After Florida’s Urban Meyer and USC’s Pete Carroll the next three guys have distinguished themselves as coaches 95% of the schools across this country would die to have.

You have some guys who’ve had many shots at the big one.  Bob Stoops has been to four championship games 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2008 and Jim Tressel has been to three 2002, 2005 and 2006. One guy in Mack Brown was tagged as a great recruiter but couldn’t win the big one till his breakthrough season in 2005, he has played second fiddle to Oklahoma.

Bottom line is all three have won the big one and they all did it on their first chance.

In one of the most thrilling games ever Ohio State beat Miami 31-24 in double overtime at the 2002/03 Fiesta Bowl.  Ohio State went a perfect 14-0 that season something the Buckeyes have only done two other times since 1950, Woody Hayes went 10-0 in 1954 and 1968 winning a National Championship each season.  Hayes went 10-0-1 in 1973 and 8-0-1 in 1961, a tie isn’t perfect in this man’s book but it is undefeated.

Texas win over USC in 2005 was another one for the ages.  Led by Vince Young the game went back and forth but in the end the Long Horns won by a nose, 41-38.

All three have been dominant in their Big conferences interesting to note that Stoops and Brown haven’t finished lower than a tie for second.  Also Tressell and Stoops won their only National Championship their second season at the helm.

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Below is the best finish in the AP or UPI.

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And finally a look at the reason for their success, recruiting. Will use Rivals, just feel they’re a more consistent source over this time period. NOTE - USC and Florida have recruited at a higher level than Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio State, even Georgia has recruited at a higher level. So you could say those schools - Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio State - may have been doing more with less, not sure what it says about Georgia.