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The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: OrangeAfroMan on May 12, 2020, 09:06:04 PM

Title: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on May 12, 2020, 09:06:04 PM
Instead of the "Mt Rushmore" idea of including the top few figures from each program, who is the top-dog, #1 guy?  The tough ones have an all-time best player and a legendary HC.  I don't know as well as you all would, but here's some ideas:
Iowa - Kinnick or Fry?
Minny - ?
Wisconsin - Barry Alvarez or Dayne...Ameche?
Illinois - ?
N'Western - has to be Fitzgerald, right?  Player and HC, like Spurrier.
Purdue - Brees....Greise?  Tiller?
Indiana - Lee Corso!  j/k, I have no idea
Michigan - Yost?  Fitz?  Harmon?  Woodson?  Bo?  I'd go with Schembechler.
MSU - Duffy?  Bubba Smith?  
OSU - Archie...George....Pace....Woody?
Penn St - JoePa
Rutgers - Schiano?  
Maryland - E.J. Henderson?  Randy White?  Friedgen?  
Nebraska - Dr. Tom
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: utee94 on May 12, 2020, 09:22:15 PM
Not B1G, but at Texas it's Darrell K Royal

Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Big Beef Tacosupreme on May 12, 2020, 09:22:22 PM
Instead of the "Mt Rushmore" idea of including the top few figures from each program, who is the top-dog, #1 guy?  The tough ones have an all-time best player and a legendary HC.  I don't know as well as you all would, but here's some ideas:
Iowa - Kinnick or Fry?
Minny - ?
Wisconsin - Barry Alvarez or Dayne...Ameche?
Illinois - ?
N'Western - has to be Fitzgerald, right?  Player and HC, like Spurrier.
Purdue - Brees....Greise?  Tiller?
Indiana - Lee Corso!  j/k, I have no idea
Michigan - Yost?  Fitz?  Harmon?  Woodson?  Bo?  I'd go with Schembechler.
MSU - Duffy?  Bubba Smith? 
OSU - Archie...George....Pace....Woody?
Penn St - JoePa
Rutgers - Schiano? 
Maryland - E.J. Henderson?  Randy White?  Friedgen? 
Nebraska - Dr. Tom
Alternate Penn State guys would be:

Matt Millen
Todd Blackledge
Jack Ham
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: FearlessF on May 12, 2020, 09:28:10 PM
Nebraska - Bob Devaney

tough call
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 12, 2020, 11:40:23 PM
For WVU it’s Nehlen.  For Indiana I’d offer up Anthony Thompson or Randle-El.

Illinois has to Butkus or Red Grange.  Minnesota I have no idea. My off the top of my head player I remember is Laurence Maroney. Who was the other back on that team?  I’m sure they have a ton of College HOF but I don’t know them.  Maybe in a few years it will be PJ or Winfield Jr.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on May 13, 2020, 12:01:44 AM
The SEC has 2 layups:
Alabama - Bear Bryant
Arkansas - Frank Broyles

What do you guys think about Florida and Georgia?
Florida - Spurrier or Tebow?
Georgia - Dooley or Herschel?

To me, it's easily Spurrier and Herschel, but I'm curious if there's a consensus either way.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 13, 2020, 12:03:17 AM
If you are holding me to literally one guy for me it’s Spurrier and Herschel.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 13, 2020, 12:04:32 AM
And honestly it might be Spurrier at Duke too.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 13, 2020, 12:07:41 AM
Nah, that’s a slap to Cutcliffe I guess 
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: MichiFan87 on May 13, 2020, 12:30:14 AM
Duke was nationally relevant when Wallace Wade was their coach, which he left Alabama for despite being very successful there.... The coach after him William Murray had some success, and weirdly enough, his wikipedia photo makes him look very similar to Bill Murray the actor.

