The most active team was Chicago as they made two trades. The Bears are extremely desperate for young, controllable talent on both sides of the ball. They were able to get the quarterback of the future and did so without mortgaging the future. The Cowboys pick up a talented running back to replace DeMarco Murray. The biggest winner from this draft for me is the New Orleans Saints who used all three picks to select starting caliber players at really good values.

There were several teams I wanted to trade up or down for, but was unable to due to a lack of trade partners or assets. These teams just selected the best player available if the draft spot wasn’t worth the player that was right for the team.

My next NFL piece will be a review of the draft. Until then enjoy both my final mock and the real draft.

Round 1

The post NFL Draft: Predicting the First Two Rounds appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This draft is deep in pass rushers and receivers and has more top-end running back talent than previous drafts have had. More people see the offensive line talent improving, but there is no elite tackle in the draft. The secondary and quarterbacks are underwhelming this year, and it seems that many teams are desperate for help at these positions. The selections below are where I believe the teams should go with each pick and notice there are some teams I believe should trade down if they can. If there need is deep, they should consider trading down to try and get more picks. Championship teams are built through the draft and getting the first round pick is the most important difference between the Patriots and Packers success and the Raiders and Jaguars struggles. I will put the second half of the draft soon and will also have a first two round mock draft before the Draft in late April. For now, I have the teams pick, as well a couple other options I would consider at their draft selection.

1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston-QB Florida State

Winston Is the best quarterback to enter the draft since Andrew Luck. He has all the physical tools and has a presence in the locker room that teams like to have in a quarterback. His actual quarterback traits are what teams look for in the number one overall pick, his accuracy and vision are exceptional, and he seems able to make all the correct throws. Already having experience in a more pro-style offense should prove to be a plus in convincing people he deserves the nod over Marcus Mariota, although I’ve never been a huge believer in a pro-style offense making a difference. The only concern is the off-the-field issues that he seems unable to avoid and constantly in the media for. Outside the sexual assault allegations, none of these issues are too large and may have been overblown due to the fact he was a Heisman trophy winner and his team was the defending national champions. If the Buccaneers believe that surrounding Winston with a more stable environment and with teammates that can shield him from the media will negate these incidents, then there is no reason he should not be the first pick. Overall, Winston is the most talented player in this year’s draft and in the position that is most needed in the NFL, he will be the top pick in this year’ draft and I do project him to be a future star in the league. I really do not see his off the field issues being a huge concern and I believe Tampa may be the best situation for him to thrive.

Other Options: Trade the pick for the largest amount of picks possible.

2) Tennessee Titans

Leonard Williams- DE/OLB USC

The Titans were originally thought to be the landing spot of Mariota, but Mariota seems to be slipping down draft boards and after free agency, there seems to be less QB-needy teams who will be willing to spend a first round on a QB who will most likely not play this year. On top of that, it sounds like the Titans like what they saw from Zach Mettenberg and are content to head into next year with him as the guy. This leaves two options, draft the best available player or trade down, and I really doubt a team will be willing to trade up at this point to get Mariota. The next best available player is either Williams or Kevin White and this is a really tough decision, but since WR is so deep and the Titans see Andrew Luck twice a year, Williams is the choice. He has elite speed and power and the versatility to play multiple positions. He’s relentless chasing the ball carrier or the passer and continues to show an ability to be around the ball.

Other Options: Trade Down, Kevin White

3) Jacksonville Jaguars

Dante Fowler Jr. – DE/OLB Florida

A team that has been so bad for so many years, will finally start to see some brighter days with good free agent signings and deep draft classes starting to show signs of an improving team. Even though I do not love Blake Bortles and his talent, I do believe he will be a solid starting QB in the league as long as he protects the ball like Russell Wilson and not try to force things like Jay Cutler. Since the Jaguars are not looking for that franchise quarterback anymore, they can focus on building around their current core of players and improving the defense. I am pretty certain that if Fowler is available at this point he will be the pick. He has risen up draft boards and has a connection to the coaching staff of the Jaguars. Fowler played for a terrible Florida team that struggled in every aspect of the game and really did not get enough credit for what he did. Still raw, he is extremely athletic and has great speed and pass rush moves, it is still not certain if he can play well in coverage, but has the physical tools necessary to. The only other option would be offensive lineman based off a need perspective, but there is really no talent that can be justified for be taken in the top three.

