The AP poll is has been the most consistent ranking system over the long history of college football. Going by the final rankings, what programs come out best? Here are the top programs of the 1970s according to a CFN formula using all the AP’s final polls.

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Who were the best college football teams of the 1970s? Using the AP final rankings, CFN devised a scoring system giving every AP national champion 25 points, the No. 2 team 24, No. 3 23, and so on down to the bottom.

Nebraska was the star to kickoff the decade with two national titles, and Alabama closed it with back-to-back championships, but Oklahoma also won two straight AP titles to be the program of the 1970s. Notre Dame also won two AP championships, but managed to finish seventh.

1970 AP National Champions
1970 Nebraska
1971 Nebraska
1972 USC
1973 Notre Dame
1974 Oklahoma
1975 Oklahoma
1976 Pittsburgh
1977 Notre Dame
1978 Alabama
1979 Alabama

1970s AP Rankings Greatest Teams

These rankings are created according to the CFN scoring system – this isn’t the official AP ranking of its all-time greatest teams.