1. Clemson
– This one is easy. They went from “Clemsoning” to winning a couple of national titles and becoming a yearly contender to win it all. They’ve been among the truly elite for a decade under Dabo Swinney, and despite some of their slow uptake on NIL opportunities and the transfer portal, they’re still not going anywhere soon.
2. Utah
— Urban Meyer had them really good back in 2004 and they were also really good in 2008 as well but those years were in the Mountain West. After an up-and-down start in the PAC 12, they have emerged as a consistent double-digit winner and PAC 12 favorite. Kyle Whittingham remains one of the most underrated coaches nationally year after year.
3. Oregon
— The Ducks were up and down at the start of the century but caught fire under Chip Kelly. They’ve had 10 seasons of 10 or more wins since 2007 and are perennial PAC 12 contenders.
4. Kentucky
— The Wildcats weren’t good 20 years ago. And they stunk up until Mark Stoops took over. They aren’t a power by any means, but two 10-win seasons in the last five years is a far cry from what they were.
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5. Baylor
— The Bears stunk 20 years ago and even though Art Briles did it the wrong way, Matt Rhule and now Dave Aranda have all made them consistent threats in the Big 12. There have been down years but from 1996 to 2009 their best win total in a season was 5.
