Greatest College Football Teams of All Time (Single Season)

A common debate between college football fans all over the US is, who is the greatest single season college football team ever to play together? This is a list in which I will try to be as unbiased as possible, and to only look at the facts and statistics behind each team. That said, i'm sure some will feel left out... but there are only ten slots. If you fell your team is left out.. let me know why. I promise I will consider all data presented.

and without further ado, here is the list of the top ten greatest single season college football teams of all time.

#10

The 1999 Florida State Seminoles

Finish: 12-0, defeated #2 Virginia Tech in the BCS National Championship (Sugar Bowl), 46-29

Reasoning: The Seminoles of '99 are the most of accurate representation of Bobby Bowden and his legendary coaching at FSU. The team went wire-to-wire as the #1 team throughout the season (in all polls), and was the first team to do so. The 'Noles of 99 featured a receiving core that included Anquan Boldin, Snoop Minnis, Laveranues Coles and Peter Warrick... Not to mention future Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at the helm of the offense and Travis Minor at running back. The Noles defeated #3 ranked Florida in their last game of the regular season, and went on to defeat Micheal Vick and the #2 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies for the national title, handing the Hokies their only loss of the season.

#9

The 1956 Oklahoma Sooners

Finish: 10-0, ranked #1 in the AP Poll

Reasoning: This Oklahoma team was in the midst of their still-standing NCAA record 47-game win streak, and though conference rules in that time prohibited teams from participating in Bowl games in back to back seasons, OU did not need a bowl game to be crowned NCAA champions, as their dominance was evident throughout the season. The 1956 Sooners averaged averaged 46 points a game, but that is not the defining stat of this team. The Sooners held their opponents to 51 points on the season. Thats an average of 5.1 points per game. This was legendary coach Bud Wilkinson at his best. OU had one close game all year.. a 27-19 win over Colorado. Their next closest game was a 22 point victory over Kansas.

#8

The 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide

Finish: 11-0, defeated Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl.

Reasoning: The #8 team on the list also included a legendary coach in Paul "Bear" Bryant. The resounding theme of Bear Bryants 1961 Alabama Crimson Tide team was defense. The Tide gave up only 25 points all season, and pitched six shutouts. That's an average of 2.2 points per game, while Bama averaged 27 points per game on offense. Their 11-0 record included a 34-0 victory over Auburn in annual Iron Bowl, a 34-3 victory over Tennessee and a 32-6 victory at Georgia. Stir in the fact that the Tide only defeated two opponents by less than ten points, and cap it off with the fact that they had possibly the greatest defense college football has ever seen, and you get a team very worthy of a top ten spot.

#7

The 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish/1947 Michigan Wolverines

Finish(s): ND 9-0 Michigan 10-0 defeated USC 49-0 in the Rose Bowl

1947 had just as much controversy as today's BCS system has ever had. The Irish of Notre Dame were awarded the AP national title at the end of the regular season, and then the Wolverines of Michigan absolutely hammered USC in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame did not participate in a Bowl game that year. Each team had a strong case to be the National Champion that year, but i believe that both cases are so good that it just has to end in a tie. Notre Dame had the National Title and the Heisman Trophy (won by Johnny Lujack). Michigan had a higher margin of victroy, and defeated each of the two teams common opponents by more than the Irish did. Each team had 5 All Americans on their team. The AP awarded the title to Notre Dame, but took a (never before heard of) post-bowl poll, in which Michigan was selected #1. Notre Dame retains the 1947 AP Title. All of this being said, both of these teams are considered the best ever fielded by their respective schools, and both deserve the #7 spot on this list.

#6

The 2001 Miami Hurricanes

Finish: 12-0, defeated Nebraska in the BCS National Championship Game (Rose Bowl), 37-14

Reasoning: This Miami Hurricane team featured the most talent-laden roster ever seen in college football. Consider the fact that 16 players from this roster were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Also consider how many of those 2001 Miami Hurricanes are successful NFLers. Here's the list: Willis McGahee, Najay Davenport, Frank Gore, Phillip Buchanon, Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Jeremy Shockey, Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork, Kellen Winslow, Jr., Sean Taylor, and Antrell Rolle. This 'Canes team scored 43 points a game while only giving up ten, and beat their ranked opponents by an average of 47 to 14. It's safe to say the 2001 'Canes belong on this list.

