Top 15 Best College Football Team Ever | 2022 Ranking

Do you want a simple method to start a debate? If you ask ten fans who they feel is the best team in college football history, you’re going to get a variety of replies.

This discussion deserves a lengthy qualification.

Disagreements are both anticipated and reasonable when discussing every team in the sport’s 150-year history. There is no unarguable method to compare the tens of thousands of teams in a game that has developed over time.

In this article, we bring to you the top 15 best college football teams ever. We focused on unbeaten teams who won a national championship for this rating.

Yes, one-loss teams may be terrific, and choosing a winner has never been ideal. However, several of those contenders are recognized as honorable mentions.

So, let’s see who the best college football team ever is.

Top 15 Best College Football Teams Ever

Who is the all-time greatest?

This is a subject that cannot be answered decisively, thus it always sparks debate and vigorous argument in living rooms throughout the country.

Ranking teams gives many opportunities for debate and comparison, as well as ample opportunity for an older generation to say that their generation’s football players were tougher; football was a man’s sport back then.

They allow you to compare your recollections, tales, and amazing performances to those of others.

The following is a list of the best college football teams ever.

Agree or disagree, dislike or love it, but take a moment to reflect on the past.

Take some time to read about the teams who have long ago passed into the annals of athletic folklore and history and are part of the lore of the world’s best sport, college football.

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1. 1945 Army Black Knights

With an amazing 9-0 record and going ahead to beat No. 2 Navy 32-13 in the regular-season finale and finally ranking as No. 1 (AP), the 1945 Army Black Knights were formidable, to say the least.

In their junior seasons, fullback Doc Blanchard and halfback Glenn Davis’s legends were in full bloom. The “Touchdown Twins” scored 34 touchdowns (17 each) and gained 2,031 yards from scrimmage.

Earl “Red” Blaik was head coach and had notable players like Blanchard, Davis, offensive/defensive linemen Tex Coulter, and John Green on the team.

What are our arguments for these Black Knights being the best of the post-war era, if not of all time?

Begin with the invincible “Mr. Inside” (Doc Blanchard) and Mr. Outside (Glenn Davis), a once-in-a-lifetime combination of star power. Furthermore, thanks to lenient post-war transfer restrictions, Blaik was able to assemble his own All-America squad.

Not to mention that, as repeat national champions, the nucleus of this Army squad had previously gone through conflicts.

It annihilated five ranked opponents, including No. 2 Notre Dame (48-0) and No. 6 Penn (61-0), and Blanchard was named Heisman Trophy winner in a two-man contest. Davis’s time would come a year later.

No doubt they deserve a place as one of the best college football teams ever.

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2. 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

With a record of 8-0-1 and beating the No. 16 USC 26-6 in the regular-season finale to finally rank No. 1 (AP), the 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish is definitely one of the best college football teams ever.

With the addition of Outland Trophy winner George Connor from Holy Cross, this defense became historically strong. It gave up 120.0 yards per game and 2.7 points each game.

The Head coach was Frank Leahy while a few notable players on the team were  Connor, offensive/defensive halfback Terry Brennan, quarterback/safety Johnny Lujack, and offensive/defensive lineman George Strohmeyer

Another one on our list of best college football teams ever is the 1946 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The season came down to an epic defensive fight on Nov. 9 at Yankee Stadium between No. 1 Army and No. 2 Notre Dame, which ended in a scoreless draw.

When the Black Knights struggled to upset the unranked Navy and the Irish easily defeated USC three weeks later, the teams were ranked in reverse order in the final ballot.

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3. 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers ended 13-0, ranked first (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI), and defeated No. 2 Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. With Bob Devaney as head coach, just three opponents outscored them by more than seven points.

Johnny Rodgers, a wingback/kick returner, quarterback Jerry Tagge, and defensive lineman Willie Harper and Larry Jacobson are among the famous players.

The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers are sure one of the best college football teams ever. After their incredible comeback the previous season, the core of the 1971 national champions left no room for doubt this time.

Along the road, they defeated No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Colorado, and No. 4 Alabama.

Only the Sooners (35-31) came close in a thrilling Thanksgiving Day clash in Norman, Oklahoma.

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4. 1972 Southern California Trojans

With a 12-0 record and having to defeat No. 2 Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl to ultimately be ranked No. 1, (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI). Six rated opponents were destroyed by the Trojans by an average of 34-7. Only a 30-21 victory against No. 15 Stanford came by a single digit.

Head coach John McKay led the team, which had prominent players such as tailback/kickoff returner Anthony Davis, split end Lynn Swann, linebacker Richard Wood, and tight end Charles Young.

According to the famous John McKay, his Trojans would have been a 3 1/2-point favorite over their Coliseum co-partners, the 6-7-1 Rams.

Keith Jackson, college football’s voice for five decades, believed this team was the best.

