1990 Final Rankings

In the off-season, we will be running our computer analysis of each of the previous seasons of college football moving backward through time as far as it makes sense to do so. Here are the final rankings from 1990:

1. Miami Hurricanes (10-2) - 1.1
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-0-1) - 1.9
3. Washington Huskies (10-2) - 3.8
4. Florida State Seminoles (10-2) - 4.6
(tie) Texas Longhorns (10-2) - 4.6
6. Colorado Buffaloes (11-1-1) - 5.6
7. Clemson Tigers (10-2) - 7.9
8. Tennessee Volunteers (9-2-2) - 8.6
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-3) - 9.4
10. Oklahoma Sooners (8-3) - 10.6
11. Houston Cougars (10-1) - 12.5
12. Michigan Wolverines (9-3) - 12.6
13. Florida Gators (9-2) - 13.2
(tie) San Jose State Spartans (9-2-1) - 13.2
15. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3) - 13.5
16. BYU Cougars (10-3) - 15.2
17. Virginia Cavaliers (8-4) - 16.3
18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) - 17.4
19. Louisville Cardinals (10-1-1) - 20.8
(tie) Michigan State Spartans (8-3-1) - 20.8
21. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4) - 21.5
22. USC Trojans (8-4-1) - 21.7
23. Texas A&M Aggies (9-3-1) - 22.1
24. Oregon Ducks (8-4) - 22.2
25. Auburn Tigers (8-3-1) - 24.2
26. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-5) - 26.3
27. Illinois Fighting Illini (8-4) - 26.8
28. California Golden Bears (7-4-1) - 29.5
29. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-5) - 30.3
30. Syracuse Orange (7-4-2) - 30.4
31. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-4-1) - 30.9
32. Stanford Cardinal (5-6) - 34.1
33. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-4) - 35.3
34. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5) - 35.5
35. NC State Wolfpack (7-5) - 35.8
36. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3) - 36.1
37. Colorado State Rams (9-4) - 37.8
38. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-3-1) - 38.1
39. Maryland Terrapins (6-5-1) - 38.2
40. Fresno State Bulldogs (8-2-1) - 38.3
41. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4-1) - 40.7
42. San Diego State Aztecs (6-5) - 41.6
43. UCLA Bruins (5-6) - 42.6
44. Air Force Falcons (7-5) - 44.7
(tie) Hawaii Warriors (7-5) - 44.7
46. Arizona Wildcats (7-5) - 45.5
47. Wyoming Cowboys (9-4) - 46.1
48. Toledo Rockets (9-2) - 46.7
49. Indiana Hoosiers (6-5-1) - 48.4
50. Temple Owls (7-4) - 49.8
51. Baylor Bears (6-4-1) - 50.3
52. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-6) - 52.1
53. Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-5) - 52.6
54. Central Michigan Chippewas (8-3-1) - 52.9
55. ECU Pirates (5-6) - 54.8
56. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-7) - 56.1
57. Pittsburgh Panthers (3-7-1) - 58.6
58. Iowa State Cyclones (4-6-1) - 58.7
59. Missouri Tigers (4-7) - 59.0
60. Northern Illinois Huskies (6-5) - 59.9
61. LSU Tigers (5-6) - 60.5
62. Rice Owls (5-6) - 62.0
63. Western Michigan Broncos (7-4) - 64.1
64. Georgia Bulldogs (4-7) - 64.5
65. Memphis Tigers (4-6-1) - 65.5
66. Washington State Cougars (3-8) - 67.1
67. Duke Blue Devils (4-7) - 67.5
68. Ball State Cardinals (7-4) - 68.2
69. Tulane Green Wave (4-7) - 68.3
70. Kansas State Wildcats (5-6) - 69.5
71. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-7) - 70.9
72. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (5-6) - 71.8
73. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-7) - 72.2
74. TCU Horned Frogs (5-6) - 72.6
75. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-8) - 76.2
76. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-7) - 76.7
77. Utah State Aggies (5-5-1) - 78.1
78. Utah Utes (4-7) - 78.3
79. Kentucky Wildcats (4-7) - 78.4
80. Miami University RedHawks (5-5-1) - 79.2
81. Kansas Jayhawks (3-7-1) - 79.4
82. Boston College Eagles (4-7) - 81.3
83. Army Black Knights (6-5) - 83.5
84. Bowling Green Falcons (3-5-2) - 84.3
85. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-8) - 84.4
86. Long Beach State 49ers (6-5) - 85.4
87. Purdue Boilermakers (2-9) - 87.0
88. New Mexico Lobos (2-10) - 87.6
89. Northwestern Wildcats (2-9) - 88.3
90. Akron Zips (3-7-1) - 90.1
91. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-8) - 91.4
92. Wisconsin Badgers (1-10) - 92.2
93. Navy Midshipmen (5-6) - 92.5
94. Pacific Tigers (4-7) - 93.2
95. UTEP Miners (3-8) - 94.8
96. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (3-8) - 95.4
97. Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-7-1) - 96.4
98. UNLV Rebels (4-7) - 98.2
99. Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-9) - 98.9
100. Oregon State Beavers (1-10) - 100.4
101. Vanderbilt Commodores (1-10) - 101.2
102. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-9) - 101.3
103. Cincinnati Bearcats (1-10) - 103.7
104. SMU Mustangs (1-10) - 103.8
105. Ohio Bobcats (1-9-1) - 105.4
106. New Mexico State Aggies (1-10) - 106.6
107. Cal State Fullerton Titans (1-11) - 107.8


