Top 10 Best College Football Teams of All Time

The greatest collegiate football teams to play the game.
The Top Ten
1 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Plain and simple, the best team ever! They would have beaten some NFL teams that year.

How good was this team? I'd lay 30 points against any other team on this list.

Look at the stats and look at the film. No team is even close.

2 2001 Miami Hurricanes

Easily the greatest team of all time, this team was insane.

All-Star team. Record number of first-round picks.

Greatest ever. Best ever. No debate.

3 2005 USC Trojans

USC would have beaten Texas if the refs would have done their job. In college rules, if any part of a player's body touches the ground while in possession of the football, it is considered down and the play is over, even without contact.

Two Heisman Trophy winners on the same team, not only winning the BCS but completely blowing out an undefeated Oklahoma team! Winning consecutive BCS titles. What else could this team have done to be any better? Ninth rank? This is the most ridiculous poll I've ever seen.

The defense held teams to under 9 points a game and was one play away from three straight NCs. They had 11 NFL draftees and two Heisman Trophy winners. And you rank them 9th? Really? Child, please.

4 2005 Texas Longhorns

There is only one team that played another team on this list in the same year and won: Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC all defeated. USC had two national titles, 16 All-Americans, and two Heisman Trophy winners, but they didn't have Vince Young! Not to mention, Vince only played 2-3 quarters for most of the season.

Vince was awesome, and it was the greatest football game ever played. Texas Longhorns won it! They would have beaten Alabama years later if Colt hadn't been knocked out of the game by a freak injury. And the Alabama fans knew it since Texas almost beat them with a freshman backup QB.

A defense that held the Heisman Trophy winner to a horrible amount of yards? A quarterback that ran for more yards than the Heisman running back on the other team? Talk about invincible! This team was unstoppable! Great USC team in that national championship too!

5 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide

This team had four future first-round NFL draft picks starting on its defense, and the defense was on the field often due to an average offense. However, it still managed to hold its opponents to an average of 9.3 points and 50 yards rushing per game. If any opposing quarterback had not thrown the ball within three seconds, he was usually sacked or, at the very least, hurried into making a bad throw. Out of the starting 11 on defense, eight made it to the NFL, and one of the remaining players did not make it only because of a serious car accident. Since passing rules were liberalized in the 1970s, this team has had the most dominant defense in college football.

Without question, the most dominating defense in college football since World War II, the defense could always be counted on for one to two touchdowns per game. Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta had the worst night of his life in the Sugar Bowl/National Championship Game that year. Copeland, Curry, and Teague made his life miserable. Gene Stallings proved what a brilliant defensive coach he was that year. He just turned his guys loose. The offense was decent but nothing special. They had a good running game and a quarterback in Jay Barker who was a good leader and did not make many mistakes. A really fun team to watch.

It's great to see a class act like Coach Stallings and his team win the title.

6 2013 Florida State Seminoles

Obviously, the best and most talented team ever in the NCAA. Look at the statistics of those players in the NFL now. They scored the most points in a season without the hurry-up offense again like that guy said. And the defense scored touchdowns too, and that defense was lockdown. If we played that 1995 Nebraska team, we would beat them because they ran the option, and we had a fast defense who was hungry for a National Championship. Our offense would blow over that Nebraska team, no question. You also had 2,000-yard receivers, a 1,000-yard rusher, and a Heisman-winning QB. We will never see a team with that much talent ever again. People won't give that team credit, but people will go back and look at this team and say, "Wow, that team was loaded at every single position." We outscored opponents by the biggest margin ever in a season span. That is why this team is the #1 College Football Team of all time, and you all will think so too.

7 1991 Washington Huskies

The 1991 Washington team outscored their opponents 495-115, even though Don James didn't like to run up the score on teams. I remember him pulling starters early in the second half in most of those games. Their defense was outstanding, only giving up 9 points per game. They defeated three top 10 teams on the road that year, including a 34-14 win over the #4 ranked Michigan. The following year, twelve players were drafted, including the #1 overall pick. I would have loved to see them play Miami that year. Miami was incredible in 1991. Nebraska was the only team that played against both Washington and Miami that year, and coach Tom Osborne was quoted as saying Washington would have beaten Miami if they had played each other.

The only reason the Huskies had to share a portion of the championship instead of getting to claim it all themselves is East Coast Bias. More people live there, and since people often tend to emotionally elevate things that are geographically closer to them (despite what they say), Miami got more Associated Press votes. The Coaches Poll, aka the people who know what they're talking about, knew the Dawgs were way better and had them at the top. Retrospectively, just about everyone has the Huskies as one of the best teams ever. Here they are at number 5 where the '91 Miami team isn't in the top 50.