Other Options: Maybe Kevin White…Maybe

4) Oakland Raiders

Kevin White- WR West Virginia

The Raiders are known for taking the more risky player or the faster player. Even with their struggles over recent years and new personnel in the front office, I find it hard to believe that this philosophy would change until I see it. Still this is a risk I would take, White is a ball hawk and will always go and meet the ball at the highest point. He has the athletic ability to make a catch and great speed to top it all off. If there is any reason to pass on him, it would be his route running ability and the fact that he is still raw in other areas of the game that Amari Cooper has perfected. Even with that said, White can make all the catches and will be a perfect security blanket for a young quarterback to help stabilize an offense that has been pretty lifeless. Now if only they could get an offensive line…

Other Options: Amari Cooper, Trae Waynes

5) Washington Redskins

Randy Gregory- DE/OLB Nebraska

This division could be won by anyone for any number of reasons, and the team that finished last could easily finish first. Well, actually, nothing comes easy in the NFL, but this team has talent and really just needs stability. They need to commit to one quarterback and focus on building around him and protecting him so he has time to throw the ball. The defense could also use some serious help and with so many talented offenses in the same division, getting to the ball carrier/passer may be the most important thing to do. Gregory again offers versatility in terms of his position, but he really can only come off the edge. He is so talented and can get to the passer so fast that he makes up for his lack of run support sometimes. This would not be the flashy pick that the fans would hope for, but honestly there is not a lot that can be done to this roster other than hope it gets better offensively and pray they can protect their quarterback, whoever that may be.

Other Options: Brandon Schreff, Trae Waynes

6) New York Jets

Andrew Peat- OT Stanford

Every sports league is a copy-cat league and after the turnaround the Dallas Cowboys had, there will be several teams looking to follow the blueprint and I believe the Jets will do just that. This is where the Mariota bidding may start, but if there is no trade here, I believe he will start to slide. This pick should show the commitment of the new regime to build the from the inside out and really look for sustain success instead of approval from fans. I still believe Geno Smith can be a decent quarterback and could probably could use some more time in the pocket to cut back on the mistakes and to gain some confidence. The Brandon Marshall addition looked to try and help Geno than to say “we are going to clear house,” and I expect an emphasis of helping Geno instead of trying to depend on him.

Other Options: Trae Waynes, Amari Cooper, Marcus Mariota, Trade Down

7) Chicago Bears

Vic Beasley- DE/OLB Clemson

Phil Emery managed to make one of the best defenses into the worst defenses in only a couple of years. This historically bad defense needs all the help it can get and taking the best player available is the best option. With a switch in schemes, the Bears now need more 3-4 OLB’s and Vic Beasley fits the mold and adds exactly what the Bears need, a pass rush. Now he cannot fix the defense, but the Bears need to start somewhere.

Other Options: Trae Waynes, Trade Down, Marcus Mariota

8) Atlanta Falcons

Shane Ray- DE Missouri

Atlanta has struggled with injuries recently, but has plenty of talent on the offensive side of the ball to compete. Now comes the much needed help on defense. Ray is a monster coming off the edge and will give the secondary help by knocking a quarterback out of rhythm.

Other Options: Brandon Schreff

9) New York Giants

Brandon Scherff- G/T Iowa

Scherff is an excellent run-blocker, but there are concerns about his ability to pass-block effectively, which is why a move to guard may help him, or at least to the right tackle. Very strong and disciplined, Scherff will be playing in the league for a long time and will give Eli Manning some much needed protection.

Other Options: Ereck Flowers, La’el Collins

10) St. Louis Rams

Amari Cooper- WR Alabama

Cooper may be the most NFL ready prospect in the draft and will make an immediate impact wherever he goes. The Rams addressed their quarterback problem with the Nick Foles trade, but they need some help on the outside. Cooper is an excellent route-runner who catches the ball extremely well. Even without outstanding athletic abilities, Cooper will be an excellent receiver.

