Are you curious about how the top teams in American football are determined and ranked? This article explores the ranking systems used in college football, focusing on the AFCA Coaches’ Poll, its methodology, and its significance in identifying the nation’s best teams. Discover how coaches influence the rankings and how these rankings shape the landscape of college football.
Who Decides the American Football Top Teams?
The top teams in American football, particularly at the college level, are determined by various polls and rankings. One of the most influential is the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Coaches’ Poll. Since 1950, the AFCA has conducted a weekly poll during the college football season to rank the top 20 or 25 teams. This poll culminates in awarding the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy to the No. 1-ranked team in the final FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) Coaches Poll each season. The head coach of the winning team receives the trophy at the American Football Coaches Awards show in early January.
What Is the Format of the FBS Coaches’ Poll?
The FBS Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season. It involves a panel of head coaches from FBS schools. The panel members are chosen randomly, conference by conference, along with independent schools, from a pool of coaches who have expressed their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 list. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on, down to one point for 25th place.
Who Are the Coaches on the US LBM Board of Coaches?
The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season includes a diverse group of head coaches from various universities and colleges. Here are some notable members:
- Tim Albin, Ohio
- Major Applewhite, South Alabama
- Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina
- Mike Bloomgren, Rice
- David Braun, Northwestern
- Jeff Brohm, Louisville
- Fran Brown, Syracuse
- Neal Brown, West Virginia
- Troy Calhoun, Air Force
- Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
- Bob Chesney, James Madison
- Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan
- Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech
- Spencer Danielson, Boise State
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
- Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
- Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
- Mike Elko, Texas A&M
- Tony Elliott, Virginia
- Jedd Fisch, Washington
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
- Willie Fritz, Houston
- Alex Golesh, South Florida
- Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky
- Mike Houston, East Carolina
- Butch Jones, Arkansas State
- Brent Key, Georgia Tech
- GJ Kinne, Texas State
- Chris Klieman, Kansas State
- Dan Lanning, Oregon
- Rhett Lashlee, SMU
- Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
- Lance Leipold, Kansas
- Pete Lembo, Buffalo
- Sean Lewis, San Diego State
- Mike Locksley, Maryland
- Mike MacIntyre, Florida International
- Gus Malzahn, Central Florida
- Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio)
- Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
- Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
- Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico
- Jeff Monken, Army
- Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
- Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State
- Barry Odom, UNLV
- Gerad Parker, Troy
- Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky
- Jon Sumrall, Tulane
- Lance Taylor, Western Michigan
- Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio
How Has the Top Team Changed Over the Years?
The landscape of college football has seen numerous teams rise to the top spot over the decades. Here’s a look at the teams that have been ranked No. 1 in the final AFCA Coaches’ Poll from 1950 to the present:
1950s:
- 1950: Oklahoma (Bud Wilkinson)
- 1951: Tennessee (Robert Neyland)
