Greatest Teams of All Time

[jiggafini19]

Steven Travers of the American Reporter wrote a piece yesterday. Looks like all of them won National Titles. I count ten in my lifetime. Here is his list:

1. 1972 Southern California Trojans
2. 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers
4. 2004 Southern California Trojans
5. 1989 Miami Hurricanes
6. 1999 Florida State Seminoles
7. 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
8. 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide
9. 1956 Oklahoma Sooners
10. 2001 Miami Hurricanes
11. 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions
12. 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes
13. 1969 Texas Longhorns
14. 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
15. 1945 Army Cadets
16. 1931 Southern California Trojans
17. 1975 Oklahoma Sooners
18. 1919 California Golden Bears
19. 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
20. 1948 Michigan Wolverines
21. 1928 Southern California Trojans
22. 1991 Washington Huskies
23. 1985 Oklahoma Sooners
24. 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers
25. 1962 Southern California Trojans

 

[jiggafini19]

The 95 Huskers were awesome. I still think the best team I've seen was the 2001 Miami squad. Almost repeated.

The 1989 Miami team had a loss, so ranking them 5th is a bit high I think.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

The 95 Huskers were awesome. I still think the best team I've seen was the 2001 Miami squad. Almost repeated.
The 1989 Miami team had a loss, so ranking them 5th is a bit high I think.

The '95 Huskers were sick. Tommy Frazier was an unbelievable option quarterback. I remember a Florida player making a statement (after they were crushed in the NC game) that they were like a semi-pro team.

 

[weisfaninmass]

How about the 1966 Irish. The defense had 5 shutouts and 2 other games of <7 points and 10 pts to Mich State - and this is in quasi modern day football. If not best team ever, it IS the best defensive team ever.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

How about the 1966 Irish. The defense had 5 shutouts and 2 other games of <7 points and 10 pts to Mich State - and this is in quasi modern day football. If not best team ever, it IS the best defensive team ever.

5 Shutouts in a season! That's better than I do on my X-Box!

 

[joseph125]

hey,,,,,,,,,,
i don't know about the best team ever, but i am a young guy, and I have never seen such dominance by a football team. I have only watched football for a decade, and that patriots team was by far the best team that I have ever seen. That being said, I did not see the 72 Dolphins or the 85 Bears (supposed to be up there in greatest ever) play.
thanks,,,,,

 

[RyCo1983]

We're talking about college football here son.
For pro the 85 Bears are considered by many to be the best ever. But it, like everything else, is debatable.

 

[Corry]

2001 Hurricanes are by far the best team I've ever seen

Willis McGahee
Najeh Davenport
Andre Johnson
Antrel Rolle
Mike Rumph
Ken Dorsey
DJ Williams
Ed Reed
Kelly Jennings
Sean Taylor
Clinton Portis
Phillip Buchanon
Frank Gore
Jonathan Vilma
Vince Wilfork
Bryant McKinnie
Kellen Winslow
Roscoe Parrish
Jeremy Shockey
Jerome McDougle

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Willis McGahee. I watched the game. Damage to his knee was flat out ugly. I refused to watch the replays.

If you can stomach it, here it is...

YouTube - Willis McGahee

 

[Old Man Mike]

Such matters of cross-decadal comparisons are always BS of course, unless you get some sort of criteria that you're judging on. If you're going to go with the idea of just putting out there the guys-as-they-were against one another, then of course some modern physically-enhanced team is going to be "best". If you're going to go with who dominated their game at the time against their own opponent array, [which is what I try to do in these speculations], then I'll pick the World War Two Army team, essentially a recruited All-Star team, which even Notre Dame couldn't contain. [This is the same "logic" I use when referring to Babe Ruth as the greatest baseball player of all time. While other guys did good things, he was on Olympus].

 

[Kingbish01]

Steven Travers of the American Reporter wrote a piece yesterday. Looks like all of them won National Titles. I count ten in my lifetime. Here is his list:

1. 1972 Southern California Trojans
2. 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers
4. 2004 Southern California Trojans
5. 1989 Miami Hurricanes
6. 1999 Florida State Seminoles
7. 1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
8. 1979 Alabama Crimson Tide
9. 1956 Oklahoma Sooners
10. 2001 Miami Hurricanes
11. 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions
12. 1968 Ohio State Buckeyes
13. 1969 Texas Longhorns
14. 1947 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
15. 1945 Army Cadets
16. 1931 Southern California Trojans
17. 1975 Oklahoma Sooners
18. 1919 California Golden Bears
19. 1973 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
20. 1948 Michigan Wolverines
21. 1928 Southern California Trojans
22. 1991 Washington Huskies
23. 1985 Oklahoma Sooners
24. 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers
25. 1962 Southern California Trojans

Only 2 teams on this list are post 2000. This list is CRAP. Does anyone really believe that the 1919 Golden Bears or the 1948 Michigan Wolverines are better than the '04 Utah team, the '06 Gators, '05 Texas, '00 Sooners, '04 Auburn...I mean I get it, these teams did big things in their era. I may be crazy but the '01 Miami team would kill the '89 team. I guess people just like the thought of older teams.

