Ok, the preliminaries are over, time for the 10th anniversary of my annual program rankings.
In 2005, I came up with the idea of trying define the
hierarchy of programs -- not teams, programs -- to not only provide a little perspective on how there
are really a couple of top tiers in college football, but also measure how
they’re rising and falling.
It highlights 10 categories, five focusing on the previous
year with the other half all-time (but slightly weighted to emphasize the
modern era), while trying be as opinion-free as possible. They gauge the sport
nearly every way possible, measuring the past and present to see which way the
college football winds are blowing.
Or in other words, try and answer the question “Who’s No.
1?” because while the national championship may determine the best team of a
particular season it doesn’t automatically translate to having the best overall
program.
The categories:
From the previous season:
The number of former players on NFL rosters opening weekend
Academics (graduation rates)
As for the All-Time categories:
Bowl appearances
National championships (since 1936)
The All-Time Associated Press Poll (originally devised by
former SEC assistant director of media relations Charles Woodroof)
Coaching legacy
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
For coaching legacy, which is easily the most controversial
category, only the top coach in each program was considered. The rankings are a
combination of an elaborate survey taken a few years ago, “Dell Presents
College Football’s Greatest Coaches,” which included media, coaches, former
great players and just about anyone associated with the game, and a point-based
formula.
Schools in the top 25 in each category received points
similar to the weekly top 25 polls, going from 25-24-23, down to 3-2-1. The
points were then added up and the programs listed in order.
So that's the full explanation. Are the numbers perfect? Of course not. It's essentially throwing everything into a blender and seeing what pours out.
However, the wide range of categories appears to balance out the numbers, so
while a program may score very well or poorly in one category it’s usually
offset by another.
With all that in mind, there was no change at the top this year:
Rank Program Points
1 Alabama 205.5
2 Ohio State 191.5
3 USC 157.5
4 Notre Dame 153.5
5 Florida State 142.5
6 Tennessee 138.5
7 Oklahoma 136.5
8 Penn State 131
9 Texas 129
10 Georgia 124.9
11 Michigan 118
12 LSU 114.5
13 Nebraska 107.75
14 Florida 84.5
15 Auburn 81.5
16 Clemson 69.4
17 UCLA 69.65
18 Miami 68
19 Texas A&M 53.65
20 Army 51
21 Michigan State 49
22 Oregon 44.5
23 Georgia Tech 43.4
24 Minnesota 42
25 Stanford 40.5
Others
scoring points: Wisconsin 40; Ole Miss 38.75; TCU 31.9; Arkansas 29; Texas-San
Antonio 25; California 24.5; Mississippi State 23; Northwestern 23; Rice 22;
Arizona
State 21; Yale 21; South Carolina 20.5; Pittsburgh 20; Princeton 20; Air Force 20;Boise
State 20; Baylor 19; Boston College 19; Northern Illinois 18; Central Florida 17;
Chicago 17; Pennsylvania 16; Wake Forest 16; Washington 15.9; Missouri 15; Navy
13.5; Brigham Young 13.4; Illinois 11.5; Utah State 11; Harvard 11; Tulane 9;
Iowa 8.5; Kansas State 8; North Carolina 8; Rutgers 8; Arizona 7; Texas Tech 6.5;
Virginia Tech 6; Utah 5; Marshall 3; Louisville 2; Virginia 2; Temple 2;
Colorado 1.9; Maryland 1.9; Syracuse 1.9; Cornell 1.5; Memphis 1; West Virginia
.5
So what did we learn?
For the
fifth straight year the top two programs didn’t change and the gap between
them and everyone else has only grown. Paterno’s
career numbers reinstated put Penn State back in the top 10 and knocked Michigan out,
albeit probably only temporarily. Programs on the rise include Clemson, Tennessee and
UCLA, and with Oregon close to making a dent in the all-time categories it’s
close to perennial power status.
Also, the tiers I had previously mentioned, which used to be prominent after the top six or 7, and again after No. 15, are really beginning to fade.
One thing that will surprise some people is that Alabama's gap over the field widened after it lost to Ohio State in the playoffs and the Buckeyes led the nation in home attendance last season. The reason why is the Crimson Tide climbed to third in number of former players in the NFL. When Nick Saban arrived in 2007 it wasn't in the top 25 in that category.
No. 1 teams and total points
2005-06 Southern California 176.5
2006-07 Southern California 176
2007-08 Ohio State 182.5
2008-09 Ohio State 194.5
2009-10 Ohio State 186
2010-11 Alabama 204
2011-12 Alabama 184.5
2012-13 Alabama 199.5
2013-14 Alabama 194
2014-15 Alabama 205.5
Next: Conference rankings
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