Which College Football Team Is the Most Prestigious?

[LordJeffBuck]

College football fans like to cite facts and figures to claim that their favorite team is the most prestigious program in the country, or in their conference, or at least compared to their biggest rival. Usually such facts and figures are chosen very selectively, and are presented in isolation and devoid of any context. The three primary stats that fans rely upon are total wins, winning percentage, and national championships, although some people will use other items such as conference titles, All Americans, award winners, Hall of Famers, and bowl game performances. I have come up with a formula that combines all of those data in order to determine which colege football programs are really the most prestigious.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

The Formula

National championships are probably the most important factor in determining a program's prestige, so they are weighted most heavily in my formula. I have awarded points only for national championships that are recognized by the NCAA, which are the following: (a) before 1936, the NCAA recognizes retroactive national championships awarded by the College Football Research Association (CFRA), the Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF), and the National Championship Foundation (NCF); (b) from 1936 to date, the NCAA recognizes the Associted Press (AP) champ; (c) from 1950 to date, the NCAA recognizes the coaches' poll (CP) champ; (d) from 1954 to date, the NCAA recognizes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) champ; and (e) from 1959 to date, the NCAA recognizes the National Football Foundation (NFF) champ. Because the AP and CP titles are by far the most prestigious, they are given considerably more points in the formula than the others.

Conference championships are also given some consideration, and this factor really hurts teams like Notre Dame, Army, Navy, Penn State, and Pittsburgh that are still independents, or that were independents for many years. Likewise, it unduly helps teams like BYU and Utah that have performed well in weak conferences.

Winning percentage is not considered, but net wins (wins minus losses, ties disregarded) are a huge factor. For example, over a third of Ohio State's total prestige points comes from the Buckeyes' 502 net wins (as of the end of the 2008 season).

Individual players and coaches also factor into the perceived prestige of a program, so All Americans, Hall of Famers, and major and minor award winners are used in the formula. For All American selections, I used only the Walter Camp, because Walter Camp has been naming a team since the late 1800's. For Hall of Famers, I counted a player or coach for any team where he made a significant impact; thus Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch counts both for Wisconsin and Michigan, and many coaches count for two or more teams. I used the following major awards: Heisman (best player), Maxwell (best player), Outland (interior lineman), Lombardi (lineman or linebacker), and AFCA Coach of the Year; and the following minor awards: O'Brien (quarterback), Walker (running back), Biletnikoff (wide receiver), Nagurski (defender), Bednarik (defender), Butkus (linebacker), Thorpe (defensive back); Groza (place kicker), Guy (punter), and Draddy/Campbell ("academic Heisman"). I tried to cover all positions, and gave more weight to the older and more respected awards; I did not consider awards that were too newly-created (the Lott Trophy from 2004 to date) or too highly-specialized (Rimington for centers, Hendricks for defensive ends, Mackey for tight ends) or duplicative (Baugh, Manning, Unitas for quarterbacks).

The formula is as follows:

1 point for each net win (total wins minus total losses).
5 points for each perfect season (8 games minimum).
2.5 points for each undefeated (but not perfect) season (8 games minimum).
10 points for each retroactive (pre-1936) national championship (CFRA, HAF, NCF)
50 points for each AP national championship between 1936 and 1949 (pre-coaches' poll)
25 points for each AP national championship from 1950 to date.
25 points for each CP national championship.
5 points for each minor national championship (FWAA, NCF).
5 points for each conference championship.
5 points for each major bowl win (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta[sup]1[/sup], Cotton[sup]2[/sup]).
4 points for each major bowl tie.
2 points for each major bowl loss.
3 points for each minor bowl win.
2 points for each minor bowl tie.
1 point for each minor bowl loss.
10 points for each Heisman.
5 points for each other major award (Maxwell, Outland, Lombardi, and AFCA-COY).
2.5 points for each minor award.
1 point for each Walter Camp All American.
5 points for each CFB Hall of Famer.
_________________________________________________
[sup]1[/sup] The Fiesta Bowl really hit the big time when it hosted the de facto national championship game between Miami and Penn State after the 1986 season, so the Fiesta Bowl is considered to be a major bowl from that time forward, and a minor bowl prior thereto.

[sup]2[/sup] The Cotton Bowl ceased to be a major bowl when it was not included in the BCS format which went into effect in the 1998 season. Therefore, the Cotton Bowl is considered to be a major bowl until 1997, and a minor bowl thereafter.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

The Rationale

The genesis of the formula was this - what awards and recognitions would a school "show off" to a visitor (such as a recruit) in order to create a favorable impression of its football program? Clearly, I think, national championships would be at the top of the list. Because the AP poll and CP titles were awarded contemporaneously by people who actually followed the teams and their games, they are worth more points (25 points each[sup]1[/sup]) than the retroactive titles awarded by the CFRA, HAF, and NCF (10 points each). The minor national championships awarded by the FWAA and NFF - which are recognized by the NCAA but which are not generally considered to be valid by research organizations and fans - are given just five points each in the formula. I did not deduct any points for a pre-bowl national title that was subsequently "tainted" by the champion's loss in its bowl game (Alabama in 1964, for example), nor did I attempt to determine the "rightful" national champion for such years (Arkansas in 1964, for example). I went strictly with what the respective organizations actually awarded for any given year, which is how the NCAA recognizes national champions.

