This is the Platinum standard of excellence. A few years ago I compiled rolling 10-year records for the consensus helmets and a few near-helmets. I went back far enough that the first 10-year record ended with the advent of the AP Poll (1927-1936) and I've kept it up to date since.
The schools I included (in order of their BEST 10-year record) were:
- .9245 Oklahoma
- .9130 Alabama
- .8917 Miami, FL
- .8911 Florida State
- .8810 Nebraska
- .8763 Notre Dame
- .8705 Clemson
- .8615 Ohio State
- .8553 Michigan
- .8548 Tennessee
- .8534 Penn State
- .8527 Texas
- .8333 USC
- .8200 Florida
- .8106 LSU
So I now have this data for 1,275 10-year periods (85 for each school X 15 schools). In the dataset there are only five 10-year periods in which a school had a record of .900 or better, they are:
- .9245 Oklahoma from 1949-1958 went 97-7-2
- .9245 Oklahoma from 1948-1957 went 97-7-2 (10-1 in both 1948 and 1958)
- .9130 Alabama from 2011-2020 went 126-12
- .9095 Oklahoma from 1947-1956 went 94-8-3
- .9071 Alabama from 2009-2018 went 127-13
That is it, just one per 255 chances and note that there have NEVER been two at the same time.
Interestingly, three schools could actually achieve this distinction in the decade that will be concluded with the 2021 season:
Alabama:
The Tide went .9120 (114-11) from 2012-2020 so when 2021 is added to that they have a chance to add a third .900 decade. For the Tide:
- 15-0 does it .9214
- 14-1 does it .9143
- 13-1 does it .9137
- 12-1 does it .9130 (highly unlikely because if they went 11-1 with no CCG they'd probably make the CFP)
- 13-2 does it .9071
- 12-2 does it .9065
- 11-2 does it .9058
- 12-3 does it .900 (the only way this could happen is if they made the SECCG and had 2 losses after the SECCG but made the CFP, won the semifinal, and lost the CG)
Ohio State:
The Buckeyes went .9060 (106-11) from 2012-2020 so when 2021 is added to that they have a chance to at a school-first .900 decade. For the Buckeyes:
- 15-0 does it .9167
- 14-1 does it .9090
- 13-1 does it .9084
- 12-1 does it .9077
- 13-2 does it .9015
- 12-2 does it .9008
- 11-2 does it .900
Clemson:
The Tigers went .8880 (111-14) from 2012-2020 so when 2021 is added to that they have a chance to get to exactly .900. They would need to go 15-0 to do it.
Theoretically all three could make it (Clemson goes 15-0, Bama and tOSU both finish with two or less losses).