#5

The 1972 USC Trojans

Finish: 12-0, won Rose Bowl over Ohio State, 42-17

Reasoning: This Trojan team, led by Coach John Mckay and Fullback Sam "Bam" Cunningham, plowed through the competition in 1972 with ease. The '72 Trojans defeated six ranked teams, by an average of 20 points each. Only Stanford came within 10 points of the Trojans all year. USC's offense averaged 39 points a game, and their opponents averaged 10.This USC team featured 5 First Team All Americans, and some big names in their underclassmen ranks, most notably Lynn Swann. The '72 Trojans were the first team to ever receive every single first place vote in every single poll after steamrolling Ohio State by 25 points in the Rose Bowl.

#4

The 1945 Army Black Nights

Finish: 9-0 and National Champs

Reasoning: Army absolutely dominated the college football season in 1945. They averaged 48 points a game, while giving up only 5. None of their games were closer than 19 points. The Black Knights had two back to back Heisman winners in 1945 (Doc Blanchard) and 1946 (Glenn Davis) and both ran for more than 1,000 yards in the 1945 season. They beat rivals Notre Dame and Army by scores of 48-0 and 32-13, respectively. Sufficed to say.. this Army team definitely belongs among the top 5 teams of all time.

#3

The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Finish:13-0, defeated Alabama in the Orange Bowl 38-6

Reasoning: This Cornhusker team averaged 39 points a game, while only giving up eight per game. Featuring future Heisman winner and all-purpose athlete Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska was only challenged in one game, the "Game of the Century" against Oklahoma in which Nebraska prevailed, 35-31. The next closest team to beating the '72 version of the Huskers was Colorado, who lost 31-7. This all happened despite the Cornhuskers playing three of the top 5 teams in the nation that year.The Blackshirt defense included two consensus All Americans, and two more players that would earn that status before their career at Nebraska ended. There are very few teams that make a better case for best team all time.

#2

The 2005 Texas Longhorns

Finish: 13-0, defeated USC in the BCS National Championship Game (Rose Bowl) 41-38

Reasoning: The 2005 Texas Longhorns set the NCAA record for points in a season with 652. They averaged 51 points a game, and gave up less than 15 points a game.That's a margin of victory of 36 points, or five plus touchdowns a game. Led by the dazzling Vince Young, and studded with stars at every position, the Horns blew through the regular season with only Ohio State coming within ten points of them. (Texas won that game, the first night game Ohio State ever lost in Columbus, 25-22.) Texas defeated a USC team in the Rose Bowl that many thought could have been the greatest college football team of all time. In one of the all time great performances, VY led Texas to a comeback victory over the Trojans in what was one of the best college football games ever played.The sheer dominance of The 2005 Horns is represented in that years Big 12 title game, in which the Horns defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 70-3. They reached 70 points with 7:36 left in the third quarter, and cruised to the Rose Bowl.

#1

The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Finish: 12-0, defeated Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, 62-24

The 1995 version of the Cornhuskers averaged 50 plus points a game, and played four teams ranked inside the top ten. The Huskers won every one of those games by no less than 23 points. Big Red averaged 53 points a game, and gave up 14 per game. That's a margin of victory of 39 points a game, even more than the 2005 Longhorn team. The Cornhuskers only trailed for one quarter in the entire season. Their two headed running attack of Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips was a monster in the running game, and it didn't help that after those two got through with them, Tommie Frazier was still running over, around and through the defenses. The offense averaged 399.8 yards rushing per game, and the Huskers handed Florida their only loss of the season (62-24) in the National Championship Game. This Nebraska team didn't beat people, they murdered them. Steam rolled them with a semi truck. In judging the greatest single season college football teams of all time, i think it's a sure bet that the 1995 Nebraska squad sets the standard. I don't think I can see any team ever reaching the 95 Huskers level.