The Associated Press has been ranking the best teams in college football from start to finish of each season since 1936.
Over 80 years and 1,103 polls, a total of 165 schools have been ranked and 44 of them have been ranked No. 1 (Minnesota was the first).
To determine the all-time Top 25, the AP formula counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (two points) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points).
Using parts of the regular season formula, plus points for things bowl appearances, and championships, the Associated Press just named its top programs of all-time.
The bottom half of the top-10 included a few later bloomers to college football’s elite status, but they’re there.
6 NEBRASKA (901 Points)
Total appearances:717, 65% of all polls
First appearance:1936
No.1 ranking:72
Championships:Four (last 1995)
Best full decade:1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade:1950s appeared in 5.17% of polls.
Poll point:Mostly under coach Tom Osborne, the Cornhuskers were unranked in only three polls combined during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s _ appearing in 99.35 percent over three decades.7 MICHIGAN (894 Points)
Total appearances:806, 73.07% of all polls
First appearance:1938
No.1 ranking:34
Championships:Two (last 1997)
Best full decade:1970s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade:1960s appeared in 26.98% of polls.
Poll point:The Wolverines were first team to appear in every poll over the course of a full decade, when they did it in the 1970s under coach Bo Schembechler.8 TEXAS (822 Points)
Total appearances:703, 63.74% of all polls
First appearance:1940
No.1 ranking:44 1/2
Championships:Three (last 2005)
Best full decade:2000s appeared in 99.40% of polls.
Worst full decade:1990s appeared in 47.34% of polls.
Poll point:The Longhorns have not had a top-10 rankings since Sept. 19, 2010, the program’s longest such streak since Nov. 26, 1984-Nov. 4, 1990.9 FLORIDA STATE (714 Points)
Total appearances:540, 48.96% of all polls
First appearance:1964
No.1 ranking:72
Championships:Three (last 2013)
Best full decade:1990s appeared in 100% of polls.
Worst full decade:1950s no poll appearances.(Florida State started football program in 1947).
Poll point:From Nov. 11, 1990-Sept. 9, 2001, the Seminoles were never ranked lower than 11th under coach Bobby Bowden.10 FLORIDA (674 Points)
Total appearances:562, 50.95% of all polls
First appearance:1950
No.1 ranking:41
Championships:Three (last 2008)
Best full decade:1990s appeared in 98.82% of polls.
Worst full decade:1940s no poll appearances.
Poll point:The Gators had no top-three appearances before Nov. 26, 1984 and then 95 top-three appearances after.
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