 

[ACamp1900]

Only 2 teams on this list are post 2000. This list is CRAP. Does anyone really believe that the 1919 Golden Bears or the 1948 Michigan Wolverines are better than the '04 Utah team, the '06 Gators, '05 Texas, '00 Sooners, '04 Auburn...I mean I get it, these teams did big things in their era. I may be crazy but the '01 Miami team would kill the '89 team. I guess people just like the thought of older teams.

give those teams today's training and or force that eras style and equipment on 95 nebraska and hell yes... like Babe Ruth wouldn't hit more home runs with Roids, better equipment, smaller parks and weaker pitching...


my point is you must rate every team in every sport from its own era... how unfair is it to kill the 24 ND team simply because the era they played in wasn't as evolved... and sorry athletes (meaning humans) didn't suddenly get more 'better' in the past ten years... the training and methods did.

 

[ACamp1900]

anyway, I have only two real problems with the list... the 01 Miami team should be a lot, A LOT higher.... best team I have ever seen, just look at that roster for crying out loud...


AND if you are taking into account how any team played during THEIR era, then ND 88 should be the best ever... objectively, one key aspect of this should be how they performed academcially as well,... again within that season... and only one team ever... ever... has won the Academic Natoinal Title (if you will) and the National Title in Football... and that was 88 Notre Dame


if that ain't the best tie breaker you can think of for COLLEGE football idk what is.

 

[Riddickulous]

In the early 1900's, Fielding Yost's first five Michigan teams outscored their opponents 2,821 to 42.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

95 Huskers and the 01 Hurricanes are 1a and 1b. Everybody else has their own claim to number 2 and beyond, but those two teams were undeniably the greatest two teams I have ever watched play CFB.

 

[Kingbish01]

95 Huskers and the 01 Hurricanes are 1a and 1b. Everybody else has their own claim to number 2 and beyond, but those two teams were undeniably the greatest two teams I have ever watched play CFB.

I agree with the Huskers being the best team ever. Lawrence Phillips was out most of that year too wasn't he??? Also (could be wrong) but didn't Kansas St. have the best defense in the country that year and they still gave up 50 points.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

I agree with the Huskers being the best team ever. Lawrence Phillips was out most of that year too wasn't he??? Also (could be wrong) but didn't Kansas St. have the best defense in the country that year and they still gave up 50 points.

LP was out with Ahman Green filling in!! and yeah they beat Kan. St. 49-25 (score was 35-6 @ halftime).

It really is quite sick how good that team was!! But, the 01 Hurricanes were pretty much as NASTY. IF the hurricanes had just a LITTLE bit better offense, they would prolly edge 95' Nebraska in my book. The 01 Miami defense was far and away the greatest i've seen. Not even just their starting 11 either, they had subs that were amazing too!

17 players drafted in the first round played on this team!

 

[Irish Houstonian]

I guess it depends on how one interprets "great", but I take it to mean giving all the teams Dr. Emmitt Brown's time machine, transporting them to today, and having them all play in a tournament.

On that basis, given 01 Miami's talent, I think they're the odds-on favorite.

I really don't care much for the "yeah, but they're great in their time period" thing. I mean, technically the UConn womens' basketball team is the "greatest" basketball team ever, but they also play against women.

 

[DaBLKIrishman]

That 1995 Husker team is a definite #1. They averaged like 50 ppg in a triple option offense and the D was blue collar and dominant. What about that 94 or 95 Penn State team (can't remember the exact year) that went undefeated before the BCS era with Kijana Carter, Bobby Engram, Kerry Collins, and the massive TE Kyle Brady. Also the 1993 Irish team was my all-time great team even with the fluke loss to BC after they beat a great FSU team. Maybe I'm a little biased hehe!

 

[jason_h537]

Younger than most but the 2001 Hurricanes is by far the best college team i have ever seen. Hate to say it but the 04 Trojans were pretty good too

 

[Irish Houstonian]

I'm not sure I'm convinced that the 95' Huskers are necessarily the greatest. Yes, the dominated the Big 12, and scored a ton of points. And the Colorado team they killed that had Kordell Stewart and Rashan Salaam was pretty good too. But from a talent perspective, in retrospect, who did they have? Lawrence Phillips and the Peters brothers are all I can think of. And Tommy Frazier. So clearly the Miami 01' physical talent was better, meaning you'd have to presume much, much superior coaching to believe that they would win on the field. Was Tom Osborne/Frank Solich/etc that much better than Butch Davis/Larry Coker/etc? I'm not too sure.

 

[ND NYC]

this has my vote for "The IE Thread that cant (wont) ever die"


great stuff guys love all the comments...like going down memory lane as i recall some of those teams and games etc.

 

[chgocub23]

95 nebraska also had grant wistrom, ahman green, scott frost, aaron graham, eric warfield, mike minter just to name a few. 6 all americans on that 95 team. I lived in lincoln during those 90's nebraska teams and i saw a few games. I honestly believe they could hang with anybody.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Funny that a post that was started 5 years ago would get so much attention, but... Frank Leahy's teams in the late 40s. I met a man who wrote for Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated. He was an ND grad that never saw his team lose during his 4 years there.

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm not sure I'm convinced that the 95' Huskers are necessarily the greatest. Yes, the dominated the Big 12, and scored a ton of points. And the Colorado team they killed that had Kordell Stewart and Rashan Salaam was pretty good too. But from a talent perspective, in retrospect, who did they have? Lawrence Phillips and the Peters brothers are all I can think of. And Tommy Frazier. So clearly the Miami 01' physical talent was better, meaning you'd have to presume much, much superior coaching to believe that they would win on the field. Was Tom Osborne/Frank Solich/etc that much better than Butch Davis/Larry Coker/etc? I'm not too sure.

Darin Erstad was their punter...