The All-Time Associated Press Poll Has a New No. 1
There's a new No. 1 in college football.
Not for this year, at least not yet. We're talking all-time, or at least during the poll era.
For years, Alabama has been chasing and challenging Oklahoma and Ohio State for the overall top spot in the All-Time Associated Press Poll, which takes every final ranking, and compiles a Top 25 based on where teams finished each year — similar to how each weekly poll is conducted.
It took a long time, and six national championships under Nick Saban, but the Crimson Tide has finally reached No. 1 all-time, albeit barely.
The status was on the line when Alabama and Ohio State met in Miami Gardens, Florida, and the Crimson Tide pulled out a 52-24 victory. The win and corresponding top ranking put it over Oklahoma by a half-point.
It's the first time Alabama has been atop the all-time rankings.
The All-Time Associated Press Poll was originally compiled and organized by Charles Woodroof, former SEC assistant director of media relations, and was a regular part of the annual SEC football media guide.
Specifically, a first-place vote is worth 25 points, second 24 points, and all the way down to one point for No. 25, although the majority of years there were fewer than 25 teams listed.
From 1936 to 1961 the wire service ranked 20 teams. From 1962 to 1967 only 10. It went back to 20 from 1968 to 1988 before expanding to 25 teams in 1989. Consequently, the all-time poll is weighted a bit toward the most recent results.
After 85 years of the poll, it takes a lot for a team to make a significant move, especially near the top where the point totals really add up.
Sustained success is the key, and the hardest thing to achieve at this level.
| Rank | Team | Points | Top 20 | Top 10 | Top 5 | 1st | 2nd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alabama | 955 | 58 | 46 | 28 | 13 | 4 |
2 | Oklahoma | 954.5 | 58 | 44 | 33 | 6 | 4 |
3 | Ohio State | 951 | 59 | 40 | 29 | 5 | 8 |
4 | Notre Dame | 839.5 | 56 | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 |
5 | Michigan | 821 | 59 | 38 | 15 | 2 | 2 |
6 | USC | 677 | 52 | 28 | 19 | 5 | 5 |
7 | Texas | 651 | 44 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
8 | Nebraska | 638 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
9 | Penn State | 584 | 43 | 27 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
10 | LSU | 573 | 42 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
11 | Tennessee | 560 | 40 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
12 | Georgia | 541 | 36 | 24 | 12 | 1 | |
13 | Florida State | 533.5 | 30 | 19 | 17 | 3 | 2 |
14 | Florida | 501 | 31 | 19 | 11 | 3 | |
15 | Auburn | 479 | 36 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
16 | Miami (Fla.) | 470 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 4 |
17 | Clemson | 420 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
18 | Michigan State | 389.5 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
19 | UCLA | 378 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
20 | Texas A&M | 331.5 | 27 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
21 | Arkansas | 328 | 28 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
(tie) | Wisconsin | 328 | 22 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
23 | Washington | 306 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
24 | Iowa | 298 | 24 | 14 | 5 | 0 | |
25 | Ole Miss | 282.5 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Alabama was a solid fifth at the time of Saban's arrival, and trending downward. Over the previous decade it had finished the season ranked just three times while going through numerous coaches including Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price (who didn't coach a game with the Crimson Tide) and Mike Shula.
Moreover, it was roughly 100 total points behind the leading team at that point, Michigan (which during that same time period managed to switch places with Alabama).
That's the equivalent of winning four straight national titles while the other team is completely shut out of the top 25.
However, the Crimson Tide won the crown in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.
It has been ranked No. 1 at some point of every season since 2008, including 2021 as Alabama is the preseason No. 1 team.
The Crimson Tide has appeared in the poll a record 214 consecutive times, which has blown away the program's previous best streak of 71 under Gene Stallings in the mid-1990s.
Alabama also has the most AP national titles with 13, while Notre Dame is second with eight.
Meanwhile, here are all the other programs that have been ranked over the years, with how many national titles they would have to win (i.e. 25 points) to crack the all-time Top 25.
Needs 1 National Title to Reach Top 25
26] TCU 271 (points)
27] Oregon 264
28] Georgia Tech 262.5
Needs 2 National Titles to Reach Top 25
29] Stanford 257
Needs 3 National Titles to Reach Top 25
30] Colorado 227
31] Pittsburgh 218
32] Virginia Tech 212
Needs 4 National Title to Reach Top 25
33] Minnesota 191 17 10 5 4 0
34] Missouri 190.5 17 8 3 0 0
35] Arizona State 186.5 16 7 3 0 1
Needs 5 National Title to Reach Top 25
36] Army 181
37] Kansas State 176
38] North Carolina 174
39] Maryland 167.5
40] Navy 165.5
41] California 163
(tie) West Virginia 163
43] Syracuse 161.5 13
44] Oklahoma State 161
45] Brigham Young 158
The Next 25 After That ...
46] Boise State 156
47] Baylor 152.5
48] Houston 150.5
49] Northwestern 141
50] Illinois 137
51] Purdue 135.5
52] Duke 133
53] Utah 122
54] Boston College 119.5
55] Washington State 114
56] SMU 113
57] South Carolina 103
58] Louisville 101
59] Oregon State 95
60] Mississippi State 86.5
61] Texas Tech 84
62] Kansas 76
63] N.C. State 73
64] Kentucky 70
65] Rice 66
66] Cincinnati 62
67] Pennsylvania 60
(tie) Air Force 59
69] Arizona 58
(tie) Central Florida 58
(tie) Fordham 58
