Here's the list: 131-101 100-76 75-51 50-26
25.)
Texas A&M (Average Rank: 40.6, Previous Decade: 59.4)The Aggies made a splash after moving from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2012. Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M under new coach Kevin Sumlin, lost their opener to Florida before winning their next five games. A loss to LSU was followed by another six wins including victories over No. 17 Mississippi State, No. 1 Alabama, and No. 12 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Manziel went on to win the Heisman Trophy, but neither he nor the Aggies could match the highlight of that season. Still they never had fewer than seven wins in any given year and haven't missed a bowl game since 2008.
24.)
Utah (AR: 39.5, PD: 31.6)The Utes began the decade in the Mountain West with a 10-3 start, but struggled the next three seasons when they switched to the PAC-12. Kyle Whittingham has guided Utah since 2005 and had his team in the Top 5 twice within the decade including this year where they had a chance to make the College Football Playoffs had they not lost to Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship. Overall the Utes made eight bowl appearances and had six seasons with nine wins or more.
23.)
UCF (AR: 38.6, PD: 63.4)UCF is the kind of team I love to root for and unlike the NCAA, I acknowledged their 2017 National Championship. They also had one really bizarre decade. The Golden Knights began in Conference USA before joining the AAC in 2013 and were led by George O'Leary before he resigned amid an 0-12 season in 2015. Scott Frost took over and led UCF to glory with a 13-0 season just two years later that was capped with a Peach Bowl win over Auburn. They followed by winning their next 12 games in 2018 under new head coach Josh Heupel, but lost in the Fiesta Bowl to LSU. Overall they made eight bowl appearances and finished with six seasons of 10+ wins.
22.)
Michigan (AR: 38.6, PD: 35.7)A team that fell short on expectations throughout the decade. It's hard to believe it actually began with Rich Rodriguez at the helm before being fired. Brady Hoke replaced him and once again I'm in disbelief to realize that he was the best coach of the decade for the maize and blue. Not did he claim the lone victory over a downtrodden Ohio State team, he also won the Sugar Bowl and finished with a decade high 11 wins. In fact, all but one of the OSU/Michigan games he coached in were very close and they could've won in 2013 had they successfully converted a two-point conversion. Of course also had the worst season at Michigan in the decade with a 5-7 finish in 2014, his last before giving way to Jim Harbaugh. The much hyped Harbaugh has led Michigan to three 10 win seasons, but a big fat 0 wins against Ohio State. I also chose Denard Robinson for the picture because he was the last player to appear on the cover of NCAA Football.
21.)
Auburn (AR: 38.5, PD: 30.3)The beginning was sort of the end for Auburn. In 2010 not only did Cam Newton claim the Heisman Trophy, but the Tigers won the BCS Championship Game and finished 14-0. They made another appearance in the final BCS Championship Game in 2013, but fell to Florida State. That year they were able to navigate their way to championship with an improbable win over Alabama with arguably the greatest finish and radio call by the late Rod Bramblett. They would only have one 10 win season after that championship game which came in 2017, but they have a chance for another in 2019. They mad nine bowl appearances with the lone exception coming in Gene Chizik's final season when they went 3-9 in 2012. Gus Malzahn has been in charge ever since.
20.)
How can a MAC school finish ahead of a National Champ? Well for one, Toledo didn't have a losing season all decade. They also made eight bowl appearances and won a MAC Championship and had two 10+ win seasons. Really what it comes down to is that 3-9 season really killed Auburn and the Rockets will take their very small advantage and run with it. They also maintained success despite three different coaches. Tim Beckman left for Illinois, Matt Campbell jettisoned to Iowa State, and Jason Candle has been in charge ever since. They did have their worst season this year, going 6-6 and losing to Bowling Green for the first time since 2014.
19.)
