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Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1980 to 1989 Final Top 25

Where did all the top teams rank in the final 1980 to 1989 top 25 Coaches college football poll? Which programs made the cut and which ones just missed out but received votes?


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USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 

Which college football programs are the greatest of all-time according to the UPI and USA TODAY Coaches final polls?

According to the final Coaches Poll rankings, how do the programs rank all-time, by decade, and by era? Which ones were the best over the 1980s?

Take all the Coaches Poll final rankings and use our CFN scoring system – the UPI Coaches Poll national champion gets 25 points, the No. 2 team 24, No. 3 23, and so on down to the bottom.

The bridesmaid and never the bride, Nebraska was fantastic throughout the 1980s but couldn’t break through and win the national title. Miami might have been the biggest star of the decade with three national championships, but the Huskers were a bit more consistent in the Coaches Poll rankings.

1980s Coaches Poll National Champions
1980 Georgia; 1981 Clemson; 1982 Penn State; 1983 Miami; 1984 BYU; 1985 Oklahoma; 1986 Penn State; 1987 Miami; 1988 Notre Dame; 1999 Miami

Coaches Poll: 1980 to 1989 Final All-Time College Football Rankings

1 Nebraska 194

2 Miami 149

3 Oklahoma 148

T4 Michigan 135

T4 Penn State 135

6 Florida State 134

7 UCLA 129

8 Auburn 123

9 Alabama 120

10 Georgia 113

11 Ohio State 106

12 BYU 91

13 USC 87

14 Washington 86

15 Clemson 81

16 Pittsburgh 79

17 Arkansas 78

18 Iowa 72

19 LSU 67

20 Notre Dame 64

21 SMU 63

22 Oklahoma State 58

22 Texas 58

24 Tennessee 56

25 West Virginia 54

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M 50; North Carolina 48; Florida 46; Arizona State 41; Baylor 39; Boston College 36; Syracuse 36; Air Force 32; Illinois 32; Maryland 28; Michigan State 28; South Carolina 24; Colorado 22; Michigan 22; Virginia 20; Arizona 16; Indiana 13; Fresno State 10; Purdue 10; Texas Tech 10; Washington State 10; Mississippi State 9; NC State 9; Georgia Tech 8; Kentucky 7; Southern Miss 7; Missouri 6; Wyoming 6

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1989 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1989 Final Top 20

1 Miami

2 Florida State

3 Notre Dame

4 Colorado

5 Tennessee

6 Auburn

7 Alabama

8 Michigan

9 USC

10 Illinois

11 Clemson

12 Nebraska

13 Arkansas

14 Penn State

15 Virginia

16 Texas Tech

16 Michigan State

17 BYU

19 Pitt

20 Washington

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1988 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1988 Final Top 20

1 Notre Dame

2 Miami

3 Florida State

4 Michigan

5 West Virginia

6 UCLA

7 Auburn

8 Clemson

9 USC

10 Nebraska

11 Oklahoma State

12 Syracuse

13 Arkansas

14 Oklahoma

15 Georgia

16 Washington State

17 NC State

17 Alabama

19 Indiana

20 Wyoming

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1987 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1987 Final Top 20

1 Miami

2 Florida State

3 Oklahoma

4 Syracuse

5 LSU

6 Nebraska

7 Auburn

8 Michigan State

9 Texas A&M

10 Clemson

11 UCLA

12 Oklahoma State

13 Tennessee

14 Georgia

15 South Carolina

16 Iowa

17 USC

18 Michigan

19 Texas

20 Indiana

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1986 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1986 Final Top 20

1 Penn State

2 Miami

3 Oklahoma

4 Nebraska

5 Arizona State

6 Ohio State

7 Michigan

8 Auburn

9 Alabama

10 Arizona

11 LSU

12 Texas A&M

13 Baylor

14 UCLA

15 Iowa

16 Arkansas

17 Washington

18 Boston College

19 Clemson

20 Florida State

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1985 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1985 Final Top 20

1 Oklahoma

2 Michigan

3 Penn State

4 Tennessee

5 Air Force

6 UCLA

7 Texas A&M

8 Miami

9 Iowa

10 Nebraska

11 Ohio State

12 Arkansas

13 Florida State

14 Alabama

15 Baylor

16 Fresno State

17 BYU

18 Georgia Tech

19 Maryland

20 LSU

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1984 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1984 Final Top 20

1 BYU

2 Washington

3 Nebraska

4 Boston College

5 Oklahoma State

6 Oklahoma

7 Florida

8 SMU

9 USC

10 UCLA

11 Maryland

12 Ohio State

13 South Carolina

14 Auburn

15 Iowa

16 LSU

17 Virginia

18 West Virginia

19 Kentucky

19 Florida State

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1983 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1983 Final Top 20

1 Miami

2 Nebraska

3 Auburn

4 Georgia

5 Texas

6 Florida

7 BYU

8 Ohio State

9 Michigan

10 Illinois

11 SMU

12 Alabama

13 UCLA

14 Iowa

15 Air Force

16 West Virginia

17 Penn State

18 Oklahoma State

19 Pitt

20 Boston College

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1982 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1982 Final Top 20

1 Penn State

2 SMU

3 Nebraska

4 Georgia

5 UCLA

6 Arizona State

7 Washington

8 Arkansas

9 Pitt

10 Florida State

11 LSU

12 Ohio State

13 North Carolina

14 Auburn

15 Michigan

16 Oklahoma

17 Alabama

18 Texas

19 West Virginia

20 Maryland

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1981 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1981 Final Top 20

1 Clemson

2 Pitt

3 Penn State

4 Texas

5 Georgia

6 Alabama

7 Washington

8 North Carolina

9 Nebraska

10 Michigan

11 BYU

12 Ohio State

13 USC

14 Oklahoma

15 Iowa

16 Arkansas

17 Mississippi State

18 West Virginia

19 Southern Miss

20 Missouri

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

NEXT: Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1980 Final Top 20

Coaches Poll, College Football Rankings: 1980 Final Top 20

1 Georgia

2 Pitt

3 Oklahoma

4 Michigan

5 Florida State

6 Alabama

7 Nebraska

8 Penn State

9 North Carolina

10 Notre Dame

11 BYU

12 USC

13 Baylor

14 UCLA

15 Ohio State

16 Purdue

17 Washington

18 Miami

19 Florida

20 SMU

USA TODAY Coaches Poll, All-Time Rankings
Greatest Programs of All-Time | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | AP Top Programs of All-Time
Coaches Poll Top 20
1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

Story originally appeared on College Football News