College Football is different from the NFL in a lot of ways. Marching bands, rabid college atmosphere, pre-game traditions unique to each program, one annual rivalry matchup that emphasizes bragging rights, and of course, high school recruiting. Another big aspect that college football is different from the NFL is that every NFL team gets the same economic backing and funding to compete for a Super Bowl title. Not all college football programs can receive the same funding to compete for a national championship, not to mention variations in terms of rigorous academic standards a university or institute holds. Some programs can be more successful for longer periods and can maintain their prowess in the sport.
Of course, every fan of a team regardless of current/past enrollment or simply a fanatical advocate, would love to see their team win at the highest level possible. This post will give you about six fanbases desperate to see their team elevate to a level they haven’t been in a long time.
Florida – This one personally hurts as a lifelong fan of the Orange & Blue, but since Tim Tebow graduated, the Gator Chomp has lost its “death roll” so to speak. Three coaching hires that started on a good note but ultimately collapsed and a current coach who can never consistently sustain momentum. Florida, like the other teams on this list still has yet to make a College Football Playoff and has an up-down trajectory of trading a few winning seasons for a few consecutive losing seasons.
Miami-FL – Canes fans use the phrase “It's all about the U” to proudly chant the elite days of yesteryear, however, the ACC has been “anything but the U” as the Hurricanes have yet to win the conference. When Miami joined the conference in 2004, the mouths of college football fans watered at the dream of Miami-Florida State in the ACC title game. Miami has made only one appearance and that was a blowout loss. Mario Cristobal (UM alum) is charged with rejuvenating the program and knocking their archrivals off their perch.
Nebraska – The Cornhuskers was an elite program from 1973-97 under Tom Osborne who some view as the greatest head coach in College Football history. The program continued to have moderate success under Frank Solich and Bo Pelini but since 2017, the red team in Lincoln has completely torpedoed and has fallen to a seven-year streak of failing to make bowl eligibility.
Texas A&M – This is probably the most frustrated fanbase on this list. Texas A&M is viewed as one of the best jobs in this sport due to its financial backing, fan support and being stationed in the center of the Lonestar State which is a recruiting jewel spot. Sadly, the excellent recruiting grounds has not resulted in competing for SEC titles and CFP appearances. For the Aggie faithful, the hiring of well-respected coach Mike Elko is expected to help A&M exceed at a level they have not since the early R.C. Slocum era
South Carolina – The Gamecocks have mostly been an underachieving program throughout the history of the sport. Outside of Steve Spurrier in the mid to late 2000s, the garnet and black in Columbia has not been a gold standard in the Palmetto State. Even their in-state rival Clemson has a bigger footprint on the national map.
Colorado – This program has not won a bowl game since 2004. The Buffaloes were a perennial powerhouse in the Big 8 during the 1990s. Their rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers was one of the best rivalries during that time. Over the last two decades, Colorado has hired seven different coaches, changed conferences twice (Big 12 to Pac 12 back to Big 12), and suffered 16 losing records. The hire of Deion Sanders seemed to have energized the fanbase and program, but excitement doesn’t equal wins. Colorado has a long way to go to build itself back to being a respectable program and a consistent team that the city of Boulder can proudly express its fanatic ties.
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