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FC: ESPiN's List of College Football Bluebloods....

A

anon_xdc8rmuek44eq

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The first eight teams are considered 'college football royalty' - the rest are just the rest. Should I get the popcorn ready?


BLUE BLOODS

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T1. Alabama Crimson Tide | 10

The Tide own 11 national titles (including the most recent one). They play in the ever-competitive SEC, where they have won 25 conference titles, 12 more than the next closest team. Alabama also has more bowl wins (35) than any team in the country.

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T1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 10

It's hard to argue with the highest all-time winning percentage in all of college football, which is the perch on which Notre Dame sits. At 892-313, the Irish have won more than 73 percent of their games. They have also won eight national championships and generated seven Heisman Trophy winners.

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T1. Ohio State Buckeyes | 10

Ohio State also has seven Heisman Trophies, including the only two-time winner in running back Archie Griffin (1974, 1975). The Buckeyes have six titles to their names, half of which were won by Woody Hayes, who led the program for 28 seasons. The Buckeyes have won 35 Big Ten titles.

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T1. Oklahoma Sooners | 10

The Sooners have won 72 percent of their games since taking the field in 1895, and they've won 75 percent of their conference games. With seven national titles and 14 undefeated seasons, Bob Stoops' program is a lock for blueblood status.

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T1. USC Trojans | 10

The Trojans would be part of the seven-Heisman club were it not for Reggie Bush's vacated trophy. They have won seven national titles and boast 33 bowl wins, the No. 2 mark in the country behind Alabama.

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6. Michigan Wolverines | 9.92

The Wolverines fall short of their fellow blue bloods in national championships with only two. But while Notre Dame has the best winning percentage, Michigan has won more games overall by a margin of 33. Current coach Jim Harbaugh will try to widen the gap.

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7. Texas Longhorns | 9.83

The Longhorns have won four titles and are one of eight teams to have won 70 percent or more of their games all-time. Texas won or shared 25 conference championships during its time in the Southwest Conference but has only won three in the Big 12.

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8. Nebraska Cornhuskers | 9.5

Relatively speaking, Nebraska has enjoyed more recent success. The first of the Cornhuskers five national championships came in 1970. They went back to back in 1970-71 and again in 1994-95. They've also produced three Heisman winners including 2001's winner, quarterback Eric Crouch.

EVERYONE ELSE
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9. LSU Tigers | 9.33

LSU is often a part of the national title conversation, but the Tigers have won only three, the most recent of which came from current coach Les Miles in 2007. They've also produced only one Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Cannon in 1959.

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10. Penn State Nittany Lions | 9.17

Penn State owns two titles but hasn't won one since 1986. The Nittany Lions still rank in the top 10 in winning percentage with an overall record of 856-382 (.685). Their lone Heisman Trophy belongs to running back John Cappelletti (1973).

T11. Florida Gators | 9

Florida's three national titles come from two big names in the coaching world with Steve Spurrier claiming its first crown in 1996 and Urban Meyer winning two during his six-year stint in Gainesville. Spurrier also won a Heisman Trophy for the Gators as did fellow quarterbacks Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow. The three signal-callers have statues that sit outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

T11. Georgia Bulldogs | 9

One of college football's greatest running backs, Herschel Walker, calls Georgia his alma mater. Walker won the Heisman in 1982 for the school's second such trophy. Walker also helped the Dogs to their only national championship as a freshman in 1980.

13. Florida State Seminoles | 8.92

Former coach Bobby Bowden broke through for Florida State's first title in 1993. He won another in 1999 before handing the reins to current coach Jimbo Fisher, who won again in 2013. A trio of Seminoles quarterbacks have won Heismans with Charlie Ward (1993), Chris Weinke (2000) and Jameis Winston (2013) taking home the award.

14. Miami Hurricanes | 8.33

Few 10-year runs rival the stretch that Miami enjoyed from the school's first title in 1983 to its fourth in 1991. Three different head coaches (Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson) led the Hurricanes during those years. The decade of dominance produced two Heisman Trophy winners: Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and Gino Torretta in 1992.

