Definitive ranking of the blue bloods in college football
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
- First Season: 1892
- All-time record: 891-327-43
- National Titles: 17
- Conference Titles: 30
- Heisman Winners: 2
- All-Americans: 69
The phrase “Roll Tide!” is etched into the brains of just about everyone alive and for good reason. The program that has won 17 national championships and 30 conference titles has won more than any other program.
If championships are the barometer, then Alabama has everyone beat. They are one of the top “blue bloods” of college football and it comes from a longstanding tradition of having the best coaches and players.
Paul “Bear” Bryant won six national championships in his 25 years with the program. His houndstooth hat is one of the most iconic images in the history of all sports. He is widely considered the greatest coach in college football history.
Nick Saban, who also has six national championships, has won four with the Crimson Tide and has entered himself into the discussion with Bryant. After the Tide went through some lean years, Saban returned them to the most dominant program in all of college football.
Their rivalry with Auburn is by far the best in all of college football and perhaps sports. The two have played some incredible games and often with the biggest stakes on the line between the two sides.
They have just two Heisman trophy winners, but both have come in recent memory with Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry winning the award. They have 69 All-Americans and have held a tradition of always having one of the most fearsome defenses in college.
In the modern era, where the College Football Playoff is the new landscape for determining a champion, the Tide have appeared all four times it has been in effect. They have won the championship twice under the format as well.
With the most famous chant in college football, the greatest rivalry and the most championships, the Tide have a strong case to be considered the best overall “blue blood” of any program.