Fascinating article. Kinda funny - despite all the money they've spent over the last 60 years - they last won the Natty in 1939. Sucka's.
I think the issue it's an illustration of how difficult it is to establish any kind of sustained success in college football ... at least at this point since I'm not sure the last 60 years have much to do with the last 20. But it's really interesting to look at the schools that really haven't been elite programs despite big names the past 20 or more years (admittedly I'm using arbitrary end points, but all long stretches):
Notre Dame -- they've won 10+ 5 times in the past 23 seasons and appeared in just one title game
UCLA -- one 10 win season since 99 and just three since 89
Texas -- reached the title game in 09, but just one season of 9 or more wins since
Florida -- was incredible under Meyer -- largely because he's a complete dirtbag -- but has been through three coaches in 8 seasons and had the forgettable Zook era for three years before Meyer.
Texas A&M -- 11 win season under sumlin in '12. Prior to that it was 98 under rc slocum that they won double-digit games.
Nebraska -- They've generally been pretty good -- or at least better than I remember -- but they still haven't had fewer than four losses in a season since '03
Miami -- Won double-digits last year for the first time since '03)
Rutgers -- Just kidding
So, admittedly, all these programs have dwarfed our success in this timeframe but it's interesting how mundane most of the seasons has been for the above programs, particularly since most of them are among the bluest of the blue bloods. Other programs have sustained some pretty good success -- Wisconsin/Mich/Ohio State/FSU/Clemson (in the Dabo era)/USC (a few not great yaers post-carroll but still pretty good), etc. But finding sustained success has been really hard the past 20 years or so. Our disastrous record sucks, but we're not alone in struggling to find the success we enjoyed in the late 80s through the 90s.