15. Tennessee Volunteers | 8.08

Tennessee has won 13 SEC titles and two national championships, one under Bob Neyland (for whom the stadium is named) and one under Phillip Fulmer. Fulmer's title-winning quarterback was not NFL great Peyton Manning, who was drafted No. 1 overall after the previous season. It was current USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin. The Vols are the first team on the list to not have a Heisman trophy winner.

16. Auburn Tigers | 8

Auburn fans had to wait quite a while after Ralph "Shug" Jordan won the school's first title in 1957. Gene Chizik and a quarterback named Cam Newton brought home another in 2010. Newton also became the school's third Heisman winner, joining Bo Jackson (1985) and Pat Sullivan (1971).

17. Clemson Tigers | 7.83

Clemson came within a game of doubling the school's championship trophy count. Coach Danny Ford and the Tigers went undefeated in 1981. The Tigers are also without a Heisman Trophy winner, something current quarterback Deshaun Watson could change.

T18. Michigan State Spartans | 7.67

Some great coaches, including Alabama's Nick Saban, have passed through East Lansing since Duffy Daugherty won the school's second title in 1965 but none have been able to pull off the feat. The Spartans appeared in the College Football Playoff last season, where they lost to Alabama.

T18. UCLA Bruins | 7.67

UCLA has one national title and one Heisman Trophy (quarterback Gary Beban), but both came before 1970. Former coach Terry Donahue won seven straight bowl games in the 1980s, and Jim Mora has the Bruins winning again as of late.

20. Texas A&M Aggies | 7.42

Coach Homer Norton won the Aggies their first and only national championship in 1939. They have since produced two Heisman winners in running back John David Crow (1957) and quarterback Johnny Manziel (2012).

T21. Oregon Ducks | 7.33

Oregon is the first team on the list to never have claimed a national title. Quarterback Marcus Mariota brought the school's first Heisman to Eugene in 2014, the same year the Ducks fell to Ohio State in the first College Football Playoff final. Oregon was also the runner-up to Auburn's title in 2010.

T21. Stanford Cardinal | 7.33

Stanford also lacks a national title, but the Cardinal have an impressive line of quarterback alumni including Jim Plunkett (who won the Heisman in 1970), John Elway and Andrew Luck. Current coach David Shaw has made three Rose Bowl appearances in the past four seasons, and the Cardinal have won two of them (2012 and 2015).

23. Washington Huskies | 7.17

Washington's lone title came in 1991 under the direction of coach Don James. The Huskies have also won seven Rose Bowls, the most recent of which came in 2001 when coach Rick Neuheisel and quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo took down Drew Brees' Purdue team.

24. Wisconsin Badgers | 6.92

Wisconsin's strong tradition of running the football is borne out in its two Heisman-winning backs: Ron Dayne in 1999 and Alan Ameche in 1954. The Badgers have won 14 Big Ten titles and won three Rose Bowls.

25. Arkansas Razorbacks | 6.42

Arkansas is without a Heisman Trophy or a national championship. The Razorbacks have never won an SEC conference title and won 13 conference crowns while a member of the Southwest Conference.
 
Looks pretty accurate to me. Hard to argue against with the lack of championships and heisman winners we have.

Hopefully Barkley and crew can change that.
 
Seriously, what do the number of Heisman winners really have to do with program success? Paterno's philosophy was always team - the Heisman is an individual award which is really not an indication of team success. After all, didn't Paul Hornung win it after ND went 2-8 one season? But hey, PSU is in the to 10 all time - that is blue blood in my book. Again, thank you Joe Paterno!
 
Seriously, what do the number of Heisman winners really have to do with program success? Paterno's philosophy was always team - the Heisman is an individual award which is really not an indication of team success. After all, didn't Paul Hornung win it after ND went 2-8 one season? But hey, PSU is in the to 10 all time - that is blue blood in my book. Again, thank you Joe Paterno!

The writer just went along making up varying criteria. It's a pretty funny list. Looks like it could have been written by an 8 year-old.
 
I really think they're right about everything else except for this list, and most everything else.
 
With 974 National Championships under their belt and 85 Heisman Trophy winners (per year) you would think Pitt would be somewhere atop that list.

Pitt has already won this list 9 times, this is just an off year.
 
