Pretend that a rule was put in place that mandates you to only watch college football games from one state. Which state would you pick? While it would be easy for a hardcore fan to pick the state where their favorite program is based it can be a lot more complicated of a decision for the fan that just loves the game in general and likes watching as many meaningful games as possible every year. We took the time to break down the scenario even further by ranking the best football school states based on Win-Loss records and bowl appearances over the last four years as well as overall excitement value moving forward to 2017. Here is a look at the five best football school states in the country.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tulsa combined to put together a 31-8 record last season and they have reached 83.3 percent of their potential bowl games over the last four years. The Sooners and Cowboys obviously lead the way for the state after they both won 10 games a year ago and the Bedlam Series has become something of a tiebreaker in the Big 12 over the years. Meanwhile, the Golden Hurricane is finally back on track following a couple of rough years so they were able to hold their own in this column. The Sooner state should have two national title contenders in 2017 and another team that should be pretty exciting to watch so Oklahoma earns the top spot on this list.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Sooners are moving forward without Bob Stoops. By all accounts, they should still be one of the better teams in the country next season.
Alabama
While Alabama’s stock took a small hit as a result of the other schools in the state the reality is that the Crimson Tide is more than capable of carrying any extra weight. Alabama has won four of the last eight national championships while absolutely dominating the SEC on a perennial basis. Auburn, Troy, South Alabama and UAB might not be the most successful teams in recent years but they are still fun to watch for different reasons and the sheer volume of schools in the state gives this group an added boost. It’s hard not to imagine the home of the Crimson Tide not being near the top of this list, especially considering there is some obvious intriguing watching the other teams in the state.
South Carolina
Clemson’s national championship win raised the bar for the state of South Carolina with the Gamecocks and Coastal Carolina doing just enough to help earn the second spot on this list. The Tigers rise to prominence on the national stage has been incredible and there are some that think they have the potential to get back to the College Football Playoff. The Gamecocks have fallen on hard times but they have still been to bowl games in two of the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina went 43-10 in FCS play over the past four years and should make an immediate impact in the Sun Belt.
Pennsylvania
The schools in the state of Pennsylvania have converted on 75-percent of their bowl opportunities over the past four years and produced a combined 29-12 record last season. Penn State’s rise to a Big Ten title has been fun to watch and they have the potential to make some major noise on the national stage next season. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh and Temple haven’t contended for conference titles but they have both reaches the postseason in each of the last two years. The Nittany Lions, Panthers and Owls have finished a combined 27 games above .500 over the last two seasons to ensure Pennsylvania is represented on this list.
Washington
In terms of offensive highlights it’s hard to argue against what Chris Petersen and Mike Leach have done at their respective programs. Washington and Washington State combined for a 20-7 record last season and they have reached 87.5-percent of their potential bowl games over the last four years. Both teams have produced big offensive numbers thanks to star quarterbacks in Jake Browning and Luke Falk. The Huskies and Cougars are only starting to tap in to their immense potential and it will be very interesting to see what the state of Washington has in store for the 2017 season.
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