Ranking college football's 25 greatest programs of all-time

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Which college football programs have earned the right to be in the conversation for greatest of all-time?

Using every final AP Top 25 Poll since 1935, College Football News has developed a formula to accurately rank the nation's top programs. 

From CFN: "Taking all the AP final rankings, CFN devised a scoring system giving every AP national champion 25 points, the No. 2 team 24, No. 3 23, and so on down to the bottom – currently No. 25, but there was a top ten for a bit and later a top 20. Rankings from 1935 through to Clemson’s national championship after the 2018 season.

"You'll recognize several bluebloods in these rankings, but there's a few others that may surprise you. The no-brainers near the top come in ahead of other nationally-ranked programs with high expectations annually who are always in the mix:

25. Georgia Tech (343 total points)

24. Ole Miss (347 points)

23. Wisconsin (363 points)

22. Texas A&M (375 points)

21. Washington (376 points)

Leading off the list just inside the Top 25 is Georgia Tech, a program that has utilized the triple option over the past decade to neutralize opponents, going 82-61 over that span under Paul Johnson. That offensive philosophy is expected to change under the Yellow Jackets' new regime in 2019 led by Geoff Collins ... Washington leaped past Texas A&M to the No. 21 spot this spring after finishing inside the Top 15 following a 10-4 season highlighted by a Pac-12 Championship ... Speaking of those Aggies, they're considered one of the SEC's sleeping giants heading into Year 2 under Jimbo Fisher, but they're going to have to conquer one of the nation's toughest schedules to get there.

20. Clemson (424 points)

19. Arkansas (439 points)

18. Michigan State (454 points)

17. UCLA (503 points)

Clemson's impressive rise under Dabo Swinney hit a fever pitch last season, a perfect 15-0 marked stamped with a 44-16 victory over top-ranked Alabama in the national championship, the Tigers' second title in three seasons. No coach has been more successful than Swinney over the past five years and he's doing so with sheer dominance in the ACC (four straight league titles) and now has a strangehold on the 2020 recruiting cycle with the nation's top class. The Tigers already have four five-star commits per the 247Sports Composite and are expecting to add at least three more.

16. Florida (518 points) — Florida hopes to continue its momentum with Dan Mullen in charge next season after posting an unexpected 10 victories in Year 1 following Jim McElwain's exit. The Gators have the best shot at unseating Georgia at the top of the SEC East.

15. Miami (530 points) — The wonder years for the Hurricanes came in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s when the program was consistently churning out premiere NFL talent at all positions and winning national titles on a consistent basis. Since finishing No. 5 overall in 2003 with an 11-2 season, the Hurricanes have managed double-digit wins only one year since (2017 under Mark Richt) and have lost their edge nationally. They're hoping new coach Manny Diaz can bring "The U" back to prominence after Richt's abrupt and unexpected exit after his third season at his alma-mater in December.

14. Florida State (563 points) — Florida State enjoyed wild success under coaching legend Bobby Bowden (1976-09), emerging as one of college football's superpowers first as an independent then embarking on a dynasty in the ACC. That success carried through for Jimbo Fisher, who produced three conference titles and a national championship during his tenure from 2010-17. Jameis Winston led those those BCS dominators and won the Heisman in 2013.

13. Auburn (572 points) — Auburn has twice appeared in the national championship game since 2010, winning it all with an unbeaten season that fall with Heisman winner and future No. 1 pick Cam Newton at quarterback. It's hard to believe head coach Gene Chizik was fired two years later, but such is life in the SEC. Auburn got back to the final game under Gus Malzahn in 2013, winning an SEC Championship along the way. Four disappointing seasons in five years since has put Malzahn on the hot seat entering 2019 with uncertainty on offense.

12. Georgia (590 points) — Is Kirby Smart the University of Georgia's new savior? That would appear to be the case after the program grew tired of regular season success under Mark Richt and went in a new direction three years ago by hiring one of Nick Saban's lead assistants. Smart is 32-10 in Athens since, winning an SEC Championship during the 2017 season and finishing one play short of a national title. Georgia has finished inside the Top 10 back-to-back years, the first time that has happened since 2003-04.

11. LSU (653 points) — You have to imagine how wildly-successful the Tigers would be if Nick Saban hadn't entered the SEC West in 2007 at Alabama. Under the direction of Les Miles, LSU won the national championship in 2007 and was blanked by the Crimson Tide a few years later in the final game despite a 13-0 regular season. Since 2000, the Tigers have two national championships to their credit (one under Saban in 2003) and have produced the second-most number of NFL players in the SEC (Alabama). One of the nation's most storied programs, LSU will be inside the Top 10 this fall to begin the season with sizable expectations under Ed Orgeron.

