There are never beens, has beens, never gonna be, wanna be, and each year one, champion.

There are no giants! Last year's champion will either remain a champion this year or become a has been when a new champion is crowned.

People waste too much time debating pedigrees and too little time celebrating the conquest.

A reigning champion is all that counts and even if the unexpected happens and an underdog wins, we will all call the mutt National Champion. And in fact, they will be, regardless of what anyone thinks of their pedigree.

Debating pedigrees is the pass time of never been, has been, never gonna be, and wanna be,, national champion fans. In other words, all of the current losers.

It truly is an annual coronation! The King is dead! Long live the King!

;

In the P5, I would say it’s Arizona State.

I think Utah has done more in ten years in the Pac-12 than Arizona State in 43 (they joined in 1978). Other than the Jake Plummer years, they have been mostly irrelevant and their glory days were in the old old WAC.

In the P5, to me it would be Arizona ( never been to a Rose Bowl , Oregon State (closer to Portland than Oregon,yet still struggles for fans), Washington State (hasn't really done much of anything since the Ryan Leaf years), South Carolina (never won the SEC East to my knowledge) to name a few.

Another two G5 sleeping giants, IMO: Georgia State and Liberty.

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(12-13-2021 06:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  There’s a few programs out there that I think could grow into something special if they could make the right hires and begin winning consistently, winning over their NFL-free markets in the process:

UCF
Memphis
San Diego St
UTSA

What says the rest of you? Anyone you think deserves to be in the Sleeping Giant category?

sleeping giants: USF, Temple, LTU, Buffalo (FB), CSU (FB), UTEP (MBB), and WKU (MBB)

.

half-asleep giants: SMU, Boise St., and Memphis, VCU/St.Louis (MBB)

.

awakening giants: UTEP (MBB), Louisiana (FB); the Big East Conference (MBB)

.

becoming giants: Loyola-Chicago (MBB)

(12-13-2021 10:11 PM)rtist Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 09:25 PM)whittx Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 09:21 PM)rtist Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 06:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  There’s a few programs out there that I think could grow into something special if they could make the right hires and begin winning consistently, winning over their NFL-free markets in the process:

UCF
Memphis
San Diego St
UTSA

What says the rest of you? Anyone you think deserves to be in the Sleeping Giant category?

New Mexico State.

FAU. Never underestimate the ability to keep folks from Palm Beach and Broward Counties at home.

FIU is a bigger school than FAU; does that make them a sleeping giant?

Not as long as they are using recycled pads and uniforms from other schools if there is any merit to the outgoing HC coach's statements.

(12-13-2021 06:29 PM)cubucks Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 06:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  There’s a few programs out there that I think could grow into something special if they could make the right hires and begin winning consistently, winning over their NFL-free markets in the process:

UCF
Memphis
San Diego St
UTSA

What says the rest of you? Anyone you think deserves to be in the Sleeping Giant category?

Houston

Confirmed no NFL presence

Better title (?):

Next school(s) with multiple NY6 bids.

(12-14-2021 03:21 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  In the P5, to me it would be Arizona ( never been to a Rose Bowl , Oregon State (closer to Portland than Oregon,yet still struggles for fans), Washington State (hasn't really done much of anything since the Ryan Leaf years), South Carolina (never won the SEC East to my knowledge) to name a few.

Another two G5 sleeping giants, IMO: Georgia State and Liberty.

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Spurrier won the East in 2010 only to lose the title game 56-17 against Auburn. They won the East at 5-3. That season they beat Alabama and that was Saban's last lost to the East. Spurrier lost in the regular season to Auburn, Arkansas and Kentucky.

ECU, UNLV and Colorado State. Arizona State in the PAC. NC State in the ACC. Nebraska in the B1G.

(12-14-2021 07:42 AM)splitstud Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 06:29 PM)cubucks Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 06:24 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  There’s a few programs out there that I think could grow into something special if they could make the right hires and begin winning consistently, winning over their NFL-free markets in the process:

UCF
Memphis
San Diego St
UTSA

What says the rest of you? Anyone you think deserves to be in the Sleeping Giant category?

Houston

Confirmed no NFL presence

My reading skills are obviously failing me.

I agree with Frank here. To be a sleeping giant one had to be a giant in the first place. The first I think of is Nebraska.

(12-13-2021 09:34 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  I agree with Frank. When I think of sleeping giants the schools that come to mind are Miami, Texas and USC and to a lesser extent Nebraska, Tennessee, Penn State and Pitt. Each of these schools had runs as a national power. I would've listed Michigan, but I tend to think their ship is actually on the right path and is awakening. Florida and FSU are also hibernating.

Thanks for including TN. But a lot has changed since the 90s. tN isn't a recruiting hotbed and there are many more schools recruiting the same region as TN. I think they can improve their standing in the public eye if Heupel stays 5-6 years and gets us to that 9-3 zone and occasionally gets an east championship, but I think that might be our ceiling versus consistent playoff appearances.