Other Options: Devante Parker

11) Minnesota Vikings

Devante Parker- WR Louisville

Vikings fans would love this pick, reuniting with Teddy Bridgewater, but also an athletic receiver who goes up to get the ball. He will be the perfect addition to go with the speedy Cordarelle Patterson and help Bridgewater grow and to get out of a couple tough situations by winnings several jump balls.

Other Options: None

12) Cleveland Browns

Trae Waynes- CB Michigan St.

The signing of Josh McCown sent the signal that the Browns are not looking for a quarterback and may still have faith in Johnny Manziel to be successful. I think they will use both picks to try and improve their defense and Waynes will make big plays and set up the offense with some good starting position.

Other Options: Danny Shelton

13) New Orleans Saints

Marcus Mariota-QB Oregon

Sean Payton needs to start thinking about the future and I believe they started the process when they traded away Jimmy Graham. They really have no way to improve their team outside the draft with the cap problems they have. This pick also allows the Mariota to learn behind one of the all-time great and grow before starting, which I think he needs.

Other Options: Arik Armstead, Danny Shelton

14) Miami Dolphins

Arik Armstead- OT Oregon

Keeping Ryan Tannehill comfortable in the pocket is the most important thing the Dolphins can do to improve as a team. Wide receiver is another pick here, but the fact is the talent in the second round is as good as it would be here. Look for them to try and address another position in the first round.

Other Options: Jaelen Strong

15) San Francisco 49ers

Danny Shelton-DT Washington

This defense has been hurt with injuries the past few seasons and now they have a problem with early retirements. Danny Shelton will help to start rebuild a great defense that really could use some good news after all the departures this past offseason.

Other Options: La’el Collins. Eli Harold, Ereck Flowers

16) Houston Texans

La’el Collins- OT LSU

The Texans are not going to be able to address their quarterback problem in the draft and free agency is underwhelming, so the next best thing is to improve the group that protects the quarterback and running back. Houston could use a little help at wide receiver after Andre Johnson was cut, but they have several options to do that in the draft and free agency.

Other Options: Jaelen Strong, Maxx Williams

The post NFL Mock Draft: Part 1 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Dynasty” is term loosely tossed around to describe successful teams after championship runs. In most modern sports, the talent pool has proven too deep to have a classic, 20^th-century, dynasty such as the 50s Yankees, 60s Celtics or 90s Cowboys. Those squads dominated and left little question as to which team was the best in their respective eras. While that same scenario may not exist in all major United States sports, we can garner at least a debate.

In this piece we will dive into the top dynasties since the first season post-2000 started of each major sport between the college and professional levels and decide which recent squad has had dominated its respective sport the most. There are rules that will be followed.

1. There will be a qualified team picked out of each individual sport before jumping to a final debate on who is the king of kings.
2. One team must be chosen out of each major sport – college football, men’s/women’s basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball, MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.
3. Seasons that are currently in progress (2014-15 college hoops, NBA, NHL) are not included. For example, Kentucky’s current undefeated record in college hoops cannot be applied to their opportunity to be considered college basketball’s top dynasty on the men’s side.
4. Dynasty is a term used far too often. Are the Seahawks a dynasty because of how great their defense is in the past two years? No, because Seattle struggled through a lot of down seasons beforehand. In this piece, a dynasty will be defined as “Dominating a respective sport, while simultaneously competing for championships to the tune of being the greatest team in the discussed era.”
5. A team must consistently be in championship contention, but in order to be a dynasty in this span – a team must have won at least a single title.
6. I cannot compare teams between sports, as that will happen in the follow up article, where I will rank the selections from each league.

Let the games begin.

NBA

The NBA has always had a lack of parity.  We may no longer be limited to just the Lakers and Celtics, but the situation is still heavily lopsided.

Starting in the 2000-01 season, just three out of 14 Western Conference champions haven’t been named either the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs. The Dallas Mavericks made two Finals appearances, and the Oklahoma City Thunder briefly showed up before being ousted in five by the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.

The Eastern Conference has been more diverse, but less successful. Seven teams (Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami, Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando) have won the conference, but just three (Detroit, Miami, Boston) have managed to end the postseason with a victory.

The Heat have an impressive five title appearances and three championships to make a case for a potential top-NBA dynasty in the last 14 seasons. However, they fall well short of the Western Conference rivals from California and Texas.

