The greatest teams in college football history can be measured in multiple ways. Our list considers national championships, winning percentages, and records to determine the 10 winningest college football teams of all time.
10. Tennessee: 865-414-53 (.669)
The Tennessee Volunteers claimed the national championship six times: 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, and 1998. General Neyland coached the team to four of those. In the 1990s, coach Phillip Fulmer, who played guard for the Vols from 1968-71, and Peyton Manning at quarterback, led a renaissance. They took Tennessee to their first-ever BCS National Championship in 1998.
9. Nebraska: 917-424-40 (.678)
The Nebraska Cornhuskers claimed the national championship five times: 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997. Their dynasty was built through Bob Devaney. His hire for offensive coordinator, Tom Osborne, inherited the job and sustained the program into the next generation in the 1990s. Osborne’s teams in ’94 and ’95 are among the most dominant in college football history.
8. Penn State: 930-409-41 (.689)
Penn State claimed the national championship in 1982 and 1986. The success of Penn State largely falls on one man, coach Joe Paterno. Half of the school’s 409 wins occurred under his leadership. Paterno has the most wins by a single coach in college football history. Since 2014, James Franklin has produced four 10-win seasons and four Top 10-ranked teams.
7. USC: 875-368-54 (.695)
USC claimed the national championship 11 times: 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, and 2004. Coaches John McKay and Howard Jones built USC into a college football dynasty. In the 60s, McKay revived the Trojans. His 1972 team is regarded as one of the greatest in history. Coach Pete Carroll followed, finishing with a 109-19 record.
6. Texas: 948-392-33 (.702)
The Texas Longhorns claimed the national championship four times: 1963, 1969, 1970, and 2005. Their first three national championships came under the leadership of coach Darrell K Royal, while their most recent was with Mack Brown at the helm. Royal won 77% of his games over 20 seasons, going 167-47-5. Brown finished at .767, with a 158-48 record.
5. Oklahoma: 944-340-53 (.726)
The Oklahoma Sooners claimed the national championship seven times: 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, and 2000. Oklahoma is the only school with four 100-win coaches. The Sooners hold a college football record for a 47-game win streak during the 1950s. From 2000-2017, Bob Stoops became the school’s winningest coach. Lincoln Riley came next, going 55-10.
4. Notre Dame: 948-337-42 (.730)
The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish have claimed the national championship eleven times: 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, and 1988. Notre Dame boasts two coaches with 100 wins: Knute Rockne (105) and Lou Holtz (100). In the 1940s, Frank Leahy led the team to an undefeated string of 39 games.
3. Alabama: 965-337-43 (.733)
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide has claimed the national championship eighteen times: 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2020. Under Coach Bear Bryant, the Tide went 232-46-9. From 2007-2023, Nick Saban also built a dynasty in Alabama, leading the Tide to a record of 201-29.
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2. Ohio State: 964-333-53 (.734)
The Ohio State Buckeyes claimed the national championship eight times: 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, and 2014. The Ohio State Buckeyes are in the playoff race almost every season. The Buckeyes went 82-9 under coach Urban Meyer. Coach Ryan Day has put the team in the Top 10 final AP poll every season.
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1. Michigan: 1,004-353-36 (.734)
The University of Michigan Wolverines claimed the national championship twelve times: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, and 2023. No college football team has won more games. Among the coaches who made a big difference throughout the Wolverines’ dynasties are Fielding Yost, Bo Schembechler, Lloyd Carr, and, in recent years, Michigan alum Jim Harbaugh.
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