- 1952: Michigan State (Biggie Munn)
- 1953: Maryland (Jim Tatum)
- 1954: UCLA (Red Sanders)
- 1955: Oklahoma (Bud Wilkinson)
- 1956: Oklahoma (Bud Wilkinson)
- 1957: Ohio State (Woody Hayes)
- 1958: LSU (Paul Dietzel)
- 1959: Syracuse (Ben Schwartzwalder)
1960s:
- 1960: Minnesota (Murray Warmath)
- 1961: Alabama (Bear Bryant)
- 1962: USC (John McKay)
- 1963: Texas (Darrell Royal)
- 1964: Alabama (Bear Bryant)
- 1965: Michigan State (Duffy Daugherty)
- 1966: Notre Dame (Ara Parseghian)
- 1967: USC (John McKay)
- 1968: Ohio State (Woody Hayes)
- 1969: Texas (Darrell Royal)
1970s:
- 1970: Texas (Darrell Royal)
- 1971: Nebraska (Bob Devaney)
- 1972: USC (John McKay)
- 1973: Alabama (Bear Bryant)
- 1974: USC (John McKay)
- 1975: Oklahoma (Barry Switzer)
- 1976: Pittsburgh (Johnny Majors)
- 1977: Notre Dame (Dan Devine)
- 1978: USC (John Robinson)
- 1979: Alabama (Bear Bryant)
1980s:
- 1980: Georgia (Vince Dooley)
- 1981: Clemson (Danny Ford)
- 1982: Penn State (Joe Paterno)
- 1983: Miami (FL) (Howard Schnellenberger)
- 1984: BYU (LaVell Edwards)
- 1985: Oklahoma (Barry Switzer)
- 1986: Penn State (Joe Paterno)
- 1987: Miami (FL) (Jimmy Johnson)
- 1988: Notre Dame (Lou Holtz)
- 1989: Miami (FL) (Dennis Erickson)
1990s:
- 1990: Georgia Tech (Bobby Ross)
- 1991: Washington (Don James)
- 1992: Alabama (Gene Stallings)
- 1993: Florida State (Bobby Bowden)
- 1994: Nebraska (Tom Osborne)
- 1995: Nebraska (Tom Osborne)
- 1996: Florida (Steve Spurrier)
- 1997: Nebraska (Tom Osborne)
- 1998: Tennessee (Phil Fulmer)
- 1999: Florida State (Bobby Bowden)
2000s:
- 2000: Oklahoma (Bob Stoops)
- 2001: Miami (FL) (Larry Coker)
- 2002: Ohio State (Jim Tressel)
- 2003: LSU (Nick Saban)
- 2004: USC (Pete Carroll)
- 2005: Texas (Mack Brown)
- 2006: Florida (Urban Meyer)
- 2007: LSU (Les Miles)
- 2008: Florida (Urban Meyer)
- 2009: Alabama (Nick Saban)
2010s:
- 2010: Auburn (Gene Chizik)
- 2011: Alabama (Nick Saban)
- 2012: Alabama (Nick Saban)
- 2013: Florida State (Jimbo Fisher)
- 2014: Ohio State (Urban Meyer)
- 2015: Alabama (Nick Saban)
- 2016: Clemson (Dabo Swinney)
- 2017: Alabama (Nick Saban)
- 2018: Clemson (Dabo Swinney)
- 2019: LSU (Ed Orgeron)
2020s:
- 2020: Alabama (Nick Saban)
- 2021: Georgia (Kirby Smart)
- 2022: Georgia (Kirby Smart)
- 2023: Michigan (Jim Harbaugh)
This historical overview illustrates the cyclical nature of college football, with different programs experiencing periods of dominance.
Alt text: The AFCA Coaches Trophy, awarded to the top-ranked team in college football, symbolizing excellence and achievement.
What Are the Latest American Football Top Rankings?
Understanding the latest rankings provides a snapshot of the current competitive landscape. These rankings are dynamic and can shift weekly based on game outcomes and coaches’ perceptions. Below are examples of rankings from different weeks during a past season, illustrating how much movement can occur.
Rankings: January 16, 2025
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (53) | 1,325 | 7 | 14-2 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 1,271 | 3 | 14-2 |
| 3 | Texas | 1,180 | 4 | 13-3 |
| 4 | Oregon | 1,149 | 1 | 13-1 |
| 5 | Penn State | 1,145 | 5 | 13-3 |
| 6 | Georgia | 1,066 | 2 | 11-3 |
| 7 | Arizona State | 986 | 10 | 11-3 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 893 | 6 | 10-3 |
| 9 | Boise State | 872 | 8 | 12-2 |
| 10 | Indiana | 868 | 9 | 11-2 |
| 11 | SMU | 741 | 12 | 11-3 |
| 11 | Clemson | 741 | 13 | 10-4 |
| 13 | Mississippi | 723 | 15 | 10-3 |
| 14 | BYU | 601 | 17 | 11-2 |
| 15 | Iowa State | 543 | 19 | 11-3 |
| 16 | Illinois | 479 | 21 | 10-3 |
| 17 | Alabama | 400 | 11 | 9-4 |
| 18 | Miami (Fla.) | 393 | 16 | 10-3 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 390 | 14 | 9-4 |
| 20 | Missouri | 378 | 20 | 10-3 |
| 21 | Army | 314 | 18 | 12-2 |
| 22 | Syracuse | 236 | 25 | 10-3 |
| 23 | Memphis | 174 | 23 | 11-2 |
| 24 | UNLV | 149 | 24 | 11-3 |
| 25 | Colorado | 56 | 22 | 9-4 |
Dropped Out: None.