I did not include any unrecognized national championships because there are too many consider, and because the results are often in disagreement with the so-called "consensus" national championships.

Total wins is also a major factor in determining the prestige of a program, as it demonstrates success over time. Winning percentage is somewhat less important, because a team such as Boise State can have a high winning percentage without having a long history to back it up. In addition, it is hard to factor winning percentage (a fraction) into a formula which is essentially an accumulation of points. In order to include both success over time (total wins) and winning percentage (total wins plus one-haf total ties divided by total games), I used a number that I call "net wins", which is simply total wins minus total losses, with ties disregarded. Obviously, a team can theoretically have, and several teams actually do have, negative net wins.

It is very difficult for a team to win every game in any given year, and thus as a bonus, I have awarded 5 points for each perfect season (no losses, no ties), and 2.5 points for each undefeated season (no losses, one or more ties). For the purposes of this factor, I have considered only seasons in which a team played eight or more games; this nuber is somewhat arbitrary, but it is the same number used by the College Football Data Warehouse to denote a "full" season. Thus, Ohio State's perfect season in 1916 is not awarded the 5-point bonus because the Buckeyes played only seven games that year.

I did not award points for winning seasons or 10-win seasons, because to have done so would, in my opinion, have been duplicative.

Bowl games also add to a program's prestige, with the major bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, and BCS championship) clearly being the most prestigious. Although a bowl win is obviously better than a bowl loss, even a loss adds to a program's prestige because it shows that the team was good enough to have earned the bowl invitation in the first place.

Of the major awards, the Heisman Trophy (founded in 1935) is undoubtedly the most prestigious, so it is accorded 10 points in the formula. Although the Maxwell Award (founded in 1937) is somewhat duplicative, it has an equally long history, and the Maxwell voters do not generally agree with the Heisman voters (the winners have coincided only 34 times in 72 years), with the result being that the two awards often give a vastly different picture of who was the "best player" for any given year[sup]2[/sup]. Nevertheless, the Maxwell is not as prestigious as the Heisman, so it is worth only half as much (5 points) in the formula.

The Outland (founded in 1946) and Lombardi (founded in 1970) are also major awards with long histories. Because these two awards are the primary recognitions for linemen, who generaly receive very little recognition, I have given them equal weight with the Maxwell, or 5 points each.

There are several Coach of the Year awards, but I chose the AFCA version because it has the longest history (although the Eddie Robinson Award, with 22 years less history, has actually been more kind to Ohio State). The AFCA-COY is worth five points, which gives it equal status with the Maxwell, Outland, and Lombardi.

All of the minor awards - most of which got their start in the mid-80's or early-90's - are worth one-quarter of the amount of the Heisman or one-half of each other major award, or 2.5 points each. Although there are several quarterback awards - O'Brien, Unitas, Manning, Baugh - I chose the O'Brien because it has a much longer history than the Manning (1981 versus 2004); it is open to all quarterbacks, whereas the Unitas is open only to senior quarterbacks; and it has a more rational list of winners than the considerably older Baugh (1959 versus 1981).

I used one All American selector because I did not want to deal with the issue of duplicate selections - that is, should a player who made five AA lists in a given year be worth more points than a player who made just one list, or are all All Americans created equal irrespective of how many lists they made? Therefore, I decided to use the Walter Camp team because it has the longest history (the first team was selected in 1892) and seemed to be reasonable in its selections.

I ranked all 66 teams currently in the BCS, plus the following teams: (a) teams that were formerly part of the defunct Southwest Conference that are not now in BCS conferences (TCU, SMU, Houston, Rice); (b) teams that have storied histories but that are not in BCS conferences (Army, Navy, Tulane); (c) teams that have had recent success but that are not in BCS conferences (Boise State, BYU, Utah); and (d) teams that have major award winners but that are otherwise unremarkable (Temple, Utah State, Air Force, East Carolina). I did not rank any teams not currently in Division I-A (FBS) except for the University of Chicago, which was formerly in the Big Ten Conference.

If a team moved up to Division I-A status in recent years, then I counted only those years after its promotion. Teams that fall into this category are Temple (promoted in 1970), Rutgers (1976), Boise State (1996), Connecticut (2000), and South Florida (2001). The University of Chicago is ranked through 1939, after which time it dropped football for over twenty years and left the Big Ten Conference.

Conferences are ranked by their current teams, and include all points earned by all such teams even if some of those points were earned by a team prior to its membership in that conference. For example, all of Penn State's prestige points are included in the Big Ten's total prestige, even though Penn State did not join the conference until 1993, and earned most of its prestige points prior to that year.
_________________________________________________
[sup]1[/sup] Before the advent of the CP in 1950, the AP title is worth 50 points, so that an AP title from 1936 to 1949 is worth as much as a combined AP/CP title from 1950 to date.

