Most empirical lists, such as the ones @medinabuckeye1 posted about all-time various rankings, or all-time wins, or things like that, I've noticed LSU is routinely just outside the top 10. In that 11-15 range. They seem like decent ways to conceptualize a magical bullshit "Best Program In History" list. If somebody wants to weight MNC's, fine, but I don't have any advice on how to do it.
I forget, but I think Texas is usually in the top 10 of empirical lists.
So I immediately saw LSU in the top 10, Texas outside of it, and didn't look any further. Somebody threw a bunch of logos together and generated some clicks.
A lot of the difference depends on how you value consistency as compared to top-end success.
Ohio State is the absolute undisputed king of consistency in CFB. As I posted over in my AP Poll trivia thread, the Buckeyes have a 1,016 - 943 lead over #2 Michigan in all-time AP Appearances. Not only is Alabama behind Ohio State but they are also behind Michigan and Oklahoma and tied for 4/5 with Notre Dame.
On the other hand, Alabama has a significant lead over Ohio State in National Championships.
Personally, I give a lot of weight to NC's so I'd consider Bama the #1 program but I do think that at some point consistently being very good is not nothing. I don't like the dichotomy created when you look exclusively at NC's because when you do that you treat a 13-1 season where you lost the NC game in OT as being exactly equal to a 3-9 season. Those things aren't the same to me.
I'm curious what other posters here think so let me ask this question. How many years of say top-5 finishes would equal a NC in terms of how you viewed a program?
To take an extreme example consider this hypothetical:
- In a ten year stretch program #1 has an undefeated NC season and nine sub .500 seasons.
- In the same stretch program #2 finishes top-5 each year but never gets over the hump and wins a NC.
Which is the stronger program?
