Ranking Every College Football Program's Bowl Performances In The BCS Era By Point Differential
Whether you like it or not, the days of the BCS in college football are officially over. Starting next year, we will switch to a four-team playoff system appropriately dubbed the "College Football Playoff".
To recap what's been an incredible 16-year reign, we decided to look at how each program faired during its bowl games, based on postseason point differential. We took down the stats of each winner and loser of every bowl game since 1998.
Of course, the data below does not prove which programs were the best/worst during the era - it simply shows how they performed against "equal" competition in the postseason. You could argue that the teams at the top of the list may have been consistently underrated at the end of the regular season, while the teams at the bottom could have been a bit overrated. We won't go that far, however.
Here's what we learned:
- Utah has the best winning percentage (90.91%) of teams that have played at least ten postseason games.
- Until this year, Georgia had the most impressive point differential, but USC and LSU both passed the Bulldogs after wins this season. UGA still has the most bowl wins in the era, however, with 11.
- Four of out the top 10 teams (Ole Miss, SMU, Tulsa and Marshall) on our list haven't been to a BCS bowl game
Rank | School | W | L | Win % | Pts. F | Pts. A | +/- |
1 | USC | 8 | 4 | 66.67% | 379 | 242 | 137 |
2 | LSU | 9 | 5 | 64.29% | 401 | 274 | 127 |
3 | Georgia | 11 | 5 | 68.75% | 475 | 355 | 120 |
4 | Utah | 10 | 1 | 90.91% | 278 | 181 | 97 |
5 | Florida St. | 9 | 6 | 60.00% | 430 | 336 | 94 |
6 | SMU | 3 | 1 | 75.00% | 130 | 42 | 88 |
7 | Marshall | 8 | 1 | 88.89% | 282 | 194 | 88 |
8 | Tulsa | 5 | 3 | 62.50% | 276 | 197 | 79 |
9 | Boise St. | 9 | 5 | 64.29% | 448 | 373 | 75 |
10 | Mississippi | 8 | 1 | 88.89% | 289 | 218 | 71 |
11 | Rutgers | 5 | 3 | 62.50% | 256 | 187 | 69 |
12 | Texas Tech | 9 | 5 | 64.29% | 475 | 406 | 69 |
13 | Florida | 9 | 7 | 56.25% | 464 | 400 | 64 |
14 | Maryland | 5 | 3 | 62.50% | 244 | 181 | 63 |
15 | Mississippi St. | 6 | 2 | 75.00% | 220 | 161 | 59 |
16 | Oregon St. | 7 | 4 | 63.64% | 311 | 254 | 57 |
17 | Alabama | 7 | 6 | 53.85% | 342 | 292 | 50 |
18 | TCU | 9 | 5 | 64.29% | 313 | 263 | 50 |
19 | Oregon | 8 | 7 | 53.33% | 453 | 403 | 50 |
20 | Wake Forest | 4 | 2 | 66.67% | 144 | 96 | 48 |
21 | Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 50.00% | 351 | 307 | 44 |
22 | NC State | 6 | 4 | 60.00% | 279 | 240 | 39 |
23 | Oklahoma St. | 6 | 5 | 54.55% | 355 | 317 | 38 |
24 | Missouri | 6 | 4 | 60.00% | 311 | 275 | 36 |
25 | Vanderbilt | 3 | 1 | 75.00% | 119 | 83 | 36 |
26 | Wisconsin | 7 | 8 | 46.67% | 361 | 327 | 34 |
27 | Troy | 2 | 3 | 40.00% | 178 | 146 | 32 |
28 | Utah St. | 2 | 1 | 66.67% | 85 | 53 | 32 |
29 | Miami (OH) | 2 | 1 | 66.67% | 97 | 66 | 31 |
30 | Illinois | 3 | 2 | 60.00% | 172 | 145 | 27 |
31 | Washington St. | 2 | 2 | 50.00% | 120 | 93 | 27 |
32 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 66.67% | 279 | 253 | 26 |
33 | South Florida | 4 | 2 | 66.67% | 144 | 120 | 24 |
34 | Kansas | 3 | 1 | 75.00% | 134 | 111 | 23 |
35 | California | 5 | 3 | 62.50% | 266 | 243 | 23 |
36 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 0 | 100.00% | 68 | 48 | 20 |
37 | So. Mississippi | 7 | 6 | 53.85% | 334 | 314 | 20 |
38 | San Diego St. | 1 | 3 | 25.00% | 133 | 113 | 20 |
39 | Tulane | 2 | 1 | 66.67% | 98 | 79 | 19 |
40 | Air Force | 4 | 5 | 44.44% | 275 | 257 | 18 |
41 | Connecticut | 3 | 2 | 60.00% | 127 | 109 | 18 |
42 | San Jose St. | 2 | 0 | 100.00% | 49 | 32 | 17 |
43 | C. Michigan | 3 | 2 | 60.00% | 168 | 151 | 17 |
44 | Texas | 10 | 5 | 66.67% | 437 | 422 | 15 |
45 | La-Lafayette | 3 | 0 | 100.00% | 99 | 85 | 14 |
46 | Temple | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | 58 | 45 | 13 |
47 | Ohio St. | 7 | 7 | 50.00% | 370 | 358 | 12 |
48 | Penn St. | 5 | 5 | 50.00% | 210 | 199 | 11 |
