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What Are the Top 5 College Football Programs of All Time?

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What Are the Top 5 College Football Programs of All Time?

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Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Texas. I think the first four require no explanation. Texas is a homer pick because my mom went there so there is a small portion of my college football fanhood reserved for the Horns. Objectively, I'd probably give the nod to Oklahoma, but that would go against my upbringing.
 
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Winning percentage graphs from 1936-2005 using W/L records from Stassen (duration of AP poll as per BB73's earlier post, and not coincindentally the 10 winningest programs over that period and 10 of the 12 options listed in this poll).

* My source Excel file is linked at the bottom.

Alabama 546 - 214 - 24 (0.712)
Alabama.gif


Michigan 530 - 197 - 17 (0.724)
Michigan.gif


Nebraska 531 - 234 - 13 (0.691)
Nebraska.gif


Notre Dame 530 - 205 - 20 (0.715)
Notre Dame.gif


Ohio State 531 - 183 - 22 (0.736)
Ohio State.gif


Oklahoma 568 - 188 - 22 (0.744)
Oklahoma.gif


Penn State 536 - 198 - 15 (0.726)
Penn State.gif


Southern Cal 516 - 228 - 36 (0.685)
Southern Cal.gif


Tennessee 542 - 209 - 28 (0.714)
Tennessee.gif


Texas 541 - 222 - 15 (0.705)
Texas.gif


Source Excel Workbook
 
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After reading some outstanding and very insightful posts I have arrived at the list of

1. Oklahoma
2 Notre Dame
3. tOSU
4. USC
5. Alabama


I just think Michigan has too many years in between their dominance in the dark ages to being good in recent years.
 
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tmporter;689185; said:
After reading some outstanding and very insightful posts I have arrived at the list of

1. Oklahoma
2 Notre Dame
3. tOSU
4. USC
5. Alabama


I just think Michigan has too many years in between their dominance in the dark ages to being good in recent years.
Click to expand...
What do you mean? When's the "dark ages"?
 
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t_BuckeyeScott;689277; said:
It's not that bad of a #1.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but it is. I hate scUM as much as anyone on this board but to not have them in the top 3 isn't right. I know they had a ton of their success before the 50's but it still counts. They're #1 in all-time win pctg., have plenty of NC's, all-americans, and 3 Heisman trophy winners. Oklahoma is top 5 but nowhere near #1. Notre Dame and scUM belong in the top 3 even if their success isn't that recent. What does Oklahoma even have on us? We have a higher win pctg., same amount of NC's(and have a chance to pass them), more Heismans, and I'm sure a comparable number of All-Americans if not more(can any stat wizzes find that out? Reps).

The only thing that I can think of that Oklahoma has on everyone else is the record for the longest win streak with 47 games.
 
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OregonBuckeye;689422; said:
Sorry, but it is. I hate scUM as much as anyone on this board but to not have them in the top 3 isn't right. I know they had a ton of their success before the 50's but it still counts. They're #1 in all-time win pctg., have plenty of NC's, all-americans, and 3 Heisman trophy winners. Oklahoma is top 5 but nowhere near #1. Notre Dame and scUM belong in the top 3 even if their success isn't that recent. What does Oklahoma even have on us? We have a higher win pctg., same amount of NC's(and have a chance to pass them), more Heismans, and I'm sure a comparable number of All-Americans if not more(can any stat wizzes find that out? Reps).

The only thing that I can think of that Oklahoma has on everyone else is the record for the longest win streak with 47 games.
Click to expand...

I agree. but let the man speak his mind too
 
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OregonBuckeye;689422; said:
Sorry, but it is. I hate scUM as much as anyone on this board but to not have them in the top 3 isn't right. I know they had a ton of their success before the 50's but it still counts. They're #1 in all-time win pctg., have plenty of NC's, all-americans, and 3 Heisman trophy winners. Oklahoma is top 5 but nowhere near #1. Notre Dame and scUM belong in the top 3 even if their success isn't that recent. What does Oklahoma even have on us? We have a higher win pctg., same amount of NC's(and have a chance to pass them), more Heismans, and I'm sure a comparable number of All-Americans if not more(can any stat wizzes find that out? Reps).

The only thing that I can think of that Oklahoma has on everyone else is the record for the longest win streak with 47 games.
Click to expand...

Oklahoma-66 Ohio State- 71
At the end of 2004 season.... Gotta love that College Football Encyclopedia!!!!
 
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OregonBuckeye;689422; said:
Sorry, but it is. I hate scUM as much as anyone on this board but to not have them in the top 3 isn't right. I know they had a ton of their success before the 50's but it still counts. They're #1 in all-time win pctg., have plenty of NC's, all-americans, and 3 Heisman trophy winners. Oklahoma is top 5 but nowhere near #1. Notre Dame and scUM belong in the top 3 even if their success isn't that recent. What does Oklahoma even have on us? We have a higher win pctg., same amount of NC's(and have a chance to pass them), more Heismans, and I'm sure a comparable number of All-Americans if not more(can any stat wizzes find that out? Reps).

The only thing that I can think of that Oklahoma has on everyone else is the record for the longest win streak with 47 games.
Click to expand...

After the season is over, I'll update a post that rates teams based on their poll rankings in every year since 1936. At that point, I think you'll see evidence that Oklahoma can make an argument for being #1.
 
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