I am pondering, without any conclusion, how much the recent woes of ND, Texas, and USC - and perhaps Michigan and Penn State and Nebraska - have diluted their helmetosity.
Would our view of FSU and Miami be/have been different in 2000?
USC is still a helmet kind of team even if they have been "quiet" until last season, out of sight out of mind.
Notre Dame was 4-8 last year. It's back to the debate about how much and how fast a team can move up or down.