The 50 greatest college football teams throughout history

17. Best college football teams of all-time: 1959 Ole Miss

Some people may not know much about this 1959 Ole Miss squad, but the defensive ability is one of the best on this entire list. In an 11-game season, they allowed just 21 points. In those 11 games, the Rebels played four top teams in the nation, twice playing the projected national champions in the LSU Tigers.

Their only misstep along the way was against the Tigers on the road in a 7-3 loss in Baton Rouge. That was their only loss on the season and they didn’t slip up again in their rematch in that year’s Sugar Bowl, punishing the Tigers in a 21-point shutout win.

Head coach Johnny Vaught’s 13th season ended with a bang after that Sugar Bowl revenge, with the Rebels being named national champions. The longest touchdown the Rebels defense allowed in that year from scrimmage was just eight yards, outscoring opponents by a score of 350-21.

In a ridiculously-good season, which should still stand far and above most in Ole Miss history, that sometimes gets brushed to the side in all-time great discussions, thanks to that iconic Billy Cannon punt return that brought the Rebels their sole loss.

Fullback Charlie Flowers was a co-captain of the team and he showed why, rushing for 733 yards on 141 attempts, taking complete control of the Ole Miss offense. Flowers could’ve likely won the Heisman award, if not for a player that seemed to be the bane of that 1959 team — LSU’s Billy Cannon.