10 winningest college football teams of all time

Modified Aug 19, 2023 12:40 GMT

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At the end of the day, football is all about winning, and college football is no exception. History is written by the victors, as they say.

This list does not just talk about championships won but takes into consideration overall wins and win percentage. The reason for this is simple: a team's total victories don't matter if they lose more often than they win.

Here are the top 10 winningest college football teams of all time:

#10. Harvard University - 903 wins, .679 win%

One might be a bit surprised to see an Ivy League school here but don't be. Harvard has always been one of the most winningest college football teams ever. The Crimson football program is also one of the oldest in the world.

As such, this likely gave them a head start against almost every other team on this list. Their age is also evident in the fact that all of Harvard's national championships occurred before 1921.

#9. University of Nebraska-Lincoln - 912 wins, .681 win%

The Cornhuskers have won five national championships in its history. But since the Husker glory days of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Nebraska has been trying to claw its way back up.

Right now, they're not that great as they've had five straight losing seasons. But their early successes were more than enough to keep their pristine win percentage.

#8. Pennsylvania State University - 920 wins, .688 win%

Penn State has had an up-and-down journey for the past five years. Even so, the Nittany Lions have seven national championships to their name. They last won in 2014 and are looking to get back to the promised land after a stellar 2022 campaign.

#7. Yale University - 929 wins, .698 win%

Another Ivy League school, and Harvard's bitter rival, Yale also boasts one of the oldest college football programs in the world. But unlike the Crimson, the Bulldogs claimed a total of 27 national titles all won before 1928.

This is again due to the program's age. Their last major victory, however, was quite recent; winning the Ivy League in 2019.

#6. University of Texas - 936 wins, 0.701 win%

The Longhorns have nine national titles to their name, but in recent years, they've mostly been middle of the pack. Last year, they finished at 8-5, and the year before that, they were 5-7. Texas' glory days were from 2000-2009 when they averaged at least 11 wins per season.

#5. University of Oklahoma - 934 wins, .725 win%

Oklahoma's Sooners have the fifth-highest winning percentage on this list, and that's saying something. With seven national championships, the Sooners are always a part of any "most winningest college football team ever" list.

The team is also the only one to have had four coaches with at least 100 wins each. Safe to say, Oklahoma knows a lot about winning.

#4. University of Notre Dame - 938 wins, .730 win%

Notre Dame is not a notorious name in college football by any means, but few teams in the NCAA have won more games. They have 11 national championships in total, two 100-win coaches, and were basically unstoppable until WW2 broke out.

Furthermore, the Fighting Irish have also figured in a lot of famous CFB games, including the so-called "Game of the Century" vs. Michigan in 1966.

#3. University of Michigan - 989 wins, .731 win%

The Wolverines technically have won the most games out of everybody, and they also have the winning percentage to show for it. The only ones they really struggle to beat, however, are their bitter rivals, Ohio State.

So far, Michigan vs. OSU's head-to-head stands at 3-14 since 2004. Despite this, it's worth noting they did snap the Buckeyes' eight-game streak in the 2021 edition of their "The Game" rivalry matchup.

#2. University of Alabama - 953 wins, .732 win%

Bear Bryant's incredible legacy at Alabama is insanely tough to beat. For 24 years, he built the Crimson Tide into a dynasty that spanned several decades.

Coach Nick Saban then came in and won the school's last seven championships--surpassing Bryant's six titles. But even by a hair, Alabama still cannot edge the most winningest college football team on this list.

#1. Ohio State University - 953 wins, .733 win%

The Buckeyes just know how to win. Period. While tied with Alabama for second-overall wins, Ohio State has been topping every most winningest college football team list since the 1910s.

The team has also been championship contenders almost every year since the mid-90s. They've really built a culture of winning over there in Columbus, and the fans keep coming back for more.

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Edited by Veer Badani