Yost definitely started Michigan's dominance. Crisler and Schembechler were quite successful, too, of course.... Player-wise, I still think Tom Harmon would probably be considered the most famous for his athletic accomplishments (Gerald Ford obviously became president).
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on May 13, 2020, 12:33:01 AM
Archie or Woody.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: MarqHusker on May 13, 2020, 12:43:21 AM
I'd go with Dr. Tom.    Native, and 30+yrs.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: CWSooner on May 13, 2020, 01:00:43 AM
For Oklahoma, that great Golden Gopher, Bud Wilkinson.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Mdot21 on May 13, 2020, 01:30:24 AM
for me I'll always lean more towards the player than coach.

Michigan - Anthony Carter or Charles Woodson imo.

Anthony Carter was the first superstar WR in college football that I can remember. His #'s in an era where teams rarely threw the ball were insane. He averaged 20 YPC and scored the ball on returns as well as at WR. He probably should've won the Heisman as a sophomore. He might've wound up in the NFL HOF had he not spurned the NFL for the USFL and wasted 3 years of his prime athletic career. The Dolphins drafted him just on a flier to get his rights. Had they not traded him to Minnesota before he ever played an NFL down he'd have spent the majority of his career with: Dan Marino.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 13, 2020, 07:35:39 AM
Barry Alvarez for UW as coach. If it's a player...

Crazy Legs (also served as AD) and Pat Richter (also served as AD) come to mind.

I'll go with Joe Panos.


"Well, why not Wisconsin?"

- Joe Panos, September 1993, when a reporter asked if Michigan or Ohio State would win the conference championship.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 13, 2020, 08:16:48 AM
I’m bored. My off the cuff, not looking anything up answers for each P5 program:

BC- Flutie (Maybe the biggest slam dunk in the country)
Syracuse- Jim Brown
Pitt- Marino
VT- Beamer
UVA- The Barber Bros. (Tough one)
Clemson- Dabo
FSU- Bowden
GT- John Heisman
Miami- Michael Irvin (Ten other answers also come to mind)
Duke- Wallace Wade is the right answer but I’ll say Cutcliffe
Wake- No idea. They had a QB named Riley something several years ago when they were good
Louisville- Unitas
UNC- LT
NC St- Phillip Rivers

Michigan- Bo
Ohio St- Woody
UW- Alvarez
MSU- Duffy
Illinois- Butkus
Penn St- Paterno
Nebraska- Osborne
Iowa- Fry
NW- Fitzgerald
Purdue- Brees
Rutgers- Schiano
Maryland- Randy White
Minnesota- Laurence Maroney
Indiana- Randle-El

WVU- Nehlen
Kansas- Gale Sayers
KSU- Snyder
Texas- Royal
Oklahoma- Switzer (Probably should  be Wilkinson)
ISU- Troy Davis
TCU- Doak Walker
Baylor- RG3 (My apologies to Singletary)
Texas Tech- Leach
Ok St- Sanders

Bama- Bear
Arkansas- Broyles
Auburn- Bo
Ole Miss- Archie
Miss St- Dak?
LSU- Orgeron (Too early? Yep. Can’t help it. This embodies everything that is LSU)
A&M- Manziel
UF- Spurrier
UT- Archie’s boy
SC- George Rogers
UK- Tim Couch
Vandy- Jay Cutler
Missouri- Gary Pinkel (no idea really)
UGA- Herschel

USC- John McKay
UCLA- Terry Donahue (Drawing a blank here. Has to be someone else. Aikman? Idk)
Arizona- Dick Tomey (No idea, Bruschi?)
ASU- Pat Tillman
Colorado- Bill McCartney
Utah- Alex Smith?
Cal- Marshawn Lynch?
Stanford- Elway
Wazzu- Ryan Leaf
Washington- Don James
Oregon- Chip Kelly (Phil Knight isn’t a bad answer here)
Oregon St- TJ Houshmanzadeh (this is terrible but he was the first dude I thought of)

ND- Knute Rockne
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 13, 2020, 11:20:58 AM
Purdue is Bob Griese for me.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on May 13, 2020, 12:08:08 PM
Purdue is Bob Griese for me.
I'm good with that. Brees is a close second.

Where I'd potentially give Brees an edge is that QB was a much more important position in the era (and the offense) in which he played. 

