The Greatest Teams |
By STEVE FIELDS
Choosing the 25 Greatest Teams in college football history is like trying to define the perfect player. It can't be done to everyone's satisfaction.
How would Fielding Yost's 1901 Michigan Wolverines fare against Red Blaik's 1945 Army tean? Michigan outscored opponents 550-0, but could they have stopped a backfield that included two Heisman Trophy winners, Doc Blanchard (1945 winner) and Glenn Davis (1946 winner).
The argument can go on and on about the best teams, but certainly the 1964 and 1966 seasons provided two of the more interesting stories of college football.
In 1964, Arkansas was the only undefeated team in the nation but finished second in both polls because AP and UPI awarded their championships before the bowls. Texas upset Alabama in the Orange Bowl, but it came too late for the Razorbacks.
And in 1966, Notre Dame and Michigan State played to a 10-10 tie. But at the end of the season the two 9-0-1 teams did not share the national title. Notre Dame's Irish got the votes.
So read and remember, discuss and cuss the 25 Great Teams in College Football history:
|
| Rank | Team | Year | Record | Coach |
|---|
| 1. | Army
CADETS | 1945 | 9-0 | Earl "Red" Blaik |
| Heisman Trophy winner Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis (1946 Heisman Trophy winner) led "Blaik's Black Knights" to their second consecutive national championship with the wing-T offense. Tex Coulter and John Green were chosen A-A. Army repeated title in 1946, and Blaik finished with an 18-year record of 121-33-10. |
| 2. | Ohio State
BUCKEYES | 1968 | 10-0 | Woody Hayes |
| QB Rex Kern, FB Jim Otis, and DB Jack Tatum sparked team to Big 10 and national championships. Beat Southern Cal 27-16 to win the Rose Bowl. A-A included Tatum, David Foley, Rufus Mayes, and Mike Sensibaugh. |
| 3. | Florida State
SEMINOLES | 1993 | 12-1 | Bobby Bowden |
| 31-24 loss at Notre Dame prevented undefeated season. Charlie Ward made his mark as Heisman Trophy winning QB before entering the NBA. LB Derrick Brooks and DB Corey Sawyer led one of the nation's stingiest defenses, giving up 9.9 ppg. |
| 4. | Florida
GATORS | 1996 | 12-1 | Steve Spurrier |
| Loss to Florida State only blemish on record. A-A WRs Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony were favorite targets for QB Danny Wuerffel. |
| 5. | Oklahoma
SOONERS | 1956 | 10-0 | Bud Wilkinson |
| Second straight national title. Led nation in total offense (481.7 ypg), and in rushing (391 ypg). DB Tommy McDonald won the Maxwell Award, and was an A-A along with C Jerry Tubbs. |
| 6. | Notre Dame
FIGHTING IRISH | 1988 | 12-0 | Lou Holtz |
| Defensive-oriented team won national title. Irish were built around DL Frank Stams and LB Michael Stonebreaker. Gave up 13 ppg while scoring 32.8 per game. |
| 7. | Nebraska
CORNHUSKERS | 1997 | 13-0 | Tom Osborne |
| USA Today National champs outscored opponents 46-16 per game. A-As were OL Aaron Taylor and DLs Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter. This was Osborne's 25th and final team, closing with a 42-17 Orange Bowl victory vs. Tennessee. |
| 8. | Michigan State
SPARTANS | 1966 | 9-0-1 | Duffy Daugherty |
| Defensive-minded Spartans allowed only 99 pts. all season. Featured LB George Webster and DL Bubba Smith. Offense led by Clinton Jones and Gene Washington. Only blemish on record was a 10-10 tie with Notre Dame. |
| 9. | Notre Dame
FIGHTING IRISH | 1966 | 9-0-1 | Ara Parseghian |
| Voted No. 1 in AP and UPI polls despite tying with Michigan State in classic matchup. Team was surprising because sophomore QB Terry Hanratty and WR Jim Seymour and were the leaders. RB Rocky Blier led the ground game. |
| 10. | Michigan
WOLVERINES | 1901 | 11-0 | Fielding Yost |
| Outscored their opponents 550-0, an NCAA record that stands today. Included was a 49-0 win vs. Stanford in first Rose Bowl and a 128-0 win vs. Buffalo. E-FB Neil Snow was 2nd team A-A. Yost coached at Michigan from 1901-1923 and had 56-game non-losing streak snapped in 1905 by the University of Chicago, 2-0. |
