Notre Dame & 10 College Football Programs That Aren't Living Up to Tradition

Heading into the 2011 season hope was plentiful in South Bend, Indiana with prognosticators nationwide proclaiming the imminent return of Notre Dame football.

Yes, the national collegiate gridiron scene was officially put on high alert…the Irish were contenders.

Well, 10 weeks later we know that 6-3 Notre Dame is at best a decent football team that has a hard time holding on to the ball and closing out opponents.

In the case of the Irish it’s amped up expectations built on the fertile ground of past successes that left such a strong impression that we can’t help ourselves but to think they should be in the mix year in and year out.

And even though Notre Dame is arguably the program most guilty of this offense there are a handful of other football teams whose dominance of yesteryear has us expecting more but instead the results fall short and years of a rich tradition of winning is replaced with disappointments and dreams of “next year”.

The following slideshow pinpoints 10 such programs (plus Notre Dame) that currently simply can’t compete with their own pasts.

Florida

Really, it’s hard to pick on the Gators when they’ve got a young team, a new coach and are only two seasons removed from back-to-back 13 win seasons.

But, regardless of the logic, it’s difficult not to get the feeling that Florida is experiencing at least a short term backwards skid in terms of gridiron greatness.

And, it’s not so much the results (8-5 in 2010 and then 5-4 thus far this season) but the fact that the Gators just aren’t as fearsome as they once were.

Seriously, four losses in a row for the first time since 1988 and a five-point win over Vanderbilt?

In the past decade Florida has won four SEC East titles, three SEC crowns and two national championships which makes living up to tradition pretty darn difficult.

But that’s what the people of the Swamp expect…and nothing less.

Colorado

Did you know that Colorado has won 29 championships of some kind in their 121 year football history?

Did you know that the Buffaloes boast a 673-442-36 all-time record and have won four Big 12 North divisional titles and one Big 12 conference crown since 2001?

Hey, these guys have even won a national championship in the last 20 years.

All this makes Colorado’s 9-25 record since 2009 seem tragic.

Yes, the Buffaloes are 1-9 in 2011 and have been outscored 266-91 in their first six losses in the Pac-12 conference.

Colorado is a football program with a winning tradition that hasn’t even been to a bowl game since 2007 and hasn’t won a postseason game since surviving UTEP 33-28 in the 2004 Houston Bowl.

Wretched.

Mississippi

Though when you muse about great SEC teams of yore Ole Miss might not be the first program that pops into your head the Rebels (not Black Bears, thank you very much) have six SEC titles and two national titles on their resume.

And, if you’re thinking most of those high honors are relatively ancient history don’t forget that Ole Miss is 8-2 in bowl play in the last two decades and prior to not going bowling last season had won four straight.

Yes, the  Rebels have definitely been an “up and down” team in the new millennium but a 2-7 start in 2011 and 12 consecutive SEC losses is offensive to a team who has always found away to be competitive in the nation’s most difficult collegiate gridiron division.

Nebraska

So, what’s the big deal about Nebraska and why aren’t they living up to their so-called “tradition?”

Indeed, how can you complain about a 7-2 record in 2011 which was immediately preceded by two ten win seasons and four Big 12 North division crowns in five years?

Well, if the Cornhuskers are on par with their forebearers then why haven’t they actually captured a conference title in over a decade and why have they only been to the BCS twice since its inception and why has it been almost 10 years since they’ve danced in the money parade?

Yes, did you know that 15 top college football programs have been to the BCS more times than Nebraska who touts five national championships?

I’m not saying they’re not good…I’m just asking when are they going to be one of the elite programs in college football again?

Texas A&M

Really even I (the Red Raider at heart) thought that 2011 was the season that the Aggies would finally at long last, break free from the bondage of a decade long football drought.

But, at 5-4 after 10 weeks of play Texas A&M enthusiasts can still speak boldly about their historic move to the SEC in 2012 but must silently wonder if their current product has enough firepower even to survive the three additional second halves that stand between themselves and the 2011 bowl season.

Yes, A&M has long been a center for tradition rich, hard fought, fearsome and overall triumphant football but as the years roll by it becomes more difficult to remember the good and easier to recall the more recent disappointments.