[sup]2[/sup] However, beware that the Maxwell is awarded by the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia, and its voters have a very strong local bias - thirteen of the Maxwell Award winners attended schools in the state of Pennsylvania, compared to only two for the Heisman Trophy.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

The Top Ten Teams

....................Notre Dame...Southern Cal...Oklahoma..Ohio State..Michigan...Alabama...Nebraska.........Texas...Penn State...Tennessee
Net Wins................546..........464...........488.......502........575........483......490............512.........452.........449
Perfect..................45...........20...........40.........20.........45.........40.......40.............30..........30..........15
Undefeated...............20...........15............2.5.......10.........12.5........5........5..............2.5........10..........15
AP.titles...............300..........125..........175........125.........75........150......100.............75..........50..........50
Coaches'.titles..........75..........150..........150.........75..........0........125......100............100..........50..........25
FWAA titles..............20...........30............25........20..........5.........20.......20.............15..........10...........5
NFF titles...............20...........25............15........15..........5.........20.......15.............20..........10...........5
CFRA titles..............20...........20.............0.........0.........10.........30........0..............0...........0...........0
HAF titles...............30...........20.............0.........0.........30.........20........0..............0...........0...........0
NCF titles...............40...........20.............0.........0.........60.........20........0..............0..........20...........0
Conference titles.........0..........190...........205.......175........210........125......230.............150.........20..........80
Major bowl wins..........55..........140............85........60.........45.........90.......70..............75.........55..........40
Major bowl losses........20...........18............22........24.........28.........30.......32..............24.........12..........24
Major bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........0..........0..........4........0...............4..........4...........0
Minor bowl wins...........9...........12............21........18.........30.........39.......27..............30.........45..........51
Minor bowl losses.........5............7.............6........10..........6..........7........6...............9..........7..........10
Minor bowl ties...........0............0.............2.........0..........0..........4........0...............2..........2...........0
Heisman..................70...........70...........50.........70.........30..........0.......30.............20..........10...........0
Maxwell..................30...........15...........10.........20.........10..........0........5.............15..........35...........5
Outland..................15............5...........25.........20..........0.........10.......40.............15...........5..........10
Lombardi.................20............5...........15.........30..........5..........5.......20.............15...........5...........0
CFRA-COY.................10...........15............10........20.........20.........20........5.............10..........25..........10
O'Brien...................0............0............7.5........2.5........0..........0........2.5............0...........5...........2.5
Walker....................0............2.5..........0..........2.5........2.5........0........0..............5...........2.5.........0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........2.5........2.5........0........0..............0...........2.5.........0
Nagurski..................0............0............5..........2.5........2.5........0........0..............5...........0...........0
Bednarik..................0............2.5..........2.5........0..........2.5........0........0..............0..........10...........0
Butkus....................0............2.5.........10..........5..........2.5........2.5......2.5............2.5.........5...........2.5
Thorpe....................0............2.5..........7.5........5..........2.5........2.5......0..............5...........0...........0
Groza.....................0............0............0..........2.5........0..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Ray Guy...................0............0.............0.........2.5........0..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Draddy....................0............0............0..........5..........0..........0........5..............2.5.........0...........5
Walter Camp AA...........94...........72............61........69.........74.........42.......52..............53.........37..........33
CFB-HOF.................240..........150...........105.......135........155........100.......90.............80.........105.........115
TOTAL PRESTIGE.........1684.........1598..........1545......1448.......1445.5.....1394.....1387...........1276.5......1024.........949.5

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 11 through 20

.......................Miami.......Georgia........LSU.....Minnesota...Florida......FSU.....Pitt..........GaTech......Auburn.......Army
Net Wins................234..........340...........318.......179........268........238......178............219.........293.........188
Perfect..................15...........10...........10.........25..........0.........10.......30.............15..........20..........25
Undefeated................0............2.5..........2.5........7.5........0..........0........5.............12.5.........7.5.........7.5
AP.titles...............125...........25...........50........175.........75.........50.......75..............0..........25.........100
Coaches'.titles.........100...........25...........75.........25.........75.........50.......25.............25...........0...........0
FWAA titles..............20............5.............5.........0.........15.........10........5..............0...........0...........0
NFF titles...............20............5............10.........5.........15.........10........5..............0...........0...........0
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0........20..........0..........0........0.............10...........0..........10
HAF titles................0............0.............0........20..........0..........0.......20.............20...........0..........10
NCF titles................0............0.............0........20..........0..........0.......30.............20...........0..........10
Conference titles........45...........70............65........90.........40.........75........5..............75.........50...........0
Major bowl wins..........50...........45............55.........5.........35.........50.......15..............45.........15...........0
Major bowl losses........16...........14............20.........2.........12.........16.......12...............4..........8...........0
Major bowl ties...........0............0.............4.........0..........0..........0........0...............0..........4...........0
Minor bowl wins..........27...........48............30........12.........30.........36.......21..............39.........48...........6
Minor bowl losses.........7............9.............8.........7.........13..........6........9..............13..........9...........2
Minor bowl ties...........0............6.............0.........0..........0..........4........0...............0..........2...........0
Heisman..................20...........20...........10.........10.........30.........20.......10..............0..........20..........30
Maxwell..................15...........10............0..........0.........15..........5.......10..............0...........0..........15
Outland..................10............5............5.........15..........0..........0........5..............0..........10...........5
Lombardi..................5............5............5..........0..........0.........10........5..............0...........5...........0
CFRA-COY..................5............5............10.........5..........0..........0........5.............10...........5..........10
O'Brien...................5............0............0..........0..........7.5........5........0..............2.5.........0...........0
Walker....................0............2.5..........0..........0..........0..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............2.5........0..........0..........0........5..............2.5.........0...........0
Nagurski..................5............2.5..........2.5........0..........0..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Bednarik..................2.5..........2.5..........0..........0..........0..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Butkus....................2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........5........0..............0...........0...........0
Thorpe....................2.5..........0............0..........2.5........2.5........5........0..............0...........2.5.........0
Groza.....................0............0............0..........0..........2.5........7.5......0..............0...........0...........0
Ray Guy...................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0........0..............2.5.........0...........0
Draddy....................2.5..........2.5..........2.5........0..........5..........0........0..............0...........0...........0
Walter Camp AA...........33...........34............19........30.........26.........33.......39..............18.........25..........28
CFB-HOF..................30...........70............40........95.........25.........25......100.............75..........50.........130
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........797..........763.5.........759.......750........691.5......670.5....614............608.........599.........576.5