Special acknowledgement and thanks to James Howell who provided the game score data used in this analysis on his website at http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/history/howell/

Football Programs Ranking - 1991-2000

What were the most successfull programs of the '90s? Here's the complete list:

1. Florida State Seminoles
2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. Florida Gators
4. Tennessee Volunteers
5. Michigan Wolverines
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
7. Texas A&M Aggies
8. Miami Hurricanes
9. Penn State Nittany Lions
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
11. Kansas State Wildcats
12. Washington Huskies
13. Colorado Buffaloes
14. Alabama Crimson Tide
15. Marshall Thundering Herd
16. Syracuse Orange
17. Virginia Tech Hokies
18. Georgia Bulldogs
19. Virginia Cavaliers
20. Auburn Tigers
21. UCLA Bruins
22. Texas Longhorns
23. Wisconsin Badgers
24. USC Trojans
25. Oregon Ducks
26. Arizona Wildcats
27. BYU Cougars
28. West Virginia Mountaineers
29. North Carolina Tar Heels
30. Arizona State Sun Devils
31. Mississippi State Bulldogs
32. Clemson Tigers
33. Michigan State Spartans
34. Air Force Falcons
35. Oklahoma Sooners
36. Stanford Cardinal
37. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
38. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
39. Texas Tech Red Raiders
40. Ole Miss Rebels
41. Colorado State Rams
42. LSU Tigers
43. Utah Utes
44. Purdue Boilermakers
45. NC State Wolfpack
46. Arkansas Razorbacks
47. Boston College Eagles
48. Washington State Cougars
49. Iowa Hawkeyes
50. Kansas Jayhawks
51. ECU Pirates
52. Toledo Rockets
53. Fresno State Bulldogs
54. California Golden Bears
55. San Diego State Aztecs
56. Illinois Fighting Illini
57. South Carolina Gamecocks
58. Louisville Cardinals
59. Miami University RedHawks
60. Wyoming Cowboys
61. UCF Knights
62. Indiana Hoosiers
63. Bowling Green Falcons
64. Minnesota Golden Gophers
65. Kentucky Wildcats
66. Memphis Tigers
67. Northwestern Wildcats
68. TCU Horned Frogs
69. Missouri Tigers
70. Western Michigan Broncos
71. Cincinnati Bearcats
72. Nevada Wolf Pack
73. Baylor Bears
74. Rice Owls
75. Oklahoma State Cowboys
76. Oregon State Beavers
77. Boise State Broncos
78. New Mexico Lobos
79. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
80. Pittsburgh Panthers
81. Vanderbilt Commodores
82. Maryland Terrapins
83. UAB Blazers
84. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
85. Tulane Green Wave
86. Hawaii Warriors
87. Idaho Vandals
88. Ball State Cardinals
89. Army Black Knights
90. Iowa State Cyclones
91. Houston Cougars
92. Central Michigan Chippewas
93. Utah State Aggies
94. Ohio Bobcats
95. San Jose State Spartans
96. South Florida Bulls
97. Duke Blue Devils
98. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
99. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
100. SMU Mustangs
101. Navy Midshipmen
102. UTEP Miners
103. Eastern Michigan Eagles
104. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
105. Akron Zips
106. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
107. Pacific Tigers
108. UNLV Rebels
109. New Mexico State Aggies
110. Northern Illinois Huskies
111. Temple Owls
112. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
113. Connecticut Huskies
114. North Texas Mean Green
115. Arkansas State Red Wolves
116. Kent State Golden Flashes
117. Long Beach State 49ers
118. Buffalo Bulls
119. Cal State Fullerton Titans