Northern Illinois (AR: 37.7, PD: 49.7)The Huskies were one of the hottest Group of 5 teams in the early part of the decade. They won at least 11 games from 2010-14. Northern Illinois made six straight MAC Championship Games (7 total) and won four. They were ranked in three seasons and made eight bowl appearances with their biggest coming in the 2013 Orange Bowl. Like Toledo, they were a hotbed for coaches. Jerry Kill left for Minnesota, Dave Doeren went off to NCST, and Rod Carey is now at Temple. Thomas Hammock struggled in his first season at 5-7, but some of that came from tough scheduling with Utah, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt making up their non-conference schedule. In 2018, they were able to stun the Cornhuskers, but couldn't duplicate in 2019.
18.)
Penn State (AR: 36.6, PD: 38.2)Penn State has been really good at being the second best team in their conference. The Nittany Lions have played second fiddle to Ohio State throughout the decade, giving the Buckeyes their biggest challenges, but only appearing in one Big Ten Championship Game, which they won in 2016. Under James Franklin they've won 11 games three times to close out the decade, but the beginning was a far rockier ride.
The decade began under legendary coach Joe Paterno, who quickly had his legacy tarnished, once it was discovered that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky (1969-99) had been committing unspeakable acts. An FBI report revealed that Paterno and other administrators were aware of the allegations dating as far back as 1998. NCAA sanctions were place on Penn State and Bill O'Brien took over. He led them to two winning seasons, but it was the only two years they did not make a bowl because of sanctions. O'Brien left for the Houston Texans job in 2014, opening the door for Franklin.
17.)
USC (AR: 36.2, PD: 19.5)The Trojans were also hit with sanctions in the early part of the decade, although for much less nefarious reasons. NCAA rules violations forced them to miss two bowl games and Reggie Bush returned his Heisman Trophy, but Pete Carroll shouldered none of the blame as he fell into the Seattle Seahawks job he holds today. The very interesting Lane Kiffin era began the decade and ended after four seasons when he was fired on the tarmac at three in the morning, following a road loss to Arizona State where they gave up 63 points. Ed Orgeron would finish out that season with a 6-2 record, but now head coach Clay Helton would coach in the bowl victory.
Steve Sarkisian took over as the new head coach, but was fired after his battles with alcoholism cost him his job midway through his second season. Helton took over for good, but is currently on the hot seat and a thumping in the Holiday Bowl at the hands of Iowa certainly didn't help. Overall they mad seven bowl appearances, winning three, including a thrilling comeback over Penn State in 2016 Rose Bowl.
16.)
Michigan State (AR: 35.4, PD: 65.2)In the early part of the decade "Little Brother" was anything but, as they not only went 5-1 against Michigan in the first six years, but also made three Big Ten Championship Games, something their in-state rival has failed to do once. Sparty won two of those games and made nine bowl games, with Mark Dantonio leading the way since 2007. Michigan State had six seasons of 10+ wins and had their best season in 2013 when they went 13-1 and claimed a Rose Bowl win over Stanford, finishing as the No. 3 team. They finished the decade 6-4 against Michigan and delivered one of the most devastating defeats in series history in 2015.
15.)
San Diego State (AR: 34.8, PD: 91.8)A very under the radar team throughout the decade, the Aztecs made a bowl game in all ten seasons beginning with Brady Hoke in 2010 before Rocky Long took over in 2011. Long has guided the team to four 10+ win seasons in the last five years as well as three Mountain West Championships. Pictured is Rashaad Penny, who finished with 2,248 yards in 2017, which was the fifth most rushing yards in a single season behind Marcus Allen (USC-1981, 2,427), Kevin Smith (UCF-2007, 2,567), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin-2014, 2,587), and Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State-1988, 2,628).
14.)
The Fighting Irish had several big opportunities to win championships, but it turns out they were as pretend as Manti Te'o's girlfriend. In the BCS Championship they were throttled by Alabama 42-14 in 2012. They made the College Football Playoffs last year, only to be dismantled by Clemson 30-3 in the semi-finals. They went 1-1 in their New Year's Six Bowl, getting hammered by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, but besting LSU in the Citrus Bowl.
Overall Brian Kelly led them to nine bowl appearances throughout the decade and five seasons of 10+ wins. The Irish did post an abysmal 2016 campaign where they finished 4-8 that included losses to Duke and Navy.
13.)
