Who will Replace Alabama as the Next College Football Dynasty?

For the larger part of more than a decade, the Alabama Crimson Tide have dominated College Football, with Nick Saban at the throne. Saban won 6 titles during his tenure in Tuscaloosa establishing the greatest Dynasty the CFB world has ever seen. With the retirement of Saban, it leaves a glaring question for the community, which I believe could have three outcomes.

The Bulldogs continue their run

The rise of the Georgia football program seemed to come from nowhere. Yes, they were a nationally relevant team for quite some time and yes they have long been one of the best recruiting programs. But to win back-to-back titles in the modern age of CFB is unheard of, and to be one game from possibly achieving a three-peat? Something once not thought possible.

The start of the rise can be traced back to the 2021 Peach Bowl, in which the Bulldogs defeated Cincinnati 24-21, earning a NY6 Bowl win that would ignite a spark. Georgia would go on to go undefeated the following year until a loss to Alabama in the SEC championship, ultimately arranging a rematch in the NC game where the team from Athens got its revenge. Fast forward 3 years and the Bulldogs have claimed another title and look to threaten for the belt once again.

The most obvious choice for the next Dynasty is Georgia. With two National titles already and a recruiting program unrivaled by many, there’s no reason to think UG won’t be a force for years to come.

No Harbaugh, No Problem

I’m an unsurprising move, if you’ve covered Michigan football at all, Jim Harbaugh left the Wolverines this season for the Chargers. In his time he led Ann Arbor to three Big Ten titles and a National Title in 2023, their first since 1997-98. 

Coordinator Sherrone Moore was promoted to the top of the staff, signaling the start of an era at Michigan. He was the acting Head Coach during Harbaugh’s second suspension, leading wins against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State. Some in the CFB community believe there will be a fall-off in AA, but the maize and blue faithful would say otherwise. The Wolverines still boast many of the best players in the nation, in potential Top 5 picks Will Johnson and Mason Graham.

Although the Bulldogs seem to have an easier path to continued success than Michigan, the Wolverines are still the defending National Champions and haven’t lost a regular season game since 2021, and therefore cannot be left off this list.

Maybe Alabama was the Last Dynasty

The third and possibly most interesting option is there won’t be another dynasty in college football. With the playoff format expanding to 12 team this season and 14 the next, it seems more difficult than ever for a team to find continued championship success. Combine that with Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA joining the Big Ten and blue bloods Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC and there may never be another repeat in history.