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Does having a highly ranked recruiting class translate into success on the field? Proof is in the pudding, or in this case, in the hands of the pollsters. Comparing ESPN.com recruiting expert Tom Lemming's Top 10 rankings from 1993-1997 with the coaches poll over the next five years, ESPN.com looks back at the Top 10 classes from 1993-97. Though, we realize some players leave early and some coaches leave, this is how the classes worked out.
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Tracking Lemming's Top 10 Classes of 1993
|
|
Recruiting Rank
|
Head Coach
|
Class Catch
|
1993
poll
|
1994
poll
|
1995
poll
|
1996
poll
|
1997
poll
|
|
1. Florida St.
|
Bobby Bowden
|
Thad
Busby
|
No. 1
|
No. 5
|
No. 5
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
|
2. Michigan
|
Gary Moeller
|
Scott Loeffler
|
No. 19
|
No. 12
|
No. 19
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
|
3. Tennessee
|
Phil Fulmer
|
Jay
Graham
|
No. 11
|
No. 18
|
No. 2
|
No. 9
|
No. 8
|
|
4. Notre Dame
|
Lou
Holtz
|
Ron
Powlus
|
No. 2
|
---
|
No. 13
|
No. 21
|
---
|
|
5. Stanford
|
Bill
Walsh
|
Mike
Mitchell
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
6. Miami
|
Dennis Erickson
|
Jammi German
|
No. 15
|
No. 6
|
---
|
No. 14
|
---
|
|
7. Oklahoma
|
Gary
Gibbs
|
James
Allen
|
No. 14
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
8. Alabama
|
Gene
Stallings
|
Curtis Alexander
|
No. 13
|
No. 4
|
---
|
No. 11
|
---
|
|
9. Florida
|
Steve Spurrier
|
Terrance
Foy
|
No. 4
|
No. 7
|
No. 3
|
No. 1
|
No. 6
|
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10. Wisconsin
|
Barry Alvarez
|
Carl McCullough
|
No. 5
|
---
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---
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---
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Tracking Lemming's Top 10 Classes of 1994
|
|
Recruiting Rank
|
Head Coach
|
Class Catch
|
1994
poll
|
1995
poll
|
1996
poll
|
1997
poll
|
1998
poll
|
|
1. Tennessee
|
Phil Fulmer
|
Peyton Manning
|
No. 18
|
No. 2
|
No. 9
|
No. 8
|
No. 1
|
|
2. Ohio State
|
John Cooper
|
Orlando Pace
|
No. 9
|
No. 7
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 2
|
|
3. Michigan
|
Gary Moeller
|
Scott Dreisbach
|
No. 12
|
No. 19
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
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4. Florida St.
|
Bobby Bowden
|
Lamont Green
|
No. 5
|
No. 5
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
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5. USC
|
John Robinson
|
Darrell Russell
|
No. 15
|
No. 11
|
---
|
---
|
---
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|
6. Alabama
|
Gene Stallings
|
Kenneth Scissum
|
No. 4
|
---
|
No. 11
|
---
|
---
|
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7. Penn State
|
Joe Paterno
|
Curtis
Enis
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 7
|
No. 17
|
No. 15
|
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8. Texas A&M
|
R.C. Slocum
|
James Driver
|
---
|
No. 15
|
---
|
No. 21
|
No. 13
|
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9. Notre Dame
|
Lou
Holtz
|
Jarvis Edison
|
---
|
No. 13
|
No. 21
|
---
|
No. 22
|
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10. UNC
|
Mack
Brown
|
Oscar Davenport
|
No. 21
|
---
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No. 10
|
No. 4
|
---
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Tracking Lemming's Top 10 Classes of 1995
|
|
Recruiting Rank
|
Head Coach
|
Class Catch
|
1995
poll
|
1996
poll
|
1997
poll
|
1998
poll
|
1999
poll
|
|
1. Notre Dame
|
Lou
Holtz
|
Kory
Minor
|
No. 13
|
No. 21
|
---
|
No. 22
|
---
|
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2. Florida
|
Steve Spurrier
|
Reggie McGraw
|
No. 3
|
No. 1
|
No. 6
|
No. 6
|
No. 14
|
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3. Florida St.
|
Bobby Bowden
|
Peter Warrick
|
No. 5
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 1
|
|
4. Texas A&M
|
R.C.
