Matt Brown on the Athletic ranked every power 5 program for the past 50 years using this criteria:

To generate rankings, the 65 Power 5 teams and BYU (the only non-P5 team to win a national title in the past 50 years) were ranked in the following 23 categories from 1970-2019:

• Wins/winning percentage (not adjusted for wins vacated by NCAA)
• Seasons with a .900 win percentage
• Losing seasons
• Average point differential
• Average rating from Sports-Reference's Simple Rating System (which combines point differential and strength of opponent), average SRS ranking, SRS top-10 finishes
• Seasons that featured a major bowl appearance/win (Sugar, Rose and Orange from 1970-2019, Fiesta from 1980-2019, Peach from 2014-present and Cotton from 1970-97 and 2014-present, plus the BCS National Championship Game from 2006-13)
• AP ranked/top-10/top-five finishes
• Percentage of weeks spent in the AP poll/AP top 10
• Percentage of total games won by double digits
• Scoring offense/defense
• Wins/winning percentage against ranked opponents
• Wins/winning percentage against top-10 opponents
• Percentage of games against ranked opponents won by double digits

Those 23 rankings were simply averaged together the lower the number, the better. To incorporate national championships and come up with a final score, a bonus point was awarded for each title: Alabama, for example, has an average ranking of 2.78. Because it has won nine national championships in the past 50 years, its final score is -6.22, easily good for first place.

The rankings were:

66. Vanderbilt
65. Duke
64. Indiana
63. Wake Forest
62. Rutgers
61. Iowa State
60. Northwestern
59. Oregon State
58. Kansas
57. Minnesota
56. Kentucky
55. Illinois
54. Purdue
53. Virginia
52. Cal
51. Mississippi State
50. Washington State
49. Baylor
48. Maryland
47. NC State
46. Ole Miss
45. Boston College
44. Syracuse
43. Kansas State
42. Louisville
41. South Carolina
40. Missouri
39. TCU
38. Utah
37. Texas Tech
36. North Carolina
35. Arizona
34. Georgia Tech
33. Oklahoma State
32. Iowa
31. Pitt
30. Colorado
29. Michigan State
28. West Virginia
27. Stanford
26. BYU
25. Arkansas
24. Wisconsin
23. Virginia Tech
22. Arizona St.
21. Oregon
20. Texas A&M
19. UCLA
18. Washington
17. Tennessee
16. Auburn
15. Clemson
14. Georgia
13. LSU
12. Texas
11. Notre Dame
10. Miami (Fl)
9. Florida
8. Penn St.
7. Michigan
6. Florida St.
5. USC
4. Nebraska
3. Ohio St.
2. Oklahoma
1. Alabama

20. Texas A&M
Record: 377-226-3 (.625)
Average: 21.74
National championships: None
Score: 21.74
The Aggies have not won a national championship since 1939 or a conference championship since 1998, and their only AP top-10 finish since the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1995 came in 2012 with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel at quarterback. They finished ranked in 13 of 15 years from 1985-1999 but have done so in just four of the past 20 seasons, making them feel like an underachiever, given their ample resources. Texas A&M ranks 15th in losing seasons (10) and scoring offense (28.27), but it has not been particularly dominant in any area.

starting with the 1970 season really puts A&M in a hole.

as the program began the decade with 2-9, 5-6, 3-8, and 5-6 records. Then Emory got things rolling in 1974.

the 1970 season also doesn't represent full integration thru the senior classes throughout college football. The author needs to do this list again in 3 years. And start with 1972 (freshmen could play) or 1973 (full upperclassmen integration).

the Fran/Sherman eras also really hurt A&M's ranking as those years included 4 losing seasons

#4 really shows how much college football has changed in the last 10 years.

Start us in '75 we be around #15

maroongoon95 said:

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Start us in '75 we be around #15

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Doubt it. We still don't have a title. We probably move in front of UCLA and Washington but that's about it.

The last 10 years really hurt t.u. I love seeing the gap closing

McDadeTXAggie said:

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The last 10 years really hurt t.u. I love seeing the gap closing

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Nothing says progress like watching the team we don't play anymore fading back to our level of mediocrity.

MuckRaker96 said:

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McDadeTXAggie said:

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The last 10 years really hurt t.u. I love seeing the gap closing

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Nothing says progress like watching the team we don't play anymore fading back to our level of mediocrity.

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A little surprised Arkansas is still 25th after the last 8 years

Arizona State at #22 is a surprise, but that is almost entirely from the Frank Kush era of the 1970's.

the Sun Devils were a staggering 62-9 from 1970 to 1975...including 2 undefeated seasons.

they were 5-1 in bowl games...primarily the Fiesta Bowl...and that lead to four top 10 poll finishes.

ASU would easily drop 10 places...maybe more...if this were only a 45-year study

TCU at #39 is another interesting case.

without the 7 seasons in the mediocre Mountain West (2005-2011)...the Frogs would be down in the 50's.

TCU went 77-13 during that stretch including four top 10 finishes

and another note...this is why bowl games...specifically bowl game wins are very important from a historical standpoint (among other things). They boost a team's final ranking.

the Frogs were 6-1 in bowl games during that 7-year period...and that boosted their teams greatly in the final polls.

similar to ASU going 5-1 in bowls in the 70's

That Texas is at 12 is a complete atrocity.

What a freaking waste

yep, the horns are another team significantly boosted by the analysis going back 50 years instead of 45.

from 1970 to 1974...the sips went 44-12...winning 4 SWC championships with 3 top 10 finishes

On those days when you think your program has cratered. Just image the Cornhusker fans. And they have NOTHING else to do up there.

That list passes the eyeball test. Seems like a pretty reasonable summary of my life watching college football.

W said:

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yep, the horns are another team significantly boosted by the analysis going back 50 years instead of 45.

from 1970 to 1974...the sips went 44-12...winning 4 SWC championships with 3 top 10 finishes

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Well just wait 5 years... if it went to 55 then it would help because there would be an extra natty.

W said:

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starting with the 1970 season really puts A&M in a hole.

as the program began the decade with 2-9, 5-6, 3-8, and 5-6 records. Then Emory got things rolling in 1974.

the 1970 season also doesn't represent full integration thru the senior classes throughout college football. The author needs to do this list again in 3 years. And start with 1972 (freshmen could play) or 1973 (full upperclassmen integration).

the Fran/Sherman eras also really hurt A&M's ranking as those years included 4 losing seasons

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... and those were my four years at A&M.
Recent grads don't know how well they've had it.

In the last decade (2010-2019), Texas A&M has a far superior record of 84-46 (0.646) to Texas' 71-57 (0.555). While Texas A&M has posted 10 straight winning seasons, Texas posted losing seasons in 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M is 68-36 (0.654), and Texas is 58-45 (0.563). Jimbo Fisher has a slightly better winning percentage of 17-9 (0.654) in two years than Longhorns coach Tom Herman has in three years 25-15 (0.625).