[quote]1. Bama. With or without Saban, the only school that comes close to them in tradition is Michigan, and they're in the Big Ten. 2. UF. This is assuming Muschamp is not there. Too much talent in that state for them to slip, especially since they now have a tradition to build on unlike pre-1990. 3. LSU. Great stadium, solid tradition, great recruiting base. 4. UGA. UGA is a semi-national brand, and GA is one of the top states for high-level talent, although they need to improve a bit on keeping some of the best players in state. [/quote

I agree with this list. I wouldn't put LSU at the top. I think the OP made a few decent points, but others have pointed out that they haven't always had consistent results.

However, those discounting LSU need to look past the 90's. they have the fourth most wins behind UA, UT, and UGA. With the way the recent climate of college football has shifted LSU is clearly above UT for longevity. UGA is a little less clear.

LSU has the facilities and donors to match the other top teams in the country. They have the gameday atmosphere, historic stadium, and unique culture to attract out of state prospects.

We'll see what happens with ATM. Moving to the SEC and the emergence of Johnny football put them back on the map, but it is too early to tell how successful they will be long term once the hype dies down.