Top 5 College Football Schools Who Win Without Great Recruiting Classes

Dec 20, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes celebrate with the trophy after the second half of the Las Vegas Bowl against the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium. Utah won 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

3. Utah Utes

Since 2003, the Utah Utes have had an incredibly successful college football program. They went undefeated twice as a mid-major, once in 2004 with Urban Meyer and another time in 2008 with Kyle Whittingham, and they have been relatively successful since their move to the Pac-12.

All of this is being done with a very specific system and recruiting guys to fit that system while not necessarily bringing in the top recruiting classes.

Utah has a run-first offense that may have spread elements if it has a good quarterback, but it is still built around a great offensive line, a position where great players are often missed. On defense, the Utes sell out everything to build around a great rush. That means smart, fast defensive linemen who may be overlooked.

Whittingham has done this to great success, and despite a couple of struggling years in the Pac-12, he has the Utes back to relevance in the conference now with what he has done and potentially competing for conference championships in the future.

Utah’s system supersedes its recruiting, just as it did when Meyer was there. By the way, the Utes beat Nick Saban and Alabama in 2008 after the Tide’s only loss to that point was to the eventual national champions, the Florida Gators. Consider that.

Next: No. 2 Ranked School to Win Without Great Recruiting Classes