History is valuable. Tradition is important. For every college football team, though, the "what have you done for me lately?" question is a constant battle.
Look no further than the LSU Tigers, who celebrated the 2019 national title yet fired Ed Orgeron within two years. As quickly as a contender can rise, it may fade out of the championship conversation even faster.
Returning to national relevance is a hard process, and several of the most successful teams in recent decades are still trying to claw their way back.
The choices are subjective but focus on tradition-rich programs with multiple national titles that have struggled lately.
Florida State Seminoles
The good news is Florida State last won a national title in 2013.
The bad news is, among the programs listed here, only Nebraska has endured a worse half-decade.
Since 2017, the previous ACC powerhouse is just 26-33. Not only has Florida State managed bowl eligibility only twice in the span, it also crawled into both the 2017 and 2019 postseasons with a 6-6 record.
After posting an 8-13 record in his first two years as head coach, Mike Norvell is entering 2022 with tenuous job security at best.