Ad Disclosure
College Football
Associated Press ranks the top 100 college football programs of all time
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
For the first time ever, the Associated Press has ranked the nation’s all-time top college football programs.
The rankings have been tabulated from more than 1,100 weekly polls of top college football teams over the past 80 years.
The top 100 programs are based on total poll appearances, number of times ranked No. 1 and AP national championships.
“College football is rich with history, and the AP poll is a unique measure of how the sport has changed through time,” said Noreen Gillespie, deputy sports editor. “The all-time list lets fans interact with that history, and debate how the nation’s top programs fared over time.”
1. Ohio State (1,112 pts)
Total appearances: 852, 77.24% of all polls
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 105
Championships: Five (last 2014)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 92.57% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s appeared in 55.68% of polls.
Poll point: There have only been three seasons during the 80-year history of the AP poll in which the Buckeyes were not ranked at least once, the fewest poll-less seasons of any program.
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 105
Championships: Five (last 2014)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 92.57% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s appeared in 55.68% of polls.
Poll point: There have only been three seasons during the 80-year history of the AP poll in which the Buckeyes were not ranked at least once, the fewest poll-less seasons of any program.
2. Oklahoma (1,055 pts)
Total appearances:784, 71.08% of all polls
First appearance:1938
No.1 ranking:100 1/2
Championships:Seven (last 2000)
Best full decade:1950s appeared in 94.83% of polls.
Worst full decade:1960s appeared in 28.57% of polls.
Poll point:Oklahoma has been top-five in percentage of poll appearances in five decades (1950s, ’70s, ’80s, 2000, ’10), most of any program.
First appearance:1938
No.1 ranking:100 1/2
Championships:Seven (last 2000)
Best full decade:1950s appeared in 94.83% of polls.
Worst full decade:1960s appeared in 28.57% of polls.
Poll point:Oklahoma has been top-five in percentage of poll appearances in five decades (1950s, ’70s, ’80s, 2000, ’10), most of any program.
3. Notre Dame (1,042 pts)
Total appearances: 766, 69.45% of all polls
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 98
Championships: Eight (last 1988)
Best full decade: 1940s appeared in 96.59% of polls.
Worst full decade: 2000s appeared in 45.18% of polls.
Poll point: Notre Dame was ranked at least once every season from the first poll in 1936 through 1961.
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 98
Championships: Eight (last 1988)
Best full decade: 1940s appeared in 96.59% of polls.
Worst full decade: 2000s appeared in 45.18% of polls.
Poll point: Notre Dame was ranked at least once every season from the first poll in 1936 through 1961.
4. Alabama (933 pts)
Total appearances: 745, 67.54% of all polls
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 74
Championships: 10 (last 2015)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 91.22% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s appeared in 18.97% of polls.
Poll point: From Nov. 3, 1980-Oct. 26, 2008, Alabama was only ranked No. 1 once _ the final poll of the 1992 season. The Tide has been top-ranked 43 times since under coach Nick Saban.
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 74
Championships: 10 (last 2015)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 91.22% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s appeared in 18.97% of polls.
Poll point: From Nov. 3, 1980-Oct. 26, 2008, Alabama was only ranked No. 1 once _ the final poll of the 1992 season. The Tide has been top-ranked 43 times since under coach Nick Saban.
5. USC (974 pts)
Total appearances: 743, 67.36% of all polls
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 90 1/2
Championships: Five (last 2004)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 89.86% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s appeared in 47.43% of polls.
Poll point: The Trojans were top-ranked 42 times from Dec. 7, 2003-Sept. 21, 2008 under coach Pete Carroll.
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 90 1/2
Championships: Five (last 2004)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 89.86% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s appeared in 47.43% of polls.
Poll point: The Trojans were top-ranked 42 times from Dec. 7, 2003-Sept. 21, 2008 under coach Pete Carroll.
6. Nebraska (901 pts)
Total appearances: 717, 65% of all polls
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 72
Championships: Four (last 1995)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s appeared in 5.17% of polls.
Poll point: Mostly under coach Tom Osborne, the Cornhuskers were unranked in only three polls combined during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s _ appearing in 99.35 percent over three decades.
First appearance: 1936
No.1 ranking: 72
Championships: Four (last 1995)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s appeared in 5.17% of polls.
Poll point: Mostly under coach Tom Osborne, the Cornhuskers were unranked in only three polls combined during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s _ appearing in 99.35 percent over three decades.
7. Michigan (894 pts)
Total appearances: 806, 73.07% of all polls
First appearance: 1938
No.1 ranking: 34
Championships: Two (last 1997)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s appeared in 26.98% of polls.