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 21 through 30

....................Texas A+M....Washington.....Colorado.....UCLA...Mich State......Cal...Clemson.........Syracuse......Ark........BYU
Net Wins................227..........255...........239.......166........190........150......200............202........203.........122
Perfect..................15............5............5..........5.........10.........15.......10..............5..........5...........5
Undefeated...............12.5..........0............0..........2.5........5.........15........2.5............2.5........0...........0
AP.titles................50............0...........25..........0.........25..........0.......25.............25..........0..........25
Coaches'.titles...........0...........25............0.........25.........50..........0.......25.............25..........0..........25
FWAA titles...............0............5.............5.........5..........5..........0........5..............5..........5...........5
NFF titles................0............5.............5.........0.........10..........0........5..............5..........0...........5
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0.........20........0..............0..........0...........0
HAF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0.........10........0..............0..........0...........0
NCF titles...............10............0.............0.........0..........0.........20........0..............0..........0...........0
Conference titles........90...........75...........130........90.........40.........70.......85..............20........65.........115
Major bowl wins..........25...........40............20........35.........15.........10.......15..............10........20...........5
Major bowl losses........16...........12............12........14..........6.........10........4..............12........20...........0
Major bowl ties...........0............4.............0.........0..........0..........4........0...............4.........4...........0
Minor bowl wins..........24...........18............24........18.........12.........24.......36..............30........21..........24
Minor bowl losses.........9............8............10.........8.........10..........3.......14...............3........12..........17
Minor bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........2..........0..........0........0...............0.........4...........2
Heisman..................10............0...........10.........10..........0..........0........0.............10..........0..........10
Maxwell...................0............0............0..........5..........5..........0........0..............5..........0...........5
Outland...................0............5............0.........10..........5..........0........0..............0.........10..........10
Lombardi..................5............5............0..........0..........5..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
CFRA-COY..................0............5.............5........10.........10..........0........5.............10..........5...........5
O'Brien...................0............0............0..........2.5........0..........0........0..............2.5........0..........10
Walker....................0............2.5..........2.5........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........5...........2.5
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........0..........2.5........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Nagurski..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Bednarik..................2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Butkus....................0............0............5..........0..........2.5........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Thorpe....................0............0............5..........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Groza.....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Ray.Guy...................0............0............2.5........0..........0..........0........0..............0..........0...........0
Draddy....................0............0............2.5........0..........0..........2.5......0..............0..........0...........0
Walter Camp AA...........16...........19............25........32.........28.........23.......13..............17........17...........7
CFB-HOF..................50...........65............20........60.........45.........90.......20.............55.........50..........35
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........562..........553.5.........552.5.....500........481........466.5....464.5..........448........446.........434.5

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 31 through 40

.....................Stanford....Arizona State.....WVU.......Utah.....VaTech....Wisconsin..OleMiss....BC.........Iowa......Maryland
Net Wins................127..........205...........227.......189........233........142.......142.....186..........59..........76
Perfect..................10...........15............0.........15..........0..........5.........5.....15............0...........5
Undefeated................7.5..........0............2.5........2.5........2.5........0.........2.5....2.5..........2.5.........0
AP.titles.................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0..........25
Coaches'.titles...........0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0..........25
FWAA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........5.......0...........5...........0
NFF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
HAF titles...............10............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NCF titles...............10............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Conference titles........60...........85............65.......120.........35.........55........30.......5..........65..........55
Major bowl wins..........25............5............10........10.........10.........15........30......10..........10...........5
Major bowl losses........12............2.............6.........0..........8..........6........10.......4...........8...........8
Major bowl ties...........4............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Minor bowl wins..........12...........33............33........27.........18.........21........42......33..........30..........27
Minor bowl losses.........4...........10............12.........4.........10..........7.........7.......5...........6...........7
Minor bowl ties...........0............2.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........2...........4
Heisman..................10............0............0..........0..........0.........20.........0.....10...........10...........0
Maxwell...................5............0............0..........0..........0..........5.........5......5...........10...........0
Outland...................0............0............0..........0..........5..........5.........0......5...........15..........10
Lombardi..................0............5............0..........0..........5..........0.........0......0............0...........5
CFRA-COY.................10...........10.............5.........5..........5..........5.........0.......0...........5..........10
O'Brien...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......2.5..........5...........0
Walker....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........2.5.......0......0............2.5.........0
Biletnikoff...............2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Nagurski..................0............2.5..........0..........0..........2.5........0.........0......0............0...........0
Bednarik..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........2.5
Butkus....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........2.5....0............0...........2.5
Thorpe....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........2.5.......0......0............0...........0
Groza.....................0............2.5..........0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............2.5.........0
Ray.Guy...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........2.5.......0......0............0...........0
Draddy....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walter Camp AA...........22...........12.............9.........3..........8.........20........12.......7..........19..........10
CFB-HOF.................100...........40............30.........5.........20.........40........40......35..........65..........40
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........431..........429...........399.5.....380.5......362........353.5.....335.5...325.........321.5.......317