8 1997 Michigan Wolverines

Nebraska wouldn't have even put up 14 against that defensive monster. We would have been consensus national champions if it weren't for one stupid coach ranking us at 25 because Osborne rigged it and bought off other coaches. I hated him; he was overrated for 15 years, and in the last few, he finally got his act together and won a few championships. But everyone knows Michigan was simply better that year. I predict a 24-14 victory for Michigan if we played each other. It would be very close, but Michigan would shut them down in the second half.

Michigan's defense only allowed 9 points per game that year. The difference maker between them and the Huskers would be that Michigan could pass the ball. Both teams had great rushers, but Michigan had a better balance, and that's why Michigan would've won a game between the two. Oh, and Michigan didn't need an "accidental, on-purpose" kicked ball touchdown to save the game against a weak opponent.

9 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama's first Heisman was running back Mark Ingram, who ran through the SEC. His backup, Trent Richardson, is believed by many to be better than him. Greg McElroy, who never wanted to lose a game, was also part of the team. Julio Jones, possibly the toughest wide receiver in college history, played alongside them. The defense of Alabama during that time was considered the best of the 21st century. They successfully shut down one of the greatest college quarterbacks in history, Tim Tebow.

Superior game management skills and intensity that were unrivaled across the country, fan support that puts over 100k in the stands at home, and a traveling crew of thousands. It doesn't hurt to have the most intellectually gifted coach since the Bear in Tuscaloosa either!

Great talent, hard competition, unbeaten season. Roll Tide, Roll!

10 2008 Florida Gators

This was a great team. They missed an extra point in their only loss to a good Ole Miss team. They crushed everyone else, scoring 49 and 51 points against the top 10 teams Georgia and LSU. They held the high-scoring OU to only 14 points. If they hadn't lost to Ole Miss, they would be in my top 5.

In 2008, several Gators became starters in the NFL: Tebow, Percy Harvin, David Nelson, Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, Will Hill, Ahmad Black, Major Wright, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, both Pouncey twins, Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, Louis Murphey, and Caleb Sturgis. This team is undoubtedly one of the top 5 teams, if not in the top 3.

After Ole Miss, they blew nearly every team out of the water, which included a lot of top teams.

The Newcomers

? 2018 Clemson Tigers
? 2022 Georgia Bulldogs
The Contenders
11 2005 Texas Longhorns

Vince Young should've won the Heisman Trophy that year. They need to have the balloting after all bowls are finished. He led the highest scoring offense in the nation at 50.2 per game, including the Rose Bowl. The defense was outstanding as well, tying for 8th in scoring defense with 16.4 points per game and 8th in pass defense, allowing only 172 yards per outing. I remember when ESPN matched 2005 USC against the top 10 teams ever, and they said if Texas beat USC, you had to put them at least in the top three.

You have a mix-up between 2005 and 2006 Texas. This team was probably the third-best team in college history. 2006 Texas should not be listed.

This team could have easily beaten most teams on the list. Definitely top 7 greatest team of all time.

12 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide

This team was unstoppable. They had a defense that forced turnovers and didn't turn the ball over. We won when we needed to win, scored lots of points, and never allowed 30 or more points in one game. In most games, we put up more than 30 points. We also had Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White, AJ McCarron, T.J. Yeldon, Landon Collins, Eddie Lacy, and other good defensive players.

13 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes

Cassidy wasn't on this team. They ran the ball down everyone's throat. The best game of the entire season was their own full-contact practice. They had one of the greatest coaching staffs ever assembled. They destroyed USC and O.J. in the Rose Bowl. They started the fire for the "10-year war." They had tons of All-Americans and beat Michigan 50-14. Kern, Otis, Foley, Mayes, Jankowski, Sensibaugh, Tatum, Brungard. Even when Lou Holtz is the guy who gets the coffee, you're damn good.

Modern era teams can't compare. This was knuckle-bleeding football. And this was the toughest team on the gridiron.

Woody Hayes, Hopalong Cassidy (Heisman), and killed USC in the Rose Bowl, going undefeated.

14 2003 LSU Tigers

My favorite team. They were doing well this year, then all of a sudden they lost to Alabama on the road and seemed to almost give up mentally. Hope they get 'em next year.

15 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes

This is a top 5 team of all time. Talent all over the field. They won the title with a 3rd string QB, despite facing adversity with two QBs going down and their teammate committing suicide. Zeke carried this team through the championship games. I've never seen anything like it. Urban did the best coaching job of all time. They were underdogs in all 3 of their final games. Go Bucks.

