For long, there has been a debate over who is the greatest college football team of all time. Bleacher Report recently joined in the conversation, ranking their top 10 teams of all time.
The earliest team selected was Oklahoma’s 1956 team, while LSU’s 2019 national championship team also made the list. Half the teams selected for the top 10 have come since the turn of the century.
Texas’ 2005 team made the list, coming in at No. 8. Led by Mack Brown, the Longhorns had a perfect 14-0 while winning the Big 12 and National Championship.
The season was capped off against USC, playing the famous 2006 Rose Bowl. Arguably the greatest college football game of all time, Texas cemented their place in history with a walk-off touchdown from Vince Young.
Here is the full list:
- 2001 Miami
- 1971 Nebraska
- 1973 USC
- 1995 Nebraska
- 2005 USC Trojans
- 2019 LSU
- 2018 Clemson
- 2005 Texas
- 1979 Alabama
- 1956 Oklahoma
Texas had to face two teams on this list, playing against 1956 Oklahoma and 2019 LSU.
The Longhorns played the annual Red River Shootout against the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl and got shutout 45-0. To this day, it is the fourth-largest margin of victory in the rivalry.
Fairing better against the Tigers, Texas lost by seven in Austin this past season. Only Alabama and Auburn played LSU better, losing by five and three respectively.
As for 2005 Texas, B/R agrees the 2006 Rose Bowl brings a whole new element when discussing the Longhorns that season.
If the 2006 Rose Bowl isn’t the greatest game ever played, it’s certainly no lower than the highest tier in history.
Vince Young’s legendary fourth-down scramble gave Texas a dramatic win over USC—then considered a potential all-time team. Given that context, how could the unblemished Longhorns not then be catapulted into that discussion?
Texas allowed just 16.4 points per game, but Young and Co. demanded the headlines with a top-ranked 50.2 points scored per game.
Young, who finished second in Heisman voting behind USC’s Reggie Bush, became the first NCAA player to throw for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a single season. Running back Jamaal Charles, a future NFL star, topped 1,000 scrimmage yards, too.
No matter how many great teams win national championships in the future, it will be difficult to knock the 2005 Longhorn team out of the conversation. With a game and moment as special as beating USC, they’ll be remembered for the rest of history.
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