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 41 through 50

........................TCU.......Illinois........Navy.......UNC.....Missouri....Purdue.....TTech...Chicago....Arizona......Oregon
Net Wins.................45...........45...........117.......156.........96.........83.......113.....141.........143..........89
Perfect...................5............5............0..........5..........5.........15.........0......5............0...........0
Undefeated................5............5............7.5........0..........2.5........2.5.......0......2.5..........0...........2.5
AP.titles................50............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Coaches'.titles...........0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
FWAA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NFF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
CFRA titles...............0...........20.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
HAF titles................0...........20.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0......10...........0...........0
NCF titles................0...........20.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0......10...........0...........0
Conference titles........70...........75.............0........50.........75.........60........55......35..........30..........35
Major bowl wins..........20...........15............10.........0.........10..........5.........0.......0...........5..........10
Major bowl losses.........8............6.............4.........6.........10..........2.........4.......0...........0..........10
Major bowl ties...........4............0.............4.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Minor bowl wins..........21............9............12........36.........30.........21........30.......0..........15..........21
Minor bowl losses.........9............6.............6........11..........9..........6........19.......0...........7...........8
Minor bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........2.......0...........2...........0
Heisman..................10............0...........20..........0..........0..........0.........0.....10............0...........0
Maxwell...................5............0...........20..........0..........0..........5.........0......0............0...........0
Outland...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............5...........0
Lombardi..................0............0............0..........5..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
CFRA-COY..................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
O'Brien...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walker....................2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........0.........5......0............0...........0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........5......0............0...........0
Nagurski..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............2.5.........0
Bednarik..................0............0............0..........2.5........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Butkus....................0............5............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Thorpe....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............5...........0
Groza.....................2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............2.5.........0
Ray.Guy...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........2.5.......0......0............0...........0
Draddy....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walter Camp AA............9...........24............20........14.........10.........18........10.......7..........10...........3
CFB-HOF..................50...........60............90........20.........45.........50........20......40..........15..........25
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........316..........315...........310.5.....305.5......292.5......270.......264.....263.5.......242.........203.5

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 51 through 60

......................Houston.......Duke..........UVa.....Boise State..Air Force..Vandy.....NC St...Baylor....Okie State......Kansas
Net Wins.................33..........-13............77.........80.........51..........7.......10......-2..........-15..........19
Perfect...................0............0............0..........5..........0..........5.........0......0............5..........10
Undefeated................0............0............2.5........0..........2.5........7.5.......0......0............0...........2.5
AP.titles.................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Coaches'.titles...........0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
FWAA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NFF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
HAF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NCF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Conference titles........50...........90............15........40.........15.........65........55......35..........45..........40
Major bowl wins..........10...........15.............0.........5..........0..........0.........0.......5..........10...........5
Major bowl losses.........4............6.............2.........0..........2..........0.........0.......6...........0...........4
Major bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........0..........4..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Minor bowl wins..........18............0............18........12.........24..........6........36......21..........30..........15
Minor bowl losses.........8............2.............9.........4..........9..........1........11.......5...........7...........4
Minor bowl ties...........2............0.............0.........0..........0..........2.........2.......0...........0...........0
Heisman..................10............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0...........10...........0
Maxwell...................0............0............5..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............5...........0
Outland...................0............5............0..........0..........5..........0.........5......0............0...........0
Lombardi..................5............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
CFRA-COY..................0............0.............0.........0.........10..........0.........0.......5...........0...........5
O'Brien...................2.5..........0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walker....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Nagurski..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Bednarik..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Butkus....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Thorpe....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......2.5..........0...........0
Groza.....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........2.5....0............0...........0
Ray.Guy...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......5............2.5.........0
Draddy....................0............0............2.5........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walter Camp AA............6............4.............7.........0..........4..........2.........3.......9..........10...........5
CFB-HOF..................15...........50............20.........5.........10.........40........10......40..........20..........20
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........163.5........159...........158.......151........136.5......135.5.....134.5...131.5.......129.5.......129.5

