With the 2023 preseason AP Top 25 poll having dropped last week, it saw no shortage of established programs once again landing on the rankings given their track record of historical success. Many are quick to regard these teams, and their coaches, among the best football programs of all time.
To put those sentiments to the test, College Football News developed a formula using every final AP Top 25 Poll since 1936 to identify which college football programs have been the epitome of success for over the last 86 years. To put it in layman’s terms, AP Poll voters have essentially compiled a subjective view of which college football teams are the best of the best.
As a reminder, the AP’s annual national champion, or No. 1-ranked team, receives 25 points, the No. 2 team gets 24 points, and so on. In taking a cumulative look at how the AP final polls have finished since 1936, we get a view of how programs have better performed over others based on the total number of AP “points” received. 247Sports was kind enough to share the AP Top 25 Poll’s greatest programs ever, but we here at Aggies Wire are keen to understand which SEC football programs stood out among the pack.
Here is a granular look at the country’s all-time greatest SEC football programs, ranked by total points based on AP Poll finishes since 1936: