Ranking the 25 Most Dominant College Football Programs of the Last 30 Years

What schools dominated the last 30 years of college football? Despite a recent outbreak of slumps by Miami, Nebraska and Florida State, these three schools show how they've ruled the college football roost over the last three decades. No program has won more overall games or captured as many 10-win seasons since 1980 as have the Hurricanes, Huskers and Seminoles. Further distilling themselves as the cream of the collegiate crop, Miami and Nebraska appeared in more National Title games and had more undefeated seasons than any other program. And Miami sits alone as the king of championships won over the last 30 years.

How do the rest of the elite programs rank over the last three decades? Read on.

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. Miami Hurricanes

Miami didn't win the most overall games in the last thirty seasons. That distinction goes to runner-up, Nebraska. They didn't have the most January bowl wins. That'd be instate rival, Florida State. But what the Hurricanes did do over the last three decades of college football is produce two of the greatest dynasties the sport has ever seen and collected more National Titles in a 19-year span than all but four other programs have won over the entire history of the sport.

Unlike other long-term successful programs out of such places as Columbus, Tallahassee and Happy Valley (where regime changes are few and far between), Miami seems to have coaches last about as long as an underclassman's eligibility. That might explain the up-and-down nature of Miami's impressive 30-year run. The empire started by Howard Schnellenberger was made even greater by now coaching legends Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson and further enhanced by the duel efforts of Butch Davis (who was hamstrung with probation issues) and Larry Coker -- who guided one of the greatest college football teams of all time (the 2001 Canes), but ultimately couldn't keep the dynasty ship afloat.

Through all the tumult, the Miami Hurricanes so frequently manage to forge awesomely talented teams through some of the most dominating campaigns in college football history. Like the eye of a storm, Miami's laurels remain untouched despite whatever else swirls around it.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 14
Total wins 283
National Title games played 8
National Title games won 5
Undefeated seasons 3
January wins 11

Total points: 66.8

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Those burly farm boys out of Lincoln are just too slow to keep up with the fleet-feet of the sun belt. Or so the conventional wisdom went for the better part of the 1980s and early 1990s. In truth, Tom Osborne's teams of that period were made to look slow mainly by the program's chief rivals for the top spot in this list -- Miami and Florida State. The Huskers received lopsided losses at the hands of this Sunshine State duo five times between 1987 and 1992.

The Hurricanes and Seminoles so embarrassed Nebraska in this stretch that, by the time Osborne and company had finally infused a little speed of its own into the Cornhuskers' famed power running game, there was a reluctance by AP and Coaches Poll voters to let an undefeated Nebraska trump a one-loss Florida State for a 1993 National Title shot. Fortunately for the Huskers, previously unbeaten Notre Dame suffered an upset in its last game of the season setting off an Orange Bowl match-up between Florida State and Nebraska that would serve as the Cornhuskers' first salvo to the Florida schools. It wasn't a win. It was a 16-18 thriller of a loss. But one thing was abundantly clear -- things had changed in Lincoln. The Huskers were still big and powerful. But they were no longer slow. Led by Tommie Frazier and Lawrence Phillips in 1994 and 1995, Nebraska unleashed an onslaught onto the college football landscape that lasted a full five years for an amazing 60-3 record and three National Titles.

The mid-90s dynasty coupled with high-caliber national title contenders in the 1980s and early 2000s, puts Nebraska (along with Florida State) as the only true rivals to Miami's dominance over the last 30 seasons.

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 18
Total wins 295
National Title games played 7
National Title games won 3
Undefeated seasons 3
January wins 8

Total points: 64.5

3. Florida State Seminoles

An unequaled 14 wins in January. An amazing string of uninterrupted 10-win seasons from 1987 to 2000. The only program over the last three decades without a single losing season and owners of the third most total wins. Five National Title appearances and two crowns.

Seminole fans have had much to cheer about since Bobby Bowden's arrival in 1976.

Outside the slump that's plagued FSU this decade, the only real problem for the folks in Tallahassee has been that pesky private school to the south and a penchant for shanked field goals. Miami and Florida State have met every season of the last thirty years and the Hurricanes have left the field winners 19 times. FSU entered the match 14 times ranked in the AP Top 5 -- with National Titles implications on the line -- Miami came out of those matches with 10 wins.

The Seminoles were often an 800-pound gorilla during the Bowden years. Albeit an 800-pound gorilla with another 900-pound gorilla constantly looking over its shoulder.

Losing seasons 0
10 win seasons 15
Total wins 281
National Title games played 5
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 14

Total points: 60.1

4. Florida Gators

Nobody paid much attention to the Florida Gators in the 1980s. A couple of 9-win seasons here and there didn't do much to counterbalance half a decade struggling to stay above .500. But the 1990s and 2000s are a completely different story out of Gainsville.

Often looked as the "other" major football school in the Sunshine State, the Gators did a whole lot of marking their territory over the last 15 seasons. The premier program of both the last 5 and 15 years, Florida's three National Titles put it in rare company. Only Nebraska and Miami are equal or better in that category.