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 61 through 70

........................SMU......E.Carolina.......L'ville...Kentucky....WSU......Utah St...Cincy...Ore St....S.Carolina.....Tulane
Net.Wins................-38...........29............22..........8........10........-6........-6.....-36...........-1.........-81
Perfect...................5............0............5..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0..........10
Undefeated...............10............0............2.5........0.........0..........5.........0......2.5..........0...........2.5
AP.titles.................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Coaches'.titles...........0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
FWAA titles...............0............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NFF titles................0............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
HAF titles................0............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
NCF titles................0............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Conference titles........55...........30............35........10........20.........55........50......25...........5..........45
Major bowl wins..........10............0............10........10.........5..........0.........0......10...........0...........5
Major bowl losses.........4............0.............0.........2.........6..........0.........2.......4...........0...........4
Major bowl ties...........4............0.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Minor bowl wins...........6...........24............12........18........15..........3........18......18..........12...........9
Minor bowl losses.........4............7.............7.........4.........1..........5.........4.......2..........10...........4
Minor bowl ties...........0............0.............2.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
Heisman..................10............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0.....10...........10...........0
Maxwell...................5............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......5............0...........0
Outland...................0............0............0..........5.........5..........5.........0......0............0...........0
Lombardi..................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
CFRA-COY..................0............5.............0.........0.........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0
O'Brien...................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walker....................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......2.5..........0...........0
Nagurski..................0............0............2.5........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Bednarik..................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Butkus....................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Thorpe....................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Groza.....................0............0............2.5........0.........0..........0.........2.5....2.5..........0...........2.5
Ray.Guy...................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Draddy....................0............0............0..........0.........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0
Walter Camp AA...........11............4.............3........12.........3..........2.........2.......7...........3...........4
CFB-HOF..................40............5.............0........20........20.........15.........5......10...........5..........35
TOTAL PRESTIGE..........126..........104...........103.5......89........85.........84........77.5....62.5........44..........40

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Teams 71 through 81

........................USF........Rutgers........UConn....Miss St....N'western....Rice....Iowa St...Kan St......Indiana.....Temple.....Wake Forest
Net Wins.................25..........-25.............1........-41.......-146.......-112.......-96....-146.........-164........-121.........-180
Perfect...................0............5............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Undefeated................0............0............0..........2.5........0..........0.........0......0............2.5.........0............0
AP.titles.................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Coaches'.titles...........0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
FWAA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
NFF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
CFRA titles...............0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
HAF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
NCF titles................0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
Conference titles.........0............0.............5.........5.........40.........35........10......30..........10...........0...........10
Major bowl wins...........0............0.............0.........5..........5.........20.........0.......5...........0...........0............0
Major bowl losses.........0............0.............0.........2..........2..........4.........0.......4...........2...........2............2
Major bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
Minor bowl wins...........6............9.............6........18..........0..........3.........6......15...........9...........3...........18
Minor bowl losses.........2............2.............2.........5..........5..........2.........7.......5...........5...........0............2
Minor bowl ties...........0............0.............0.........0..........0..........0.........0.......0...........0...........0............0
Heisman...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Maxwell...................0............5............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............5...........5............0
Outland...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Lombardi..................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
CFRA-COY..................0............0.............0.........0.........10..........0.........0.......0..........10...........0............5
O'Brien...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......2.5..........0...........0............0
Walker....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........2.5.......0......0............0...........0............0
Biletnikoff...............0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Nagurski..................0............0............0..........0..........5..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Bednarik..................0............0............0..........0..........5..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Butkus....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............2.5
Thorpe....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......2.5..........0...........0............0
Groza.....................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......2.5..........0...........0............0
Ray.Guy...................0............0............0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............2.5
Draddy....................0............2.5..........0..........0..........0..........0.........0......0............0...........0............0
Walter Camp AA............1............5.............0.........2.........14..........5.........3.......7...........7...........3............3
CFB-HOF...................0...........25.............0........15.........60.........30........10......10..........25..........10............0
TOTAL PRESTIGE...........34...........28.5..........14........13.5........0........-10.5.....-60.....-62.5........-88.5.......-98.........-135

COMBINED TOTAL.......33,691.5
AVERAGE PER SCHOOL......415.9

 

[LordJeffBuck]

The BCS Conferences Ranked by Prestige

........................Big 10........SEC........Big 12....Pac 10.......ACC......Big East
Net Wins.................1917........2469.........1925......1573......1436........624
Perfect...................155.........110.........150.........70........75.........45
Undefeated.................57.5........45..........27.5.......45........22.5.......12.5
AP.titles.................450.........375.........425........125.......225........100
Coaches'.titles...........200.........325.........350........200.......225.........50
FWAA titles................45..........60...........65........40........35.........10
NFF titles.................45..........55...........55........30........35.........10
CFRA titles................50..........30............0........40........10..........0
HAF titles.................70..........20............0........40........20.........20
NCF titles................120..........30...........10........50........20.........30
Conference titles.........840.........610.........1095.......680.......595........180
Major bowl wins...........230.........345..........310.......285.......200.........45
Major bowl losses..........98.........142..........134........88........76.........32
Major bowl ties.............4..........16............4........12.........0..........4
Minor bowl wins...........207.........363..........273.......186.......324........135
Minor bowl losses..........75..........95...........96........58........97.........41
Minor bowl ties.............4..........18............6.........6........10..........2
Heisman...................150..........90.........130........100........50.........20
Maxwell....................95..........35..........35.........30........30.........20
Outland....................65..........55..........80.........30........40..........5
Lombardi...................45..........20..........55.........15........30..........5
CFRA-COY..................110..........55...........40........50........40.........20
O'Brien....................12.5........10..........12.5........2.5......15..........2.5
Walker.....................12.5.........7.5........12.5........5.........0..........0
Biletnikoff................10...........2.5.........5..........5.........2.5........5
Nagurski...................10...........5..........10..........5.........7.5........2.5
Bednarik...................17.5.........2.5.........5..........2.5.......7.5........0
Butkus.....................20...........5..........20..........2.5......12.5........0
Thorpe.....................12.5.........7.5........22.5........7.5.......7.5........0
Groza.......................5...........5...........2.5........7.5......10..........5
Ray.Guy.....................7.5.........0..........10..........0.........5..........0
Draddy......................5..........15..........10..........2.5.......5..........2.5
Walter.Camp.AA............340.........227.........262........203.......153.........76
CFB-HOF...................840.........570..........510.......575.......345........215
TOTAL PRESTIGE...........6325........6220.........6147.5....4571......4166.......1719
AVERAGE.PER.TEAM..........575.0.......518.3.......512.3......457.1.....347.2......214.9

