Josh Pate Ranks Top 10 Current College Football Programs

[QuattroCane]

If Indiana can get to the CFP again, then I'm sold; until then. I think they've been both lucky and good, which is hard to beat. It took all they had and again a good bit of good fortune to beat a team that many said shouldn't have gotten in, Miami.
If they lost that game, I don't believe they're in the top 10. It's going to be interesting to see how next year plays out. They're kind of giving me North Dakota State vibe, in that they will attract a certain type of player that will make them a tough out.

 

[QuattroCane]

Revenue Report: Indiana reports $10.4M surplus for 2024-25 fiscal year

The Indiana athletic department reported a $10.4M surplus for the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to the department's annual financial report.

www.on3.com

Indiana was a financial powerhouse this whole time, they just were boy scouts and didn't realize they could use that money to be good.

Cuban changed that.

I'm not sure what one has to do with the other. They became a "financial powerhouse" when Cuban wanted to get on the bandwagon.

 

[EudocimusAlbus]

Not calling Lanning complete **** but.....HE"S COMPLETE ****!!!! ha How do you put Lanning up there as elite operation after they get steamrolled with all those resources??

 

[Hold My Beer]

Tout all these teams but didn’t really penalize anyone for underperforming (Texas).

"Sark's a great coach"

— Kirk Herbstreit, 2025

 

[bacane]

Bama stands out as the biggest miss. Definitely underplayed the transition from Saban. Went from the gold standard in college football to a very good SEC team.

 

[CaneThang2020]

I’m okay with the list as is for most part - with winning big games my chief concern. I think HOW you lose when you lose matters. I’m largely okay with our spot because of the 6 loss season in 2023 - however I think the list has major flaws an reeks of “blue blood” favoritism sans IU and here’s why:

How you include Texas and Alabama but leave out Ole Miss (34-7 over 3yrs) when the CURRENT Ole Miss coach beat Kirby Smart in the CFP 2nd Round is beyond me. Had the coach been smashed by UGA, I’m for leaving them out because they have a new regime - but this new regime showed that they can/will compete with the SECs top “dawg” and not rewarding that seems flagrant to me and causes me to question the Bama and Texas inclusion.

 

[PennsylvaniaCane]

i cant wait for the raiders to draft Mendoza and then realize they need to draft another QB next year too.

Guy is a system QB. Was mid at cal and excelled at IU in their system. Take away all the free throws in the first half and he didn’t do shït against us throwing (60 yards in the second half). Should have had a pick 6 by O’Connor and needed a couple circus back shoulder catches in the second half.

 

[AZHurricane]

Ducks were outscored 69-15 in the first half of their two most recent CFP losses.

Dan Lanning remains president of the Fake Tough Guys club until further notice

View attachment 356947

I dunno, Fran is right there with him….

 

[dccane06]

LOL indiana gets a 2 year recency bias but miami doesnt get it when we've lost what 5 games in two years with a title game appearance?

also bama ahead? LOL.

josh pate is a hack. im glad you guys are seeing the same bull**** drivel he posts now. dudes just another hick

Sucks because I used to listen to his show years ago. Another SEC shill, but hey, whatever gets that paycheck

 

[Hold My Beer]

I dunno, Fran is right there with him….

Corch Brown's not even in the club yet

 

[rvalenza]

The slurpfest for overrared Oregon, the perrenial bridesmaid continues

It's a joke. They are nothing but a mercenary team that has no heart. Yes, everyone gets paid, but the difference between Miami and Oregon is Miami has tradition and these guys actually have heart and pride to put on that uniform. Credit to Cristobal for rekindling that!

 

[CreamCityCane]

Everyone slurps Lanning but in his biggest games he’s been outclasses and dominated and all he can say is “Pound of flesh” lol. And I like Dan just don’t get the love affair and 0 criticism

Lanning is only 39 years old that's why. Its not surprising (to me at least) that he was outclassed by a guy who was starting his first year as a GA when Lanning was just being born (Cignetti).

I think he gets 'graded on a curve' because he has won a B1G championship and been in the playoffs twice at such a young age that people assume he will eventually grow/develop and take the next step.

 

[SinisterCane]

The constant glazing of Oregon is mind-boggling at this point

 

[No_Fly_Zone]

Is Ole Miss outside the top 10 because Lane left? 34-7 over the last 3 years. CFP semifinals last year after beating UGA. Biggest loss the last two seasons is by 8 points.

Meanwhile I see TAMU at 9, but they're 26-13 over that same 3 year span and didn't make it as far this past season as Ole Miss.

Sure, TAMU probably has more "resources" (however that's quantified... who knows), but they annually do less with more. They're Texas 8-4 for a reason (and, hilariously, if you annualize their wins and losses over those 3 seasons, you get 8.67-4.33).

 

[Hold My Beer]

Lanning is only 39 years old that's why. Its not surprising (to me at least) that he was outclassed by a guy who was starting his first year as a GA when Lanning was just being born (Cignetti). I think he gets 'graded on a curve' because he has won a B1G championship and been in the playoffs twice at such a young age that people assume he will eventually grow/develop and take the next step.

Dan Lanning "recruiting machine" is the equivalent of Steve Sarkisian "offensive genius" — so many people have said it, therefore it must be true.

But until either starts winning more big games then he loses and ends the season with a CFP championship, it's all just meaningless talk

 

[BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati]

Lanning and Sark are two of the biggest head scratchers. What has either done? I could actually say both of those guys have done less than most others with similar talent, yet they both look like glazed donuts each offseason in the media. Maybe they get glazed so hard because they suck so hard?

 

[SFbayCane]

Reasonably well written piece on Pate's part. For every counter-argument there's likely another counter-argument for and against every other team on the list.

It's good off-season content. Should result in 3-4 pages here. lol

 

[grover]

We're the top program now. The rest of college football just hasn't caught up to the reality yet.

 

[DTP]

I don’t have any huge issues with his list. I probably wouldn’t include Alabama or at least I would have put them at the bottom. Also, he’s using a two year sample for Indiana, which is understandable considering Cignetti has only been there for two years but I need to see more than two years before I call them a top 5 program in the country

 

[Morey161]

Texas Tech should be on this list with how much money they have right now. Miami should be no lower than 3. Pate sucking off the SEC is no shocker here.