FootballOutsiders Top 100 Teams of Last 100 Years

[Husker NoNo]

I believe that Bush's USC & Young's Texas are going to be #1 & #2. This shall be so because the dao of ESPN has spoken it to be so. Yea is the mighty word of Corso, Herbstreit, & Fowler. Glory be to the Buckeye, the Buffalo, and the Seminole....Peace Be With You All.....

 

 

:espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks:

[MrBumstead]

Seriously, how heavily are they rating defense? Most of the teams on their list don't even compare to 1995 Nebraska's offensive numbers.

 

I love this part

The question, then, is how isn't this team higher on the list? The main reason: using points allowed as the measure, their defense was only good, not outstanding

 

But the nearest team in points scored (1993 FSU) has 100 points fewer than the '95 Huskers even though they played one more game. That must mean their offense was only good, not outstanding right?

 

And how about the 2002 Ohio State team? Giving up 9 more points than the Huskers (albeit in 2 more games), but scoring 228 fewer points even though they played 2 more games? How does that qualify either their defense or their offense as outstanding and get them rated above the '95 Huskers? Oh well, I guess it just points out how flawed their formula is.

[RockyMountainOySker]

I believe that Bush's USC & Young's Texas are going to be #1 & #2. This shall be so because the dao of ESPN has spoken it to be so. Yea is the mighty word of Corso, Herbstreit, & Fowler. Glory be to the Buckeye, the Buffalo, and the Seminole....Peace Be With You All.....

 

 

:espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks: :espnsucks:

I think I saw the 05 Texas team at like 85 or something way up there.

 

Edit: There are listed as #92.

[knapplc]

I'm a big believer in Jeff Sagarin's rankings. A while back he figured up an All-Time greatest list from 1956-2008. I'm not sure why he started his measuring period at 1956, but there was a solid reason for it. His list:

 

All-time Sagarin ratings
1956-2008
	 	        Year   	W-L-T  	AP 	Sagarin*
 1.	NEBRASKA 	1995 	12-0-0 	1 	117.05
 2. 	NEBRASKA 	1971 	13-0-0 	1 	116.47
 3. 	Mississippi	1959 	10-1-0 	2 	109.74
 4. 	Oklahoma 	1971 	11-1-0 	2 	109.68
 5. 	Ohio State 	1973 	10-0-1 	2 	109.51
 6. 	Washington	1991 	12-0-0 	2 	109.47
 7. 	Oklahoma 	1973 	10-0-1 	3 	109.40
 8. 	Miami, Fla. 	2001	12-0-0	1 	108.70
 9. 	Oklahoma 	1974 	11-0-0 	1 	108.19
10. 	Southern Cal   	1972 	12-0-0 	1 	107.66
11. 	NEBRASKA 	1972 	9-2-1 	4 	106.96
12. 	Oklahoma 	1972	11-1-0 	2 	106.50
13. 	Florida St. 	1987	11-1-0 	2 	106.44
14. 	Oklahoma 	1986	11-1-0	3 	106.33
15. 	Notre Dame 	1966	9-0-1 	1 	106.32
16. 	Notre Dame 	1970	10-1-0 	2 	106.09
17. 	Texas 	        2005	13-0-0 	1 	106.03
18. 	Penn State 	1994	12-0-0 	2 	105.82
19. 	Florida State 	1993	12-1-0 	1 	105.28
20. 	NEBRASKA 	1997	13-0-0 	2 	104.99
21. 	Alabama 	1971	11-1-0 	4 	104.61
22. 	Miami, Fla. 	1988	11-1-0 	2 	104.33
23. 	Texas 	        1970	10-1-0	3 	104.22
24. 	Syracuse 	1959	11-0-0 	1 	104.13
25. 	Notre Dame 	1988	12-0-0 	1 	103.86
26. 	Miami, Fla. 	1987	12-0-0 	1 	103.79
27. 	NEBRASKA 	1970	11-0-1 	1 	103.58 

 

Sports Illustrated took a crack at this in 2005. Their top ten:

 

Many teams have ended the season with nary a blemish on their record -- including three this season. But which teams have had the most impressive perfect marks? The goal is not to necessarily decide the best teams in college football history, but simply to rank the best of the unbeaten seasons.

 

To put a different spin on this list, each team must have played (and obviously won) a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2. Unfortunately, that leaves out best-of-all-time candidates such as the 1947 Sooners, the 1972 Trojans, the 1979 Crimson Tide and the 2001 Hurricanes. Also, you must have also won the national title outright. Sorry, 1997 Cornhuskers and Wolverines -- you're both disqualified.