| 11. | Penn State
NITTANY LIONS | 1982 | 11-1 | Joe Paterno |
| In an unusual season, PSU was powered by offense, led by QB Todd Blackledge and TB Curt Warner. The Lions averaged 32.9 ppg; yielded 16.3 ppg. |
| 12. | Syracuse
ORANGEMEN | 1959 | 11-0 | Ben Schwartzwalder |
| Orangemen led nation in offense and defense. HB Ernie Davis powered the offense behind the "Sizeable 7" of A-A G Ron Davis, Bob Yates, Maury Youmans, Bruce Tarbox, Jack Bemiller, Fred Mautino, and Gary Skonieczki. Biggest guy on the team weighed 230 pounds. |
| 13. | Texas
LONGHORNS | 1963 | 11-0 | Darrell Royal |
| Vaunted wishbone attack was keyed by RBs Tommy Ford and Duke Carlisle as UT won SWC championship. |
| 14. | Texas
LONGHORNS | 1969 | 11-0 | Darrell Royal |
| A-A FB Steve Worster and SE Charles "Cotton" Speyrer led UT to SWC title. This was the last of Royal's great teams. Avg. 39.5 ppg and gave up 10.8 ppg. |
| 15. | Clemson
TIGERS | 1981 | 12-0 | Danny Ford |
| Beat Nebraska in Orange Bowl to secure national championship. Junior QB Homer Jordan guided Tiger offense that averaged 28.2 ppg, and A-A LB Jeff Davis and DB Terry Kinard topped defense that allowed a mere 8.8 ppg. |
| 16. | SMU
MUSTANGS | 1981 | 11-0-1 | Ron Meyer |
| One of the great backfields in history featured Lance McIlhenny, Eric Dickerson, and Craig James. Averaged 29.5 ppg. and gave up 14.1 ppg. |
| 17. | Arkansas
RAZORBACKS | 1964 | 10-0 | Frank Broyles |
| Only unbeaten team in 1964, but did not win national title because it was awarded before the bowl games, one of which saw Alabama lose. Razorbacks received the Grantland Rice Award by the Football Writers Association. G Ron Caveness was the lone A-A. |
| 18. | Alabama
CRIMSON TIDE | 1964 | 10-1 | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| Flashy QB Joe Namath previewed things to come in leading the Tide to the national championship. That title was awarded before Texas upset the Tide in the Orange Bowl, 21-17. |
| 19. | Southern Cal
TROJANS | 1979 | 11-0-1 | John Robinson |
| In tradition of run-left, run-right, Charles White ran to the Heisman Trophy behind A-A OT Anthony Munoz. Trojans averaged 32.4 ppg and allowed 14.3 ppg. |
| 20. | Alabama
CRIMSON TIDE | 1979 | 12-0 | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| A much unheralded squad went unbeaten a year after heavy graduation losses, giving Bryant his second straight national championship. A-A End E.J. Junior and RB Major Ogilvie were the ringleaders. Steadman Shealy was the QB, Keith Pugh was leading WR. Linemen G Mike Brock, T Jim Munch, and C Dwight Stephenson were all-SWC. |
| 21. | Miami (Florida)
HURRICANES | 1987 | 12-0 | Howard Schnellenberger |
| The Hurricanes came to full fury and won the national championship behind a defense led by A-A lineman Daniel Stubbs and A-A DB Benny Blades. Miami averaged 34.3 ppg behind QB Steve Walsh. Defense allowed 10.4 ppg. |
| 22. | Pittsburgh
PANTHERS | 1976 | 12-0 | Johnny Majors |
| A-A RB Tony Dorsett captured the Heisman Trophy. Season ended sweetly with a 27-3 victory vs. Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. |
| 23. | Oklahoma
SOONERS | 1974 | 11-0 | Barry Switzer |
| One of the all-time great defensive teams, giving up 8.4 ppg. Led by two-time A-A Lee Roy Selmon, who won the Lombardi and Outland Trophies. Offense paced by RB Joe Washington and averaged 43 ppg. Did not go to bowl because school was on NCAA probation. |
| 24. | Georgia
BULLDOGS | 1980 | 12-0 | Vince Dooley |
| RB Herschell Walker powered a running game that average 27.8 ppg and won the national championship. FS Jeff Hipp earned A-A honors while leading defense that gave up 11.4 ppg. |
| 25. | Nebraska
CORNHUSKERS | 1995 | 12-0 | Tom Osborne |
| Scored a fantastic 53.2 ppg. and allowed only 14.5 ppg. while winning second consecutive national crown. QB Tommie Frazier used his quickness to get the ball rolling. |
