College football is sport dominated by its traditional powers.
Through the years, those powerhouse programs have generally remained locked into the Top 25, owned the New Year's Day bowl games and, of course, dominated the race for the national title.
But not even college football's bluebloods are immune to a bad decade. Through the years, almost all of the game's superpowers have suffered periods of decline. At the same time, "outsider" programs (think Boise State) have jumped up to lay their claim to elite status.
Here, we take a look at the ebbs and flows of college football's elite teams through the decades.
Winningest Programs of the 2000s
(Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Who was college football’s "team of the decade" for the 2000s? Texas? USC? Maybe Oklahoma? All good choices, of course. But if you’re looking at winning percentage alone, then the answer to that question is actually Boise State.
Winningest Programs of the 1990s
(Getty Images)
It was the last true dynasty in college football: Florida State in the 1990s. Coach Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles were the unquestioned kings of college football that decade, dominating the ACC, claiming two national championships and posting a better winning percentage (.890) than any other team in the nation.
Winningest Programs of the 1980s
(Getty Images)
No, Miami was not the winningest team of the 1980s. No, instead, that honor goes to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who went 103-20-0 in the decade—good for a winning percentage of .837. Miami was second at .831.
Winningest Programs of the 1970s
(Getty Images)
Winningest Programs of the 1960s
(Getty Images)
Under the leadership of the legendary Bear Bryant, who arrived in Tuscaloosa in 1958, the Alabama Crimson Tide enjoyed a dominant decade in the 1960s. During that remarkable ten-year run, Bryant's Tide compiled an utterly remarkable record of 85-12-3--good for a winning percentage of .865, best in the nation.
Winningest Programs of the 1950s
(Getty Images)
Under the leadership of the legendary Bud Wilkinson, the Oklahoma Sooners racked up a 93-10-2 record in the 1950s, good enough for an overall winning percentage of .895. They won 13 more games than anyone else in the nation during that span—not to mention three national championships.