Florida State (AR: 30.5, PD: 32.4)The Seminoles were one of the elite teams in the first half of the decade, but finished with three straight mediocre seasons. Two of those came under Willie Taggart, who went 9-12 before being fired midway through his second season. Before Jimbo Fisher left, he went just 7-6 in 2016.
Fisher took over for Bobby Bowden in 2010 and had Florida State rolling with seven straight seasons of at least nine wins. The highlight came in 2013 when Jameis Winston took home the Heisman Trophy and then he led the Seminoles to a victory over Auburn in the final BCS Championship game to finish the season 14-0. The following season they made the inaugural College Football Playoffs, but were eliminated by Oregon in the semi-finals, that led to one of my favorite video edits of the decade.
Overall they finished with nine bowl appearances, with eight of those coming under Fisher, before he left for Texas A&M.
12.)
Oklahoma State (AR: 28.9, PD: 53.3)The mullett and the Cowboys haven't missed a bowl game since Mike Gundy's first season back in 2005. Since the turn of the decade Oklahoma State has found themselves in the thick of it, but never on top as they had six seasons where they appeared inside the Top 10 at some point in the season. The best year came in 2011 when they finished 12-1 as a stunning upset by Iowa State kept them out of the BCS Championship.
11.)
Georgia (AR: 25.5, PD: 18.3)The Bulldogs were one of the best teams of the decade to never win a title. Georgia made five SEC Championship games and was the only SEC East team to win, when they did so in 2017 over Auburn. UGA began the decade under Mark Richt, before he took a job at Miami (FL) in 2016. In his first season Kirby Smart nearly did the impossible, as the Bulldogs were just one half away from knocking off Alabama in CFP Championship Game. However, Tua Tagovailoa led the Tide to an overtime victory.
Georgia had seven seasons of 10+ wins or more and made a bowl appearance or the playoffs every year of the decade. In fact the Bulldogs haven't missed a postseason appearance since 1996.
10.)
Oregon (AR: 24.9, PD: 30.4)In just his second season with the Ducks, Chip Kelly had Oregon within reach of a national title. Instead they watched as Auburn escaped with the BCS title, and that was how the decade began. They would post two more 12 win seasons in a row with the 2012 season's lone blemish coming to Stanford in Week 12. Kelly left to go run the Philadelphia Eagles into the ground and Mark Helfrich took over.
After an 11-2 record in his first season, like Kelly, Helfrich had Oregon playing for a title when they beat Florida State in the Rose Bowl to set up an appearance against Ohio State in the inaugural CFP Championship Game. The Buckeyes lambasted the Ducks and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Marioita, for an easy win. Helfrich would be out two years later after a shocking 4-8 season. Even more shocking was that Willie Taggart lasted just one season before heading to Florida State. Mario Cristobal has won 20 games in his first two seasons, including a PAC-12 Championship win this season to keep Utah out of the CFP. Overall the Ducks made nine bowls, including two title appearances, and won the PAC-12 three times.
9.)
Had it not been for a Week 5 loss to Oregon in 2010, perhaps it would have been the Cardinal who made an appearance against Auburn in BCS Championship. Instead, it would be a nice 12-1 season, and the last for Jim Harbaugh, who left to take the San Francisco 49ers job. David Shaw took over and has remained a steady hand. Under his guide, Stanford has finished seven seasons with at least nine wins and won the PAC-12 three times in four tries. Their ten game bowl streak came to an end when the Cardinal finished 4-8 this season. The Cardinal had two Heisman hopefuls as Andrew Luck finished second in the voting in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons while Christian McCaffrey's nearly 2,700 yards of total offense weren't enough in 2015.
8.)
Wisconsin (AR: 22.6, PD: 33.6)Running the football was the MO of the Wisconsin Badgers throughout the previous decades and continued through the 2010's. The Badgers would have two different backs eclipse the 5,000 yard mark with Monte Ball doing so in 2012 (5,140, 19th all-time) and Jonathan Taylor still working on his 6,080 yards (6th all-time). If Taylor stays in school one more year, he has a chance to eclipse another Badger in Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, who amassed 7,125 yards (most all-time) from 1996-99.
