So all the talk about Michigan sucking this year made me realize how completely underachieving that program is. One of the greatest football brands of all time, and they have won a half of a national title since 1950. Michigan isn't alone though. I know A&M is also an underachiever, as are many SEC programs.

How would you rank the programs in the SEC, from underachiever to overachiever? My list (all time) would be:

1. Georgia - better setup than anyone in the country IMHO as the only THE program in a huge football talent state. Like LSU on roids. I feel like they are still stuck in the past with ancient ideas on college football and how a program is run, and within a decade they will modernize and run through coaching hires like butter to get one up to their standard.

2. USC - I guess I don't get the whole thing that maybe Clemson is the better brand. What I see is THE state school, in a good state for talent, that was terrible prior to the current coach. They should have at least one national title, Clemson or not.

3. A&M - With no national title since 39 in a talent rich state like Texas we have to make the top three. Only thing keeping us off the top is that we aren't the THE state school like Georgia is, but we still should be much better on average than the program we were in the 00s.

4. Kentucky - this program is pretty bad and it should be better. Their state is so-so in talent, but right next to them is talent rich Ohio and Virginia. I think UK is too quick to give up and focus on basketball when it should be a Arky-level program

5. Ole Miss - I know we always joke that if there was a single landmass program then that program would kick arse. Honestly I think that program should exist and it should have been Ole Miss. They were the ones with the historical pride of the state, they should have crushed MSU out of any picture Georgia Tech or Vanderbilt-style YEARS ago. Ole Miss does great for what it has now, but it makes this list because they should be more.

6. Florida - Without Spurrier they would have led this list. I feel like they still belong in the top half despite his and Urban's run because UF is cheap. They should never be hiring someone as a head coach without head coaching experience. The fact that they did shows they are not ready to stand toe-to-toe to a Texas, tOSU or USC on anything other than the Capital One Second Place Cup (because lets be honest that is the ceiling on that thing).

7. Mizzou - They had a good season last year, and they beat Aggie arse on the reg the last decade so I can't talk too much shite. Still, a program that is THE state program in such a populated state (and close to the football talent concentration of Illinois) should have at least one national title or two. So the are on the underachieving side of the fence, just barely.

8. LSU - I think LSU does as well as they should do given their resources in local talent. In 1999 they would be ahead of us on this list, but today here they sit in the middle.

9. Vanderbilt - If I was judging them just on the last coach I would put them lower, but they really cheaped out with the replacement who is having a program-destroying kind of season so I will stick them near the middle.

10. Arky - They do pretty well for themselves given the crappy local talent. I do think they should recruit Texas better in the modern era, especially when the SEC is now in Texas, but they do a little better than their region would normally allow them to do.

11. MSU - they haven't won a lot but they don't historically have a lot. Actually I think they do better than their setup- compare them to a Wake Forest or Iowa St.- so here they are at the bottom.

12. Tennessee - Honestly given their local talent their history shocks me. I know back in 1970s or whatever there were only like 10 programs on TV and Tenn was one of them giving them some sort of artificial recruiting caste system boost, but seriously it is kinda amazing the second best SEC program alltime isn't in Florida or Georgia. They suck now or they would be at the absolute bottom.

13. Alabama - Maybe the best program of all time, in what is not the best state for college football talent. That is enough to get near the bottom of this list. Bama's historical overachieving put the SEC on the map nationally and I respect that. Only reason they are 13 is because I feel they have been THE major powerhouse in their region for most of their existence, which in the caste system that is college football makes for easier pickings than if they would have tried to rise to where they are now in the 80's or something.

14.Auburn - Sure the state produces decent talent, but Auburn has figured out how to rise above that and be relevant on the national title scene. Oh, and they have the best program in history sharing their state and the STILL find a way to not only put out a competitive team but downright elite ones. Seriously, given how much oxygen the elephant takes up in what is a very small room, Auburn should be a Vandy - asphyxiated to near death. But they have not only risen above that level they have gotten to the top time and time again. Hence they are the most overachieving SEC program in my opinion.

Your list or thoughts?

This post was edited on 10/8/14 at 4:18 pm