of success on a consistent basis. That's still really good.
5. USC Trojans
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Foundation of success: The USC brand is massive, so top talent is already attracted to the school anyway. But with any on-field success, the intrigue only grows. Clay Helton is still an unproven head coach after two seasons, so he's not earned the benefit of the doubt. But the early returns are encouraging. Signing local 5-stars in JT Daniels and Amon-Ra St. Brown signal an ability to lock down a fertile recruiting area.
Biggest obstacles: You cannot build an offensive line overnight. Still, the unit has troubled the Trojans for several years. Winning the Pac-12 is tough, and national championships usually aren't won without a dominant blocking corps. Additionally, USC has struggled when the lights shine brightest. The inability to win multiple marquee games in a season is a major challenge to conquer.
Dynasty potential: Of all the West Coast schools, USC has the best chance. It certainly helps to have an iconic brand aiding the pursuit of a dynasty. Helton might not be the architect of a resurgence, but talent on the roster shouldn't be an issue during his tenure—or for his successor, if his big-game struggles persist.
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4. Michigan Wolverines
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Foundation of success: In Jim Harbaugh's three years at Michigan, the defense has ranked no worse than sixth in yards per play or 13th in points per game nationally. The Wolverines led the country with 114 tackles for loss in 2017. Put simply, Don Brown is a premier defensive coordinator.
Biggest obstacles: The defense doesn't matter if the offense labors to score. That's been a common—and surprising—theme lately. Theoretically, that should end soon. But a combination of average quarterback play and below-average performance by the offensive line has kept Michigan from finishing any higher than third place in the Big Ten East Division during Harbaugh's tenure.
Dynasty potential: If quarterbacks Shea Patterson, Brandon Peters or Dylan McCaffrey can propel the offense to respectability, the Wolverines should be a perennial threat. The key problems will be Urban Meyer at Ohio State and a pesky rival in Michigan State, but a well-rounded U-M squad would be prepared to regularly emerge from a demanding league.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
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Foundation of success: Mark Richt left Kirby Smart with top-tier talent, but the former Alabama assistant took Georgia to the place the former head coach never did: a national championship game. Since Jake Fromm or Justin Fields are set to quarterback the Bulldogs over the next three-plus seasons, the Bulldogs are built to control the SEC East. As long as Smart's history of defensive supremacy continues, that intradivision dominance will be a secondary storyline to UGA's national exploits.
Biggest obstacles: For starters, the SEC West—no matter whether Alabama, Auburn, LSU or another emerges—is a challenge. Unless the Dawgs are undefeated entering the SEC Championship Game, a loss would probably end their CFP dreams. Otherwise, Georgia must navigate a year or two of potential attrition since the quality of recruits has been so high. It's a great problem to have, but transfers are possible and usable depth is crucial.
Dynasty potential: Don't let this No. 3 ranking fool you; this is a program ready to flourish. The reasoning for Georgia's placement is simple: The other two schools are similarly impressive and more established at this particular moment. But by 2020, the college football world could be talking about Georgia as Alabama's successor.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Foundation of success: When you recruit like Urban Meyer—top-10 classes every year—and have a terrific coaching staff, good things happen. After all, 73-8 over a six-year period is a dynasty-level record. Ohio State churns out NFL-caliber defenders every season, and the offense is poised for a leap with Dwayne Haskins at quarterback.
Biggest obstacles: The issue preventing Ohio State from gaining "dynasty" status is avoiding an ill-timed loss. A 12-0 Buckeyes squad fell to Michigan State in the 2013 Big Ten Championship Game. When 10-0 in 2015, OSU lost to Sparty and cost it a College Football Playoff berth. Clemson routed the Buckeyes 31-0 in a 2016 semifinal, and last year Iowa's beatdown helped Alabama edge Ohio State for the No. 4 CFP slot.
Dynasty potential: Ohio State is right there. Michigan's expected improvement can complicate the future, but the Buckeyes are already one of the decade's most successful programs. Regardless of what happens, that description is secure. A second CFP title would put the pressure on Clemson to stay ahead in the chase for a dynasty, though.
1. Clemson Tigers
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Foundation of success: How about seven straight 10-win seasons? Maybe three consecutive ACC championships and CFP appearances? Or 11 5-star commits since 2015? On both the field and recruiting trail, Dabo Swinney has molded Clemson into a winner.
Trevor Lawrence, one of those 5-stars, has the ability to surpass Deshaun Watson as the greatest quarterback in school history. Lawrence already broke one of Watson's milestones at the high school level.
Biggest obstacles: What if Lawrence doesn't progress as expected after Kelly Bryant's graduation? The pressure—which can be unfair—is incredibly high. Suddenly, the Tigers would have an enormous question mark at quarterback due to recent transfers. Swinney would have to swiftly rebuild the position.
Dynasty potential: Had Clemson managed to win a second championship besides its dramatic 2016 triumph, the program might already be considered a dynasty. With a couple more ACC crowns and another national title before Lawrence is gone, the Tigers should cement a spot in college football history.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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