Greatest Undefeated Teams in NCAA Football History

For a team to go undefeated during a football season, a lot of things have to go just right. Even if the team has a dominant talent, there is a consistency of effort the team has to achieve. There is also the question of lucky breaks – and the question of injuries. In the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are the only team to win from beginning to end, doing so during a 14-game regular season that featured three postseason games for a 17-0 record. The Chicago Bears got close in 1985, losing only one game (to Miami, no less) on the way to a dominant season. The New England Patriots got even closer, just falling short in a Super Bowl when New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree made the last catch of his career on a desperation heave down the middle by Eli Manning that extended a drive and brought the Giants closer to scoring the game-sealing touchdown. In college, the task is even more difficult. The players are younger, which means that it can be more of a challenge to sustain discipline and effort over the course of a season. However, there have been a number of teams that made it through the entire college season undefeated – and each season there generally is at least one – if not more – that make it all the way. Let’s look at some of the best  juggernauts in College Football Odds history.

Analyzing Who the Greatest Undefeated Teams in NCAA Football Betting History are

Boise State Broncos (2006)

This team wasn’t the greatest and didn’t have the toughest schedule. However, they did beat Oregon State 42-14 that year, a team that went on to win 10 games on its own. With first-year head coach Chris Petersen at the helm, Boise State simply rolled over its opponents and reached the top 10 rankings within the Associated Press poll. Even though Boise State is not in one of the power conferences, the team did finish high enough in the rankings to earn a spot in a BCS bowl, facing Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos opened up an immense lead over the Sooners, but then OU came back and took a 35-28 lead. The Broncos then decided to use some trickery, using the hook-and-ladder, a halfback option pass and even a Statue of Liberty play to stun the Sooners and win in overtime.

Ohio State Buckeyes (2002)

One of the most memorable moments from this season was the Buckeyes’ double overtime victory over the University of Miami in the Fiesta Bowl to carry home the national championship. Miami was so loaded that NFL star Frank Gore was only the third-best running back on their depth chart. The Buckeyes almost didn’t win this game, but Hurricanes defensive back Glenn Sharpe was flagged for pass interference on fourth down during the first overtime period, giving Ohio State another crack at the end zone. Ohio State took that opportunity and then scored in the second overtime before keeping Miami out of the end zone and winning, 31-24.

Army Black Knights (1945)

The football teams at Army didn’t lose a game for three straight season. This team in particular was dominant, ranking #1 on offense and defense while playing a difficult schedule. Felix “Doc” Blanchard would win the Heisman Trophy this year, as the team would win a matchup against #2 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium, blowing away the competition with a 48-0 score. Given that 1945 also featured the end of World War II, you have a team from West Point that has unmatched lore in college football history.