I think #10 is a pretty good number for us. Remember, PSU did not become a national power until the late 1960s. Most of the teams ahead of PSU had established themselves as national powers decades before PSU did.
 
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Good point, but I am also willing to bet if you took a poll of people under the age of 30, maybe even 35, the vast majority would vote Penn State is not nationally relevant.

Coming in at #10 is very strong.
 
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Your comment is just plain stupid.

When was the last time we were nationally relevant? 2006 orange & 2009 rose? Are you under 30?

I am not saying the name Penn State doesn't hold a lot of weight; I am just stating that when it comes to competing for championships and BCS bowl's, you'd probably be hard pressed to find the younger generation putting Penn State in that category.
 
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I'd actually put Alabama number 1 ahead of ND and then rank then others tied for 1st in the order they have them. I think tOSU is clearly more accomplished than Oklahoma and Texas.
 
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When was the last time we were nationally relevant? 2006 orange & 2009 rose? Are you under 30?

I am not saying the name Penn State doesn't hold a lot of weight; I am just stating that when it comes to competing for championships and BCS bowl's, you'd probably be hard pressed to find the younger generation putting Penn State in that category.

The subject matter is blue blood programs, which is based on generations of success....not just what is relevant to a certain age group or at a certain timeframe. Hence, my comment about Miami not being a blue blood program.

If you cannot understand the basic premise of the thread, then perhaps you should not post.

Now, get off my lawn.
 
"Looks pretty accurate to me. Hard to argue against with the lack of championships and heisman winners we have."

The 68, 69, 73 and 94 teams called to say hi and ask you to reconsider that remark.

Not winning the Miss Popularity contest is not the same as not having the best team.
 
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The subject matter is blue blood programs, which is based on generations of success....not just what is relevant to a certain age group or at a certain timeframe. Hence, my comment about Miami not being a blue blood program.

If you cannot understand the basic premise of the thread, then perhaps you should not post.

Now, get off my lawn.
Miami, FSU, and UF are New Bloods.

Their overwhelming success in such a short span (in the modern era) puts them on these lists. You will always find them out of the top 10 though.

I don't know how you put UF or FSU above Miami?
 
very disappointed... CR66 was not on the list. How much more of a blueblood does one need to be, for gosh sakes?? :confused:
 
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With 974 National Championships under their belt and 85 Heisman Trophy winners (per year) you would think Pitt would be somewhere atop that list.
Again, you are forgetting the contested MNC they claim in 1065 against the Normans. They clearly were cheated in the polls that year.
 
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Amusing, this article was clearly written by a USC fan - here is a list of the winningest programs of all-time (HIT THE LINK) - PSU #8. Notice that PSU is the only one of the Top 8 winningest programs of all time not on the list and that USC has been inserted in their place? Moreover, the list of winningest programs since the advent of the "Modern Era" (post WWII 1950-Present) is far more relevant especially when cross-referenced with all-time list, all-time bowl success, etc.... Here is the post-Modern Era (1950-Present) list (HIT THE LINK) - PSU is #4. Here is a list of all-time bowl wins (HIT THE LINK) - PSU #3.

No matter how you wish to slice and dice it, PSU is in the absolute top echelon of all-time programs and to say otherwise is unsupported by the actual facts.
 
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"Looks pretty accurate to me. Hard to argue against with the lack of championships and heisman winners we have."

The 68, 69, 73 and 94 teams called to say hi and ask you to reconsider that remark.

Not winning the Miss Popularity contest is not the same as not having the best team.
There is a valid argument for 94, not much for the other years. Going undefeated against a weak schedule does not win a championship.
 
I would argue that Penn State has a better resume than Texas or Nebraska and just as much of a claim as Michigan whose claims are largely rooted in the pre-WWII era of college football. I didn't read the article to look at their criteria but at the very top, history shows that Notre Dame and USC are head and shoulders above the rest. Of course, ESPN is using some pretty suspicious accounting to give Alabama 11 and Notre Dame and USC fewer than 11. Of course, Bama has always had the easiest path of any super power to a title, which holds true to this day. By far the worst school of the bunch, they play in a historically weak conference known for being top heavy.
 
