Most Overrated College Football Teams in History

By Grant Suneson Published Aug 27, 12:00PM EDT

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Most Overrated College Football Teams in History — © sshepard / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

The 2022 college football season is rapidly approaching, and fans are starting to get excited. Traditional powerhouses like Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and reigning champions Georgia are all ranked among the top five in the preseason AP poll, and ready to compete for a championship.

AP voters generally have a good idea of which teams will play well in the upcoming season – but not always. There are a number of notable instances throughout college football history in which teams that were thought to be legitimate title contenders turned in a dud of a season.

To determine the most overrated college football teams in history, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from Associated Press, College Poll Archive, and Sports Reference to compile a list of teams that in the preseason ranked in the top 10 but that finished with a losing record. Only teams that played after the 1978 split between divisions I-A and I-AA were considered.

Many of the most overrated college football teams of all time are blue blood programs. Teams like Texas, LSU, or Alabama are expected to compete for championships every year, so voters may just assume they will play well, even if the team lacks talent. (This is America’s most valuable college football team.)

It can also be difficult to gauge a college football team’s potential success, given the turnover on the roster as players graduate. If a team had a particularly talented crop of seniors, it may be difficult to replace their contributions in the next season, especially if those players were good enough to play in the NFL. These are the colleges that produce the best NFL players.

Click here to see the most overrated college football teams in history

19. 2021 North Carolina Tar Heels
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 6-7-0 (46.2% win pct.)
> Conference: ACC
> Worst defeat: Georgia Tech, 45-22

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Welcome to Michigan State Univ... by Ken Lund

Welcome to Michigan State Univ... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Ken Lund

18. 1979 Michigan State Spartans
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: Big Ten
> Worst defeat: Ohio State, 42-0

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17. 1984 Alabama Crimson Tide
> Preseason ranking: #9
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Georgia Tech, 16-6

16. 1981 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
> Preseason ranking: #3
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: Ind
> Worst defeat: Miami (FL), 37-15

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15. 1998 Arizona State Sun Devils
> Preseason ranking: #8
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: Pac-10
> Worst defeat: Oregon, 51-19

14. 1997 Colorado Buffaloes
> Preseason ranking: #8
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: Big 12
> Worst defeat: Michigan, 27-3

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13. 2005 Tennessee Volunteers
> Preseason ranking: #3
> Final record: 5-6-0 (45.5% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Notre Dame, 41-21

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12. 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions
> Preseason ranking: #7
> Final record: 4-5-0 (44.4% win pct.)
> Conference: Big Ten
> Worst defeat: Iowa, 41-21

11. 2008 Auburn Tigers
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 5-7-0 (41.7% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Alabama, 36-0

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Texas Longhorns vs Florida Atl... by Randall Chancellor

Texas Longhorns vs Florida Atl... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Randall Chancellor

10. 2010 Texas Longhorns
> Preseason ranking: #5
> Final record: 5-7-0 (41.7% win pct.)
> Conference: Big 12
> Worst defeat: Kansas State, 39-14

USC Football Game (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Arienne McCracken

9. 1983 USC Trojans
> Preseason ranking: #8
> Final record: 4-6-1 (36.4% win pct.)
> Conference: Pac-10
> Worst defeat: South Carolina, 38-14

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8. 1989 LSU Tigers
> Preseason ranking: #7
> Final record: 4-7-0 (36.4% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Alabama, 32-16

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7. 1998 LSU Tigers
> Preseason ranking: #9
> Final record: 4-7-0 (36.4% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Mississippi State, 41-6

6. 2013 Florida Gators
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 4-8-0 (33.3% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Florida State, 37-7

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5. 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 4-8-0 (33.3% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Alabama, 52-0

4. 2016 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
> Preseason ranking: #10
> Final record: 4-8-0 (33.3% win pct.)
> Conference: Ind
> Worst defeat: USC, 45-27

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3. 1984 Pittsburgh Panthers
> Preseason ranking: #3
> Final record: 3-7-1 (27.3% win pct.)
> Conference: Ind
> Worst defeat: Oklahoma, 42-10

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2. 1989 UCLA Bruins
> Preseason ranking: #9
> Final record: 3-7-1 (27.3% win pct.)
> Conference: Pac-10
> Worst defeat: Arizona, 42-7

Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium by James Willamor

Alabama Bryant-Denny Stadium (CC BY-SA 2.0) by James Willamor

1. 2000 Alabama Crimson Tide
> Preseason ranking: #3
> Final record: 3-8-0 (27.3% win pct.)
> Conference: SEC
> Worst defeat: Mississippi State, 29-7

About the Author Grant Suneson →

Grant Suneson is a senior editor at 24/7 Wall St. He was previously a digital content creator at Newsy and a reporter at NPR member station KBIA, where he contributed to their Edward R. Murrow Award-winning coverage. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism.

Grant’s work has been published and referenced in many major outlets such as MSN, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Detroit Free Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Austin American-Statesman, The Tennessean, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Indianapolis Star, The Clarion-Ledger, WSB-TV, Des Moines Register, Asbury Park Press, KMGH-TV, and many others.