College Football - My Top 10

The 10 Greatest College Football Teams of All Time (Before 1980)

College football has always been more than just a game. It’s tradition, pageantry, and the kind of Saturday afternoons that become etched in memory. Before the modern era of mega-conferences, playoff brackets, and TV contracts, the sport was shaped by teams that built dynasties, broke barriers, and captured the nation’s imagination.

Today we’re looking back at the 10 greatest college football teams of all time before 1980. These aren’t just squads that won championships — they’re teams that dominated, innovated, and left legacies still felt today. And we’re doing it countdown style.

#10 – 1974 Oklahoma Sooners

Barry Switzer’s ’74 Sooners were a wishbone juggernaut. Quarterback Steve Davis and tailback Joe Washington led a rushing attack that looked more like sleight of hand than football. Oklahoma went 11–0, outscoring opponents 473–181, and claimed the national title despite being banned from postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.

The highlight? A 16–13 win over #1 Texas in the Red River Shootout and a series of blowout wins where Washington’s silver shoes seemed to blur across the Cotton Bowl grass. One newspaper summed it up: “No Bowl, No Problem. OU Still No. 1.”

#9 – 1956 Oklahoma Sooners

Bud Wilkinson’s Sooners weren’t just good — they were historically unstoppable. Riding a record 47-game winning streak, the ’56 squad went 10–0 and claimed another national crown.

Halfback Tommy McDonald, a future Hall of Famer, was the heart of the offense, while the defense posted six shutouts. After crushing Texas 45–0, one sportswriter quipped: “The only way to beat Oklahoma is to outscore them — and nobody’s figured out how to do that yet.”

Wilkinson, ever stoic, simply told his players: “Act like you’ve been here before — because you have.”

#8 – 1969 Texas Longhorns

Darrell Royal’s Longhorns perfected the wishbone and rode it to an 11–0 season and a national title. The defining moment came in the “Game of the Century” against Arkansas.

Trailing 14–0 in the fourth quarter, Texas quarterback James Street completed a daring 44-yard pass to Randy Peschel on fourth-and-three. That set up the go-ahead score in a 15–14 comeback win.

President Richard Nixon, in attendance, declared Texas the national champions right there in the locker room. Politics aside, nobody in Austin argued.

#7 – 1959 Syracuse Orangemen

Often overlooked, the ’59 Syracuse Orangemen went 11–0 and dismantled Texas in the Cotton Bowl, 23–14, to claim their only national championship.

The star was sophomore Ernie Davis, who would go on to win the Heisman in 1961 as the first African American recipient. His power and speed symbolized a changing era in college football.

As the New York Times put it after their title: “Syracuse Crowned King of the Gridiron.”

#6 – 1947 Michigan Wolverines

Nicknamed the “Mad Magicians,” coach Fritz Crisler’s Wolverines baffled defenses with a carousel offense full of fakes and shifts. They went 10–0, outscored opponents 394–53, and capped it with a stunning 49–0 Rose Bowl win over USC.

That performance was so dominant that many West Coast writers declared Michigan — not Notre Dame — the true national champion. Even decades later, Crisler’s playbook is remembered as a turning point in offensive innovation.

#5 – 1945 Army Black Knights

Few teams carried as much symbolic weight as the ’45 Army squad. With World War II still raging, the Black Knights became a beacon of national pride.

Led by the legendary backfield duo of Doc Blanchard (“Mr. Inside”) and Glenn Davis (“Mr. Outside”), Army went 9–0 and outscored opponents 412–46. They demolished Notre Dame 48–0 and defeated Navy 32–13 in a game that captivated the entire country.

Grantland Rice wrote of Blanchard and Davis: “If you have never seen them, no words can describe them. If you have, no words are necessary.”

#4 – 1972 USC Trojans

John McKay called his ’72 Trojans his “perfect team.” It wasn’t hyperbole. USC went 12–0, outscored opponents 467–134, and destroyed Ohio State 42–17 in the Rose Bowl.

The roster was stacked: Anthony Davis at tailback, Sam Cunningham at fullback, and future NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann at receiver. Cunningham scored four touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, leading Sports Illustrated to declare: “USC: Too Good, Too Fast, Too Strong.”

#3 – 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Bob Devaney’s ’71 Huskers are often hailed as the most complete team ever. They went 13–0, defeating the #2, #3, and #4 teams in their final three games.

The season’s highlight was the Thanksgiving Day “Game of the Century” against Oklahoma, where Johnny Rodgers’ dazzling punt return became an instant legend. Nebraska won 35–31, then crushed Alabama 38–6 in the Orange Bowl.

Devaney later said: “This is the best team I’ll ever coach. Maybe the best team anyone will ever coach.”

#2 – 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes

Woody Hayes’ “Super Sophomores” stormed onto the scene in ’68, leading the Buckeyes to a 10–0 record and a Rose Bowl win over O.J. Simpson’s USC squad.

Quarterback Rex Kern, fullback Jim Otis, and safety Jack Tatum became household names. The Buckeyes beat USC 27–16 in Pasadena, and Hayes called it his best team ever.

The Columbus Dispatch headline said it all: “Buckeyes Crush O.J. and USC, Claim the Crown.”

#1 – 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

At the top, it’s Frank Leahy’s 1947 Fighting Irish. Notre Dame went 9–0, outscoring opponents 271–52, and featured Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Lujack, who excelled on both sides of the ball.

The Irish beat ranked powers like Army, Michigan State, and USC, often by lopsided scores. They didn’t play in a bowl, but the Associated Press crowned them national champions, even though some disputed it.

The Chicago Tribune headline summed it up perfectly: “Irish Leave No Doubt: Notre Dame Reigns Supreme.”

Final Thoughts

Greatness in college football isn’t just about records or trophies. It’s about dominance, innovation, and the ability to capture the imagination of fans across generations.

From Notre Dame’s golden age to Nebraska’s power, from Army’s wartime heroes to USC’s Hollywood swagger, these teams didn’t just win games. They wrote chapters of history.

And though debates will rage forever about who deserves the top spot, one thing’s certain: these ten teams remind us why college football is woven so deeply into America’s sports soul.

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