The Spurs have a cumulative regular season record of 804-328 (.710), a postseason tally of 129-80 (.617), and four championships in five appearances since 2000. Their worst record in that span is 50-32 in 2009, and yet they still made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. Gregg Popovich has led this team to being easily the most consistent of all NBA squads in this era.

Los Angeles, albeit currently in its lowest moment in franchise history, also has an argument to be the representative for professional hoops. While their 690-442 (.610) overall regular season mark is well below San Antonio’s, their post season record of 108-66 trumps the Spurs. In six Finals appearances, the Lakers have taken home four titles – equal to the Spurs. If the 1999-2000 season and the first third of the Shaq-Kobe three-peat were included, my final decision may not have been…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, led by a long-time coach and familiar players, have (somehow quietly) been one of the most consistent teams in all of American athletics. Their YMCA-style of play may not captivate casual audiences with oohs and awes, but their record says all that is needed. The Lakers have missed the playoffs as many times (two) as the Spurs have missed the second round. The ability to avoid down years is what makes the difference. San Antonio and Los Angeles have the same highs, but the Spurs have yet to hit a low this century.

Honorable mention: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat

NFL

Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants have all won multiple titles since Super Bowl XXXV, thus obviously deserving of recognition in this analysis. Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Green Bay and Seattle will also be included as to compare all Super Bowl victors.

Looking based simply off of this, the answer is penciled in. Let’s engrave it in stone with this next chart. I gave every team a point total for each category – the top team receiving nine points and the bottom receiving one – (regular season win percentage, total postseason wins, postseason win percentage, division titles and Super Bowls). The point total depended on where a team finished in each respective section.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: New England Patriots. New England swept the board in each measurable category. It’s hard to tell if they’re farther ahead of the pack than Tampa Bay is behind. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have created a dynasty and are two absurd catches from having six Super Bowls in this span, including the Brady-Randy Moss 2007 combination that was the best team in NFL history to not win it all.

NHL

The NHL has experienced more parity than its professional counterparts this century. Ten teams have won a Stanley Cup in the last 13 occurrences (plus the 2005 lockout season). The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche have all taken home one championship, while the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings all have a pair of titles. To avoid confusion in the following chart, the NHL did away with ties during this span and therefore the records will be Win-Loss-Overtime Losses-Ties.

  We have seven categories (Stanley Cups, playoff appearances, playoff series victories, postseason wins, postseason win percentage and regular season win percentage and points). The best team in each category will receive 10 points and the worst will pick up just one. In order to put a stronger emphasis on advancing in the postseason, playoff series victories will count as a point for each accumulated. This should counteract disciplining teams for advancing on to tougher rounds just to be swept.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Detroit Red Wings. Outside of postseason win percentage, Detroit swept the board since 2000. Its 17 postseason series victories is even more impressive when factoring in the lockout season and the fact that no other franchise has more than a dozen. Despite parity among Stanley Cup victors, Detroit has easily been the most consistently dominant in all of professional hockey. Not much of an argument can be made for any other squad from this chart, and therefore none are honorable mention worthy.

Men’s college basketball:

After a relatively easy start, we reach what might be the most complicated of all sports we list. College basketball is about as random as they come (see odds of making a perfect bracket). Of course, Kentucky seems like an obvious choice after winning a national title in 2013-14 and going undefeated so far in 2014-15 (void). Don’t let fresh tastes discount distant memories.

Recent impressions can’t influence this decision, but the Wildcats have enough beyond that to make a pretty decisive statement. A 369-124 overall record is tough to argue with. What’s even harder? Twelve NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and a 1-1 record in the championship. Take away the two seasons Billy Gillispie coached Kentucky to a 40-27 overall record with zero NCAA Tournament victories and an NIT berth, and the Wildcats may blow the competition out of the water.

One team has been so remarkably consistent in its conference that it’s impossible to leave off this list: The Kansas Jayhawks.

After transitioning from a Hall of Fame coach, Kansas found a fate much simpler than Kentucky. Bill Self took over Roy Williams’ squad and didn’t miss a beat.

