Top 10 college football teams of the decade

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10 JAN 2011: Quarterback Cam Newton (2) of Auburn University gets a laugh out of running down the clock against the University of Oregon during the Tostitos BCS National Championship held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Auburn defeated Oregon 22-19 to win the national title. Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images /

As this decade comes to a close, it’s time to define the best teams from this era of college football. Here are the 10 best college football teams from this decade.

2019 is coming to an end. It’s not just the end of a year that is upon us, but also the end of a decade. It’s been an eventful decade for college football. Despite the fact that one college football program has seemingly controlled most of this decade, several different teams have made their mark on the sport from the 2010 season up until now.

And these teams have accomplished great things in a variety of ways. From high-powered offenses to teams led by dominant defenses to teams that somehow managed to have both a great offense and a great defense, this decade has seen teams find multiple different ways to win.

Now it’s time to list out which teams are the best to have played during this decade. Not every team on this list actually won a national title, but these are still the 10 best teams from the past 10 seasons of college football.

With Clemson and LSU vying for the national title this year, they will be held out of the discussion for now until a champ is crowned on Jan. 13.

No. 10: 2010 Auburn Tigers

In 2010, the Auburn Tigers, coached by Gene Chizik but carried by Cam Newton, Michael Dyer, and Nick Fairly, dashed through the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers had one of the best offenses that the SEC had seen up to that point and it was crafted by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and utilized Newton’s unparalleled strength, speed, and proficiency in passing.

Auburn had several key moments throughout the year, including Newton winning the Heisman Trophy, an improbable comeback to beat rival and the defending national champs at the time, Alabama, in its own stadium, an SEC title, and a national title.

Though the Tigers had a solid defense in an era of the SEC being defined by stubborn rushing attacks and strong defense, it was Newton, Malzahn, and the offense that defined this team. And their success helped pave the way for other thrilling quarterbacks operating innovative offenses in the SEC and thrive.

Auburn was unbeaten in 2010 and the pairing of Newton with Malzahn is the biggest reason for that.

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