10 greatest college football dynasties of all time

Nothing lasts forever, especially in sports, but dynasties and the memories that accompany them can transcend decades. That’s the situation Nick Saban entered into upon taking the Alabama job in 2007. The Crimson Tide were already among the most accomplished college football programs ever. 

Seventeen years later, there’s no debating which school is No. 1 all time. 

That is why the news of Saban’s retirement sent shock waves through the college football universe. Incidentally, the news dropped within hours of Pete Carroll’s coaching tenure (and perhaps career) coming to an end in Seattle. 

Twenty years ago, Carroll and Saban were both in the college ranks and at the top of their games. They even split a national championship in 2003, when Carroll was in the midst of an epic stretch at USC and Saban was still at LSU. The latter, of course, soon ended up at Alabama and led the program to six national championships.

But are Saban’s Crimson Tide the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport? Where do Carroll’s Trojans rank? And what other schools make the list? 

Here are the top dynasties in the college football AP era (since 1936):

10. Miami Hurricanes (2000-03)

• This smaller dynasty, headed by both Butch Davis and Larry Coker, has to be included because it might include the best team ever assembled. The 2001 Hurricanes posted a 12-0 mark and were third in scoring offense and first in scoring defense (9.8 ppg!), while also beating their opponents by an average of 33.2 points per game. That team won the national title and had 17 first-round picks. Also during this stretch, Miami won four straight conference titles, 34 games in a row and lost just four times while finishing in the top five each season.

[5 most talented college football teams of all time]

9. USC Trojans (2002-08)

• Speaking of Carroll, he led one of the most dominant teams in the sport’s history during the early 2000s. In seven consecutive seasons, the Trojans won the Pac-10 title, at least 11 games, appeared in a BCS bowl (winning six of them) and finished in the top four of the final AP poll. They also won back-to-back national championships (2003 and 2004, with one later vacated) and boasted three Heisman winners (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush) while going 82-9 overall. At one point, USC won 45 of 46 games and 34 in a row, the latter tying Miami for the longest modern streak.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide (1961-66)

• This was the apex of Bear Bryant’s extended prime. The Tide lost just five games during this stretch, posting a 60-5-1 record while collecting three national titles (1961, 1964, 1965) and completing two undefeated seasons (1961, 1966). Their dominance had them in complete control of the SEC, as they won four conference titles in this span.

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1993-97)

• Everybody remembers the Tom Osborne era at Nebraska, especially his final five years. Nebraska went 60-3, including an absurd 37-0 in conference play, winning the Big 8/Big 12 title each season and two national championships (one shared in 1997 with Michigan). His best team was the 1995 squad, when Nebraska beat its opponents by an average of 38.7 points per game and capped off its 12-0 campaign with a 62-24 beatdown against No. 2 Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.

[College Football National Champions: Complete list of NCAA winners since 1869]

6. Army Black Knights (1944-49)

• Any discussion of dynasties has to include Army, which won three consecutive national titles from 1944 to 1946 under Red Blaik. The Black Knights had five unbeaten seasons in six years while overwhelming their competition. That was due in no small part to their incredible backfield of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, both of whom won the Heisman Trophy and made Army one of just four schools to produce different winners in back-to-back years.

5. Florida State Seminoles (1987-2000)

• The Seminoles resided at the mountaintop of the sport for more than a decade. Bobby Bowden’s program won nine consecutive ACC titles upon joining the conference in 1992 and finished in the top five in both the AP and Coaches polls in a record 14 straight seasons. The Seminoles played for the national title five times, winning in 1993 and 1999, while producing two Heisman winners (Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke) and a plethora of top NFL prospects.

4. Miami Hurricanes (1983-92)

• Nothing could slow down Miami, not even different leadership. Within a decade, the Canes had three different coaches lead them to national titles: Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson (twice). Miami had a 107-14 record during this run and nearly won a fifth national title in 1992, which would have been Erickson’s third in four years. The “U” also had two players, Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992), win the Heisman Trophy.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1941-49)

• The Fighting Irish dominated the 1940s to the tune of four national championships in 1943, 1946, 1947 and 1949, while also posting a ludicrous five unbeaten seasons under Frank Leahy. They didn’t lose a single game from 1946-1949 (and they tied just twice). Notre Dame nearly came up with a fifth national title in 1948, but its tie that season cost the program the top ranking. The Fighting Irish also produced three Heisman winners during this era: Angelo Bertelli, Johnny Lujack and Leon Hart.

[Heisman Trophy Winners: Complete list by year]

2. Oklahoma Sooners (1948-58):

• Oklahoma put together the sport’s first extended dynasty. Over an 11-year period, Bud Wilkinson’s Sooners tallied a 107-8 record with four undefeated seasons, 11 conference titles, three national titles and a Heisman Trophy from Billy Vessels in 1952. The most impressive feat, perhaps, is their 47-game win streak from 1953 to 1957, which remains an NCAA record. Oklahoma also had a 31-game win streak during this run.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2008-present)

• The greatest run in college football history could be coming to an end with Saban officially announcing his retirement. If so, what a run it’s been. Saban led Alabama to a 199-23 (.899) record from 2008-23, which included 16 straight 10-win seasons, nine SEC championships, nine national championship game appearances and six national championship game victories. Saban also coached Heisman winners (Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young) and dozens of NFL draft picks.

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