Despite three different coaches, Wisconsin was still successful and made a bowl in every year of the decade to keep their streak active since 2002. Brett Bielema led the Badgers to two 11 win seasons, while Gary Andersen added another in 2014, but Paul Chryst has had at least 10 wins his four of his five seasons. When Bielema left for Arkansas and Andersen for Oregon State, Wisconsin was led by their Athletic Director and winningest coach, Barry Alvarez, who went 1-1 in the two bowl games he coached, bringing his bowl record to 9-4.
Wisconsin won the first two Big Ten Championship Games and have made a record six appearances, but have lost four straight, including three to Ohio State. The Buckeyes have been their greatest roadblock, especially in the 2017 season where the Badgers lone loss was in the Big Ten title game and cost them their shot at their first ever CFP appearance.
7.)
Appalachian State (AR: 21.3, PD: N/A)The Mountaineers have made the FBS their home after great success at the FCS level. Of course they got on everyone's radar in 2007 when they stunned No. 5 Michigan, but Appalachian State also had Penn State down for the count 38-31 in 2018 before the Nittany Lions rallied with just over a minute to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime. They did successfully add North and South Carolina this year to Power 5 teams they've beaten and hope to add Wisconsin next year.
Scott Satterfield took over the program during their transition in 2014 and they finished 7-5 that season, but they were not bowl eligible. They would be bowl eligible the next year and they won 11 games including their first bowl victory. The Mountaineers would make five straight bowls and win them all during the decade. Satterfield would leave after the 2018 season for Louisville, but not before getting the Mountaineers to crack the Top 25 for the first time ever. App State also made the Top 25 in 2019, but like 2018, they had no answer for the option attack of Georgia Southern and finished 13-1.
Eli Drinkwitz left before their bowl game to take the Missouri job and it will be up to longtime assistant, Shawn Clark, to keep things going. The Mountaineers finished first four times in the Sun Belt and won the first two Sun Belt Championship Games, both over the Ragin' Cajuns.
6.)
The Bayou Bengals could finally get their first championship of the decade as they'll face the defending champ, Clemson in the CFP Championship Game. Led by Heisman Trophy winner, Joe Burrow, the Tigers actually have an offense to write home about, unlike their last appearance in BCS Championship in 2011 when they were blanked 21-0 by Alabama. That was a rematch of the Game of the Century when LSU won a grizzly 9-6 battle.
The Tigers won their second SEC Title of the decade with the first coming under the "Mad Hatter", Les Miles, and this time under Ed Orgeron. Between the two coaches, LSU hasn't won fewer than eight games and their 14 wins this season are the best of the decade. Since Nick Saban took over the program at the beginning of the century, the Tigers have not missed a bowl or postseason appearance and are 13-7 during that span. If they can upend Clemson, it will be their first Championship since 2007 and third since 2003.
5.)
Boise State (AR: 14.9, PD: 9)On Jan. 4, 2010, the Broncos completed the improbable comeback and one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, finishes of all-time, when they stunned Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. That was a tough act to follow, but under Chris Petersen and Bryan Harsin, Boise State have won 10+ games eight times this decade. The Broncos made nine bowl appearances in the decade and were scheduled for another, but weather cancelled their bout with Boston College in 2018. In fact, Boise State has been bowl eligible in 22 of their 24 seasons at the FBS level. They have won four Mountain West titles in five opportunities including this year over Hawai'i. Boise State returned to the Fiesta Bowl in 2014 and got another win over a PAC-12 school when they beat Arizona.
4.)
Clemson (AR: 14.4, PD: 38.1)The only reason the Tigers aren't higher on this list is because of the way they began the decade. In Dabo Swinney's second season, Clemson scuffled its way to a 6-7 finish. After that, they wouldn't finish with fewer than ten wins. In fact, they've won 14 games or more, an astounding four times. The Tigers have appeared in four of the five College Football Playoffs, making it to all four championship games and have a chance to claim their third title with a win over LSU. This will also mark the first time that they won't face Alabama in the title game.
