Ranking the 25 Most Dominant College Football Programs of the Last 15 Years

What programs dominated the last 15 years of college football?

Using the same criteria to calculate the most dominant football programs of the last five and ten years, we can see how vastly some schools shifted from the middle of the 1990s to the end of this decade. Florida, Texas and Ohio State remained high in their rankings while other top programs of the 2000s (Oklahoma, LSU and USC) saw their stocks fall precipitously with having suffered bad slumps a little over a decade ago -- while two slumping programs of the 2000s (Nebraska and Florida State) flex their 1990s muscle to make huge jumps into the Top 5.

Disclaimer:Some of you may disagree with the results here and decry the whole list as steeped in fool's logic and personal bias. Feel free to leave comments in the suggestion box below. Also keep in mind that I crunched nearly as many numbers as ground control did to slingshot Apollo 13 around the dark side of the moon. So if you spot any miscalculations, let me know and I'll make the corrections.

1. Florida Gators

It wasn't exactly an auspicious start 15 seasons ago for Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators. Oh, the regular season went fine. It went beyond fine with 12 wins and no losses including a 62-37 drubbing of an otherwise unbeaten Tennessee. But January of 1996 posed a few problems for Florida as they relinquished 62 points of their own to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.

Maybe there was an impetus of some kind born in that game. Florida was aiming for its first National Title ever, Nebraska was gunning for its fourth. It was a schooling for the Gainsville upstarts and, by the results of the last 15 years, Florida was an apt pupil.

Since that night in Tempe, Florida has gone on to a perfect 3-3 record in National Title matches including one against Florida State the very next season. And when the Gators landed their title shots, they didn't just merely win. They made statements. 52-20 over the Seminoles. 41-14 over the Buckeyes. And the most prolific offense in college football history held to just 14 points in 2008.

No program has won more games than Florida in the last 15 years. And no program has played for more, nor won more National Titles than the Gators. An apt pupil in 1995? Yes indeed.

Losing seasons 0
10 win seasons 9
Total wins 153
National Title games played 4
National Title games won 3
January wins 8

Total points: 42.3

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State sits as the second most dominant program of the last 15 years most ostensibly on the back of current Buckeye coach, Jim Tressel. Indeed, during the last 9 seasons, Tressel lead Ohio State to three National Title games (winning one) and a spot in the Top 5 most dominant programs of the decade. But, despite getting canned in 2000, one cannot ignore the contribution John Cooper made to Ohio State's overall success of the past 15 years. Three 11-win seasons between 1995 and 1998, plus wins in the Rose and Sugar Bowls, vault Ohio State past Oklahoma, USC and Texas for second place. It also doesn't hurt that the Longhorns were mediocre from 1995 to 1999, while the Sooners and Trojans flat out stank.

Losing seasons 1
10 win seasons 10
Total wins 151
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 1
January wins 5

Total points: 34.1

3 (tie). Florida State Seminoles

Florida State was arguably the team of the 1990s. A case can also be made for Nebraska. But, unlike the six programs that dominated the 2000s, no program came close to matching the Seminoles and Cornhuskers for consistent excellence. Florida State never had fewer than 10 wins in any of the seasons of the 1990s and the second half of the decade was particularly good for Bowden and company -- seeing a stretch of five consecutive 11-win seasons, including a 12-0 run (and National Title) in 1999. This period of dominance was good enough to counter-balance what has been a comparatively awful decade for FSU in the 21st Century. The Seminoles leap-frog seven other programs to tie Texas as the third most dominant program of the last 15 years.

Losing seasons 0
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 140
National Title games played 4
National Title games won 1
January wins 6

Total points: 33

3 (tie). Texas Longhorns

Thanks to the arrival of Mack Brown in Austin, Texas was the most consistent power of the last decade -- giving the Longhorns the top spot for the last ten years over programs with more titles such as USC, Florida and LSU. But, before Brown took the reigns in 1998, his predecessor, John Mackovic, managed to stink up the joint with a 4-7 season. While righting the ship immediately with a 9-3 campaign, Brown wasn't able to move Texas into college football's upper echelon until 2001.

Losing seasons 1
10 win seasons 10
Total wins 150
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 1
January wins 5

Total points: 33

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Much like Florida State, the last 5 years of the 1990s do a lot to counterbalance a mediocre current decade for the Cornhuskers. Half of one of college football's most formidable dynasties of all time is covered in this span. Nebraska started this stretch with 36 wins, two losses and two National Titles. With three overall title games played, only Florida State matched Nebraska for dominance from 1995 to 2001. But Frank Solich's undoing in 2002, followed by the Bill Callahan fiasco of 2004-2007, keep the Cornhuskers humble.