However, Griese was a two-time all-American, Purdue's team was overall better during that era, and Griese's team won the Rose Bowl. 
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Cincydawg on May 13, 2020, 12:10:19 PM
It's officially now called "Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium", in keeping with the tradition of multiplying names of things.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 13, 2020, 12:13:55 PM
I'm good with that. Brees is a close second.

Where I'd potentially give Brees an edge is that QB was a much more important position in the era (and the offense) in which he played.

However, Griese was a two-time all-American, Purdue's team was overall better during that era, and Griese's team won the Rose Bowl.
That tipped it in for me. Glad we are on the same page.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: SFBadger96 on May 13, 2020, 01:30:09 PM
While I like Panos, I think for Wisconsin it would have to be Alvarez (though it probably should be Donna Shalala, who really rebuilt Wisconsin athletics, through Richter and Alvarez).
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 13, 2020, 01:32:26 PM
While I like Panos, I think for Wisconsin it would have to be Alvarez (though it probably should be Donna Shalala, who really rebuilt Wisconsin athletics, through Richter and Alvarez).
I considered her too, but chancellors were not mentioned.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: SFBadger96 on May 13, 2020, 01:38:30 PM
The modern day Mt. Rushmore of Wisconsin athletics is probably Alvarez, Dayne, Joe Thomas, and Bo Ryan. Honorable mentions to Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor, and Frank Kaminsky.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: ELA on May 13, 2020, 01:39:58 PM
Probably Duffy, but it probably should be Biggie.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on May 13, 2020, 08:48:27 PM
For WVU it’s Nehlen. 
I know Nehlen is the "right" answer, but the first name I think of when I hear 'West Virginia football' is Major Harris.  Probably due to my age.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: 847badgerfan on May 14, 2020, 07:23:02 AM
The modern day Mt. Rushmore of Wisconsin athletics is probably Alvarez, Dayne, Joe Thomas, and Bo Ryan. Honorable mentions to Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor, and Frank Kaminsky.
King Barry, Pat Richter, Bo Ryan, Donna Shalala.


Shalala started it all, hiring Richter, who hired Barry and Bo (and before that, Stu and Bennett). UW caught lightening in a bottle when Donna took that job.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: fezzador on May 14, 2020, 08:56:31 AM
For Iowa, AD Bump Elliott has to get some credit.  He's the one who hired Fry.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 14, 2020, 09:40:01 AM
I know Nehlen is the "right" answer, but the first name I think of when I hear 'West Virginia football' is Major Harris.  Probably due to my age.
Yeah, there are other people who would think of him first too.  It would be interesting who would be the most unanimous pick for their school.

Joe Pa and Flutie have to be near the top for that .
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on May 14, 2020, 11:46:11 AM
I think Paterno and Bowden, just because they were the face of their programs for nearly 2 generations (but not for lack of other quality options).  
I'm afraid BC has an utter lack of options.  Younger fans could say Matt Ryan, I guess.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: FearlessF on May 14, 2020, 12:41:55 PM
For Iowa, AD Bump Elliott has to get some credit.  He's the one who hired Fry.
this is why I go with Bob Devaney
he hired Osborne and then stayed on as AD to support Tom through the first 10 years of his head coaching
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: SFBadger96 on May 14, 2020, 12:42:37 PM
Defining coaches versus defining players is an interesting concept.

At Wisconsin: 
Alvarez is obvious as the coach.

As a player, I think it has to be Dayne, even though I want it to be Panos or Thomas. Could have been Watt if he had graduated. Could have been Taylor or Gordon if the Heisman Trophy were still available to running backs of non-championship teams.
Title: Re: #1 Guy at each program
Post by: Kris60 on May 14, 2020, 12:45:02 PM
I think Paterno and Bowden, just because they were the face of their programs for nearly 2 generations (but not for lack of other quality options). 
I'm afraid BC has an utter lack of options.  Younger fans could say Matt Ryan, I guess.
I think Deion Sanders could steal a few votes from Bowden.