The All Time College Football Power Rankings

The greatest college football schools in NCAA history, ranked by national titles, all time win percentage, sustained excellence across generations and NFL alumni.

3)  USC Trojans- 11 claimed national championships (7 national polls including vacated 2004 season) and 35 bowl victories.
First season: 1888
Last championship: 2004 (vacated)
All-Time Win %: .708
Current conference: Pac-12
Defining Coaches: Howard Jones, John McKay, Pete Carroll
Top NFL Alumni: Ronnie Lott, O.J. Simpson, Bruce Matthews, Junior Seau, Troy Polamalu, Marcus Allen, Anthony Muñoz, Ron Yary, Lynn Swann, Clay Matthews, Red Badgro, Frank Gifford, Ron Mix, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Powell, Willie Wood, Willie McGinest, Joey Browner, Tony Boselli, Dennis Smith, Tim McDonald, Jon Arnett, Rod Martin, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Chip Banks, Sam Cunningham, Mosi Tatupu, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Cassel.

Last championship: 2000
All-Time Win %: .724
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coaches: Bennie Owen, Barry Switzer
Top NFL Alumni: Lee Roy Selmon, Adrian Peterson, Ralph Neely, Bobby Boyd, Tommy McDonald, Greg Pruit, Billy Simms, Roy Williams, Keith Jackson, Tommie Harris.

Last championship: 1997 (shared with Nebraska)
All-Time Win %: .728
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coaches: H. Fielding Yost, Bo Schembechler
Top NFL Alumni: Tom Brady, Charles Woodson, Len Ford, Dan Dierdorff, Tom Mack, Bill Hewitt, Mike Ken, Elroy Hirsch, Steve Hutchinson, Al Wistert, Ty Law, Anthony Carter, Trevor Price, Rick Volk, Joe Runyan, Randy Logan, Reggie McKenzie, Amani Toomer, Jake Long, Desmond Howard, Dave Brown, Jim Harbaugh, Ron Kramer, Jumbo Eliot, John Morrow.

Last championship: 2014
All-Time Win %: .746
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Woody Hayes
Top NFL Alumni: Lou Groza, Orlando Pace, Jim Parker, Chris Carter, Paul Warfield, Bill Willis, Dante Lavelli, Jim Tyrer, Dick Schafrath, Eddie George, Jim Lachey, Jim Marshall, Mike Vrabel, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Randy Gradishar, Bob Vogel, Chris Spielman, Jack Tatum, Joey Gallaway, Terry Glenn, Dick LeBeau, A.J. Hawk, Pepper Johnson, Jim Houston.

Last championship: 1997 (shared with Michigan)
All-Time Win %: .701
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Tom Osbourne
Top NFL Alumni: Bob Brown, Will Shields Mike Tingelhoff, Irving Fryar, Ron McDole, Ndamukong Suh, Neil Smith, Ahman Green, Roger Craig, Pat Fischer.

Last championship: 2001
All-Time Win %: .641
Current conference: ACC
Defining Coaches: Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson
Top NFL Alumni: Ray Lewis, Jim Otto, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Jim Kelly, Ted Hendricks, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Clinton Portis, Cortez Kennedy, Frank Gore, Jeremy Shockey, Vince Wilfork, Vinny Testaverde, Santana Moss, Chuck Foreman, Ottis Anderson, Jon Beason, Willis McGahee, Dennis Harrah, Jessie Armstead, Jonathan Vilma, Jimmy Graham, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McKinnie, Jerome Brown, Kellen Winslow II.

Last championship: 2005
All-Time Win %: .709
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coach: Darrell Royal
Top NFL Alumni: Earl Campbell, Bobby Layne, Steve McMichael, Bobby Dillon,Tommy Nobis, Priest Holmes, Ox Emerson, Bud McFadin, Ricky Williams, Raymond Clayborn, Diron Talbert, Eric Metcalf, Doug English, Vince Young, Jamaal Charles.

Last championship: 1986
All-Time Win %: .688
Current Conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Joe Paterno
Top NFL Alumni: Jack Hamm, Franco Harris, Mike Muncheck, Lenny Moore, Mike Michalske, Steve Wisniewski, Kerry Collins, Lydell Mitchell, Rosey Grier, LaVar Arington, Stew Barber, Dave Robinson, Ted Kwalick, John Capiletti, NaVorro Bowman.

All-Time Win %: .681
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Robert Neyland
Top NFL Alumni: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Doug Atkins, Al Wilson, Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten, Arian Foster, Stanley Morgan, Mike Stratton, Anthony Miller, Jack Reynolds, Dick Huffman, Terry McDaniel, Leonard Little, Earl Thomas, Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, Bill Bates, John Henderson, Travis Henry, Jerod Mayo, Chad Clifton, Shaun Ellis, Albert Haynesworth, Charlie Garner, Donte Stallworth.

