Holding Court: Michigan Extends Wild, 23-Year Streak

Michigan Extends Wild, 23-Year Streak: Only Recruiting Juggernauts Win Titles

By David Glenn

 

When #1 Michigan defeated #2 Washington in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday, the 15-0 Wolverines captured their first national title since 1997.

They also extended to 23 years a stunning 21^st century streak whose history would have suggested the Wolverines’ dominating 34-13 win over the Huskies, just as it would have correctly predicted Georgia’s 65-7 slaughter of Texas Christian last year.

The last 23 national champions in college football (see chart below) all had at least one top-10 recruiting class on their roster when they won it all, and 22 of them had multiple top-10 classes on hand as they raised the trophy.Those are just a couple of cute little historical tidbits, and they certainly don’t guarantee any team future success, but they’re worthy of everyone’s consideration at least once a year as a foundational element for any program seeking the sport’s ultimate prize.

Basically, if you want to win the national championship, you’d better sign your share of the top-ranked high school prospects — and, nowadays, major college transfers — in America.

In other words, to this point, Cinderella need not apply.

College Football National Champions (2001-23)

Year Champion, Head Coach — Previous Four Class Rankings

• • 2023 Michigan, Jim Harbaugh — #10, #13, #9, #17 (2020-23)
  • 2022 Georgia, Kirby Smart — #2, #1, #4, #3 (2019-22)
  • 2021 Georgia, Kirby Smart — #1, #2, #1, #4 (2018-21)
  • 2020 Alabama, Nick Saban — #1, #5, #1, #2 (2017-20)
  • 2019 LSU, Ed Orgeron — #2, #7, #15, #5 (2016-19)
  • 2018 Clemson, Dabo Swinney — #9, #11, #16, #7 (2015-18)
  • 2017 Alabama, Nick Saban — #1, #1, #1, #1 (2014-17)
  • 2016 Clemson, Dabo Swinney — #15, #16, #9, #11 (2013-16)
  • 2015 Alabama, Nick Saban — #1, #1, #1, #1 (2012-15)
  • 2014 Ohio State, Urban Meyer — #6, #5, #2, #3 (2011-14)
  • 2013 Florida State, Jimbo Fisher — #8, #2, #4, #11 (2010-13)
  • 2012 Alabama, Nick Saban — #3, #4, #1, #1 (2009-12)
  • 2011 Alabama, Nick Saban — #3, #3, #4, #1 (2008-11)
  • 2010 Auburn, Gene Chizik — #9, #21, #23, #6 (2007-10)
  • 2009 Alabama, Nick Saban — #13, #12, #3, #3 (2006-09)
  • 2008 Florida, Urban Meyer — #12, #2, #1, #5 (2005-08)
  • 2007 LSU, Les Miles — #4, #14, #8, #5 (2004-07)
  • 2006 Florida, Urban Meyer — #1, #5, #12, #2 (2003-06)
  • 2005 Texas, Mack Brown — #1, #8, #9, #13 (2002-05)
  • 2004 Southern Cal*, Pete Carroll — #20, #8, #2, #2 (2001-04)
  • 2003 LSU, Nick Saban — #21, #2, #21, #3 (2000-03)
  • 2002 Ohio State, Jim Tressel — #1, #9, #6, #4 (1999-2002)
  • 2001 Miami, Larry Coker — NA, #1, #7, #8 (1998-2001)

 *-vacated (Southern Cal also claims a shared national title in 2003)
Source: 247Sports Composite Team Rankings

Obviously, players still need to be coached, retained and developed for recruiting success to translate into on-the-field success.At the same time, there’s no avoiding the top-10 recruiting theme behind every FBS national champion of the 21st century … so far.

If Washington had captured the title with a win over Michigan on Monday night, this amazing streak finally would have come to an end. The Huskies’ most recent recruiting classes were ranked #16 (2020), #30 (2021), #95 (2022) and #26 (2023).

Similarly, last year, if Texas Christian had defeated Georgia, the streak would have ended. The Horned Frogs’ four most recent recruiting classes leading into that matchup against the Bulldogs were ranked #30 (2019), #23 (2020), #54 (2021) and #45 (2022).

Only three Atlantic Coast Conference programs have had top-10 recruiting classes since 2020: Clemson (#3 in 2020, #5 in 2021, #10 in 2022), Florida State (#10 in 2024) and Miami (#7 in 2023, #4 in 2024).

Under Mack Brown, North Carolina became a recruiting juggernaut in the 1990s, and the Tar Heels have surged again during Brown’s second tenure in Chapel Hill, although they just missed a top-10 national recruiting ranking two years ago. UNC’s most recent recruiting rankings have been #14 (2020), #14 (2021), #11 (2022), #31 (2023) and #27 (2024).

The Class of 2024 recruiting rankings are not yet final because some high school seniors and many major college transfers have not yet made their decisions.

(featured image via Associated Press/Paul Sancya)

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David Glenn (DavidGlennShow.com, @DavidGlennShow) is an award-winning author, broadcaster, editor, entrepreneur, publisher, speaker, writer and university lecturer (now at UNC Wilmington) who has covered sports in North Carolina since 1987.

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