College football rosters are completely overhauled every five years. On the surface, that might make it seem like it’s hard to predict more than a few seasons in advance since so much can change in a short amount of time. However, the absolutely best programs in college football have created an atmosphere and structure that will help them continue to dominate both on the field and in terms of recruiting. That structure helped us with our predictions for which teams will stay on top for years to come. Here is a look at the five programs most likely to be the best in college football over the next decade.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Barring a potential move to the NFL for Nick Saban, there is absolutely no reason to doubt Alabama will continue to dominate. The Crimson Tide are the lone team to make consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff and they are coming off three national championships over the last five years. Alabama’s dominance is a big reason why they have been so good on the field and as long as Saban is in town there isn’t any reason to think that will stop. Saban’s deal with the Crimson Tide runs through 2022 and while he is already 64 he hasn’t considered retirement. Alabama has become the prototype for what a perennial college football champion contender should look like and they should continue to dominate over the next decade.
Michigan Wolverines
Perhaps the biggest surprise for Michigan is how quickly things turned around once Jim Harbaugh arrived. The Wolverines delivered with a 10-3 record in his first season as the head coach and his team appears poised to contend for a national championship this season. There will certainly be a lot of talk about Harbaugh eventually making a move to the NFL but right now he is committed to winning at Michigan and that should create a winning environment for the Wolverines for the next decade to come.
Florida State Seminoles
After a supposed down year in which Florida State still finished 10-3 the expectation is that the Seminoles will once again contend both in the ACC and on the national stage this season. FSU has reached four straight BCS or New Year’s Six bowl games with head coach Jimbo Fisher compiling an impressive 49-6 record over that span. Fisher has landed a top-seven recruiting class in six of the last seven cycles and as long as Florida State continues to dominate on the recruiting trail it should translate to results on the field.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Urban Meyer has compiled a 50-4 record over his time with Ohio State, which includes a national championship in 2014. The Buckeyes have secured five consecutive top-10 recruiting classes and their dominance in that department has translated to results on the field. As is the case with the other three programs on this list, Meyers’ presence at Ohio State will determine just how long they remain one of the most dominant teams in college football.
Remember that he did have some health concerns at Florida, which forced him to retire. At least that’s what he told the public as his reason for leaving the Gators. If that’s true, then the Buckeyes will have to keep close tabs on him as that’s the only thing that will slow them down.
Clemson Tigers
The 2016 season was proof that Dabo Swinney and Clemson can compete on the national stage as one of the top programs in the country. All signs point towards an encore performance for the Tigers this season. Six consecutive top-20 recruiting classes will help and there is an interesting dynamic brewing between Clemson and Florida State in the ACC. This is a conference that used to be Miami-Florida State oriented, but now it’s Clemson that’s taken the Hurricanes spot.
Swinney’s presence will ensure the Tigers remain a perennial contender and they absolutely deserve to be on this list as one of the five programs that will dominate over the next decade in college football. North Carolina’s ascent and Miami’s hiring of Mark Richt is worth monitoring, though, as those programs will threaten the Tigers.