They haven't missed the postseason since 2004 and have made it to No. 1 at some point in each of the last five seasons. Surprisingly, with players like Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, Sammy Watkins and Travis Etienne, the Tigers haven't found their way to hoist up the Heisman. They've dominated the ACC winning six titles including the last five.
3.)
The Sooners had one season during the decade where they finished with fewer than 10 wins and that was an 8-5 season in 2014. They've made a bowl game every year since 1999, but the National Championship has been elusive. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both took home a Heisman, but they also dropped their games in the semi-finals of the College Football Playoffs. Mayfield lost his in a thrilling double overtime loss to Georgia while Murray and the Sooners didn't have enough firepower to dethrone Alabama.
Bob Stoops shocked the college football world when he stepped down before the 2017 season. Lincoln Riley took over and was responsible for all three trips to the College Football Playoffs. This year he had former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, but they were steamrolled by LSU in the Peach Bowl to finish the decade having lost three straight bowl appearances and five of their last six. They cracked the Top 5 in every season of the decade, but were only ranked No. 1 one time when they began the year at the top in No. 1. Oklahoma won the Big 12 seven times including all three of the newly formatted Big 12 Championship Games.
2.)
Ohio State (AR: 10.1, PD: 15)Much like the Sooners, the Big Ten has been dominated by one team, the Buckeyes. The last three Big Ten Championships have all gone their way and they have four total titles in five appearances (second only to Wisconsin's 6). Ohio State doesn't have a Heisman winner, but it doesn't matter as they used three different quarterbacks to run the gamut in 2014. The Buckeyes are the only team not named Alabama or Clemson to win the CFP. They had nine seasons of 11+ wins and a 12-0 season that didn't count because of bowl sanctions.
Those sanctions stemmed from (in this Michigan fans humble opinion) a really stupid NCAA violation that cost Jim Tressel his job after the man in the sweater vest failed to report these issues. Wolverine fans rejoiced as he owned a 9-1 record against TSUN and Michigan won for the first time since 2003 when they beat Luke Fickell during his lone 6-7 campaign in 2011. Pretty soon Big Ten fans would be begging for Tressel to return, as Urban Meyer beat everyone en route (including Alabama and Oregon) to a National Title and another CFP appearance. The only team to have any answers against Meyer was the Clemson Tigers who lit up Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl before they won the CFP.
Meyer had a rocky finish to his final season at the Shoe. A scandal involving an assistant coach got him suspended for the first three games of the season and health issues seemed to slow him down. The Buckeyes missed the CFP, but he beat Michigan in all seven seasons and capped off his tenure with a Rose Bowl victory. In the three games he was out, Ryan Day cemented his place as the next man in line to lead Ohio State. Day went 3-0 in 2018 and an easy 13-0 in the regular season before some controversial calls aided Clemson in a comeback win to once again thwart the Buckeyes and close out the decade.
1.)
The skurge of the college football world, there was nobody hated more in football than perhaps the Patriots in the NFL. Like DJ Khaled, all they do is win, as Alabama never finished with less than 10 wins over the course of the decade. They won back-to-back BCS Championships in 2011 and 2012 and made the first five College Football Playoffs including four finals. They lost in 2014 to Ohio State in the semi-finals, beat Clemson in 2015, lost to Clemson in 2016, beat Georgia in overtime in 2017, and lost to Clemson in 2018.
Derrick Henry brought home the lone Heisman Trophy win in 2015 while the Tide won all five SEC Championship appearances. They didn't even have to win the SEC to make win a title. After the crazy kick six gave Auburn a win and the SEC West's spot in the Championship, the Tide snuck into the playoffs as the No. 4 team and beat the SEC Champs, Georgia. The decade ended on a sour note for Alabama with some overreacting that the dynasty is over. The Tide lost by 5 to the SEC Champion LSU Tigers, and by 3 against rival Auburn to miss the SEC Championship Game as well as the CFP for the first time in its existence. Those two losses were part of the amazing 15 losses they had throughout the decade and even crazier when you consider that fellow Power 5 school, Kansas, won just 21 games in the 2010's.
