Top 5 CFB Offensive Coordinators of All Time Feat. Tom Osborne, Lane Kiffin, and more

An old adage in team sports goes, "Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships." But of course, that's true: Not everyone likes playing defense as much as offense.

In the end, however, football is about outscoring your opponent when the clock runs out - and we're here to focus on some legendary coaches who helmed the best offenses college football has ever seen.

Note that this ranking was made while considering the overall effectiveness of a team's offense, which would heavily rely on their respective offense coordinators' game plans. So without further ado, here are the top 5 CFB Offensive Coordinators ever:

#5 - Barry Switzer, Oklahoma

Barry Switzer, Oklahoma offensive coordinator

The 1971 Sooners were well-known for the lethal wishbone formation that allowed them to break records at almost every single turn. Oklahoma averaged an insane 472.4 rushing yards/game, 566,5 yards of total offense, and a blistering 44.9 PPG,

The Sooners were an absolute about-face from the defense-heavy 1960s, and it was a breath of fresh air for college football fans--resulting in Barry Switzer being hailed as one of the best CFB offensive coordinators ever.

#4 - Lane Kiffin, USC

Lane Kiffin, USC Trojans offensive coordinator

Fans remember fondly just how absurd the offense of the 2005 USC Trojans was. The team averaged 49.1 PPG and scored 600 points in only 12 regular season games. This included 70 points against Arkansas and 66 points on UCLA.

They also scored 38 points against that season's heralded Texas defense - even if they did lose that legendary Rose Bowl game. If not for that loss, many fans agree the 2005 Trojans would've been the undisputed greatest college team of all time, which definitely doesn't detract from OC Lane Kiffin's efforts.

#3 - Steve Esminger, LSU

Steve Esminger, LSU offensive coordinator

With Steve Esminger at the helm of the offense in 2019, the LSU Tigers averaged 48.4 PPG in a mix of efficiency and explosiveness rarely seen in CFB history. The Tigers were No. 1 in the nation at 568.4 yards/game, No. 2 at 7.89 yards/play, and scored 726 points.

Furthermore, Esminger's efforts aided in quarterback Joe Burrow's record-setting season as a Heisman winner, who won it by the largest margin in the award's history. So if you're going to talk about the best CFB offensive coordinators ever, Esminger should be on that list.

#2 - Rob Chudzinski, Miami

Rob Chudzinski, Miami offensive coordinator

In 2001, Rob Chudzinski made his case as one of the best CFB offensive coordinators in history at the helm of perhaps the deepest offense the NCAA gridiron has ever seen.

The Miami Hurricanes didn't score higher than other teams on this list (only averaging 42.6 PPG), but the point differential sets them apart from almost anybody else.

The Hurricanes beat their opponents by an average of 32.9 PPG, punctuated by wins over Syracuse and Washington with a 124-7 combined score. This is an NCAA record for the biggest margin of victory over consecutive ranked opponents.

Like their namesake, they were just blowing teams off their feet every time they stepped on the field.

#1 - Tom Osborne, Nebraska

Tom Osborne, Nebraska offensive coordinator

Tom Osborne was in his 26th season when he helmed the offense for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1995. At the end of the season (and decades still after), so many fans keep saying that this Nebraska team's offense is the best ever, period.

Averaging a whopping 53 PPG, the team had a perfect 37-0 regular season, even if the team itself didn't have obvious NFL-ready talent at the time. This is a testament to the offensive strategy of Osborne, who made do with what he had - and did more than splendidly.