UF may often find it tough reaching the BCS Title game having to play in a conference with four other frequent National Title contenders. But win they get the opportunity to win a title, the Gators make the most of it -- producing two blow-out wins and a commanding third victory in their last three title matches.

Losing seasons 1
10 win seasons 12
Total wins 278
National Title games played 4
National Title games won 3
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 9

Total points: 53.3

5. Penn State Nittany Lions

The boys from Penn State have given their stalwart coach three fairly solid decades of excellence to land at fifth. Sure, the start of the 21st Century didn't exactly leave Happy Valley living up to its name. But the 1980s were about as good for Joe Paterno and crew as any program can hope for. Two National Titles in a four-year span. If it weren't for Miami's run of holy terror, the Nittany Lions could have laid claim to "team of the 80s."

At least Paterno got the last laugh over the Hurricanes in 1986.

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 13
Total wins 263
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 2
January wins 12

Total points: 49.3

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

The most consistent program of the last 20 years wasn't quite so in the 1980s. Sure, the decade opened with 6 identical records (9-3). That's "consistent" personified right there. But Earl Bruce was shown the door on the heals of a lackluster 6-win campaign in 1987. This was followed by an astonishingly bad 4-win season for John Cooper's first year in Columbus. These two seasons account for Ohio State's only losing records of the last three decades.

Losing seasons 2
10 win seasons 12
Total wins 267
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 7

Total points: 46.2

7. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma played in more National Title games than any other program of the last three decades except for Nebraska and Miami. The only problem is they tend to lose those games twice as often as they win them. January is not often kind to the Sooners.

Couple this with the school's worst slump ever -- roughly from 1992 to 1999 -- and Oklahoma's stature as one of the Top 3 or 4 programs of both the 1980s and 2000s drops down a solid peg.

Losing seasons 6
10 win seasons 12
Total wins 262
National Title games played 6
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 5

Total points: 45.7

8. Michigan Wolverines

Like their conference rivals in Columbus, Michigan has been consistently upper echelon. They just never manage to finish at the very top as often as some of the programs ahead of them. Michigan's status in the Top 10 is helped by an impressive number of January bowl wins. Only Florida State won more post-New Years bowls than the Wolverines over the last 30 seasons.

Losing seasons 3
10 win seasons 11
Total wins 264
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 13

Total points: 44.9

9. Alabama Crimson Tide

Two slumps (1984-1990 and 1997-2006) and two National Title-caliber eras (1991-1994 and 2008-2009) illustrate the extreme highs and lows of Alabama football in the decades after Bear Bryant's swan song. Nearly as many losing seasons as January wins sees a yin and yang tailspin out of Tuscaloosa.

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 12
Total wins 264
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 2
January wins 6

Total points: 44.4

10. Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs return to the Top 10 of most dominant programs with the inclusion of Georgia's best four season run of all time, kicking off the thirty year cut-off in 1980 with an undefeated season and National Championship while compiling a 43-4-1 record in those first four seasons.

Like its SEC brothers, Alabama, Georgia has seen some highs and lows over the last three decades. The Bulldogs are one of only 13 schools to top 250 wins in thirty seasons and one of only 11 programs to collect a dozen 10-win seasons.

Losing seasons 6
10 win seasons 12
Total wins 259
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 11

Total points: 43.4

11. Texas Longhorns

Losing seasons 6
10 win seasons 13
Total wins 257
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 6

Total points: 41.7

12. Tennessee Volunteers

Losing seasons 4
10 win seasons 10
Total wins 258
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 11

Total points: 41.3

13. BYU Cougars

Losing seasons 6
10 win seasons 14
Total wins 272
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 1

Total points: 39.7

14. USC Trojans

Losing seasons 7
10 win seasons 8
Total wins 248
National Title games played 3
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 9

Total points: 38.3

15. Auburn Tigers

Losing seasons 7
10 win seasons 8
Total wins 246
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 2
January wins 8

Total points: 31.6

16. Virginia Tech Hokies

Losing seasons 4
10 win seasons 11
Total wins 241
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 3

Total points: 30.3

17. Clemson Tigers

Losing seasons 5
10 win seasons 5
Total wins 235
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 5

Total points: 30

18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Losing seasons 9
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 230
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 5

Total points: 27.5

19. LSU Tigers

Losing seasons 10
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 223
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 2
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 4

Total points: 27.3

20. Washington Huskies

Losing seasons 8
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 215
National Title games played 1
National Title games won 1
Undefeated seasons 1
January wins 5

Total points: 25

21. Boise State Broncos

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

Total points: 23.9

22. West Virginia Mountaineers

Losing seasons 8
10 win seasons 5
Total wins 228
National Title games played 2
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 3

Total points: 23.3

23. Iowa Hawkeyes

Losing seasons 10
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 219
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 2

Total points: 21.9

24. Texas A&M Aggies

Losing seasons 9
10 win seasons 7
Total wins 228
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 2

Total points: 21.8

25. UCLA Bruins

Losing seasons 10
10 win seasons 6
Total wins 218
National Title games played 0
National Title games won 0
Undefeated seasons 0
January wins 6

Total points: 20.8

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