Nick Saban's Impact at Alabama Reflected in the All-Time Associated Press Poll
When Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, the Crimson Tide wasn't much of a factor in the national championship picture.
It hadn't finished in the top five of an Associated Press poll since 1994, two years after winning its most recent title.
We all know what's happened since, the Crimson Tide won the crown in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017, and has been ranked No. 1 at some point of every season since 2008.
In terms of the greater picture, trying to measure Alabama's success and Saban's impact on the sport isn't as clear-cut. However, one way of doing so is with the updated All-Time Associated Press Poll.
Originally compiled and organized by Charles Woodroof, former SEC assistant director of media relations, it used to be a regular part of the annual SEC football media guide. It takes all the points from every season-ending ranking and adds them up similar to how each weekly poll is conducted.
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 80-plus 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.
For example, LSU won the national championship last season and went up just one place in the all-time top 25, to No. 10. It displaced a familiar foe from the top 10, Tennessee.
Sustained success is the key, and the hardest thing to achieve at this level.
Alabama was was solid fifth at the time of Saban's arrival, and trending downward. Over the previous decade it had just finished 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. That's the equivalent of winning four straight national titles while the other team is completely shut out of the top 25.
Aided by its recent win over the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl, as Michigan dropped to No. 18 in the final AP Top 25, not only is Alabama now more than 100 points ahead of the Big Ten power, but for years has been challenging Oklahoma and Ohio State for the overall top spot.
Following the 2019 season it's still the Sooners out front, but barley. The all-time top 25:
| Team | Points | Top 20 | Top 10 | Top 5 | No. 1 | No. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oklahoma | 934.5 | 57 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 4 |
Alabama | 930 | 57 | 45 | 27 | 12 | 4 |
Ohio State | 927 | 58 | 39 | 28 | 5 | 7 |
Michigan | 821 | 59 | 38 | 15 | 2 | 2 |
Notre Dame | 818.5 | 55 | 37 | 24 | 8 | 5 |
USC | 672 | 52 | 28 | 19 | 5 | 5 |
Texas | 644 | 43 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
Nebraska | 638 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
Penn State | 584 | 43 | 27 | 14 | 2 | 3 |
LSU | 573 | 42 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
Tennessee | 560 | 40 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
Florida State | 533.5 | 30 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 2 |
Georgia | 522 | 35 | 23 | 23 | 1 | 3 |
Florida | 488 | 30 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 1 |
Auburn | 479 | 36 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 2 |
Miami | 466 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 4 |
Clemson | 397 | 29 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 3 |
Michigan State | 389.5 | 27 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 4 |
UCLA | 378 | 32 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
Arkansas | 328 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
Wisconsin | 328 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
Texas A&M | 309.5 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
Washington | 306 | 23 | 11 | 0 | 2 | |
Iowa | 288 | 23 | 14 | 0 | 1 | |
Ole Miss | 282.5 | 23 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
The all-time rankings are also a good barometer of conference strength, and measuring just how far the gap is between different leagues.
In terms of total points, it's obviously no contest as the Southeastern Conference is way out in front. More telling, though may be just looking at where the average team in each league is ranked.
For example, in the 14-team SEC the seventh team is Arkansas, tied at No. 20, while two other conference members are in the top 25.
For the Big Ten, it's Iowa at No. 24. In the ACC it's Virginia Tech at No. 32 if you include Notre Dame. Otherwise, it's No. 39 North Carolina.
The sixth-place team in the Pac-12 is No. 35 Arizona State. The fifth-place team in the 10-team Big 12 is West Virginia, tied for 41st.