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5. 1948 Michigan Wolverines

The 1948 Michigan Wolverines finished with a 9-0 record, defeating No. 13 Ohio State 13-3 in the regular-season finale to claim the No. 1 spot (AP). Do you wish to be defensive? OK, we’ve prepared your defense: The Wolverines gave up six touchdowns in 36 periods. They beat Oregon, No. 15 Purdue, and No. 3 Northwestern in consecutive weeks.

They also featured head coach Bennie Oosterbaan and several prominent players such as quarterback Pete Elliott, offensive/defensive end Dick Rifenburg, offensive/defensive lineman Domini Tomasi and Al Wistert.

This list of best college football teams ever won’t be complete without the 1948 Michigan Wolverines. The commencement of the Bennie Oosterbaan offered sweet payback one year after the undefeated Wolverines finished a distant second to Notre Dame in the AP rankings.

After some early troubles, the “Victors Valiant” took up the top place in early November with a 35-0 defeat over the Navy.

Their final eight victories were all by a large margin.

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6. 1974 Oklahoma Sooners

The 1974 Oklahoma Sooners finished the regular season undefeated, defeating unranked Oklahoma State 44-17. The defense never let up more than 14 points in a game, while the famous wishbone offense only failed to score at least 28 points once.

They had Barry Switzer as head coach at the time, and prominent players included defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon, linebacker Rod Shoate, offensive lineman John Roush, and tailback Joe Washington.

The 1974 Oklahoma Sooners deserve a spot in the best college football teams ever. We were hesitant to place the unbeaten Sooners in the top 10 for two reasons:

1) they only faced two ranked opponents, including a 16-13 scare against No. 17 Texas in one of them, and

2) they missed the bowl season due to probation.

However, we couldn’t ignore Barry Switzer’s embarrassment of riches in his second year.

Or that his squad came through in a 28-14 win against No. 6 Nebraska late in the season, which served as its bowl game.

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7. 2018 Clemson Tigers

They are 15-0 and defeated No. 1 Alabama in the CFP title game 44-16. Their final AP, FWAA/NFF ranking was No. 1.

Throughout the game, the Tigers dominated. They were first in the country in terms of points allowed (13.1) and fourth in terms of points scored (14). (44.3).

Head coach Dabo Swinney oversaw prominent players like as running back Travis Etienne, linebacker Clelin Farrell, offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

After close calls against Texas A&M and Syracuse in the first five games, Trevor Lawrence took over as head coach, and his team took off.

It peaked in the postseason with three blowouts totaling 116-29.

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8. 2001 Miami Hurricanes

They have a perfect 11-0 record. They won the Rose Bowl (BCS title game) 37-14 against No. 4 Nebraska (AP, FWAA, NFF).

In traditional ‘Canes fashion, the defense was equal parts physical skill and loudmouth arrogance. It averaged 9.8 points per game and 9.9 penalties taken. The Hurricanes’ head coach was Larry Coker, and noteworthy players were quarterback Ken Dorsey, offensive lineman Bryan McKinnie, running back Clinton Portis, and safety Ed Reed.

Give it up for the 2001 Miami Hurricanes who are one of the best college football teams ever. Larry Coker didn’t inherit merely a highly motivated competitor who had been overlooked by the BCS algorithms the previous season. More like a potential NFL franchise.

Ken Dorsey (Maxwell) and Bryan McKinnie (Outland) got major honors, Ed Reed was a unanimous All-American, and Phillip Buchanon, Joaquin Gonzalez, and Jeremy Shockey were all named All-Americans.

Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Willis McGahee, Antrel Rolle, Jonathan Vilma, and Vince Wilfork are not among them.

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9. 2004 Southern California Trojans

The 2003 Southern California Trojans finished No. 1 with a 13-0 record after defeating No. 2 Oklahoma 59-16 in the Orange Bowl. There was nothing better in terms of pure entertainment value. This exceptionally talented group won by an average of 25 points per game.

Pete Carroll was the head coach, and notable players included tailback/kick returner Reggie Bush, defensive linemen Shaun Cody, quarterback Matt Leinert, and tailback Lendale White.

Boredom is their most formidable foe. This is the case for the 2004 South California Trojans who are one of the best college football teams ever.

Despite three underwhelming Pac-10 Road victories, the Trojans were unbeaten from start to end.

In a stunning bowl performance, they demonstrated their all-time excellence.

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10. 1952 Michigan State Spartans

The No. 1 Michigan State Spartans defeated Marquette 62-13 in the regular-season finale in 1952. (AP, UP). They are 9-0. Take a look at that! A club from the 1950s with a big-play pass offense! Sparty averaged 8.8 yards per attempt via the air. They also had a solid ground game, with four starters averaging 5.0 yards per carry or more.

Clarence “Biggie” Munn was the head coach, and some of the team’s standout players were offensive/defensive end Paul Dekker, quarterback/safety Tom Yewcic, offensive/defensive halfbacks Don McAuliffe and Billy Wells.

26 lettermen returned for one of the country’s deepest and most experienced teams in their final year as an independent. They came out on top in ten of the eleven Associated Press polls.

