Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz recently sparked conversation by likening today’s college football landscape to the sport’s 1970s heyday, a period marked by a handful of powerhouse programs that routinely captured national titles.
Historical Parallels
His warning carries weight because the Big Ten and the SEC have, in recent years, monopolized the playoff picture, hoarding championship game appearances and commanding the lion’s share of television revenue.
That dominance is not new; in the 1970s, teams such as Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State formed a small elite that repeatedly rose to the top, leaving the rest of the field to chase occasional upsets.
Yet the past few seasons have shown signs of a different narrative. The 2020s have been more competitive than the late 2010s, with new pathways opening for programs that traditionally hovered on the periphery.
The introduction of name, image and likeness rights, coupled with the upheaval caused by the pandemic, has reshaped recruiting and player movement, allowing schools like Indiana to mount unexpected title runs, as illustrated by their 2025 national championship.
Coaches across the spectrum, including Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, have weighed in, suggesting that while the sport’s structure remains uneven, the door for surprise contenders remains ajar.