49 | Iowa | 6 | 5 | 54.55% | 261 | 253 | 8 |
50 | Idaho | 2 | 0 | 100.00% | 85 | 77 | 8 |
51 | Colorado | 3 | 4 | 42.86% | 224 | 217 | 7 |
52 | Central Florida | 3 | 3 | 50.00% | 175 | 169 | 6 |
53 | Stanford | 2 | 5 | 28.57% | 168 | 163 | 5 |
54 | North Carolina | 4 | 4 | 50.00% | 200 | 195 | 5 |
55 | Army | 1 | 0 | 100.00% | 16 | 14 | 2 |
56 | Syracuse | 5 | 2 | 71.43% | 165 | 163 | 2 |
57 | Boston College | 8 | 5 | 61.54% | 337 | 336 | 1 |
58 | South Carolina | 5 | 4 | 55.56% | 227 | 227 | 0 |
59 | Oklahoma | 8 | 7 | 53.33% | 384 | 384 | 0 |
60 | UCLA | 3 | 8 | 27.27% | 313 | 314 | -1 |
61 | Miami (FL) | 6 | 7 | 46.15% | 296 | 298 | -2 |
62 | W. Kentucky | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 21 | 24 | -3 |
63 | Kent St. | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 13 | 17 | -4 |
64 | UNLV | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | 45 | 50 | -5 |
65 | Akron | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 31 | 38 | -7 |
66 | Fl. International | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | 44 | 52 | -8 |
67 | Virginia Tech | 7 | 8 | 46.67% | 401 | 411 | -10 |
68 | Baylor | 2 | 2 | 50.00% | 162 | 172 | -10 |
69 | Cincinnati | 5 | 5 | 50.00% | 249 | 260 | -11 |
70 | Wyoming | 2 | 1 | 66.67% | 74 | 86 | -12 |
71 | Washington | 3 | 6 | 33.33% | 278 | 292 | -14 |
72 | Indiana | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 33 | 49 | -16 |
73 | Louisville | 6 | 7 | 46.15% | 364 | 380 | -16 |
74 | Colorado St. | 3 | 4 | 42.86% | 226 | 243 | -17 |
75 | Navy | 4 | 6 | 40.00% | 275 | 292 | -17 |
76 | Rice | 2 | 2 | 50.00% | 95 | 113 | -18 |
77 | Duke | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 82 | 100 | -18 |
78 | UAB | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 40 | 59 | -19 |
79 | Arizona | 4 | 2 | 66.67% | 155 | 177 | -22 |
80 | Kentucky | 3 | 4 | 42.86% | 138 | 161 | -23 |
81 | Arkansas St. | 2 | 2 | 50.00% | 79 | 102 | -23 |
82 | Kansas St. | 4 | 7 | 36.36% | 280 | 303 | -23 |
83 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 2 | 33.33% | 65 | 90 | -25 |
84 | Minnesota | 3 | 8 | 27.27% | 284 | 311 | -27 |
85 | Pittsburgh | 5 | 6 | 45.45% | 223 | 250 | -27 |
86 | North Texas | 2 | 3 | 40.00% | 107 | 136 | -29 |
87 | Tennessee | 5 | 6 | 45.45% | 237 | 267 | -30 |
88 | La-Monroe | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 14 | 45 | -31 |
89 | W. Michigan | 0 | 3 | 0.00% | 70 | 102 | -32 |
90 | Buffalo | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 44 | 77 | -33 |
91 | Georgia Tech | 5 | 10 | 33.33% | 372 | 406 | -34 |
92 | Northern Illinois | 3 | 5 | 37.50% | 156 | 191 | -35 |
93 | Iowa St. | 3 | 5 | 37.50% | 151 | 188 | -37 |
94 | MTSU | 1 | 3 | 25.00% | 83 | 122 | -39 |
95 | Arkansas | 4 | 7 | 36.36% | 212 | 254 | -42 |
96 | Toledo | 3 | 4 | 42.86% | 192 | 235 | -43 |
97 | Ohio | 2 | 4 | 33.33% | 127 | 171 | -44 |
98 | Memphis | 2 | 3 | 40.00% | 141 | 185 | -44 |
99 | Hawaii | 4 | 4 | 50.00% | 271 | 317 | -46 |
100 | Bowling Green | 2 | 3 | 40.00% | 176 | 224 | -48 |
101 | West Virginia | 6 | 7 | 46.15% | 394 | 446 | -52 |
102 | New Mexico | 1 | 4 | 20.00% | 81 | 136 | -55 |
103 | Virginia | 3 | 6 | 33.33% | 259 | 315 | -56 |
104 | East Carolina | 2 | 7 | 22.22% | 280 | 340 | -60 |
105 | Michigan St. | 5 | 5 | 50.00% | 205 | 270 | -65 |
106 | Nevada | 3 | 5 | 37.50% | 199 | 265 | -66 |
107 | Purdue | 4 | 7 | 36.36% | 306 | 376 | -70 |
108 | Houston | 2 | 6 | 25.00% | 218 | 290 | -72 |
109 | Clemson | 6 | 8 | 42.86% | 303 | 376 | -73 |
110 | Ball St. | 0 | 4 | 0.00% | 80 | 158 | -78 |
111 | Brigham Young | 6 | 6 | 50.00% | 203 | 282 | -79 |
112 | Arizona St. | 3 | 6 | 33.33% | 286 | 365 | -79 |
113 | Northwestern | 1 | 7 | 12.50% | 231 | 310 | -79 |
114 | UTEP | 0 | 4 | 0.00% | 88 | 168 | -80 |
115 | Fresno St. | 4 | 9 | 30.77% | 343 | 424 | -81 |
116 | Michigan | 6 | 8 | 42.86% | 383 | 469 | -86 |
117 | Texas A&M | 4 | 8 | 33.33% | 287 | 375 | -88 |
118 | Notre Dame | 3 | 8 | 27.27% | 237 | 331 | -94 |
