Below are descriptions of the college football teams many consider to the the greatest ever.
Select three teams you consider the greatest team of all time, based upon their accomplishments against the competition of their time?
1888 Yale (12-0): In Walter CampâÂÂs first season as coach at Yale, the âÂÂFather of College Footballâ helped the Bulldogs outscore the opposition by a whopping 698-0. Four members of the team are in the College Football Hall of Fame.
1899 Sewanee (12-0): Sewanee surrendered points to only one team all season, outscoring its opponents 322-10. The Tigers played only three home games and, in perhaps the greatest feat in college football history, shut out five opponents (Texas, Texas A&M, Tulane, LSU, and Ole Miss) in the span of only six days - all on the road (covering more than 2,500 miles by train in the process).
1904 Michigan (10-0): The legendary Coach Fielding YostâÂÂs fourth team at Michigan routed its opponents 567-22, and became known as âÂÂPoint-a-Minuteâ Michigan. The term âÂÂpoint-a-minuteâ is still used to this day to describe offensive juggernauts. Only one team came to within less than 25 points of the Wolverines, and Michigan obliterated four opponents by at least 72 points; this in the days when a touchdown was only worth five.
1924 Notre Dame (10-0): This Notre Dame squad was coached by Knute Rockne and featured the famed âÂÂFour Horsemenâ backfield of Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley, Layden. The Irish outscored their opponents 271-51, and allowed more than 7 points only in their last two games, one of which was a 27-10 victory over Pop WarnerâÂÂs Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
1945 Army Cadets (9-0): The Cadets outscored their opponents 412-46 and won a second consecutive National Title. They shut out five opponents and never allowed more than 13 points in any game. The backfield tandem of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis both won Heisman Trophies - Blanchard in âÂÂ45 and Davis in âÂÂ46. ArmyâÂÂs smallest margin of victory all season was by 19 points against Navy, considered the second-best team in the country.
1947 Notre Dame (9-0): A staggering 41 players from this squad went on to professional football careers. Notre DameâÂÂs defense gave up more than a touchdown only once all season and capped the year off with a 38-7 dismantling of #3 USC in Los Angeles. QB Johnny Lujack won the Heisman and OL Leon Hart also had a Heisman in store; he was one of only two offensive linemen to ever win the award.
1956 Oklahoma (10-0): Bud WilkinsonâÂÂs Sooners were in the midst of a NCAA-record 47-game winning streak in 1956. Oklahoma shut out six of its ten opponents and averaged 47 points per game. Two games were nationally televised and, in those high-profile match-ups, the Sooners annihilated Texas 45-0 in Dallas and clobbered Notre Dame 40-0 in South Bend. Even with an 8-point win at Colorado, OklahomaâÂÂs average margin of victory was 41 points.
1961 Alabama (11-0): This edition of the Crimson Tide produced Bear BryantâÂÂs first National Championship and had what was probably the best defense of any team in the modern era, permitting only 25 points the entire season - a paltry 2.3 points per game. The Tide shut out six opponents and never allowed more than a touchdown in any contest, outscoring opponents 297-25.
1971 Nebraska (13-0): The Cornhuskers outscored their opponents 507-107 and won twelve of their thirteen games by at least 24 points each. The only competitive matchup all season was on Thanksgiving Day against #2 Oklahoma; that 35-31 Husker triumph is considered by many to be the greatest game of the Twentieth Century. Nebraska went on to dismantle the new #2, Alabama, 38-6 in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship.
1972 Southern Cal (12-0): Legendary television commentator, Keith Jackson, calls this edition of the Trojans the greatest team he ever saw. USC became the first team to be ranked #1 on every ballot of the final media and coaches polls. Besides a 9-point win a Stanford, no team came within 17 points of the Trojans. The offense was propelled by legendary RB Anthony Davis and professional Hall-of-Fame WR Lynn Swann.
1974 Oklahoma (11-0): Oklahoma outscored its opponents 473-92 and led the nation in scoring offense at 43 points per game. Only one team played the Sooners to within 14 points. Oklahoma boasted 8 All-Americans and four players won major awards: DE Lee Roy Selmon (1st pick of 1976 draft), NG Dewey Selmon (All American nose guard), RB Rod Shoate (AP and UPI Def player of the year), and HB Joe Washington (AP and UPI Off player of the year).
1995 Nebraska (12-0): Nebraska played four Top 10 opponents in 1995 and beat each by no less than 23 points â including a 62-24 drubbing of #2 Florida for the National Title. The team averaged more than 50 points per game, anchored by the bruising backfield tandem of Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips. This was the second of three Husker championships within a four-year period (1994, 1995, and 1997) â a feat not matched in the modern era.
2001 Miami Hurricanes (12-0): MiamiâÂÂs average margin of victory was 34 points, including 59-0 and 65-7 thumpings of Syracuse and Washington (two Top 15 teams) on back-to-back weekends in November. The Canes then dismantled #4 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to win the National Championship. Seven players from this team went on to become FIRST ROUND selections in the 2002 NFL Draft.
