Over 170,000 votes, % that view the program as a "Blue Blood"

Nebraska's hideous helmets should knock them out of consideration.
 

Based on the chart looks like the main things holding us back are that most of our glory years pre-date the AP and we haven't done much in the BCS/CFP era.

We definitely are not a blue blood program so not surprising we are not up near the top of this list.
Correct. Any measure like this picks a date where history no longer matters. Often it’s 1939 due to AP poll

nothing before 1939 matters as much.

A better date would be 1984
Nothing before 1984 really matters as that’s when TV changed the game.

a better date than that would be 1998 because that is when a “national championship game” was agreed to be all the conferences.


If you pick 1939 Nebraska is a blue blood.
If you pick 1900 you get some others.
if you pick 1984 the list changes
If you pick 1998 the list changes


Nebraska definitely WAS a helmet school. Whether they still are depends on what history matters.
in 20 years I don’t think much history before 2014 will matter.

Nebraska right now is literally Minnesota in 1982 with a nicer stadium
 



From 1963 - 2001 they finished ranked in the top 25 in all but 2 years and in like 23 of those seasons they were in the top 10. Nebraska was absolutely football royalty during that time period which is why they are considered a blue blood program.

Minnesota had a ton of success leading up to the early 60's and then fell off the face of the Earth for a good 50+ years.

I don't think there is any debate that says Minnesota should be considered a helmet school or a blue blood. There can be debate on whether Nebraska should still be considered one, but they definitely were one.

Hmmm. That's a completely new list of qualifications, then.

Top 10, and even Top 25(!) finishes being used to bestow "football royalty" status.

Seasons played in 1963 to 2001 matter, but the 1930s and 1940 do not.

When it comes to "helmet school" status, goalposts are on wheels, it seems.

For what it's worth, I tead that the AP first awarded their national champion in 1936. The winners? Our own Minnesota Golden Gophers. And the AP eventually awarded Minnesota a total of 4 national titles.
 


which gets back to my question:

what does a program have to do to lose its "Blue Blood" or "Helmet School" status?

it seems it's a little bit like being ranked in the top 20 in the pre-season poll. It's hard for a team that is not rated to play its way into the top 20, while a team that starts the season ranked seems to get the benefit of the doubt.
 

which gets back to my question:

what does a program have to do to lose its "Blue Blood" or "Helmet School" status?

it seems it's a little bit like being ranked in the top 20 in the pre-season poll. It's hard for a team that is not rated to play its way into the top 20, while a team that starts the season ranked seems to get the benefit of the doubt.
Probably win multiple national championships across a couple of different decades.
Unless you are Minnesota or Yale or someone

then it doesn’t work


So maybe the real answer is to be really good when the baby boomers were alive



EDIT

I JUST ANSWERED THE UNASKED QUESTION OF HOW DO YOU LOSE HELMET SCHOOL STATUS
 

which gets back to my question:

what does a program have to do to lose its "Blue Blood" or "Helmet School" status?

it seems it's a little bit like being ranked in the top 20 in the pre-season poll. It's hard for a team that is not rated to play its way into the top 20, while a team that starts the season ranked seems to get the benefit of the doubt.
Well if we work under the idea that Minnesota was once a "helmet school" but managed to lose that status it appears it can happen at some point during a 50 year drought. Nebraska is working on 20+ years at this point.....might not be quite to the point of losing their status as a blue blood but if there is a school in danger of getting there is has to be them.

All pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things but makes for a fun off season conversation.
 






I'd say the eight choices are pretty accurate. Obviously some of the programs on their haven't won it all in a while, or even been in the conversation like Nebraska. Still, the following stats make a good argument.

I've put the "Blue Bloods" in bold in the following lists:

