The 50 greatest college football teams throughout history

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Coach Frank Leahy of Notre Dame is the center of this circle formed by about 70 candidates for places on the “Irish” football team for the 1947 line-up. The squad turned out on the first day of the season at South Bend. /

43. Best college football teams of all-time: 1947 Notre Dame

Head coach Frank Leahy won his second national title in a row in the 1947 season, in a year that is now seen as being the “apex moment” for the legendary Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams of old.

Leahy counted on generational talents like Heisman-winner Johnny Lujack to fuel his team to victory in the 1947 season, rolling the Fighting Irish to a perfect 9-0 record in a season that is hailed by many as one of the Irish’s best seasons.

This team was stellar defensively, as well, allowing more than one touchdown only once in the entirety of their season. They took impressive wins over some of the most stacked teams in history, thanks to servicemen with eligibility returning from World War II, defeating the likes of Army and USC on their way to a controversial title-selection.

This team is, undisputedly, one of the best teams ever. They were led by three players who would eventually be selected as Top-100 players historically by College Football News, including lineman Leon Hart, tackle George Connor and the aforementioned quarterback Lujack.

105,000 fans packed into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to see the Irish demolish USC by a score of 38-7 and a whopping 41 of this Notre Dame team’s players would go on to play professionally.