 

1. 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers

 

Record: 12-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Florida 62-24 in Fiesta Bowl

On a CBS list of the 10 greatest teams, this one was voted No. 1. Football computer analyst Jeff Sagarin also ranks this team as the best college football team since 1956. Want to know why? The Huskers offense averaged 52.4 points a game and also led the nation in rushing (399.8 yards per game). They didn't beat opponents, they destroyed them. Think Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano at the peak of their careers.

 

2. 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

 

Record: 13-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31; Beat No. 2 Alabama 38-6 in Orange Bowl

Winning the Game of the Century is the highlight -- mainly because it's the only close game the Huskers played all year. In every other game, they won by a margin of at least 24 points. Just three opponents scored more than one TD. But the key to the season? Return specialist Johnny Rodgers. "Take Johnny Rodgers out of there on kickoff and punt returns, and it probably wouldn't have gone 13-0," acknowledged Tom Osborne, an assistant coach to then head coach Bob Devaney.

 

3. 1945 Army Black Knights

 

Record: 9-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Notre Dame 48-0; beat No. 2 Navy 32-13

Mr. Inside (Doc Blanchard) and Mr. Outside (Glenn Davis) spearheaded a team that rolled past its opponents by a collective score of 412-46. Six players were named first-team All-Americas. The only negative was West Point opting to turn down a Rose Bowl invite.

 

4. 2004 USC Trojans

 

Record: 13-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Oklahoma 55-19 in Orange Bowl

Was this team's true worth underestimated before the Orange Bowl? Apparently. The Trojans had a few close shaves that hinted at vulnerability, but ultimately they beat four teams that finished in the top 20. Add a Heisman winner in QB Matt Leinart and this season goes down as more magical than you might think.

 

5. 1969 Texas Longhorns

 

Record: 11-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Arkansas 15-14

Rated a top 10 team of all time by some experts, the Longhorns won three games against top 10 opponents, including the other Game of the Century against the Razorbacks. Beating Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl -- the first Irish bowl game after 44 years of self-imposed exile -- was the capper.

 

6. 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

 

Record: 12-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 USC 27-10

The Irish beat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the country at the time they played them. They also won 10 games by double digits. Notre Dame has had more dominant teams (think Rockne), but Lou Holtz's only perfect season at South Bend might have been the most impressive run.

 

7. 1999 Florida State Seminoles

 

Record: 12-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 Virginia Tech 46-29 in Sugar Bowl

In becoming the first team to go wire-to-wire with the No. 1 ranking, the Seminoles beat five top 20 teams. They outscored opponents by a combined 412-174. The offense was so deep that no running back or receiver gained more than 1,000 yards. Only a relatively easy ACC slate raises the skepticism on this season.

 

8. 1987 Miami Hurricanes

 

Record: 12-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 1 Oklahoma 20-14 in Orange Bowl

The Hurricanes were expected to be great -- in 1988 and '89. But they peaked faster than anticipated, outscoring opponents 412-125. Sure, the schedule included some gimmes against East Carolina, Miami (Ohio) and Toledo -- which was actually a close game -- but ultimately the Hurricanes beat six top 20 teams.

 

9. 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes

 

Record: 10-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 2 USC 27-16 in Rose Bowl

Tough to choose between this one and the 2002 Ohio State team that went 14-0. But we'll go old school (especially in light of the destructive aftermath of the '02 team). The '68 version thrashed rival Michigan 50-14 to win the Big Ten, and then rallied from 10 points down to beat O.J. Simpson's Trojans for the national title. Six NFL first-round picks suited up for Woody Hayes' second (and last) perfect squad.

 

10. 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide

 

Record: 13-0

1 vs. 2: Beat No. 1 Miami 34-13 in Sugar Bowl

The Tide won the SEC's first championship game in what was arguably the toughest conference that season. The defense allowed more than 13 points on just two occasions, and the Tide beat three top 20 teams during the regular season.

[HuskerJosh]

Where was 94 Nebraska on that Sagarin rank?

[knapplc]

I can't find the whole ranking. I've even emailed Jeff himself and he said all that's archived are what's on USAToday's website, which doesn't include this list.

 

The 27 teams I have are pulled from Huskerpedia, who cite this as Sagarin's list, but they cut it off at 27. If anyone can google this list and pull it up I'd love to see it.

 

One would think that both 1994 Nebraska and 1983 Nebraska would be up there somewhere near the top, but maybe not?