All Time Winning %
  • 1. Ohio State - .731
  • 2. Alabama - .731
  • 3. Notre Dame - .730
  • 4. Michigan - .729
  • 5. Boise State - .728
  • 6. Oklahoma - .728
  • 7.Texas - .702
  • 8. USC - .695
  • 9. Penn State - .686
  • 10. Nebraska - .684
National Championships Claimed
  • 1. Alabama - 18
  • T2. Michigan - 11
  • T2. Notre Dame - 11
  • T2. USC - 11
  • 5. Pittsburgh - 9
  • 6. Ohio State - 8
  • T7. Minnesota - 7
  • T7. Oklahoma - 7
  • T9. Michigan State - 6
  • T9. Tennessee - 6
  • T11. Nebraska - 5
Conference Titles
  • 1. Oklahoma - 50
  • 2. Nebraska - 46
  • 3. Michigan -43
  • 4. Ohio State - 39
  • 5. USC - 37
  • 6. Tulsa - 35
  • 7. Alabama - 33
  • 8. Texas - 30
  • 9. Fresno State - 28
  • 10. Utah - 27
Bowl Games
  • 1. Alabama - 75
  • 2. Georgia - 59
  • 3. Texas - 57
  • 4. Oklahoma - 55
  • 5. Tennessee - 54
  • T6. LSU - 53
  • T6. Nebraska - 53
  • T6. Ohio State - 53
  • T.6 USC - 53
  • 10.Penn State - 51
  • 11. Michigan - 49
All Time Wins
  • 1. Michigan - 976
  • 2. Alabama - 942
  • 3. Ohio State - 942
  • 4. Notre Dame - 929
  • 5. Oklahoma - 928
  • 6. Texas - 928
  • 7. Penn State - 909
  • 8. Nebraska - 908
  • 9. Tennessee - 856
  • 10. USC - 856
Weeks in AP Poll
  • 1. Ohio State - 949
  • 2. Michigan - 886
  • 3. Oklahoma - 876
  • 4. Notre Dame - 848
  • 5. Alabama - 840
  • 6. USC - 787
  • 7. Texas - 748
  • 8. Nebraska - 730
  • 9. Penn State 665
  • 10. Florida 641
Weeks at No. 1 in AP Poll
  • 1. Alabama - 137
  • 2. Ohio State - 105
  • 3. Oklahoma - 101
  • 4. Notre Dame - 98
  • 5. USC - 91
  • 6. Florida State - 72
  • 7. Nebraska - 70
  • 8. Miami (FL) - 68
  • 9. Texas - 45
  • 10. Florida - 41
  • 11. LSU - 38
  • 12. Michigan - 34
 

I'd say the eight choices are pretty accurate. Obviously some of the programs on their haven't won it all in a while, or even been in the conversation like Nebraska. Still, the following stats make a good argument.

I've put the "Blue Bloods" in bold in the following lists:

All Time Winning %
  • 1. Ohio State - .731
  • 2. Alabama - .731
  • 3. Notre Dame - .730
  • 4. Michigan - .729
  • 5. Boise State - .728
  • 6. Oklahoma - .728
  • 7.Texas - .702
  • 8. USC - .695
  • 9. Penn State - .686
  • 10. Nebraska - .684
National Championships Claimed
  • 1. Alabama - 18
  • T2. Michigan - 11
  • T2. Notre Dame - 11
  • T2. USC - 11
  • 5. Pittsburgh - 9
  • 6. Ohio State - 8
  • T7. Minnesota - 7
  • T7. Oklahoma - 7
  • T9. Michigan State - 6
  • T9. Tennessee - 6
  • T11. Nebraska - 5
Conference Titles
  • 1. Oklahoma - 50
  • 2. Nebraska - 46
  • 3. Michigan -43
  • 4. Ohio State - 39
  • 5. USC - 37
  • 6. Tulsa - 35
  • 7. Alabama - 33
  • 8. Texas - 30
  • 9. Fresno State - 28
  • 10. Utah - 27
Bowl Games
  • 1. Alabama - 75
  • 2. Georgia - 59
  • 3. Texas - 57
  • 4. Oklahoma - 55
  • 5. Tennessee - 54
  • T6. LSU - 53
  • T6. Nebraska - 53
  • T6. Ohio State - 53
  • T.6 USC - 53
  • 10.Penn State - 51
  • 11. Michigan - 49
All Time Wins
  • 1. Michigan - 976
  • 2. Alabama - 942
  • 3. Ohio State - 942
  • 4. Notre Dame - 929
  • 5. Oklahoma - 928
  • 6. Texas - 928
  • 7. Penn State - 909
  • 8. Nebraska - 908
  • 9. Tennessee - 856
  • 10. USC - 856
Weeks in AP Poll
  • 1. Ohio State - 949
  • 2. Michigan - 886
  • 3. Oklahoma - 876
  • 4. Notre Dame - 848
  • 5. Alabama - 840
  • 6. USC - 787
  • 7. Texas - 748
  • 8. Nebraska - 730
  • 9. Penn State 665
  • 10. Florida 641
Weeks at No. 1 in AP Poll
  • 1. Alabama - 137
  • 2. Ohio State - 105
  • 3. Oklahoma - 101
  • 4. Notre Dame - 98
  • 5. USC - 91
  • 6. Florida State - 72
  • 7. Nebraska - 70
  • 8. Miami (FL) - 68
  • 9. Texas - 45
  • 10. Florida - 41
  • 11. LSU - 38
  • 12. Michigan - 34
National championships is how I like to define blue bloods.
 