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 8
Total wins 141
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 2
January wins 4

Total points: 30.1

6. USC Trojans

Seven consecutive 11-win seasons and two National Titles during the Pete Carroll era were almost enough to upend Texas for most dominant program of the last decade. Outside of that run, though, the Trojans were down-right awful. From 1995 to 2001, USC managed just 46 wins to 37 losses and one tie. The Trojans played as many National Title games in the last 15 years as they had losing seasons.

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 137
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 2
January wins 6

Total points: 29.7

7. Virginia Tech Hokies

Only one National Title appearance played for in the last 15 seasons and no trophies. But Virginia Tech's run during the Frank Beamer era is nothing to sneer at. Six conference titles (in the Big East and ACC), seven division crowns and 11 ten-win seasons. The Hokies are a bona fide powerhouse program for the last 15 years, finishing higher on this list than six other programs to win National Titles over this stretch.

Losing seasons 0
10 win seasons 11
Total wins 146
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 0
January wins 3

Total points: 29.6

8. Tennessee Volunteers

Recent history has been tumultuous for the Vols -- from the firing of long-time coach Phillip Fulmer to the jilting of the program by Lane Kiffin. But, despite the regrettable ending to Fulmer's career, there's a reason he had stuck around Knoxville for 17 seasons. Much of it had to do with the late 1990s when Tennessee went 45-5 and won the 1998 National Title. This, along with some relatively good seasons in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 lands Tennessee as the eighth most dominant program of the last 15 seasons.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 8
Total wins 137
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
January wins 6

Total points: 28.7

9. LSU Tigers

Much like USC and Oklahoma, LSU was a powerhouse in the 2000s, but stunk in the 1990s -- especially as the decade came to a close. The Tigers went a combined 7-15 in 1998 and 1999. Nick Saban came to the rescue in 2000 and, by 2003, had LSU winning its first National Title since 1958. A run as one of the top programs of the 2000s, plus a hard slump at the end of the 1990s puts LSU among the elite programs of the last 15 years.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 132
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 2
January wins 4

Total points: 27.2

10. Michigan Wolverines

They've been bluer in Ann Arbor than school spirit normally allows lately. Rich Rodriguez goes into to 2010 on the hottest of hot seats in Division I. But his dismal start (handing Michigan its first two losing seasons since 1967) are not enough to push the program out of the upper tier for the last 15 years. Winners of the 1997 National Title and six January bowl games have the Wolverines rounding out the last decade and a half's ten most dominant college football programs.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 130
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
January wins 6

Total points: 26

11. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia was one of the most consistently good non-champions of the 2000s. But, in the mid-1990s, the Bulldogs struggled to keep their heads above .500. Mark Richt took the reigns in 2001 and has been an SEC East champion contender ever since.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 136
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 7

Total points: 25.6

12. Oklahoma Sooners

A lot of great coaches have left their marks on the Oklahoma Sooners. Bud Wilkinson with his three National Titles and 48-game winning streak in the mid-1950s. Barry Switzer with three National Titles of his own and 12 conference titles. Bob Stoops with another Sooner National Title in 2000 and perennial title contender throughout the last decade.

John Blake left a different sort of mark on the program. More of a skid mark, I guess you could say. With a 12-22 record over three seasons, the Blake era defines the absolute nadir of the program's history. As such, it's enough for Oklahoma (the third most dominant program of the 2000s) to go careening down this list.

Losing seasons 4
10 win seasons 8
Total wins 134
National Title games played 4
National Title games won 1
January wins 2

Total points: 25.4

Here are the remaining schools to make the Top 25 most dominant college football programs of the last 15 years.

13. Miami Hurricanes

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 4
Total wins 132
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 1
January wins 4

Total points: 23.2

14. Boise State Broncos

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 9
Total wins 134
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 2

Total points: 22.4

15. Penn State Nittany Lions

Losing seasons 4
10 win seasons 5
Total wins 125
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 6

Total points: 19.5

16. Alabama Crimson Tide

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 118
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
January wins 3

Total points: 18.8

17. Wisconsin Badgers

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 5
Total wins 127
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 2

Total points: 17.7

18. Oregon Ducks

Losing seasons 1
10 win seasons 5
Total wins 126
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 1

Total points: 17.6

19. Auburn Tigers

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 3
Total wins 122
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 5

Total points: 17.2

20. Utah Utes

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 4
Total wins 123
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 2

Total points: 16.3

21. TCU Horned Frogs

Losing seasons 4
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 121
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 0

Total points: 15.1

22. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Losing seasons 0
10 win seasons 1
Total wins 120
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 2

Total points: 15.0

23 (tie). BYU Cougars

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 128
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 1

Total points: 14.8

23. (tie) West Virginia Mountaineers

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 3
Total wins 118
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 3

Total points: 14.8

25. Iowa Hawkeyes

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 4
Total wins 108
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
January wins 4

Total points: 13.8