Oh, and this: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/university-of-miami-hurricanes-college-football/
I know I shouldn't bother, it's full of statistics and objective facts...things you'd call gobbly gook.
It will surprise nobody on here, but I find this fascinating. I like Nate Silver's stuff, both political and not, because I like his style of analysis.
The link lists the top-30 "most talented" CFB teams ever based on NFL drafts. I'll start with my team:
Ohio State's "most talented" team was 2005 which clocks in at #18. That makes sense to me because I always thought that the 2005 version of tOSU was Tressel's best team. Interestingly, however, that team lost twice so they almost never get mentioned in terms of all-time great teams. My answer to that is to point out that while the 2005 Buckeyes lost two games, they were by three to a team that went 13-0 and won the NC and by a TD on the road to a team that went 11-1 so they are both "good" losses. It is also interesting that although 2005 tOSU was the 18th most talented team all-time they were only second that year behind #8 USC which also lost to the same 13-0 NC that the 2005 Buckeyes lost to. Oh, and the team that beat both the #8 and #18 most talented teams of all time, 2005 Texas is nowhere on the list.
It is interesting how many of these "most talented" teams of all time did NOT win the NC.
#1, 2001 Miami: won NC
#2, 1986 Miami: lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl/NC, finished #2
#3, 2000 Miami: lost early at Washington, missed NC, finished #2
#4, 2002 Miami: lost to tOSU in the Fiesta Bowl/BCSNCG, finished #2
#5, 2007 USC: lost TWICE: to a respectable Oregon team that finished 9-4 and once to a dreadful Stanford team that finished 4-8, finished #3
#6, 1967 USC: won NC
#7, 2010 Bama: lost THRICE: to a respectable USCe team that finished 9-5, to a very good LSU team that finished 11-2, and to NC Auburn, finished #10
#8, 2005 USC: lost RoseBowl/BCSNCG, finished #2
#9, 1979 USC: tied a .500 Stanford team and finished #2
#10, 1992 ND: tied a very good (9-0-3) Michigan team and lost to a good (10-3) Stanford team and finished #4
#11, 2003 Miami: lost TWICE: to a decent VaTech team and to a good TN team and missed the BCSNCG and finished #5
#12, 1996 FSU: lost to UF in a rematch in the SugarBowl/BCANCG after beating them in Tallahassee earlier, finished #3
#13, 2009 Bama: won NC
#14, 1987 Miami: won NC
#15, 1991 ND: lost THRICE: to very good Michigan, Tennessee, and Penn State teams, finished #13
#16, 1976 USC: lost early to a bad Mizzou team, finished #2
#17, 1990 ND: lost THRICE: to a bad Stanford team, to a good Penn State team, and to a very good Colorado team, finished #6
#18, 2005 Ohio State (note, that this is the first team listed that was NOT the "most talented" in that year): lost TWICE to very good Texas and Penn State teams, finished #4
#19, 2004 USC: won NC
#20, 1994 Ohio State: lost FOUR TIMES: to mediocre Washington and Illinois teams and very good PSU and Bama teams, finished #14
#21, 2003 Ohio State: lost TWICE: to a mediocre Wisconsin team and to a good Michigan team, finished #4
#22, 1997 FSU: lost to UF in the Swamp, finished #3
#23, 2006 USC: lost TWICE: to a good OrSU team and a mediocre UCLA team, finished #4
#24, 1999 Tennessee: lost THRICE: to good UF and Ark teams and a very good UNL team, finished #9
#25, 1966 ND: won NC (famous tie game with MSU)
#26, 1999 Miami: lost FOUR TIMES: to very good FSU and VaTech teams and good PSU and ECU teams, finished #15
#27, 1980 USC: lost TWICE and tied once: lost to good UW and UCLA teams, tied a mediocre Oregon team, finished #11
#28, 1981 PSU: lost TWICE: to very good Miami and Bama teams, finished #3
#29, 1993 Ohio State: lost once and tied once: lost to a decent Michigan team, tied a very good Wisconsin team, finished #11
#30, 1999 FSU: won NC