[irafreak]

Some quick numbers on 1995 Nebraska, in case anyone has forgotten the specifics:

 

Record: 12-0

Average Margin of Victory: 39 pts

Ranked Opponents faced: 4

Average Margin of Victory vs. Ranked Opponents: 31 pts

Closest Margin of Victory: 14 pts (Washington St)

Greatest Margin of Victory: 59 pts (Iowa St)

I think it must also be noted that ALL 4 ranked opponents were in the top 10! KSU#8, CU#7, KU#10, Florida #2

 

Edit: Also all 4 finished ranked in the top 10 in both polls!!!!!

[Lil' Red]

Their formula is obviously flawed if it ranks the 95 huskers at 47. Looking at some of the other rankings it seems that several other teams on the list were over-ranked or under-ranked.

[Enhance]

Agreed with most here. Any system that has the Huskers that low is a flawed system, regardless of their formula. Their rationale is terrible, as well.

[deedsker15]

SOLUTION

 

If there formula is based off margin of victory and points scored, and what not, then when we beat the crap out of florida it hurt there rating in their formula. It may even drop florida below other one or maybe even two loss teams(cuz this poll obviously are high on them). Same goes with the rest of the teams we faced. When they go through their formula every team got whipped by us probably got their power ranking hurt, or however they rank a teams strength, instead of discounting it as a loss to the best team that year. So all those highly ranked teams we played probably get discounted by the pure fact they had to play us and we did so well against them(retarded I know).

 

This is why we can all stop talking about this

[Manhattan]

Their number one ranked team is going to be like Yale '00... 1900, that is.

 

 

I can't believe that the '95 Huskers are ranked so poorly in this list. It was such an interesting read too.

[irafreak]

SOLUTION

 

If there formula is based off margin of victory and points scored, and what not, then when we beat the crap out of florida it hurt there rating in their formula. It may even drop florida below other one or maybe even two loss teams(cuz this poll obviously are high on them). Same goes with the rest of the teams we faced. When they go through their formula every team got whipped by us probably got their power ranking hurt, or however they rank a teams strength, instead of discounting it as a loss to the best team that year. So all those highly ranked teams we played probably get discounted by the pure fact they had to play us and we did so well against them(retarded I know).

 

This is why we can all stop talking about this

If this weighs so heavily then the 02 OSU squad should be in amazing shape. (that was a good team)

[Ponderosa]

Any formula that has the 1995 Huskers outside the top three teams all-time is flawed, plain and simple. Their explanation is ridiculous:

 

What this list is suggesting is that what constituted near-perfection in the 1990s would have just been really good in other decades. You are a product of your era, and while the 1995 Huskers did all they could to dominate the schedule they faced, the numbers as presented say that a number of teams from different eras would have done as well or better against Nebraska's schedule. You can choose to believe this analysis or not, but it's been interesting to watch the list unfold. The numbers suggest that it was much harder to stand out in the 1930s and 1980s than it was in the 1990s, and it was damn near impossible to stand out in the 1910s and 1920s.

 

The question becomes, what are you gauging with this formula? Because it certainly isn't a "Top 100 College Football Teams" based on a truly meaningful criteria. I can come up with a formula that quantifies teams based on any number of stats or criteria, but not all of those stats are meaningful in this conversation, nor are every criteria equally valuable.

 

Bottom line, their methodology is not just flawed but ridiculously flawed when they have a team that most knowledgeable fans will put in the top three, and instead they have this team in the mid-40s.

 

This list is such an embarrassment for FO.

It isn't controversial - it is irrelevant.

 

I doubt their reputation recovers from this 'effort'.

 

 

 

 

BTW - '02 OSU #43.

[Blaze1up]

According to this math the #1 team will either be an Ivy league school or Army.

[Ponderosa]

The '95 Huskers aren't even the best team of the 90's.

FO has two teams left.

94. 1996 Ohio State

83. 1992 Alabama

60. 1997 Michigan

56. 1993 Florida State

47. 1995 Nebraska

 

XX. ??

XX. ??

 

Who's left?

 

'96 Florida - gotta be one of 'em since '96 OSU is on the list

'94 or '97 or NU?

'94 PSU?

'98 Tenn?

'99 FSU?

 

Below is the breakdown by FO of Top 100 teams from each decade:

Decade All 40 - 100 Remaining

 

1910s: 1 1 0

1920s: 4 4 0

1930s: 17 14 3

1940s: 12 5 7

1950s: 12 7 5

1960s: 11 4 7

1970s: 12 7 5

1980s: 13 8 5

1990s: 7 5 2

2000s: 11 5 6

100 60 40