Slocum
|
D'Andre Hardeman
|
No. 15
|
---
|
No. 21
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No. 13
|
No. 20
|
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5. Auburn
|
Terry Bowden
|
Martavious Houston
|
No. 21
|
No. 25
|
No. 11
|
---
|
---
|
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6. Penn State
|
Joe Paterno
|
Brandon Short
|
No. 12
|
No. 7
|
No. 17
|
No. 15
|
No. 11
|
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7. Nebraska
|
Tom Osborne
|
Ahman Green
|
No. 1
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No. 6
|
No. 1
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
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8. Tennessee
|
Phil Fulmer
|
Brian Darden
|
No. 2
|
No. 9
|
No. 8
|
No. 1
|
No. 9
|
|
9. USC
|
John Robinson
|
Daylon McCutcheon
|
No. 11
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
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10. Michigan
|
Lloyd Carr
|
Charles Woodson
|
No. 19
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 5
|
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Tracking Lemming's Top 10 Classes of 1996
|
|
Recruiting Rank
|
Head Coach
|
Class Catch
|
1996
poll
|
1997
poll
|
1998
poll
|
1999
poll
|
2000
poll
|
|
1. Ohio State
|
John Cooper
|
Andy Katzenmoyer
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 2
|
---
|
---
|
|
2. FSU
|
Bobby Bowden
|
Laveranues Coles
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 1
|
No. 4
|
|
3. LSU
|
Gary DiNardo
|
Cecil Collins
|
No. 13
|
No. 13
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
4. Penn State
|
Joe Paterno
|
Rashard Casey
|
No. 7
|
No. 17
|
No. 15
|
No. 11
|
---
|
|
5. Florida
|
Steve Spurrier
|
Doug
Johnson
|
No. 1
|
No. 6
|
No. 6
|
No. 14
|
No. 11
|
|
6. USC
|
John Robinson
|
Chris Clairborne
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
7. Tennessee
|
Phil Fulmer
|
Shaun
Ellis
|
No. 9
|
No. 8
|
No. 1
|
No. 9
|
No. 25
|
|
8. Nebraska
|
Tom Osborne
|
DeAngelo Evans
|
No. 6
|
No. 1
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
No. 7
|
|
9. Michigan
|
Lloyd
Carr
|
Steve Hutchinson
|
No. 20
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 5
|
No. 10
|
|
10. Notre Dame
|
Lou
Holtz
|
Raki
Nelson
|
No. 21
|
---
|
No. 22
|
---
|
No. 16
|
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Tracking Lemming's Top 10 Classes of 1997
|
|
Recruiting Rank
|
Head Coach
|
Class Catch
|
1997
poll
|
1998
poll
|
1999
poll
|
2000
poll
|
2001
poll
|
|
1. Tennessee
|
Phil Fulmer
|
Travis
Henry
|
No. 8
|
No. 1
|
No. 9
|
No. 25
|
No. 4
|
|
2. Florida St.
|
Bobby Bowden
|
Travis
Minor
|
No. 3
|
No. 3
|
No. 1
|
No. 4
|
No. 15
|
|
3. Florida
|
Steve Spurrier
|
Jesse
Palmer
|
No. 6
|
No. 6
|
No. 14
|
No. 11
|
No. 3
|
|
4. Penn St.
|
Joe Paterno
|
LaVar Arrington
|
No. 17
|
No. 15
|
No. 11
|
---
|
---
|
|
5. Michigan
|
Lloyd
Carr
|
Anthony Thomas
|
No. 2
|
No. 12
|
No. 5
|
No. 10
|
No. 20
|
|
6. Texas
|
John Mackovic
|
Leonard Davis
|
---
|
No. 16
|
No. 23
|
No. 12
|
No. 5
|
|
7. Colorado
|
Rick Neuheisal
|
Victor Rogers
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
No. 9
|
|
8. USC
|
John Robinson
|
Rod
Perry
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
9. UNC
|
Mack Brown
|
Billy-Dee Greenwood
|
No. 4
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
---
|
|
10. Ohio St.
|
John Cooper
|
Ken-Yon Rambo
|
No. 12
|
No. 2
|
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