10. Tennessee (686 points) — Much like Nebraska, this college football blueblood has been largely disappointing since winning a national championship in 1998. That year marked Tennessee's last SEC Championship and since Phillip Fulmer's departure in 2008, three different coaches have come and gone without making an impact. The Vols are hoping second-year coach Jeremy Pruitt summons some of the Neyland Stadium magic in 2019 and takes the first step in getting back to the SEC title picture with a winning season. It starts with recruiting and Tennessee's brand remains one of the most recognizable in the South.

9. Penn State (694 points) — Joe Paterno established a winning culture in Happy Valley with a winning tenure that'll never be topped, but much of his legacy was tarnished by how it ended. Bill O'Brien was credited with pulling the program out of its dark time and giving way to James Franklin, who has brought Penn State back into the national conversation. It'll be interesting to see where the Nittany Lions go from here in 2019 without four-year starting quarterback Trace McSorley to rely on in big spots.

8. Nebraska (783 points) — The Huskers are hoping Scott Frost's return to Lincoln will bring the program back to the level of prominence seen in the 1990s when Nebraska was an annual contender for national championships. Not since Tom Osborne's final season in 1997 have the Huskers finished inside the Top 5 and they did it eight times under his tutelage. Members of the Big Ten since 2011, Nebraska is searching for its first conference title in more than a decade.

7. Texas (789 points) — The Longhorns are back. Texas sat atop the college football world in 2005 following the BCS National Championship comeback win over USC and made it back to the finale four years later under Mack Brown vs. Alabama. That loss to the Crimson Tide in 2009 sucked the life out of the program and the Longhorns have hit double-digit victories only one time since, this season under Tom Herman. With sizable momentum heading into 2019, Texas is one of the early Playoff frontrunners and trying to unseat Oklahoma and its reign as the Big 12's current powerhouse.

6. USC (832 points) — What has happened to USC, a program that has fallen out of the national championship conversation and outside of the Top 5 all-time in recent years? Your guess is as good as ours. The Trojans are still recruiting at a high level, but it's not showing up on the field with Heisman winners, consistent All-Americans and dominance in the Pac-12. USC's dynasty in the 2000s was one of the most impressive runs ever, but since Pete Carroll's departure, the Trojans have managed one Top 5 finish since.

5. Notre Dame (975 points) — Twice the Irish have gone unbeaten during the regular season in 2012 only to be taken down by a fellow titan on the doorstep of a national championship during Brian Kelly's stint as coach. The program's last national title came in 1988 under Lou Holtz, who won 10 or more games four times. The Irish are hoping their 2019 team, complete with the return of play-making signal caller Ian Book, puts them within range of hardware once again.

4. Michigan (985 points) — From Bo Schembechler to Lloyd Carr, Michigan Football screams success. The Wolverines are still trying to catch lightning in a bottle with Jim Harbaugh however, who hasn't been able to win big during his first four seasons despite three 10-win campaigns. A recruiting monster much like Ohio State in the conference, Michigan has never had an issue coaxing some of the nation's best players on both sides of the ball to play in Ann Arbor. The 1997 national championship team, anchored by Heisman winner Charles Woodson, likely remains the most memorable in your lifetime.

3. Ohio State (1,182 points) — Urban Meyer is riding off into the sunset after leaving his mark on arguably the Big Ten's greatest program of all-time. Meyer won multiple league titles and a national championship (2014) with the Buckeyes during his seven seasons on the sideline, a legacy that could be somewhat marred by an off-the-field distraction last fall that led to a three-game suspension to open the season. Since the turn of the century, no Big Ten program has won more games or produced more NFL Draft picks than Ohio State, winners of 13 of its last 14 contests against arch rival Michigan. Where will the Buckeyes go from here under Ryan Day?

2. Alabama (1,063 points) — Don't for a second think Alabama's dynasty under Saban lost some of its luster after January's lopsided loss to Clemson in the national championship game. Arguably college football's greatest coach of all-time has still captured five national titles since 2009 and hasn't lost more than two games in a season in almost 10 years. Saban is 141–21 in Tuscaloosa and is one championship away from passing Paul 'Bear' Bryant for most all-time. Alabama's unprecedented run under his watch may not be topped ... unless Clemson continues its assault on college football under Swinney in the ACC.

1. Oklahoma (1,182 points) — Not only has Oklahoma produced three trips to the College Football Playoff in four seasons, but the Sooners have also managed consecutive Heisman winners at quarterback and haven't missed a beat since the program's all-time winningest coach — Bob Stoops — stepped down prior to the 2017 campaign with a loaded team. Coveted by NFL teams, Lincoln Riley has pushed the program to the forefront with innovative offenses and has made Oklahoma the place to be for elite-level quarterbacks. Since 2000, the Sooners have won or shared 12 Big 12 Championships, including four straight.

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Clemson is bound to pass us up soon.  and A&M as well if we continue to let them win.  All the credit for us being up there belongs to Broyles.  Holtz did his share in the five years he coached.  Even Nutt had some good finishes.