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Ohio State's Prestige by Year

Year...Pts...Breakdown............................................................................................................................
1890..-2...| -2 win
1891...0...|
1892...2...| +2 win
1893..-1...| -1 win
1894...1...| +1 win
1895...0...|
1896...0...|
1897..-6...| -6 win
1898..-2...| -2 win
1899..11.5.| +9 win, +2.5 undefeated
1900...7...| +7 win
1901...2...| +2 win
1902...4...| +4 win
1903...5...| +5 win
1904...1...| +1 win
1905...6...| +6 win
1906..12...| +7 win, +5 conference (Ohio Athletic)
1907...5...| +5 win
1908...2...| +2 win
1909...4...| +4 win
1910...5...| +5 win
1911...2...| +2 win
1912...8...| +3 win, +5 conference (Ohio Athletic)
1913...2...| +2 win
1914...3...| +3 win
1915...4...| +4 win
1916..13...| +7 win, +5 conference, +1 AA (Chic Harley)
1917..15.5.| +8 win, +2.5 undefeated, +5 conference
1918...0...|
1919...6...| +5 win, +1 AA (Chic Harley)
1920..14...| +6 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +1 AA (Gaylord Stinchcomb)
1921...3...| +3 win
1922..-1...| -1 win
1923..-1...| -1 win
1924..-1...| -1 win
1925...1...| +1 win
1926...6...| +6 win
1927...0...|
1928...4...| +3 win, +1 AA (Wes Fesler)
1929...1...| +1 win
1930...4...| +3 win, +1 AA (Wes Fesler)
1931...3...| +3 win
1932...3...| +3 win
1933...6...| +6 win
1934...6...| +6 win
1935..12...| +6 win, +5 conference, +1 AA (Gomer Jones)
1936...2...| +2 win
1937...5...| +4 win, +1 AA (Gust Zarnas)
1938...1...| +1 win
1939..10...| +4 win, +5 conference, +1 AA (Esco Sarkinen)
1940...0...|
1941...5...| +5 win
1942..64...| +8 win, +50 AP, +5 conference, +1 AA (Lindell Houston)
1943..-3...| -3 win
1944..37...| +9 win, +5 perfect, +5 conference, +10 Heisman (Les Horvath), +5 COY (Carroll Widdoes), +3 AA (Les Horvath, Bill Hackett, John Dugger)
1945...6...| +5 win, +1 AA (Warren Amling)
1946...1...| +1 win
1947..-4...| -4 win
1948...3...| +3 win
1949..16...| +6 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose)
1950..14...| +3 win, +10 Heisman (Vic Janowicz), +1 AA (Vic Janowicz)
1951...1...| +1 win
1952...3...| +3 win
1953...3...| +3 win
1954..51...| +10 win, +5 perfect, +25 AP, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose), +1 AA (Hopalong Cassady)
1955..26...| +5 win, +5 conference, +10 Heisman (Hopalong Cassady), +5 Maxwell (Cassady), +1 AA (Cassady)
1956...9...| +3 win, +5 Outland (Jim Parker), +1 AA (Parker)
1957..53...| +8 win, +25 CP, +5 FWAA, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose), +5 COY (Woody Hayes)
1958...6...| +5 win, +1 AA (Bob White)
1959..-2...| -2 win
1960...6...| +5 win, +1 AA (Bob Ferguson)
1961..26.5.| +8 win, +2.5 undefeated, +5 FWAA, +5 conference, +5 Maxwell (Bob Ferguson), +1 AA (Ferguson)
1962...3...| +3 win
1963...2...| +2 win
1964...5...| +5 win
1965...5...| +5 win
1966..-1...| -1 win
1967...3...| +3 win
1968..86...| +10 win, +5 perfect, +25 AP, +25 CP, +5 FWAA, +5 NFF, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose), +1 AA (Dave Foley)
1969..15...| +7 win, +5 conference, +3 AA (Jim Otis, Jim Stillwagon, Jack Tatum)
1970..32...| +8 win, +5 NFF, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +5 Outland (Jim Stillwagon), +5 Lombardi (Stillwagon), +2 AA (Stillwagon, Jack Tatum)
1971...2...| +2 win
1972..15...| +7 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +1 AA (John Hicks)
1973..34.5.| +10 win, +2.5 undefeated, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose), +5 Outland (John Hicks), +5 Lombardi (Hicks), +2 AA (Hicks, Randy Gradishar)
1974..27...| +8 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +10 Heisman (Archie Griffin), +2 AA (Griffin, Kurt Schumacher)
1975..34...| +10 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +10 Heisman (Archie Griffin), +5 Maxwell (Griffin), +2 AA (Griffin, Tim Fox)
1976..17...| +7 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Orange)
1977..16...| +6 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Sugar), +3 AA (Chris Ward, Aaron Brown, Tom Cousineau)
1978...5...| +3 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Gator), +1 AA (Tom Cousineau)
1979..23...| +10 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +5 COY (Earle Bruce), +1 AA (Ken Fritz)
1980...7...| +6 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Fiesta)
1981..14...| +6 win, +5 conference, +3 minor bowl win (Liberty)
1982..10...| +6 win, +3 minor bowl win (Holiday), +1 AA (Marcus Marek)
1983...9...| +6 win, +3 minor bowl win (Fiesta)