Nebraska's five titles were won in 1971, 1972, 1993, 1994 and 1997.

The BCS began in 1999 and ended in 2014.

(Correct me if I'm wrong on these).

So Nebraska never won a national title in the BCS era, if my dates are accurate.

All of this still leaves me mystified as to why Nebraska is a so-called "blue blood" or "helmet school", and Minnesota is not.

The whole thing seems to be highly subjective.
Just look at the categories and it explains the rankings
 


Well since the Gopher athletics lost 18.2 million dollars(according to the Athletic) in 2021, it is doubtful that we have the funding to become a helmet school. Iowa led the B1G with a loss of 42.6 million.
 

Texas? Besides that one Vince Young year, I always think of Texas as 8-4.
 


Texas? Besides that one Vince Young year, I always think of Texas as 8-4.
They also had that 2009 season. Had McCoy not been injured there's a good chance they could have won that national championship.

They definitely have been on a mediocre run in the last decade, though. Seven winning seasons with just five having eight wins or more. Also just four ranked finishes. They've won six bowl games, but just one of those was a NY6.

I think something to note with Texas is what the state is like. It's a program with a ton of in-state competition for recruits and rivalries on the turf. It's been especially true over the last decade, with Baylor, TCU, A&M and Houston all having had exceptional years in the last decade.

All of that is on top of having rivalries outside the state like with Oklahoma.

It's a similar situation in Florida, where the Gators, Miami and Florida State all have to compete with each other, on top of having to deal with teams from other states.
 

Well since the Gopher athletics lost 18.2 million dollars(according to the Athletic) in 2021, it is doubtful that we have the funding to become a helmet school. Iowa led the B1G with a loss of 42.6 million.

One year blip, should be fine going forward.
 


Well since the Gopher athletics lost 18.2 million dollars(according to the Athletic) in 2021, it is doubtful that we have the funding to become a helmet school. Iowa led the B1G with a loss of 42.6 million.
The gophers have to be ne of the lowest BCS conference schools as far as alumni/donor support in dollars. They struggle in a good year
To fill one of the smallest BCS stadium and appear to have zero wealthy donors compared to others.
 

Wait you are having this imbecile discussion again? No zoomer remembers Nebraska being good. Tear down the statues. This shit does not matter. It’s but a weird masturbation ritual you fellas like to play every few months. Just suck each other’s cocks already. Let it go.
 

Wait you are having this imbecile discussion again? No zoomer remembers Nebraska being good. Tear down the statues. This shit does not matter. It’s but a weird masturbation ritual you fellas like to play every few months. Just suck each other’s cocks already. Let it go.
I agree that it doesn't matter. That doesn't change the fact that there are 8 defined blue bloods, no more no less.
 

The gophers have to be ne of the lowest BCS conference schools as far as alumni/donor support in dollars. They struggle in a good year
To fill one of the smallest BCS stadium and appear to have zero wealthy donors compared to others.
And yet Nebraska is our b*tch over the last 5 years.
 

I agree that it doesn't matter. That doesn't change the fact that there are 8 defined blue bloods, no more no less.

I think there are 8 defined blue bloods... according to some guy's chart, based on his metrics as to what does and what does not define 'blue blood'.

Since the term is subjective, his little chart is no more definitive than my metric, or anybody else's.

I'll stick with national championships as the defining characteristic of a blue blood. Screw the chart.
 

Wait you are having this imbecile discussion again? No zoomer remembers Nebraska being good. Tear down the statues. This shit does not matter. It’s but a weird masturbation ritual you fellas like to play every few months. Just suck each other’s cocks already. Let it go.
This helps explains your GopherHole name. /s
 

Are we “greenish-blue blood”?
 




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