re: The top 3 underachieving athletic programs

Illinois and UNC

Illinois should be much, much better at basketball. If they could keep in-state talent in basketball, they'd be one of the two or three best programs in the country. If they could do it in football, they'd consistently contend for conference championships and high-level bowls and playoffs.

UNC should be a lot better in football.

I'll also throw out the PAC 12 California public schools. UCLA and Cal should be much better than they are in both football and basketball. UCLA is solid in both but not consistently elite. Cal should be damn good at both as well.

Rutgers and Maryland should also both be better in football than they are. New Jersey and Maryland both produce quite a crop of talented players every year.