Williams’ last three seasons resulted in a 42-6 conference record that was overshadowed by a Sweet Sixteen, Final Four and a championship appearance. Since? Self has given the Jayhawks a 325-69 mark with a 151-31 stretch in the Big 12.

Self’s initial tournament resume left much to be desired with two first round exits sandwiched between a pair of Elite Eight showings. That turned around quickly with Kansas’ lone national title during this span in 2008.

Kansas boasts similar marks to Kentucky, with one extra championship loss thrown in, and its down years were first round exits over being completely left out.

So how about ex-Jayhawk coach Williams’ new squad – North Carolina? The Tar Heels have two national titles and another Final Four on their record and they may not even be the best dynasty in their own state.

Recent 1,000 game winner Mike Kryzewski’s Duke Blue Devils are.

Duke has a pair of national titles, has appeared in the tournament in each covered year, and has lost in their opening matchup just three times. Their conference dominance may not be as high as a team such as Kansas, but the competition is relatively stellar each season.

The Blue Devils hold an absurd 412-87 (.826) record in this span. So it has to be them, right?111

Let’s head over to Big Ten country where Tom Izzo is standing by for a quick lecture on postseason play. Michigan State, although missing its 1999-2000 national championship by just one season, has made nine Sweet Sixteens, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and has won one title. They haven’t missed the tournament a single time, and have been eliminated before the Round of 32 just four times.

What about UConn’s three title runs? Florida’s star-studded squads? Kentucky’s heated-rival Louisville? We need a way to rank these teams accordingly as to put all bias aside and assign an overall score. Postseason play in college basketball has always taken precedence over any other measurement of success. Here is the scoring chart to decide the top NCAA Tournament team since 2001’s tournament when solely considering those whom have a title to their name in this span:

Round of 64 loss: 0 points
Round of 32 loss: 1 point
Sweet 16 loss: 2 points
Elite Eight loss: 4 points
Final Four Loss: 8 points
Championship loss: 12 points
Championship: 16 points

NCAA Tournament champions results since 2000-01 March Madness: Kansas 68, UConn 67, Duke 59, North Carolina 56, Florida 55, Kentucky 55, Michigan State 51, Louisville 44, Syracuse 37, Maryland 30.

Shockingly, outside of its three titles runs, UConn only scored 19 points on this scale. The Huskies fell just a point shy of claiming this all important statistic in pushing forward to choosing men’s college hoops’ most dominant dynasty of the 21^st century. Despite just one title, consistency overcame roller coaster levels of postseason success and your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Kansas Jayhawks. Not only has Kansas (almost surprisingly) performed as the top overall team in March Madness, but it also has the most eye-popping accomplishment. I’m going to type this out to make it even more drastic: Kansas has won at least a share of (ahem) back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back regular season Big 12 championships. That’s 10. Read that out loud and you’re likely to need to catch your breath. This isn’t Kansas playing in the Summit League or intramural athletics – this is a major conference with a tough road to the top every season. Ten?! In a row? And just for the record, it’s also 12 of 13, but who’s counting? The Huskies have a legitimate argument when it comes to this discussion due to three incredible runs to the championship, but Kansas has been a more consistently feared team. Welcome to a new postseason tournament, Jayhawks. Let’s see who else is joining you.

Honorable mention: Duke, UConn

Women’s College Basketball

I went from one of the more difficult sports to choose to what might be the easiest. UConn women’s hoops is out of this world. Seven championships since the turn of the century. Average margin of victory in those title-winning contests? 15.4 points. That’s 15 points better than the second best team in the country. Talk about a talent gap. I can’t put into words how unbelievably incredible the Huskies’ overall record has been, so I’ll leave two simple numbers on its own.

486-38.

That’s a .927 winning percentage.

I could play myself in checkers and not win 93 percent of the time.

Connecticut has missed out on the Sweet Sixteen in this span only…well, they haven’t. And just once were they limited to that. On top of the Sweet Sixteen and seven titles, the Huskies have made two Elite Eight appearances along with four Final Fours. Therefore, your clear cut winner without any hesitation is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Connecticut Huskies.

