What are the 10 best college football teams since 2000?

College football has crowned a national champion every year since 1869. In that time, the sport has seen countless dynasties and special runs to the natty. But which teams are the elite of that bunch?

To narrow the list down a bit, we decided to focus on the last 25 years.

Here are the 10 best college football teams since 2000.

Tim Tebow led the charge for a dominant Gators squad. With Tebow posting a combined 42 touchdowns (an SEC-high 30 passing scores, 12 rushing scores), the versatility of wide receiver Percy Harvin (660 rushing yards, 644 receiving yards) and the reliability of running back Chris Rainey (652 yards on 7.8 yards per carry), Florida had one of the best rushing attacks in the history of the sport. On the other side of the ball, Ahmad Black — who finished with an FBS-high seven interceptions — Brandon Spikes, Major Wright and Janoris Jenkins, among many others, formed a potent secondary, with defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap wreaking havoc up front. Florida beat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game (31-20) and then took down Oklahoma in the BCS Championship (24-14) for its second title in three years.

Two years after winning the College Football Playoff (2016), Clemson struck again, this time with freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence. By Lawrence’s side was running back Travis Etienne, who rushed for an ACC-best 1,658 yards and FBS-most 24 touchdowns — and did so for 8.1 yards per carry. On the outside, Justyn Ross (ACC-high 21.7 yards per reception) and Tee Higgins (ACC-high 12 touchdown catches) formed a potent wide receiver duo for Lawrence, who threw for 30 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Clemson’s defense featured a slew of future first-round draft picks: defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins and cornerback A.J. Terrell, to name a few. Yet again, Clemson beat Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game (44-16) after losing to them in the semifinal round in 2017; Lawrence threw for 320-plus yards and three touchdowns in each of Clemson’s two playoff games against Notre Dame (a 30-3 win) and Alabama.

After losing in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022), the Wolverines put it all together in 2023. First, they won the Big Ten and beat archival Ohio State for a third consecutive season. Then, Michigan topped Alabama in an overtime classic in the College Football Playoff semifinals and handled Washington in the title game (34-13) to finish with a perfect 15-0 record. Michigan had the No. 1 defense in the country, which included defensive backs Mike Sainristil — who had six interceptions and two pick-sixes — and Will Johnson, as well as linebackers Junior Colson and Michael Barrett. The Wolverines also boasted an elite running game, headlined by Blake Corum, who rushed for an FBS-high 27 touchdowns. Michigan sent a record 18 players to the NFL Scouting Combine, with 13 players going on to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Alabama became a dynasty under Nick Saban in the early years of the 2010s, winning back-to-back titles. In 2011, the Crimson Tide leaned on star running back Trent Richardson, who rushed for an SEC-high 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns, while their defense surrendered more than 14 points just once all season. They dominated Auburn in the Iron Bowl (42-14) and shut out LSU in the BCS Championship (21-0). The following year, quarterback AJ McCarron came into his own, throwing for 30 touchdowns and just three interceptions, while running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon combined for 2,430 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. The Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the 2012 SEC Championship Game (32-28) and Notre Dame in the BCS Championship (42-14).

6. 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide rolled to triumph in 2020. For starters, Mac Jones threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, posted a 203.1 passer rating and completed 77.4% of his passes; all but the touchdown total led FBS. In addition, running back Najee Harris rushed for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns, which led the nation. Finally, wide receiver DeVonta Smith led the nation in both receiving yards (1,856) and receiving touchdowns (23), helping him win the 2020 Heisman Trophy. Alabama went undefeated with all but one win being by multiple scores (SEC Championship Game win over Florida) and steamrolled Notre Dame (31-14 in the semifinal round) and Ohio State (52-24 in the national title) in the College Football Playoff. Alabama had six players selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 2019 LSU Tigers had arguably the best offense in college football history. Quarterback Joe Burrow, who won the Heisman, was on a different planet, throwing for an otherworldly 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns, while completing 76.3% of his passes and posting a 202.0 passer rating; all four totals led the nation. Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson combined for 3,320 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns, while running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 1,414 yards and an SEC-best 16 touchdowns. LSU had 14 players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, including five in the first round. In the regular season, LSU broke its eight-game losing streak to Alabama and later had its way with Georgia in the SEC Championship Game (37-10). It then dismantled Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinal round (63-28) and Clemson in the title game (42-25).

Georgia was a rock for back-to-back years. In 2021, Georgia’s defense, led by defensive linemen Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Devonte Wyatt, gave up the fewest points in the nation at 10.2 points per game. It also surrendered 14 or more points just three times, with Alabama doing it two of those times. In the semifinal round, Georgia disposed of Michigan (34-11). In the end, the Bulldogs beat the Crimson Tide in the national title game (33-18) after falling to them in the SEC Championship Game, which snapped Georgia’s seven-game losing streak to Alabama. The Bulldogs then set a record for players selected in a draft, with 15 being taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. The following year, Georgia went undefeated, with quarterback Stetson Bennett throwing for an SEC-high 4,128 yards. Following a narrow win over Ohio State in the semifinal round (42-41), Georgia thumped TCU in the title game 65-7.

The 2005 Longhorns, who were led by quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Vince Young, had a storybook season. Offensively, Texas had a formidable rushing attack, with Young — who threw for 3,036 passing yards and rushed for 1,050 yards — and running backs Jamaal Charles, Ramonce Taylor, Selvin Young and Henry Melton combining for an absurd 3,334 yards and 53 touchdowns on the ground. In a season when Texas handled Red River rival Oklahoma (45-12), the Longhorns won what was one of the most memorable championship games of all time against USC. Trailing 38-26 with 6:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Young led Texas on a pair of touchdown drives, which saw him rush for 17- and 8-yard scores, the latter giving the Longhorns a 41-38 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the game.

The Trojans were one of the premier programs in the country under head coach Pete Carroll, who led the school to prominence in the early years of his stint in Southern California (2001-09). In 2003, USC split national title honors with LSU in a year that saw the Trojans beat No. 4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl (28-14), finish 12-1 and boast one of the elite offenses in the sport. With Matt Leinart under center, USC wide receivers Mike Williams and Keary Colbert combined for 164 receptions for 2,327 yards and 25 touchdowns. The following year (2004), USC went undefeated (13-0) and demolished Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl (55-19), claiming national title honors. Leinart won the Heisman, while running backs LenDale White and Reggie Bush — an eventual Heisman winner himself — rushed for a combined 2,011 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Coming off an 11-1 campaign, the Hurricanes were a well-oiled machine in 2001. For starters, Miami held opponents to single digits in eight of its 12 games, including three shutouts, assisted by Hall of Famer Ed Reed corralling nine interceptions. It had five ranked wins, with four of them coming in each of the Hurricanes’ final four games. Quarterback Ken Dorsey led the Big East with 2,652 passing yards and a 146.1 passer rating; running back Clinton Portis, an eventual two-time Pro Bowler, rushed for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wide receiver Andre Johnson — another future Hall of Famer — reeled in a conference-high 10 receiving touchdowns, while tight end Jeremy Shockey totaled seven scores. The season culminated for the Hurricanes with a 37-14 win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.