My program is better than your program. That's the start of the quintessential college football argument. And it's an argument that never really produces an agreement between the sides involved because they are intractable in their positions.
So how do you solve the debate? You bring together the staff at USA TODAY Sports to vote on the best programs and produce a definitive list of the 25 best based on a variety of factors, including traditions, fan base, on-field success and recruiting territory.
How much each of those factors are weighed depends on the mind of those casting ballots. There's the matter of weighing the historical success of blue blood programs, like Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame and Nebraska, that have gone through title droughts. And also programs, like Clemson, LSU and Georgia, that have won multiple titles in the last 20 years.
With enough voters to spread out the highs and lows of both perspectives, we've assembled our ranking sure to inspire debate and sure to lead to unresolved disagreements.
Alabama conveys authority, building an international brand from a home base where college football is a cultural pillar. The two most legendary coaches in the sport’s history, Nick Saban and Bear Bryant, ruled at Alabama. Wallace Wade and Gene Stallings thrived, too, and produced national championship glory. Alabama is a recruiting machine that consistently attracts, then develops, premier talent.