College Wrestling

If the 70s, 80s and 90s were included, this wouldn’t even be a competition. The Iowa Hawkeyes took home 20 titles from 1975-2000. Despite those all being out of the picture, Iowa is still in contention for the 21^st century title post-Dan Gable. The Hawkeyes have three titles to their name, which comes shy of Penn State and Oklahoma State, who put together four each. With the overall team title competition so close, our answer comes from individual championships. The Nittany Lions have nine, Hawkeyes 13 and Cowboys 18.

Oklahoma State’s 2005 season was the best of the era, fielding five individual champions in 10 weight classes, and scoring 153 points – best since the 1997 Hawkeyes scored 170. Therefore the winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys are tied for the lead in titles, have the best overall team of the era and can claim having the most individual titles. They may be fortunate to wrestle outside the Big Ten, but national titles don’t lie.

Honorable Mention: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions

MLB

Four teams have won multiple titles since 2000 – the Red Sox (three), Giants (three), Yankees (two) and Cardinals (two) – to give a clear starting point when trying to declare the top 21^st century dynasty of professional baseball.

It’s clearly visible that this is a dead heat. You know the drill. In order to decide, I assigned a point total to each stat category. The top finisher in each category – World Series victories, division titles, regular season winning percentage, playoff appearances, total playoff wins and postseason playoff winning percentage – receives four points, followed by three for second place and so on. I also gave teams an extra point for each playoff series they won. The final tally came out as followed:

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: St. Louis Cardinals. Any fan of one the final four teams can state a statistic on how their team deserved to be the one represented. New York dominated the AL East. Boston and San Francisco won a third World Series and were more efficient in the postseason when they did make it. None of that jumped out the way this did:

The Cardinals took the cake with 16 postseason series victories.

That’s out of this world consistent. The Yankees came close, carried by consistently owning the division crown, whereas the two teams that take advantage of playoff appearances the most, Boston and San Francisco, found themselves looking up.

Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

College Volleyball

Some of these don’t take much time. Penn State has six championships, including two 38-0 seasons. USC, Stanford, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA have had strong programs, but none have approached the dominance by the Nittany Lions. Let’s just get to the point. Without a hint of doubt, your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Penn State Nittany Lions.

College Baseball

Unlike most of the other sports in the discussion, the full 2000 season is included since it began post-millennium. Texas, South Carolina and Oregon State all have a pair of titles, with nobody else claiming more than one. Naturally, only those three are in consideration. However, the Beavers have only made four CWS appearances compared to six for South Carolina and eight for Texas. Typically that would lead one to believe that the answer is obviously the Longhorns.

Take a look at overall winning percentage: Texas is 661-294 (.664) in this millennium, lagging considerably behind the Gamecocks at 713-289 (.712). So what do we value? Winning more regular season games against what is typically stronger competition, or taking overall postseason play? The latter carries more weight. Here is how each team fared in NCAA Tournament play with its overall statistics tallied at the bottom.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Texas Longhorns. In what ended up being the closest contest of any sport so far, Texas prevailed because of one statistic: CWS appearances. South Carolina may hold a relatively significant advantage in regular season record and have a slim lead in postseason record, but they couldn’t get the job done in enough Super Regionals. One could argue that Texas’ lows were below South Carolina’s, but they consistently made the trip to Omaha and that familiarity with getting to the final eight put them over the edge.

College Football

Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Florida all have multiple FBS championships to their names, while Appalachian State and North Dakota State have dominated the FCS level well enough to be included in the discussion. USC vacated one of its two national championships and will not be considered. As we’ve come to find out, tables can be really useful when measuring statistics of multiple teams. Unfortunately, college football has more variables than most so let’s compare like it is 2000 (and we’re using WordPad).

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are the only team in this span with three FBS national title victories. Their overall record takes a hit because of 21 vacated wins, but stands at 116-57, including a 6-5 bowl mark – which is also hindered by one vacated victory and two seasons in which ‘Bama was ineligible for the postseason. They have garnered three SEC titles and five SEC West crowns – most of which have come under Nick Saban. The pre-Saban era was somewhat dark for Alabama, which had a (now shocking) 3-8 season in 2000. The loss of 21 victories could really come back to bite the team that is likely the first one on everybody’s college football power shortlist.