There is a valid argument for 94, not much for the other years. Going undefeated against a weak schedule does not win a championship.

Tell that to Bear Bryant. Penn State's schedules back in the day were no weaker than most of Bear's team's.
 
There is a valid argument for 94, not much for the other years. Going undefeated against a weak schedule does not win a championship.

Unless you go team by team and look at their schedules, that's a really hard claim to make. I'll admit, I don't anything about the schedules that those other teams played but before I concede that PSU's schedule was markedly weaker, I'd like to see some analysis of the other teams' schedules.
 
I would argue that Penn State has a better resume than Texas or Nebraska and just as much of a claim as Michigan whose claims are largely rooted in the pre-WWII era of college football. I didn't read the article to look at their criteria but at the very top, history shows that Notre Dame and USC are head and shoulders above the rest. Of course, ESPN is using some pretty suspicious accounting to give Alabama 11 and Notre Dame and USC fewer than 11. Of course, Bama has always had the easiest path of any super power to a title, which holds true to this day. By far the worst school of the bunch, they play in a historically weak conference known for being top heavy.

Frankly, Michigan is the team that jumped out to me. One shared MNC in 70 years is hardly heady stuff.

Now don't get me wrong, I consider Michigan a "blue blood" of CFB, just like us. But it's really hard to see a distinction between them and us. Of course I know that this is just a made up list. But fun to talk about.
 
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I don't take any of these lists seriously. It's great to celebrate the history and tradition of the university you root for, and as an historian I'm all for it. When it comes to college football there are loads of great programs and traditions worth noting. I find no reason to rank them. i know I'm in the minority but having researched and written about John Sutherland I think Pitt fans can have a seat at the table.
 
Unless you go team by team and look at their schedules, that's a really hard claim to make. I'll admit, I don't anything about the schedules that those other teams played but before I concede that PSU's schedule was markedly weaker, I'd like to see some analysis of the other teams' schedules.
1968 NC OSU beat #1 Purdue #4 Mich #16 MSU - PSU did not play a ranked team
1969 NC Texas beat #8 Oklahoma and #2 Arkansas - PSU beat #17 WV
1973 UPI NC Bama beat #7 LSU and #10 Tenn - PSU beat #20 Pitt at home
1973 AP NC ND beat #6 USC and #20 Pitt at Pitt
 
There is a valid argument for 94, not much for the other years. Going undefeated against a weak schedule does not win a championship.

If you want to believe the '68 Buckeyes were the best team in the country, I have no qualms about that. They were very good. Ohio State's '69 team was even better but God Bless Bo Schembechler from saving us from an eternity of hearing how Ohio State's '68-'69 teams would of been the greatest cfb team ever.

In 1973 they were a lot of really good football teams that year. We were definitely one of them.

In 1969, with the maturity of a returning undefeated squad, and with the increased additions/development and involvement of Lydell Mitchell, Franco Harris and Jack Ham, Penn State was the best team in the country with the best defense and the best head coach not named Bear Bryant in the country. Richard Nixon's opinion and the Texas Longhorns be damned.
 
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1968 NC OSU beat #1 Purdue #4 Mich #16 MSU - PSU did not play a ranked team
1969 NC Texas beat #8 Oklahoma and #2 Arkansas - PSU beat #17 WV
1973 UPI NC Bama beat #7 LSU and #10 Tenn - PSU beat #20 Pitt at home
1973 AP NC ND beat #6 USC and #20 Pitt at Pitt

Fair enough. Of course, it was a mythical national championship. When teams don't play the same teams and don't play in a tournament, it's very hard to say one team with the same record was better than another team. Nothing says PSU wouldn't have beaten the teams those other teams played.
 
1968 NC OSU beat #1 Purdue #4 Mich #16 MSU - PSU did not play a ranked team
1969 NC Texas beat #8 Oklahoma and #2 Arkansas - PSU beat #17 WV
1973 UPI NC Bama beat #7 LSU and #10 Tenn - PSU beat #20 Pitt at home
1973 AP NC ND beat #6 USC and #20 Pitt at Pitt

You conveniently omitted bowl opponents to bolster your argument.
 
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