As an Ohio State fan following this season, I personally believe that the Buckeyes' 2014 season is one of the most dramatic and impressive championship runs in sports history (also 2016 Cubs). Going into the season, Braxton Miller was expected to be a top Heisman candidate. After Game 1, his season was over. It doesn't matter. In comes true freshman JT Barrett, who leads the team to an almost perfect season, with only a single loss.

However, in the last regular-season game (against Michigan, of course), he also gets injured and would not be healthy to even attempt playing in the postseason. However, this quarterback loss turns out to be just as irrelevant as the first to the amazingly talented 2014 team.

So in comes Cardale Jones, and in his first career start in college, a Big Ten Championship game after a blindside-esque early life, he leads a route so huge on the 13th ranked Wisconsin team with 300+ yards and 3 TDs that the UW coach is fired within 2 days. Even with this ungodly performance against a great team, Ohio State's acceptance into the first-ever CFP was filled with controversy, as the previously 4th ranked team was removed.

Many people believed that TCU should have remained 4th, especially with OSU's brand new QB Jones. And then down goes 'Bama. And then down goes Oregon. I'd say that controversy is over, after the 2014 bucks became the first-ever CFP champions, and with an insanely melodramatic season, usher in a new era in NCAA Football History. *mic drop*

16 1972 USC Trojans

Um, hello? This was the best team ever. Sam Cunningham and OJ Simpson! They blew out every team they faced.

How quickly people forget! Is this a popularity poll or fact? This SC team was in the top 3 ever!

17 1998 Tennessee Volunteers

Played one of the hardest schedules ever. On the '98 schedule, 8 wins were over bowl teams, 6 of those went to January bowls, 4 were top ten teams, and 3 played in BCS Bowls. The '98 Vols beat every single one of them, unlike many of the teams on this list. Led by Tee Martin and Peerless Price on offense, with Al Wilson and Deon Grant on the #1 defense in the SEC.

Beat 8 top ten teams, 3 of which went to BCS Bowls. Beat all of them! Many on this list are good but didn't win every single game, and none of them had to beat both Florida schools in their prime with Spurrier and Bowden at the helm. 13-0 UNDEFEATED 1998 SEC and National Champions.

Peyton Manning was not on this team, though they were very good on defense with 11 NFL-caliber starters. Peerless Price was the most dynamic player on the team, and the Arkansas game was an instant classic.

18 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide

Since 2009, the Tide has recruited the best, strongest, and fastest players. The 2011 team would have beaten any of the others. They had top 5 recruiting classes every year.

That year, they didn't have many turnovers and had players like AJ, Marco, Trent, Rishon, Edge, Lesley, and other star defensive players.

No team with a loss on their schedule belongs anywhere close to this list.

19 1994 Penn State Nittany Lions
20 2011 LSU Tigers

The team was undefeated with the hardest schedule leading up to the BCS championship.

21 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

I've been watching this game since 1960. The Big Eight finishes 1, 2, and 3 in all the polls. Their schedule was filled with ranked teams. They were stellar in every part of the game. They beat all the teams except the 2006 Longhorns.

I watched this team play. They would have wiped the floor with the 1995 Nebraska Squad. They played in a tougher era of college football and dominated like no other team. They were the fastest team I ever saw.

They were the only team on this list that went head-to-head with the three teams ranked 2, 3, and 4 and beat them all! Also, they were unanimously voted #1 by every poll in the country!

22 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
23 1955 Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners are probably the most successful NCAA football team ever. They've had so many Heisman Trophy winners and a ton of first-round draft picks. It's also one of the hardest places to play.

Handed the best college football team of the 2000s, the Crimson Tide, a whipping in the bowl game of the 2013 season, amidst everyone counting them out.

The Oklahoma Sooners have the facts to back them up. They are one of the best football teams ever.

24 2011 Clemson Tigers
25 2010 Oregon Ducks

Darron Thomas, LaMichael James, and Jeff Maehl: these three completed the Ducks' road to the national championship. Teams tried slowing them down but just couldn't. Auburn, according to the stats book, should have lost, but they didn't. This was due to their running back's knee not touching the ground, and the Ducks had no clue what had happened. This turn of events put Auburn in field goal range, allowing them to run down the clock and secure the game. The Ducks were the best college football team.

This team was incredible to watch as they beat teams by unheard-of margins for this era. Just 'cause they happened to face a quarterback in Cam Newton was really unfortunate.

They had an amazing offense and crushed every team in the Pac-10.

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