And this semi-negative perception is threatened to further spiral out of control with the SEC West waiting on the other end of a simple flip of the final page of the 2011 calendar.

Miami FL

Not unlike Florida, it’s difficult to completely dog the Hurricanes who have a bright new coach and more than their share of troubles this season making a 5-4 start seem at least digestible.

But, and wholly unlike the Gators, once dominant Miami hasn’t won much of anything since leaving the Big East for the ACC after the 2003 season.

Yes, it’s almost unbelievable but the Hurricanes haven’t carried home a championship of any kind since winning the Big East in 2003, haven’t won over nine games since then and are 2-4 in bowl games since 2005.

But still, we predict the Hurricanes to finally be “back” year in and year out and expect their imminent rising like the appearance of the sun each in every morning (OK, perhaps that’s a little dramatic and could be more appropriate when referring to Notre Dame, but, there is at least a shred of truth there).

As far as I’m concerned Al Golden is Miami’s “golden” opportunity to actually rise from the ashes and begin to be a part of the national picture again.

Florida State

Even though Florida State’s football renaissance is far from being completely derailed, disappointment runs high in a program that hoped to compete for a BCS spot and beyond and instead sits at 6-3 and controls only their destiny to a better bowl game.

Though the Seminoles won the ACC Atlantic last season they haven’t won a full-fledged ACC conference crown since 2005 which is also the last time FSU reached the BCS.

Florida State is overall in a lot better shape than most of the programs on this list but they still haven’t reached the level of success they are best known for.

Notre Dame

Regardless of the hype, the Fighting Irish haven’t won the big enchilada since 1988, have only been to the BCS three times since its inception, are 0-3 in BCS play and prior to postseason wins in 2008 and 2010 Notre Dame dropped nine consecutive bowl games.

After being predicted to do everything from making the BCS to winning the national championship Notre Dame is 6-3 thus far in 2011 with three games remaining (two of which they have more than a reasonable chance to win; Maryland, Boston College and Stanford).

Whether you agree with the notion that Notre Dame is the bastion of tradition of college football or not the Irish definitely aren’t living up to their over the top billing.

Central Michigan

Just because the Chippewa’s don’t call a BCS conference home doesn’t mean that they can’t be expected to live up to some pretty serious winning football traditions.

From 2006-09 Central Michigan went 38-17 which included three MAC West Division crowns, three MAC conference championships and a 2-2 record in bowls.

To put the run further into perspective, CMU had only been to two bowl games total prior to 2006 and their 2009 final AP ranking of No. 23 was the first such honor ever in the history of the program.

All this makes 2010’s 3-9 mark and 2011’s 3-7 record thus far looks dismal.

Yes, the Chippewa’s winning traditions don’t run as deep as others but they run indeed which makes six wins in two seasons hard to stomach.

Tennessee

Again, you hate to take a shot at a program headed up by a young up and comer such as coach Derek Dooley but no matter how you dress it up the modern version of the football Volunteers just ain’t what they used to be.

The Volunteers went 6-7 in 2010 (their worst mark since winning only five games in 2008) and are at 4-5 thus far in 2011 leaving Tennessee in risk of being left out of the bowl picture if they can’t beat two out of their last three opponents (at Arkansas, vs. Vanderbilt and at Kentucky).

Tennessee hasn’t won the SEC East since 2007, hasn’t won a conference title since 1998 (when they also captured a National Championship) and are 3-7 in their last 10 bowl appearances.

The Volunteers were once one of the most fearsome foes in the SEC East and are now left to trying to keep their heads above water and if that isn’t falling short of a great tradition, I don’t know what is.

UCLA

UCLA isn’t exactly the type of program you expect to see in the BCS at the end of every season but when you reach the point that the 18 time Pac-10 champs can’t even reach bowl eligibility then you’ve got a problem.

Yes, the Bruins have already won more games in 2011 (five) than they did in 2010 (four) but with three games left to go UCLA’s hopes of “improvement” are pinned on scoring one win in their last three games (at Utah, vs. Colorado and at USC) so they can go bowling.

They’re finally improving…we think…but how far has the bar been lowered when “if we can win six games” is what you’re reaching for?

Sure, that’s a short term goal and not indicative of what this program and school want to do in the future but when will UCLA be truly competitive and feared from a football standpoint once again?