Poll point: The Wolverines were first team to appear in every poll over the course of a full decade, when they did it in the 1970s under coach Bo Schembechler.
First appearance: 1938
No.1 ranking: 34
Championships: Two (last 1997)
Best full decade: 1970s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1960s appeared in 26.98% of polls.
Poll point: The Wolverines were first team to appear in every poll over the course of a full decade, when they did it in the 1970s under coach Bo Schembechler.
8. Texas (822 pts)
Total appearances: 703, 63.74% of all polls
First appearance: 1940
No.1 ranking: 44 1/2
Championships: Three (last 2005)
Best full decade: 2000s appeared in 99.40% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1990s appeared in 47.34% of polls.
Poll point: The Longhorns have not had a top-10 rankings since Sept. 19, 2010, the program’s longest such streak since Nov. 26, 1984-Nov. 4, 1990.
First appearance: 1940
No.1 ranking: 44 1/2
Championships: Three (last 2005)
Best full decade: 2000s appeared in 99.40% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1990s appeared in 47.34% of polls.
Poll point: The Longhorns have not had a top-10 rankings since Sept. 19, 2010, the program’s longest such streak since Nov. 26, 1984-Nov. 4, 1990.
9. Florida State (714 pts)
Total appearances: 540, 48.96% of all polls
First appearance: 1964
No.1 ranking: 72
Championships: Three (last 2013)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s no poll appearances.(Florida State started football program in 1947).
Poll point: From Nov. 11, 1990-Sept. 9, 2001, the Seminoles were never ranked lower than 11th under coach Bobby Bowden.
First appearance: 1964
No.1 ranking: 72
Championships: Three (last 2013)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1950s no poll appearances.(Florida State started football program in 1947).
Poll point: From Nov. 11, 1990-Sept. 9, 2001, the Seminoles were never ranked lower than 11th under coach Bobby Bowden.
10. Florida (674 pts)
Total appearances: 562, 50.95% of all polls
First appearance: 1950
No.1 ranking: 41
Championships: Three (last 2008)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 98.82% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s no poll appearances.
Poll point: The Gators had no top-three appearances before Nov. 26, 1984 and then 95 top-three appearances after.
First appearance: 1950
No.1 ranking: 41
Championships: Three (last 2008)
Best full decade: 1990s appeared in 98.82% of polls.
Worst full decade: 1940s no poll appearances.
Poll point: The Gators had no top-three appearances before Nov. 26, 1984 and then 95 top-three appearances after.
11. LSU (655 pts)
12. Penn State (647 pts)
13. Miami (642 pts)
14. Tennessee (624 pts)
15. Georgia (572 pts)
16. Auburn (570 pts)
17. UCLA (535 pts)
18. Texas A&M (477 pts)
19. Michigan State (443 pts)
20. Washington (430 pts)
21. Arkansas (412 pts)
22. Clemson (411 pts)
23. Pittsburgh (356 pts)
24. Wisconsin (366 pts)
25. Iowa (329 pts)
26. Georgia Tech
27. Colorado
28. Oregon
29. Mississippi
30. Arizona State
31. Virginia Tech
32. Stanford
33. West Virginia
34. BYU
35. Missouri
36. Purdue
37. Minnesota
38. North Carolina
39. TCU
40. Maryland
41. Syracuse
42. Army
43. Oklahoma State
44. Kansas State
45. California
46. Mississippi State
47. Baylor
48. South Carolina
49. Houston
50. Northwestern
51. Illinois
52. Virgnia
53. Duke
54. Arizona
55. SMU
56. NC State
57. Boston College
58. Texas Tech
59. Washington State
60. Navy
61. Boise State
62. Louisville
63. Kansas
64. Utah
65. Oregon State
66. Penn
67. Air Force
68. Kentucky
69. Rice
70. Tulane
71. Wyoming
72. Indiana
72. Fresno State
72. Southern Miss
72. Cornell
76. Toledo
77. Santa Clara
77. Tulsa
77. Colorado State
80. Wake Forest
81. Cincinnati
81. Miami (Ohio)
83. Fordham
83. Iowa State
85. Holy Cross
86. Rutgers
87. Dartmouth
88. East Carolina
89. Vanderbilt
90. Yale
91. Princeton
91. Marshall
93. Hawaii
94. USC
95. Villanova
96. Northern Illinois
97. Duquesne
98. Iowa Pre-Flight
99. Columbia
99. William & Mary
99. Nevada
99. Bowling Green
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
