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College football winningest programs: Michigan, Alabama lead all-time records ahead of Rose Bowl

Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY NETWORK
·4 min read
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Dec 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with defensive back Mike Sainristil (0) after winning the Big Ten Championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan reached a unique milestone in college football history when it defeated Maryland this year, becoming the first program to reach the coveted 1,000-win mark. The Wolverines finished the season with 1,002 wins after a Big Ten championship game victory over Iowa, and an all-time win percentage of .733.

In total, 10 teams have 900-plus wins in college football, including a few names that are very familiar to Michigan fans. The two teams sitting just below the Wolverines in the all-time rankings will especially resonate in Ann Arbor: Alabama and Ohio State, who are in a neck-and-neck race for second place.

The Crimson Tide, Michigan's Rose Bowl opponent on New Year's Day, is in second place all time heading into bowl season, with 965 victories. Immediately behind Alabama is Ohio State, with 964; the Crimson Tide was able to leapfrog the Buckeyes by virtue of its SEC championship game victory over Georgia (and the Buckeyes' November loss in "The Game").

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For all of the schools at the top of the list, longevity and sustained periods of greatness have been the defining factor. The top 10 features several blue bloods such as Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Penn State.

Here's a look at the winningest schools in college football history, with the Wolverines leading the pack:

College football all-time winningest programs

Here is a look at the top 10 winningest college football programs in Division I history:

  1. Michigan: 1,002 wins

  2. Alabama: 965 wins

  3. Ohio State: 964 wins

  4. Texas: 948 wins

  5. Notre Dame: 947 wins

  6. Oklahoma: 944 wins

  7. Yale: 936 wins

  8. Penn State: 930 wins

  9. Nebraska: 917 wins

  10. Harvard: 901 wins

In regard to the aforementioned longevity, Ivy Leaguers Yale and Harvard are two of college football's oldest programs. Michigan, however, has played more games than either of them, with 1,391 games. The only schools that have played more games than Michigan are Penn, Rutgers, Navy, and Lehigh. The Wolverines, however, boast a better winning percentage than any of those program.

College football programs best winning percentage

Alabama has played 1,344 games, whereas Ohio State is at 1,349. The Crimson Tide and Buckeyes are tied for the top win percentage at .734 (Michigan is .733).

  • T-1: Alabama: .734 (965-336-43)

  • T-1: Ohio State: .734 (964-332-53)

  • 3: Michigan: .733 (1,002-353-36)

  • 4. Notre Dame: .729 (947-338-42)

  • 5. Oklahoma: .726 (944-340-53)

  • 6. Saint John's (Minn.)*: .721 (682-256-24)

  • 7. Wisconsin-Whitewater*: .704 (647-266-21)

  • 8. Linfield*: .704 (646-264-28)

  • 9. Texas: .703 (948-391-33)

  • 10. Yale: .698 (936-390-55)

* Division III program

Maintaining an elite win percentage is a slightly different prospect, but the top three hold up, with Michigan, Ohio State, and Alabama all lie within a percentage point of each other.

If Michigan were to beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, the schools would be tied at .733 win percentage. In that case, Ohio State would be the sole leader at .734 (regardless of Cotton Bowl result).

Most national championships in college football

Alabama vs. Michigan also marks a matchup of two of college football's most claimed national championships.

With all due respect to Princeton and Yale, the leaders by far at 28 and 27, respectively, this list will be comprised of the non-Ivy League schools, headed up by Alabama at No. 1 with 18. Michigan is tied for second at 11.

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Most recent championships will appear in parentheses.

1. Alabama: 18 (2020)

T-2. Michigan: 11 (1997)

T-2. USC: 11 (2004)

T-2Notre Dame: 11 (1988)

5. Pittsburgh: 9 (1976)

6. Ohio State: 8 (2014)

T-7. Minnesota: 7 (1960)

T-Oklahoma: 7 (2000)

T-9: Michigan State: 6 (1966)

T-9: Tennessee: 6 (1998)

While some championship claims are tenuous at best (and sometimes mired in controversy), the Crimson Tide undoubtedly leads the way since college football started basing its champions on the BCS and, subsequently, the College Football Playoff. Alabama has six national championships since the advent of the BCS in 1998, more than or equal to all but 12 schools (including Princeton, Yale, and Harvard).

Alabama has significant work to do to catch Michigan on the all-time leaderboards, but the most important game remains the latest one. As the Wolverines travel to Pasadena, California to play the Crimson Tide for the first time in the game's prestigious history, they'll try to shake the semifinal monkey off their collective back.

Michigan, of course, has lost its last two CFP appearances in 2021 (to Georgia) and 2022 (to TCU). It will look for its first national championship berth under the current format this year. To get there, it will have to go through one of college football's other most prolific programs.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: College football winningest programs: Michigan, Alabama lead all teams