College Counterpart: AFC East
Have you ever wondered who the “Alabama of the NFL” was, or the “New York Jets of College Football”? What is the college football equivalent of your favorite NFL team? Have they always been good, or have they been in a “rebuilding” phase for the past 50 years? In this article, I’ll be covering all of that in as much detail as possible. I’ll start off by listing the closest college by geography, and then comparing it to it’s NFL counterpart. Without further ado, lets begin with the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills: Syracuse University
Upstate New York deserves a good football team, and the Bills are all that and then some. In fact, the Buffalo Bills are the only NFL team that’s actually in New York. The Giants and Jets both reside in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Syracuse is known as “New York’s College Team”. Army and Buffalo may have been more successful recently, but Syracuse’s rich history in college football is unrivaled in the Empire State.
As someone who’s been to Syracuse multiple times to visit family, I can weigh in a little on this one. If I recall correctly, I’ve only ever seen Buffalo Bills attire in stores local to the Syracuse area. Very seldom have I ever seen gear from the Giants or Jets. In addition, whenever syracuse.com covers some sort of NFL news, it’s almost always about the Buffalo Bills. Whether it’s about Josh Allen or a recap of the NFL Draft, you can always count on them to post something related to the Buffalo Bills.
In terms of skill, the Bills and Syracuse are on very different ends of the spectrum. Lead by an MVP caliber quarterback, Buffalo has been a playoff team the last few years. Syracuse on the other hand, has had a little trouble staying afloat in the ACC. If the Orange finish off the season at .500, it’s mission accomplished. They’ve exceeded expectations at that point. In terms of geography and the relatable fanbase, these two teams are a perfect match. That’s where the comparison ends.
Miami Dolphins: The University of Miami
This one’s pretty obvious. The Dolphins have no relation to the Seminoles or Gators. It’s clear that this NFL team goes hand in hand with the legendary Miami Hurricanes. Heck, these two teams even play their home games in the same stadium. How much closer can these two teams get, actually? Now in terms of success, it’s the college affiliate that takes the cake on this one.
The Dolphins have been irrelevant in the AFC East for quite some time now. To be fair, it’s hard trying to find success when you’ve had a guy like Tom Brady in your division for the last 20 years. But even before then, who are you riding with? Chad Pennington and Daunte Culpepper? Don’t get me wrong, I love these guys, but let’s be honest. The Dolphins haven’t been a threat to the AFC East since the days of Dan Marino.
The Hurricanes, on the other hand, have been slightly more successful as of late. They consistently hit above .500 every season, and make it to a bowl game almost every year. Yes, they haven’t won a game in the postseason since 2016, but hey, at least you can count on them to make it there. If we’re talking about the Miami Hurricanes of the early 2000’s or 80’s, that’s a completely different story. The “U”, as they’ve been known for the past fifty odd years, have molded quite the legacy for themselves.
New England Patriots: UCONN
ZIP IT, Patriots fans. You’ve had your fair share of dominating the AFC East for the last 20 years. Now it’s time for you guys to experience what it’s like to be apart of a losing franchise. UCONN is the embodiment of what happens to a Big East school that can’t adapt to a “tougher” conference. When I say tough, I mean that lightly. If you want to call a conference filled with teams like Tulane and South Florida “tough”, please be my guest.
Since leaving the Big East in 2013, the Huskies have compiled a miserable record of 21-76. As a matter of fact, as of 2020, UCONN has actually accepted an invite back to the Big East. It’s a “ruff” situation for Huskies football, but great news for their basketball program. Kemba Walker is smiling somewhere right now.
If you’re from the Boston area and are unhappy with this comparison, it’s either UCONN or UMASS. Take your pick. Now in terms of skill, the Patriots have had a track record similar to that of the Alabama Crimson Tide. They’re constantly putting on a ring, or at least competing for one at the end of the season. But once again, like Alabama, the Patriots have had a slight dip in success over the past couple of years. Patriots fans, UCONN may not be your first choice of a college affiliate, but geographically, its the right one. But hey, at least you guys have NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky.
New York Jets: St. Peter’s Peacocks…football team
The Patriots get Dan Orlovsky, the Jets get “Dougie Fresh”. Like the New York Jets, the St. Peters football program disbanded in the late 2000’s. The New York Jets are now just as good as Saints Peters…football. To say that the Jets are as talented as the Peacock’s basketball team would be a slap in the face…to Saint Peters. The last time the Jets had a winning record was in 2015. The last time the Jets won a playoff game was 2010, with none other than Mr. Butt Fumble himself, Mark Sanchez.
In all seriousness, there’s a reason I’m choosing this school as the New York Jets’ college affiliate. Geographically speaking, St. Peters is one of the closest stadiums to Metlife Stadium in the Meadowlands. Well, the Rutgers are a legitimate football team in New Jersey, but let’s be honest here. The Jets aren’t good enough to belong in the same sentence as the scarlet knights of Rutgers. Plus, that team is already reserved for the New York Giants. Yes, they’re not that good either, but have the Jets won a Super Bowl since Namath?
Realistically speaking, the New York Jets resemble Syracuse a lot. Both historic football programs that haven’t been good since the invention of the chin strap. I would change my answer here, but sorry Jets fans, you have to actually play in New York to be affiliated with them.
Thanks for reading my article, I appreciate the support! I just started writing for Gridiron Heroics, but if you’re interested in checking out more of my work here’s a link to another article of mine