Best College Football Teams of All Time

The following list consists of the ten best teams in college football history. The rankings were based of each team's dominance in their era.

1. University of Miami (1987) - The Jimmy Johnson-led Hurricanes played one of the most difficult regular seasons in college football history in 1987. The 'Canes defeated five top 10 teams, including a 20-14 victory over top seeded Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, en route to a 12-0 season and an undisputed national championship. Future Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin and star quarterback Steve Walsh led Miami on offense, while 1987 Jim Thorpe Award winner Bennie Blades and defensive end Daniel Stubbs anchored a 'Canes defense that allowed only 10 points per game. College football has yet to experience a team as excellent, exciting, and dominant as the 1987 Miami Hurricanes.

2. University of Southern California (1972) - Along with being the first team to end a season with all first place ballots in both the coaches and media polls, the 1972 Trojans defeated six top 20 teams, including No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Nebraska, by an average of 20.2 points per game. John McKay's finest team was led by All-Americans Richard Wood, Sam Cunningham, and Charlie Young, as well receiver Lynn Swann and running back Anthony Davis. USC was a perfect 12-0 on the season and capped off their national championship season with their 13th Rose Bowl victory.

3. University of Nebraska (1971) - Bob Devaney's Cornhuskers had one of the most dominant seasons in college football history in 1971. Nebraska's 13-0 season included dominant victories over No. 9 Colorado and No. 2 Ohio State in the Orange Bowl, but the most memorable game of the season came on November 25th against Oklahoma. The "Game of the Century" pitted the top two teams in the country in one of the most memorable games of all time. The Cornhuskers would defeat the Sooners 35-31 and eventually be crowned national champions.

4. University of Miami (2001) - The 2001 version of the Hurricanes was was loaded with NFL talent, such as safety Ed Reed,  wide receiver Andre Johnson, and tight end Jeremy Shockey, but did not let their personal successes distract them on the field. The team is considered one of the best ever because of their ability to dominate top teams, such as their 59-0 victory over No. 14 Syracuse, 65-7 win over No. 12 Washington, and 37-14 victory over No. 1 Nebraska in the Rose Bowl to claim the national title. No Miami teams of the past decade have been able to live up to the standards set by the 2011 Hurricanes and Miami hasn't been to a BCS Championship game since.

5. Army (1945) - The 1945 season began only days after the culmination of World War II and West Point was at an all-time high. The Black Knights carried this momentum onto the playing field and were unstoppable, finishing the season 9-0 and atop the AP polls. The Army offense was led by Mr. Inside, 1945 Heisman winning fullback Felix "Doc" Blanchard, and Mr. Outside, 1946 Heisman winning tailback Glenn Davis. The Black Knight defense recorded five shutouts and allowed an average of only five points per game.

6. University of Southern California (2004) - Although scandal would mar their successful season, the 2004 Trojans were one of the best teams to ever grace the field of play. Led by Heisman winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, as well as an infantry of future NFL stars, the Trojans dominated the Pac-10 and eventually #2 Oklahoma by a score of 55-19. The Orange Bowl win over the Sooners would earn the Trojans the BCS National Championship, only to have it taken away from them seven years later. In an era dominated by the SEC, Pete Carroll was able to recruit the top players in the nation and assemble the best combination of athleticism and physically the game of college football has ever seen.

7. University of Oklahoma (1974) - The two year stretch of dominance for the Sooners culminated in an 11-0 season and a National Championship for Barry Switzer and the gang. The Sooners, led by eight All-Americans, dominated the Big Eight conference, averaging 42 points per game in what was the toughest conference in football at the time. Oklahoma's unyielding wishbone offense featured the unstoppable trio of quarterback Steve Davis, running back Joe Washington, and fullback Jim Littrell.

8. University of Alabama (1961) - Legendary coach Bear Bryant's best team helped him capture his first of five national championships and establish a legacy unlike any other in college sports. The Crimson Tide averaged 27 points per game and allowed a remarkably low 2.3 points per game during their 11-0 season. Although they weren't pretty, the 1961 Tide were the definition of dominant and eventually capped off their season with a 10-3 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl to claim the national championship.

9. Florida State University (1999) - The 1999 Seminoles were the first team in NCAA history to go "wire-to-wire" ranked No. 1 in the country. To be quite honest, there was no chance of them ever dropping. Bobby Bowden's boys went 12-0 and earned big wins against No. 4 Florida and No. 10 Georgia Tech on their way to winning the ACC. The Seminoles capped off the season with a one-sided 46-29 win over No. 2 Virginia Tech to win the Sugar Bowl and take the BCS National Championship. The team was led by quarterback Chris Weinke and running back Travis Minor, but the biggest star to come out of the team was future Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski.

10. Harvard University (1901) - The oldest team on the list is here for a reason. Although the Ivy League is at the bottom of the totem poll in Division 1 FCS today, the conference was actually the most competitive league in America back at the turn of the 20th century. The Crimson were an undefeated 12-0 in 1901 and beat 11-1 Yale to capture the Ivy League championship. Bill Reid's Harvard Crimson accomplished a feat that would parallel a team going undefeated in the SEC or Big 10 in 2011.