There are several schools being mentioned here that are never going to be giants for a variety of reasons.

(12-13-2021 09:09 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I would dare say UCF and Houston aren’t sleeping giants at all in the sense that they actually have maximized their success quite a bit over the past several years. I always think of sleeping giants as programs that are way more down in the dumps compared to them.

P5 flagship/flagship-equivalent schools in large markets/states with tons of recruits that have severely underachieved are always what I think of as sleeping giants: UCLA, Rutgers, my Illinois Fighting Illini, Maryland, Cal, Colorado, etc. They’re the schools where they could easily be contenders if they could just keep a greater share of their hometown/state recruits at home.

I agree. UCF has pulled out the Giant to the degree possible where it was. Same with UH. I expect if they do good coaching wise, the Giant will get bigger and louder with them.

(12-14-2021 08:52 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  There are several schools being mentioned here that are never going to be giants for a variety of reasons.

Who. UNLV will always be bad but the potential is there now.

South Alabama, UTSA, SDSU, Tulane, Colorado State, FAU, & SMU

(12-14-2021 09:15 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  

(12-14-2021 08:52 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  There are several schools being mentioned here that are never going to be giants for a variety of reasons.

Who. UNLV will always be bad but the potential is there now.

I am not going to besmirch schools by name but when you are in a state where you have several P5 schools ahead of you (and some G5), have little home-grown talent for recruiting, and/or have never been any good I’d say it is ridiculous to include them on a sleeping giant list. Could those schools have a few good seasons if they hire the right coach— sure, but sleeping giant?? C’mon.

(12-14-2021 08:32 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(12-13-2021 09:34 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  I agree with Frank. When I think of sleeping giants the schools that come to mind are Miami, Texas and USC and to a lesser extent Nebraska, Tennessee, Penn State and Pitt. Each of these schools had runs as a national power. I would've listed Michigan, but I tend to think their ship is actually on the right path and is awakening. Florida and FSU are also hibernating.

Thanks for including TN. But a lot has changed since the 90s. tN isn't a recruiting hotbed and there are many more schools recruiting the same region as TN. I think they can improve their standing in the public eye if Heupel stays 5-6 years and gets us to that 9-3 zone and occasionally gets an east championship, but I think that might be our ceiling versus consistent playoff appearances.

One of my best friends is a Tennessee fan and he agrees with you fully.

(12-14-2021 01:35 AM)JohnGoodmanMSU Wrote:  

(12-14-2021 12:40 AM)goofus Wrote:  Missouri State seems to be a sleeping giant in the sense that its sitting in FCS while neighboring states like Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma have their 2nd state schools sitting in the Big 12.

I guess you could say the same about Colorado State. If they could get their sh!t together, they would already be in the Big 12.

Looking at smaller states, Boise St, New Mexico, Arkansas State all have potential for growth. Maybe become Big 12 worthy some day.

SUNY Buffalo could become a big atraction if the Bills ever leave for a new NFL home in another city.

I used to think that maybe NIU had that potential, being close to Chicago, but the local support just is not there. Now it seems that Illinois state or even UIC have better long term potential for growth while NIU is shrinking. If the Bears leave for an indoor stadium in Arlington Heights, maybe UIC can start a football team that plays at soldier field. OR Maybe NIU can start playing some MACtion weeknight games at Arlington Heights stadium.

I am biased but I agree with Missouri State being included. We need to make it back to the tournament in basketball, but with Petrino on the sidelines in football we will be a perennial contender. There is some rumor in JUCO coaching circles that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats could pursue Petrino if their current head coach heads to the Washington Huskies as rumored but I think he could just be leveraging that to get more money from Missouri State.

NIU has a really underrated campus there in the extreme western Chicago suburbs. It's in a geographically desirable location, much more fun city than Champaign or Normal. Their football stadium isn't special but they just won the MAC so maybe they can capitalize on that with Illinois and Northwestern being down.

For years I considered NIU a sleeping giant. All the way until their Orange Bowl loss to FSU. The community barely noticed. Attendance was still abysmal. Chicago area (I realize it’s not in Chicago) has 0 interest in NIU apparently. Iowa use to give NIU’s 2 for 1’s with the 1 being in Chicago. No NIU fans; Iowa home game. Maybe Frank could explain it to me. I’m from Quad Cities originally and when DePaul and Iowa would play neutral site games in Illinois, Iowa owned the arena. It’s like that with NIU. I don’t know who and where their core fans are.

The biggest sleeping giants are in areas with no NFL team. NFL destroys CFB. Also, Flagship schools and 2nd State schools are important:
San Diego St
Colorado St
Boise St
Nevada
New Mexico
UTSA
Memphis
Arkansas St
UAB
USF
Liberty
ECU
App St
James Madison

UCONN should be on this list but they have such a giant hole to climb out of.