Others Receiving Votes: LSU (9-4) 44; Louisville (9-4) 28; Navy (10-3) 28; Kansas State (9-4) 20; Michigan (8-5) 20; Ohio (11-3) 6; TCU (9-4) 5; Marshall (10-3) 1.
Rankings: December 16, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (54) | 1,350 | 1 | 13-0 |
| 2 | Georgia | 1,281 | 5 | 11-2 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 1,214 | 4 | 11-1 |
| 4 | Texas | 1,178 | 2 | 11-2 |
| 5 | Penn State | 1,080 | 3 | 11-2 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1,069 | 6 | 10-2 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 1,037 | 8 | 10-2 |
| 8 | Boise State | 929 | 10 | 12-1 |
| 9 | Indiana | 925 | 9 | 11-1 |
| 10 | Arizona State | 856 | 13 | 11-2 |
| 11 | Alabama | 749 | 11 | 9-3 |
| 12 | SMU | 741 | 7 | 11-2 |
| 13 | Clemson | 707 | 17 | 10-3 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 668 | 12 | 9-3 |
| 15 | Ole Miss | 631 | 15 | 9-3 |
| 16 | Miami (Fla.) | 611 | 14 | 10-2 |
| 17 | BYU | 423 | 18 | 10-2 |
| 18 | Army | 361 | 23 | 11-1 |
| 19 | Iowa State | 355 | 16 | 10-3 |
| 20 | Missouri | 282 | 20 | 9-3 |
| 21 | Illinois | 275 | 21 | 9-3 |
| 22 | Colorado | 228 | 22 | 9-3 |
| 23 | Memphis | 166 | 24 | 10-2 |
| 24 | UNLV | 140 | 19 | 10-3 |
| 25 | Syracuse | 129 | 25 | 9-3 |
Dropped Out: None.
Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M (8-4) 50; Duke (9-3) 40; Louisville (8-4) 17; Kansas State (8-4) 16; Marshall (10-3) 14; Ohio (10-3) 8; Louisiana-Lafayette (10-3) 6; Tulane (9-4) 6; Georgia Tech (7-5) 3; Jacksonville State (9-4) 3; Iowa (8-4) 1; LSU (8-4) 1.
Rankings: December 9, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (53) | 1,325 | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,272 | 3 | 11-1 |
| 3 | Penn State | 1,192 | 4 | 11-1 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 1,165 | 5 | 11-1 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1,104 | 6 | 10-2 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1,025 | 8 | 10-2 |
| 7 | SMU | 977 | 9 | 11-1 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 976 | 2 | 10-2 |
| 9 | Indiana | 895 | 10 | 11-1 |
| 10 | Boise State | 840 | 11 | 11-1 |
| 11 | Alabama | 733 | 13 | 9-3 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 700 | 14 | 9-3 |
| 13 | Arizona State | 665 | 15 | 10-2 |
| 14 | Miami (Fla.) | 646 | 7 | 10-2 |
| 15 | Ole Miss | 638 | 16 | 9-3 |
| 16 | Iowa State | 565 | 17 | 10-2 |
| 17 | Clemson | 457 | 12 | 9-3 |
| 18 | BYU | 419 | 20 | 10-2 |
| 19 | UNLV | 255 | 21 | 10-2 |
| 20 | Missouri | 229 | 24 | 9-3 |
| 21 | Illinois | 225 | 25 | 9-3 |
| 22 | Colorado | 215 | NR | 9-3 |
| 23 | Army | 196 | 22 | 10-1 |
| 24 | Memphis | 187 | 23 | 10-2 |
| 25 | Syracuse | 108 | NR | 9-3 |
Dropped Out: No. 18 Tulane (9-3); No. 19 Texas A&M (8-4).
Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M (8-4) 90; Duke (9-3) 39; Tulane (9-3) 37; Louisville (8-4) 18; Kansas State (8-4) 15; Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2) 11; Georgia Tech (7-5) 2; Michigan (7-5) 2; Iowa (8-4) 1; Miami (Ohio) (8-4) 1.
Rankings: December 2, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (55) | 1,375 | 1 | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 1,318 | 2 | 10-1 |
| 3 | Texas | 1,267 | 3 | 10-1 |
| 4 | Penn State | 1,175 | 4 | 10-1 |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 1,150 | 6 | 10-1 |
| 6 | Georgia | 1,103 | 8 | 9-2 |
| 7 | Miami (Fla.) | 1,023 | 10 | 10-1 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 972 | 11 | 9-2 |
| 9 | SMU | 917 | 12 | 10-1 |
| 10 | Indiana | 867 | 5 | 10-1 |
| 11 | Boise State | 838 | 13 | 10-1 |
| 12 | Clemson | 780 | 16 | 9-2 |
| 13 | Alabama | 621 | 7 | 8-3 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 596 | 19 | 8-3 |
| 15 | Arizona State | 592 | 22 | 9-2 |
| 16 | Mississippi | 569 | 9 | 8-3 |
| 17 | Iowa State | 473 | 21 | 9-2 |
| 18 | Tulane | 434 | 20 | 9-2 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 357 | 14 | 8-3 |
| 20 | BYU | 329 | 15 | 9-2 |
| 21 | UNLV | 205 | 23 | 9-2 |
| 22 | Army | 165 | 17 | 9-1 |
| 23 | Memphis | 151 | 24 | 9-2 |
| 24 | Missouri | 148 | NR | 8-3 |
| 25 | Illinois | 132 | NR | 8-3 |
Dropped Out: No. 18 Colorado (8-3); No. 25 Kansas State (8-3).
Others Receiving Votes: Kansas State (8-3) 124; Colorado (8-3) 115; Duke (8-3) 31; Syracuse (8-3) 19; Louisville (7-4) 8; Louisiana-Lafayette (9-2) 7; Washington State (8-3) 6; LSU (7-4) 3; Baylor (7-4) 1; Georgia Tech (7-4) 1; Iowa (7-4) 1; James Madison (8-3) 1; Miami (Ohio) (7-4) 1.
Rankings: November 25, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (55) | 1,375 | 1 | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 1,316 | 2 | 9-1 |
| 3 | Texas | 1,263 | 3 | 9-1 |
| 4 | Penn State | 1,158 | 5 | 9-1 |
| 5 | Indiana | 1,109 | 6 | 10-0 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 1,096 | 7 | 9-1 |
| 7 | Alabama | 996 | 9 | 8-2 |
| 8 | Georgia | 993 | 10 | 8-2 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 984 | 11 | 8-2 |
| 10 | Miami (Fla.) | 847 | 12 | 9-1 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 823 | 4 | 8-2 |
| 12 | SMU | 744 | 13 | 9-1 |
| 13 | Boise State | 714 | 13 | 9-1 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 646 | 15 | 8-2 |
| 15 | BYU | 633 | 8 | 9-1 |
| 16 | Clemson | 569 | 16 | 8-2 |
| 17 | Army | 509 | 17 | 9-0 |
| 18 | Colorado | 464 | 20 | 8-2 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 379 | 23 | 7-3 |
| 20 | Tulane | 280 | NR | 9-2 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 268 | 25 | 8-2 |
| 22 | Arizona State | 251 | NR | 8-2 |
| 23 | UNLV | 93 | NR | 8-2 |
| 24 | Memphis | 77 | NR | 9-2 |
| 25 | Kansas State | 67 | 19 | 7-3 |
Dropped Out: No. 18 Washington State (8-2); No. 21 Missouri (7-3); No. 22 LSU (6-4); No. 24 Louisville (6-4).