The final stumbling block was a 21-3 thumping of sixth-ranked Notre Dame in East Lansing in the second-to-last game.

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11. 2008 Florida Gators

The 2008 Florida Gators finished first in the BCS standings after defeating No. 2 Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS championship game (AP, FWAA, NFF). Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner, led the offense with 673 yards on the run and 2,746 yards via the air. What set this team unique was an unusual balance – it ranked fourth in the country in both points scored (43.6) and points allowed (43.6). (12.9).

The team’s head coach was Urban Meyer, and noteworthy players included Tebow, defensive tackle Carlos Dunlap, running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin, and cornerback Joe Haden.

The 2008 Florida Gators are one of the best college football teams ever because these deep and talented Gators dominated like few modern-era national champions.

Only a 31-30 loss to Ole Miss in Week 4 kept the team from going undefeated.

Florida ended the season with two exclamation points: victories against No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Oklahoma in the conference and national title games, respectively.

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12. 1954 Ohio State Buckeyes

They are undefeated and defeated No. 17 Southern California 20-7 in the Rose Bowl.

Finally ranking first (AP). The defense forced 35 turnovers and held a half-dozen ranked opponents to an average of nine points per game. No opponent scored more than 14 points in any of the final five games.

Head coach Woody Hayes oversees a roster that includes offensive/defensive halfback Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, offensive/defensive end Dean Dugger, quarterback Dave Leggett, and offensive/defensive halfback Bobby Watkins.

Although his 1968 winners got more recognition, a deeper examination indicates that this is the best Woody Hayes-inspired group of all time.

The no-repeat rule prevented the Buckeyes from meeting No. 2 UCLA in the Rose Bowl, but by nearly every measure, the Buckeyes were the more battle-tested team.

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13. 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide

The 1978 Alabama Crimson Tide are 11-1 and defeated No. 1 Penn State 14-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Their final position was first (AP, FWAA, NFF).

This Alabama team was stacked, especially in the backfield, as a succession of backs frequently ran the ball and wore out opponents. A half-dozen guys rushed for at least 200 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per run.

Paul (Bear) Bryant was the head coach, and prominent players included linebacker Barry Krauss, halfback/kick returner Tony Nathan, defensive lineman Marty Lyons, and quarterback Jeff Rutledge.

The 1978 Alabama squad is one of the best college football teams ever. This wasn’t the most talented of Bear Bryant’s teams, but it was the most balanced and tenacious.

That was evident on the season’s last play when the defense stuffed successive run attempts at the 1-yard line with the national championship on the line.

Down in Bama, it’s still referred to as “The Stand.”

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14. 2019 Louisiana State Tigers

In 2019, the Louisiana State Tigers are undefeated at 15-0. In the BCS title game, they defeated Clemson 42-25.

Also, in 60 quarters, transfer quarterback Joe Burrow completed 76.3 percent of his throws for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns. Except for one game, the explosive offense scored at least 36 points.

Burrow, wide receiver J’Marr Chase, safety Grant Delpit, and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. were among the prominent players coached by Ed Orgeron.

In what some consider to be the most dominant season in college football history, the Tigers defeated seven top-10 opponents by an average score of 43-24.

They were beaten by Auburn 23-20 and Alabama 46-41 in consecutive weeks.

Only a weak year in the Southeast Conference and a defense-challenged era keep this team from ranking higher. They are one of the best college football teams ever.

15. 2005 Texas Longhorns

The 2005 Texas Longhorns finished with a perfect record of 13-0 and come in last place on our ranking. They ultimately ranked No. 1 after winning the Rose Bowl (BCS title game) with a 41-38 victory over No. 1 Southern California (AP, FWAA, NFF).

Therefore, the defense is the key to winning championships? These were among the national winners of the past few years who only excelled in one area, but what an area it was! In the last 11 games, the offense had at least one game in which it scored 40 points or more. There were four runners who scored ten or more touchdowns.

Mac Brown was the head coach, and some prominent players on the squad were quarterback Vince Young, running back Jamaal Charles, offensive lineman Jonathan Scott, and safety Michael Huff.

What differentiates being simply brilliant from being regarded as one of the greatest of all time? 19 seconds are involved in this situation here.

Because this team would not have been considered for this list if Vince Young had not scored the game-winning touchdown in the last minute of the Rose Bowl, capping off an unbelievable comeback.

This is why we feel they deserve a spot in the best college football teams ever.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

These list of the Best College Football Teams Ever are some outstanding teams that performed outstanding fits and as such deserve to be known as one of the best college football teams ever. Hope you enjoyed the read.

References

• stadiumtalk.com/  – Greatest college football teams
• bleacherreport.com/  – The 10 best college football teams of all time
• espn.com/
• Image link: https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/386/978/cccdd9ca61d4192a612565cb1a8fdfa9_crop_exact.jpg?w=2975&h=2048&q=8

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