Florida: Florida boasts two national titles (thanks, Tebow) complemented by a 137-56 overall record. If Alabama had kept its wins, Florida would be one game ahead in the loss column and tied with the Tide for overall victories. In bowl play, Florida has a lackadaisical 7-6 mark. They have picked up three SEC Titles and have headed the SEC East four times.

LSU: Consistency in a more than tough conference is what could separate LSU from the group. Like every team on this list besides Alabama, the Tigers have a pair of national championships. Their overall record of 151-45 is only topped by Ohio State. They’ve won nine bowl games compared to six losses and have not missed out on the postseason. They’ve picked up four conference titles and five SEC West titles along the way to top both Florida and Alabama in those areas.

Ohio State: Surprised to see a Big Ten team here? You shouldn’t be. Despite a negative stigma built around the conference in recent years, Ohio State has been among the most dominant teams lately. The Buckeyes’ 157-36 overall record is hard to argue with. An 8-7 bowl record with a few postseason embarrassments could be improved on. What really couldn’t be is a sensational seven conference titles – which reasonably would be eight if not for a postseason ban on a 12-0 squad in 2012. The Buckeyes may not have the numbers to claim best of this century now, but with Urban Meyer pulling the strings, it might not be too long until they do.

North Dakota State: If we were only talking about the last four years, the Bison would breeze through the competition. Their 63-3 record with four national titles is, well, absurd. Before that? North Dakota State swiftly comes back to Earth with a more reasonable, but still strong, 74-40 mark. Did you already do the math? That’s an overall record of 137-43

…and I should probably mention they have a 20-2 postseason record.

20 wins. Two losses.

The Bison made the move from Division II to FCS in this time period and were ineligible for postseason play in multiple 10-1 seasons, otherwise they very well could have added to that title total. Which, quite frankly, is a little scary. One thing that isn’t as scary is this game. And this one in the same season. Sometimes you find things while researching that you wish you never did. Those qualify.

Appalachian State: While the Bison were fiddling around with moving up from Division II, another squad was busy winning national championships and knocking off the winningest-program in FBS history. That was the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. Their record of 131-52 is a modest amount below North Dakota State’s. It isn’t the regular season that separates these two FCS programs. The Mountaineers postseason mark, despite a three-peat from 2005-2007, is 19-8, considerably worse than the Bison’s…let me say it again…20-2.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: North Dakota State Bison. I get it. Strength of schedule for the Bison isn’t anywhere near what Ohio State, let alone Alabama, Florida and LSU, face on a week-to-week basis. Their national titles are much less publicized and viewed. They don’t have NFL prospects filling up the first round. They weren’t even in the FCS for part of this era. There are a lot of reasons not to pick them.

Go ahead, write an article on why LSU’s consistency in the SEC makes them the best dynasty of this century, or why Alabama’s three titles set it apart, or how Ohio State’s conference dominance make them the frontrunner. They all have strong cases to disprove my choice.

To me, these issues have to be made relative, not directly compared. Of course North Dakota State doesn’t have to play the LSU defense, the Tim Tebow offense or Nick Saban’s game plan on an annual basis, but they ought to be held to the standards of their competition, not of a league above them. North Dakota State has simply dominated about as much as a modern college football team can in this span. 137-43 in the regular season? Incredible – just as incredible as the others on this list, especially considering transition seasons. That doesn’t set them apart.

A .909 winning percentage in the postseason will. When the Bison play the best competition, they don’t just compete – they absolutely own everyone. Alabama doesn’t. Florida doesn’t. LSU and Ohio State don’t. They’re all tremendous teams, but have not set themselves apart at any part this century the way the Bison have.

Conclusion

The aforementioned follow-up article will now include the St. Louis Cardinals, San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Detroit Red Wings, Kansas Jayhawks men’s hoops, UConn Huskies women’s basketball, Oklahoma State wrestling, Penn State volleyball, Texas baseball and North Dakota State football. Those ten dominant teams will be ranked to determine an ultimate “dynasty of the 21^st century.”

Be sure to check out Night Stuff on KRUI at the stroke of midnight Wednesday mornings as we discuss topics such as this, other sporting news and a few outrageous topics mixed in with a phone always ready to hear your takes. Did you like the article or happen to disagree with some of the choices? Tweet @TheMainStevent or @KRUISports to share your opinion.

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