Where AP Ranks SEC Football Teams in All-Time Top 100
The AP Poll is celebrating 80 years of existence and ranked the top 100 college football programs to celebrate. Where do the SEC football teams rank?
If you asked most SEC football fans which college football program has the most tradition, it would likely be their favorite school.
If you asked most SEC football fans which college football program would lead in all-time rankings, though, it would likely begrudgingly be Alabama.
The AP Poll agrees that SEC football has been dominant, they just don’t agree that Alabama should be ranked as the top all-time program. While many Alabama and SEC football fans will point to Alabama’s trophy case to make their argument, the AP used a different formula (which follows below, courtesy of the AP).
To determine the all-time Top 25, the AP formula counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (two points) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points).
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With that formula in mind, how did SEC football teams rank?
- Alabama – The Crimson Tide lead the way for the conference but comes in 4th overall behind Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s constantly being overhyped is a salty point on this one.
- Florida – The Gators creep in the Top 10 at #10 to give SEC football two teams in the top ten. The Gators never being ranked in the 1940s hurt their overall ranking here.
- LSU – The Tigers come in at #11 overall. Their lofty ranking shows just how consistent they’ve been recently — and how mediocre they were for a long time before Nick Saban/Les Miles took over.
- Tennessee – People scoffed when Lane Kiffin called Tennessee a Top 15 job. They’re ranked 14 overall. Any questions?
- Georgia – The Bulldogs give SEC football 5 teams in the top 15. Their best decade came under Mark Richt in the 2000s. O how quickly we forget.
- Auburn – 16 Overall. From the AP: The Deep South’s oldest rivals, Auburn and Georgia enter 2016 with the same amount of poll appearances. The overall record in 119 games between the two teams is Georgia 56, Auburn 55 and eight ties.
- Texas A&M – 18 Overall. The Aggies give SEC football 7 teams in the top 20. That means half of the SEC football conference make up 7 of the best 18 teams. That is just nuts.
- Arkansas – 21 Overall. If trends continue, it is just a matter of time before the Razorbacks give SEC football 8 teams in the top 20.
- Ole Miss – 29 Overall. People forget just how good the Rebels were under Johnny Vaught. While they were in the wilderness a while, Hugh Freeze has them looking to crack the top 25 all-time list.
- Missouri – 35 Overall. I’ll be the first to admit it: I was surprised to see Missouri ranked this high. No disrespect intended, I just always thought they didn’t have much history prior to Gary Pinkel.
- Mississippi State – 46 Overall
- South Carolina – 48 Overall
- Kentucky – 68 Overall
- Vanderbilt – 89 Overall
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That puts all 14 SEC football teams in the top 100, with Vanderbilt and Kentucky being the only two teams outside the top 50. I’m even more impressed and proud that 10 teams rank inside the top 30. That’s enough for an entire conference of teams by itself in the top 30. SEC football…man it’s awesome.
*All additional information was taken from the official post and uses the AP’s rankings and Championships.*