Like I pointed out before, how did that all work out for Lloyd Carr? You can make a pretty strong case that Lloyd Carr was one of the best coaches in Michigan history. He averaged close to ten wins a season, he won five Big Ten titles, he went to 11 bowl games in 12 years as coach, and he won the National Championship, Michigan's first in 50 years. But he couldn't beat Ohio State, so out he goes.
I didn't say that the fans don't care about winning; they certainly do. But I argue that there are things more important than winning so-called "national championships" at most of these big name schools. At Michigan, for instance, it's clear that the most important thing is beating Ohio State. At Texas, it's beating OU. Mack Brown, despite his pretty recent national championship, still gets some "Coach February" comments, with a lot having to do with an inability to beat OU on a consistent basis. On the other side of the border, who talks badly about Bob Stoops? At least the past several years--2007 included--his teams have largely underachieved, having a few very bad losses.
But Bob Stoops beats Texas, so life remains good.
Pitt just beat WVA so I feel pretty good about that but it being equal to a National Title, get real.
1. Beat Ohio State.
2. Win the Big Ten.
3. Win a bowl game, preferably the Rose Bowl.