Fallen on hard times

I was just compiling a list of teams that used to strike fear in the hearts of opponents, but now, they are laughable at best.

1. Notre Dame- they hold the top spot. Used to be the measurment of success. Now they are the punch line. Haven't won a bowl game in 15 years.

2. Nebraska-13 years ago, this team would run over you, slap you around for 4 quarters, and then send you home. Now, they are the punching bag.

3. Miami-the mystique and swagger is gone....and so is the fear. The question used to be "who will Miami play for the National Championship?" Now its, will Miami make a bowl.

4. Florida State-the short yellow bus stops in Tallahasee on a regular basis now. The once powerful arsenal is full of blanks and duds. Time to put the liver spot king in a home and make the state of Florida competitive again.

5.UCLA- haven't been good since Troy Aikman QB'd there. USC's annual whipping boy. At least they have basketball.

6. Gerogia Tech- the wrambling wreck is now just a wreck. They can't even win the weak ACC.

7. Syracuse- they haven't been good for a while, or they'd be hire on the list. Some great players used to grace the field for the Orangemen. Now they look like the modern version of the keystone cops. I don't see them ever recovering and becoming an elite team again.

8. Pitt- another team that has been down for a long time. But 30 years ago, they were an elite team. They have a better chance of regaining their old form, but they need to get a real coach first, instead of the 70's porn star they have now.

9. SMU- in the SWC, the Mustangs would rival Texas and Texas A&M. Since the death penalty, I don't think SMU realizes the sanctions are over and they are allowed to play football again. We haven't seen them do that in quite some time.

10- Harvard, Yale, Army, and Navy-through no fault of their own, they are victims of their own choices. They chose to stay educational institutions instead of becoming football farms. But those 4 30 or 40 years ago would have cleaned your clock.

Shoot,  I had pen in hand getting ready to write down your address so I could send you a check Greek.  I thought this was about you!  I'm surely not sending a check to one of those schools.

KNUT

I would include Michigan State and Baylor to a lesser degree on this list.

MSU actually won some National Championships in the 50's and 60's and Baylor was a very solid program for 50 years or so from 30's-80's.

You can add Washington to the list.  Two seperate football scandels tends to knock a program down.

Penn State is in the same boat as Florida State.  Always good enough to make a bowl, but that's about it.

Alabama has been down for years by their standards.

I'm not sure that Penn State is in the same boat as FSU. Going into Happy Valley is still a daunting task for anyone, going to Doak has become the equivalent to playing at Vanderbilt. True, both coaches should retire.

Washington- I'll agree that they've fallen on hard times- and not dissing them, but were they ever nationally dominant?

Michigan State- not so much- may put them in the same category as Pitt and Syracuse....well maybe not Pitt.

Minnesota-a Golden Gopher is nothing to ever be afraid of unless you're a greenskeeper.

Here's one that deserves mention as well- Houston Cougars. And I'm not talking Andre Ware and David Klingler either. They were pretty stoudt in the 60's, 70's and