I was thinking about “the elites” and “blue bloods”, and wondering how some of them came to be.
In football, it’s not hard to figure out programs such as USC, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas. Notre Dame reached national prominence through Knute Rockne and maintained its stature with coast-to-coast scheduling and a nationwide Catholic following.
But I wonder how a few others got started as members of that club so long ago. Specifically, I’m wondering about three schools: Alabama, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
All have had down periods, to be sure, but each was among the top programs before WW II. All three are in rural states without large populations to draw from. What happened in the 1930s and 40s that made them championship programs, laying the groundwork for the dynasties they enjoyed in 50s (OU), 60s (Bama), and 70s (NU)? And obviously all 3 had later successes, and OU and Bama are still dominant.
I would think it would be more than just a great coach; there had to have been something in those places that set them apart.
In football, it’s not hard to figure out programs such as USC, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas. Notre Dame reached national prominence through Knute Rockne and maintained its stature with coast-to-coast scheduling and a nationwide Catholic following.
But I wonder how a few others got started as members of that club so long ago. Specifically, I’m wondering about three schools: Alabama, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
All have had down periods, to be sure, but each was among the top programs before WW II. All three are in rural states without large populations to draw from. What happened in the 1930s and 40s that made them championship programs, laying the groundwork for the dynasties they enjoyed in 50s (OU), 60s (Bama), and 70s (NU)? And obviously all 3 had later successes, and OU and Bama are still dominant.
I would think it would be more than just a great coach; there had to have been something in those places that set them apart.