Last championship: 2007
All-Time Win %: .649
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Charles McClendon
Top NFL Alumni: Y.A. Tittle, Jim Taylor, Alan Faneca, Odell Beckham Jr, Johnny Robinson, Kevin Mawae, Bert Jones, Charley Hennigan, Billy Cannon, Patrick Peterson, Dwayne Bowe, Henry Thomas, Roy Winston, Tommy Casanova, Fred Miller, Kevin Faulk.

Last championship: 1976
All-Time Win %: .582
Current conference: ACC
Defining Coach: Glen “Pop” Warner, John “Jock” Sutherland
Top NFL Alumni: Dan Marino, Mike Ditka, Russ Grimm, Larry Fitzgerald, Joe Schmidt, Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin, Darrell Revis, LeSean McCoy, Ricky Jackson, Chris Doleman, Joe Stydahar, Ruben Brown, Mark Stepnoski, Bill Fralic, John Reger, Joe Flacco, Keith Hamilton, Andy Lee, Craig Heyward, Aaron Donald.

Last championship: 2008
All-Time Win %: .622
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer
Top NFL Alumni: Emmitt Smith, Jack Youngblood, Lomas Brown, Wilbur Marshall, Wes Chandler, Fred Taylor, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Lito Sheppard, Chris Collinsworth, Rick Casares, John L. Williams, Nat Moore, Percy Harvin, Neal Anderson.

 15)  Clemson Tigers- 3 claimed national championships and 23 bowl victories.  4 playoff appearances.
First Season: 1896
Last Championship: 2019
All Time Win%: .614
Current Conference: ACC
Defining Coach: Dabo Swinney
Top NFL Alumni: Brian Dawkins, DeAndre Hopkins, William Perry, Michael Dean Perry, Trevor Price, Terry Kinard, Deshaun Watson, Chester McGlockton, Vic Beasley, Dwight Clark, Charlie Waters, Terry Allen.

_Note: Princeton and Yale actually lead all schools in national championships with 26 and 18 respectively.  However, given the state of their current programs and the fact that most of these wins occurred at the turn of the century when far less teams were participating, they are not up for top 15 consideration.  The same applies to Harvard (10 championships) and Penn (4 championships).

Other elite NFL talent producers:
—Syracuse: Jim Brown, Art Monk, Jim Ringo, Larry Csonka, John Mackey, Marvin Harrison, Walt Sweeney, Donavan McNabb, Dwight Freeney, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, Gary Anderson, Rob Burnett, Keith Bullock, Mike Williams.
—Florida St: Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Fred Biletnikoff, Warrick Dunn, Leroy Butler, Antonio Cromartie, Anquan Boldin, Brad Johnson, Samari Rolle, Darnell Dockett, Sebastian Janikowski, Javon Walker, Chris Hope, Laveranues Coles, Leon Washington, Peter Boulware, Rohn Stark, Tra Thomas.
—Purdue: Ron Woodson, Drew Brees, Bob Griese, Len Dawson, Erich Barnes, Jim Everett, Mike Alstott, Matt Light, Kyle Orton, Dick Barwegan, Erich Barnes, Dave Butz, Cris Dishman, Ed Flanagan, Abe Gibron.
—Georgia: Fran Tarkenton, Champ Bailey, Herschel Walker, Richard Seymour, Hines Ward, Terrell Davis, Jake Scott, Ray Donaldson, Bill Sanfill, Len Hauss, Mo Lewis, Guy McIntyre, Marcus Stroud, Matthew Stafford, A.J. Green, Geno Atkins, Todd Gurley.
—UCLA: Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden, Jimmy Johnson, Carnell Lake, Bob Waterfield, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ken Norton, Freeman McNeil, Kenny Easley, Randy Cross, Max Montoya, Donnie Edwards, Luis Sharpe, Jerry Robinson, Mercedes Lewis.
—Cal: Tony Gonzalez, Aaron Rodgers, Hardy Nickerson, Les Richter, Marshawn Lynch, Ed White, Perry Schwartz, Tarik Glenn, DeSean Jackson, Nnamdi Asomugha.

—NC State: Phillip Rivers, Torry Holt, Mario Williams, Roman Gabriel, Adrian Wilson, Mike Quick, Jerricho Cotchery, Vaughan Johnson, Dewayne Washington, Jim Ritcher.
—UNC: Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Chris Hanburger, Jeff Saturday, Harris Barton, William Fuller, Alge Crumpler, Ken Willard, Dre Bly, Greg Ellis, Hakeem Nicks, Vonnie Holliday, Jeff Reed, Sam Aiken, Willie Parker.