College Football Elites, Part 2: Can classic blue bloods return to glory?

There are some faded helmets in college football. Can some classic blue bloods regain their shine and become national powers again?

In Part 1 of college football elites, we explored the blue bloods of college football in hopes of sparking discussion and healthy debate. In this edition, we take a look at programs that were once elite.

How does a team fall from the ranks of the elite? A team fallen from the nation’s elite is no longer a conference threat. They have gone without a conference title for at least a decade or longer. In order to be a threat nationally, you have to be a threat in your own conference.

National championships are important, but not paramount. A team that has lost its shine does not have many 10-win seasons in the last decade as well.

How do the mighty fall from grace? It is hard to say in real-time, this is the end for a program’s elite status save one issue, NCAA scandal. Violating NCAA rules can land you on the bottom quicker than a hiccup. Some schools don’t make the right hires after their legendary coaches retire, or some coaches make bad choices that land them in the unemployment line.

Whatever the case, here are three programs that have fallen from the elite and look to regain their status.