1984..14...| +6 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Rose), +1 AA (Keith Byars)
1985...9...| +6 win, +3 minor bowl win (Citrus)
1986..18...| +7 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Cotton), +1 AA (Cris Carter)
1987...9...| +2 win, +5 Lombardi (Chris Spielman), +2 AA (Spielman, Tom Tupa)
1988..-2...| -2 win
1989...5...| +4 win, 1 minor bowl loss (Hall of Fame)
1990...4...| +3 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Liberty)
1991...5...| +4 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Hall of Fame)
1992...6...| +5 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Citrus)
1993..19...| +9 win, +5 conference, +3 minor bowl win (Holiday), +2 AA (Korey Stringer, Dan Wilkinson)
1994...7...| +5 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Citrus), +1 AA (Korey Stringer)
1995..40.5.| +9 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Citrus), +10 Heisman (George), +5 Maxwell (George), +5 Lombardi (Pace), +2.5 Biletnikoff (Glenn), +2.5 Walker (George), +2.5 Draddy (Hoying), +3 AA (George, Pace, Glenn)
1996..33...| +10 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Rose), +5 Outland (Orland Pace), +5 Lombardi (Pace), +3 AA (Pace, Mike Vrabel, Shawn Springs)
1997..12.5.| +7 win, +2 major bowl loss (Sugar), +2.5 Butkus (Andy Katzenmoyer), +1 AA (Katzenmoyer)
1998..23.5.| +10 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Sugar), +2.5 Thorpe (Antoine Winfield), +1 AA (Winfield)
1999...0...|
2000...5...| +4 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Outback)
2001...5...| +2 win, +1 minor bowl loss (Outback), +2 AA (LeCharles Bentley, Mike Doss)
2002..96...| +14 win, +5 perfect, +25 AP, +25 CP, +5 FWAA, +5 NFF, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Fiesta), +5 COY (Jim Tressel), +2 AA (Mike Doss, Mike Nugent)
2003..21...| +9 win, +5 major bowl win (Fiesta), +2.5 Guy (B.J. Sander), +2.5 Draddy (Craig Krenzel), +2 AA (Will Smith, Will Allen)
2004..11.5.| +4 win, +3 minor bowl win (Alamo), +2.5 Groza (Mike Nugent), +2 AA (Nugent, A.J. Hawk)
2005..24...| +8 win, +5 conference, +5 major bowl win (Fiesta), +5 Lombardi (A.J. Hawk), +1 AA (Hawk)
2006..36...| +11 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (BCS championship), +10 Heisman (Troy Smith), +2.5 O'Brien (Smith), +2.5 Nagurski (James Laurinaitis), +3 AA (Smith, Laurinaitis, Quinn Pitcock)
2007..19.5.| +9 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (BCS championship), +2.5 Butkus (James Laurinaitis), +1 AA (Laurinaitis)
2008..18.5.| +7 win, +5 conference, +2 major bowl loss (Fiesta), +2.5 Thorpe (Malcolm Jenkins), +2 AA (Jenkins, James Laurinaitis)
2009..19...| +9 win; +5 conference; +5 major bowl win (Rose Bowl)
2010..21...| +11 win; +5 conference; +5 major bowl win (Sugar Bowl)
2011...0...| -1 win; +1 minor bowl loss (Gator Bowl)
2012..17...| +12 wins; +5 perfect
2013..12...| +10 wins; +2 major bowl loss (Orange Bowl)
2014..89...| +13 wins; +5 conference; +1 AA (Joey Bosa); +5 major bowl win (Sugar Bowl); +5 major bowl win (NCG); +25 AP; +25 CP; +5 FWAA; +5 NFF

TOT...1471
AVG...11.8

Note that Ohio State also earns 150 prestige points from its 30 members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Those 150 points, which are not assigned to any given year, bring the Buckeyes' grand total to 1621 prestige points.

Interesting point: The Buckeyes' 1995 squad earned 40.5 points despite not winning even a conference title. Almost all of the points were from individual award winners. The Buckeyes were absolutely loaded that season, and the result (11-2, losses to Michigan and in the Citrus Bowl) was arguably the greatest waste of talent in the history of college football.

 

[ScarletBlood31]

Did you seriously just come up with all of that from scratch or did you produce that from some database?

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Did you seriously just come up with all of that from scratch or did you produce that from some database?

I compiled the data from College Football Data Warehouse (wins, perfect seasons, undefeated seasons, bowl game records, national championships), the NCAA website, the College Football Hall of Fame website, the Walter Camp website, and the various awards' websites (or Wikipedia). So, I guess that means that I created my own data base "from scratch", using data that was readily available on the web (i.e., I didn't have to research any primary sources such as newspapers, programs, media guides, etc.).