The 50 greatest college football teams throughout history

30. Best college football teams of all-time: 1994 Penn State

Quite possibly the best team to not win a championship, but their falling short of glory aligns them much further down this list than they could’ve been. To be fair to fans of the game and especially of the Nittany Lions, the team got a bad break when Tom Osborne and Nebraska got voted into the Championship set. If there was a National Championship at the time, it could very well be a different story.

This Nittany Lions team was spearheaded by a dangerous offense, highlighted by quality players like running back Ki-Jana Carter, quarterback Kerry Collins and wide receiver Bobby Engram. The team, like many of those on this list, had professional players at almost every position.

This team defeated an all-time top Miami team in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl, defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl despite that team being supplemented by none other than Herschel Walker. Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions were a perfect 12-0 on the season, going 8-0 in a tough Big Ten slate. Along the way, they defeated No.’s 5, 12, 14 and 21 in convincing fashion.  They were the first Big Ten team to finish with a perfect 12-0 season.

If not for college football politics, the Nittany Lions would have competed for the national title and could have won with the strength of the roster.