🏈 Top 10 College football programs of all-time!

[18Champs]

Before you click the link, where do you think this puts Alabama?

As of the completion of the 2015 season, Alabama has 864 official victories in NCAA Division I (an additional 21 victories were vacated and 8 victories and 1 tie were forfeited), has won 29 conference championships (4 Southern Conference and 25 SEC championships) and has made an NCAA-record 62 postseason bowl appearances. Other NCAA records include 23 10-game or more winning streaks and 19 seasons with a 10–0 start. The program has had 34 10-win seasons (plus one vacated), and has 35 bowl victories, both NCAA records. Alabama has completed 10 undefeated seasons, 9 of which were perfect seasons. The Crimson Tide leads the SEC West Division with eleven division titles and ten appearances in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama holds a winning record against every current and former SEC school. The Associated Press (AP) ranks Alabama 4th in all-time final AP Poll appearances, with 53 through the 2015 season.

Bear Bryant’s 1961-66 and 1977-79 teams were college football dynasties and you know what Nick Saban is doing right now, so I don’t think the top of this list will be changing anytime soon.

Top 10 College football programs of all-time! - The Grueling Truth

 

[PCRammer]

The ranking of ND at 7 and Miami surprises me the most. I can't argue with it. it just surprises me the media went with actual facts and numbers and not just prestige. Sucks for the Gators fans in that FSU and UM are on the list and they are not.

 

[AFF]

Pre-Saban these types of lists usually caused great debate among college fans. Funny how the only question now is who's #2 and lower. No serious fan questions the Tide's place. And I just loves it ...

 

[planomateo]

The ranking of ND at 7 and Miami surprises me the most. I can't argue with it. it just surprises me the media went with actual facts and numbers and not just prestige. Sucks for the Gators fans in that FSU and UM are on the list and they are not.

Not sure any of the Florida teams should be on the list, but I'd have a hard time arguing who should be there in their place. It does seem that Miami is a bit too high, what have they done the last decade and prior to the 80's.

 

[Bamabww]

I guess my biggest disagreement would be Miami at #3 but as @planomateo said, I don't know who I'd put in their place.

 

[BamaFan334]

Not sure any of the Florida teams should be on the list, but I'd have a hard time arguing who should be there in their place. It does seem that Miami is a bit too high, what have they done the last decade and prior to the 80's.

Miami hasn't been around near as long as these other programs either. Considering what they have accomplished and quite possibly fielding the best team we've ever seen, I think they deserve the list.

 

[TUSKtimes]

If you make a list with the audacity to say ALL-TIME, then make it about ALL-TIME. That prisoner of the moment top 10 won't tell the college ranking story past the quarter century mark.

ALL-TIME:
1-Alabama
2-Notre Dame
3-USC
4-Oklahoma
5-Ohio St.
6-Michigan
7-Texas
8-Nebraska
9-LSU
10-Tennessee

 

[planomateo]

Miami hasn't been around near as long as these other programs either. Considering what they have accomplished and quite possibly fielding the best team we've ever seen, I think they deserve the list.

Since we're talking about "all time programs", you have to look at the sum of the parts, not just the ~20 good years.

• .500 bowl record (18-18)
• 10 College Football HOF members (keep in mind the requirements to get into the College Football HOF). Only 4 of these HOFers are from their championship years, Torretta (QB), Testaverde (QB), Blades (S), & Maryland (DT). All the greats didn't received first team all-american recognition None of the coaches with Miami MNC's are on the list either. Granted, there are some major snubs with the College Football HOF (Alabama guys too). For the record, Alabama has 20 (4 coaches) and I would imagine we'll to the list very soon with the
• Conference titles... ZERO while in the ACC. They've won conference titles 9 times (3 of which they were co-champs)...all in the Big East (they were in the Big East from 1991-2003).

There is no doubt Miami had the talent to play anyone, they were loaded. But when looking at the sum, I just don't see it and I'm barely touching the surface here with 5 mins worth of research.

 

[BamaFan334]

Since we're talking about "all time programs", you have to look at the sum of the parts, not just the ~20 good years.

• .500 bowl record (18-18)
• 10 College Football HOF members (keep in mind the requirements to get into the College Football HOF). Only 4 of these HOFers are from their championship years, Torretta (QB), Testaverde (QB), Blades (S), & Maryland (DT). All the greats didn't received first team all-american recognition None of the coaches with Miami MNC's are on the list either. Granted, there are some major snubs with the College Football HOF (Alabama guys too). For the record, Alabama has 20 (4 coaches) and I would imagine we'll to the list very soon with the
• Conference titles... ZERO while in the ACC. They've won conference titles 9 times (3 of which they were co-champs)...all in the Big East (they were in the Big East from 1991-2003).

There is no doubt Miami had the talent to play anyone, they were loaded. But when looking at the sum, I just don't see it and I'm barely touching the surface here with 5 mins worth of research.

I still see more Championships in a shorter amount of time than everyone except us. Their program isn't 100 years old like others on this list, so I see them accomplishing what they could in a quicker amount of time. They have been sanctioned pretty bad since entering the ACC, so that is a skewed number in my eyes. Did it to themselves, but still, playing with a disadvantage. Not really worried about Hall of Famers, because we know they have put talent into the NFL. As far as bowl games, lord knows what can happen in those, and one of those losses was a stripped National Championship against Ohio State that we could talk about over and over again. I mean, we lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl, shit happens. But overall, they have been one of the best programs I have seen. Notre Dame is living off past glory here, as is Nebraska.

 

[planomateo]

I still see more Championships in a shorter amount of time than everyone except us. Their program isn't 100 years old like others on this list, so I see them accomplishing what they could in a quicker amount of time. They have been sanctioned pretty bad since entering the ACC, so that is a skewed number in my eyes. Did it to themselves, but still, playing with a disadvantage. Not really worried about Hall of Famers, because we know they have put talent into the NFL. As far as bowl games, lord knows what can happen in those, and one of those losses was a stripped National Championship against Ohio State that we could talk about over and over again. I mean, we lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl, **** happens. But overall, they have been one of the best programs I have seen. Notre Dame is living off past glory here, as is Nebraska.

Miami's been playing football since the 20's, damn close to 100 years. Regardless, they've good years were few not spread out like the others. Hard for me to get behind them as one of the top 10 of all times. I still see them as being really good during a small time frame.

 

[252BAMA]

Actually a better case could be made for Princeton. Or take 'All-Time' out of the title.

FBS Football

 

[bamachine]

BTW, someone over at the Shag redid this, only using the final AP poll of each year.

You have to adjust the scoring since you can no longer give points for regular season #1, but if you change the scoring to 1 point for final top 25, 2 points for final top 5, and 10 points for final #1, you get a top 10 of:

1. Alabama - 163 points
2. Notre Dame - 144 points
3. Oklahoma - 143 points
4. Ohio State - 125 points
5. USC - 110 points
6. Michigan - 109 points
7. Nebraska - 106 points
8. Texas - 93 points
9. Miami - 82 points
10. Tennessee - 80 points