Others Receiving Votes: Washington State (8-2) 65; Illinois (7-3) 56; Missouri (7-3) 44; Syracuse (7-3) 18; James Madison (8-2) 11; Duke (7-3) 9; Pittsburgh (7-3) 7; Louisiana-Lafayette (8-2) 5; Louisville (6-4) 2; Colorado State (7-3) 1; LSU (6-4) 1; Sam Houston (8-2) 1; Vanderbilt (6-4) 1.
Rankings: November 18, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (55) | 1,375 | 1 | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 1,314 | 2 | 9-1 |
| 3 | Texas | 1,262 | 3 | 9-1 |
| 4 | Penn State | 1,158 | 5 | 9-1 |
| 5 | Indiana | 1,109 | 6 | 10-0 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 1,096 | 7 | 9-1 |
| 7 | Alabama | 996 | 9 | 8-2 |
| 8 | Georgia | 993 | 10 | 8-2 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 984 | 11 | 8-2 |
| 10 | Miami (Fla.) | 847 | 12 | 9-1 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 823 | 4 | 8-2 |
| 12 | SMU | 744 | 13 | 9-1 |
| 13 | Boise State | 714 | 13 | 9-1 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 646 | 15 | 8-2 |
| 15 | BYU | 633 | 8 | 9-1 |
| 16 | Clemson | 569 | 16 | 8-2 |
| 17 | Army | 509 | 17 | 9-0 |
| 18 | Colorado | 464 | 20 | 8-2 |
| 19 | South Carolina | 379 | 23 | 7-3 |
| 20 | Tulane | 280 | NR | 9-2 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 268 | 25 | 8-2 |
| 22 | Arizona State | 251 | NR | 8-2 |
| 23 | UNLV | 93 | NR | 8-2 |
| 24 | Memphis | 77 | NR | 9-2 |
| 25 | Kansas State | 67 | 19 | 7-3 |
Dropped Out: No. 18 Washington State (8-2); No. 21 Missouri (7-3); No. 22 LSU (6-4); No. 24 Louisville (6-4).
Others Receiving Votes: Washington State (8-2) 65; Illinois (7-3) 56; Missouri (7-3) 44; Syracuse (7-3) 18; James Madison (8-2) 11; Duke (7-3) 9; Pittsburgh (7-3) 7; Louisiana-Lafayette (8-2) 5; Louisville (6-4) 2; Colorado State (7-3) 1; LSU (6-4) 1; Sam Houston (8-2) 1; Vanderbilt (6-4) 1.
Rankings: November 11, 2024
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Pts. | Prev. | Rec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon (53) | 1,349 | 1 | 9-0 |
| 2 | Georgia (1) | 1,267 | 2 | 7-1 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 1,245 | 4 | 7-1 |
| 4 | Miami (Fla.) | 1,194 | 5 | 9-0 |
| 5 | Texas | 1,138 | 6 | 7-1 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 1,039 | 7 | 7-1 |
| 7 | Penn State | 982 | 3 | 7-1 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | 961 | 9 | 7-1 |
| 9 | BYU | 918 | 12 | 8-0 |
| 10 | Indiana | 916 | 13 | 9-0 |
| 11 | Alabama | 772 | 14 | 6-2 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 657 | 18 | 7-2 |
| 13 | LSU | 653 | 16 | 6-2 |
| 14 | Boise State | 615 | 19 | 7-1 |
| 15 | SMU | 603 | 20 | 8-1 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 518 | 11 | 7-2 |
| 17 | Clemson | 513 | 8 | 6-2 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 511 | 10 | 7-1 |
| 19 | Army | 404 | 2 |
