Saturday Blitz
Fansided

The 25 best college football teams to not win a national championship

By John Mitchell

Ken Dorsey, Willis McGahee, Miami Hurricanes. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Ken Dorsey, Willis McGahee, Miami Hurricanes. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 26
Next
Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Among the all-time great college football teams, these 25 squads are often forgotten because they didn’t quite summit the mountaintop.

Chances are, if someone asks you about the best teams in the history of college football, you are sure to name off teams that won the national championship. You’ll answer with the likes of 2001 Miami, 2018 Clemson, 2004 USC, 1994 or 1995 Nebraska, or maybe even further down the line like 1945 Army, depending on how much of a historian of the sport you are.

It’s a natural response to skip past the teams that didn’t garner at least a share of the national championship at season’s end, but it could also be foolish when you consider just how different college football is in comparison to other sports.

The best team doesn’t always get the opportunity to play for a championship. One loss can separate you from glory and heartbreak in a way that no other sport can say.

College football can break the hearts of fans and players.

These 25 teams know heartbreak all too well. Whether they are among the bevy of teams to finish the season with an undefeated record but get left out in the cold without an opportunity to play for the title, or they are among the teams who suffered a loss or two in heartbreaking fashion, despite likely fielding the best team that particular season.

The unfortunate fact is that college football often produces all-time great teams in the same season, and there can only be one champion. 2018 is a prime example of that, with both Clemson and Alabama grading out as just as good if not better than any of the champions of the last decade.

Some of these teams will never be forgotten for one reason or another, but many have probably been lost to the ethos of history. It’s my job to resurrect them in this space and remind the world of how great these 25 teams were in spite of the fact that they didn’t finish the season with the coveted No. 1 ranking next to their name.

Here are the 25 best college football teams to never win a national championship.

Home/College Football News