Archive

Top 20 College Football Teams, From USC to LSU

The Daily Beast ranks the best college football programs based on profits, players, and performance.

galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-michigan_s3ukjl
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/best-college-football-programs-tease_o6inza

LSU football may be No. 1 right now, but how does it compare with other teams in terms of profit and player performance? The Daily Beast ranks the best college football programs.

 

Getty Images (4)
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-tennessee_srn40e

Total profits: $115,900,720

Players drafted: 3.2%

Winning percentage: 56.9%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 1 win

Andy Lyons / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-nebraska_oldjx9

Total profits: $123,305,756

Players drafted: 2.4%

Winning percentage: 64.2%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 2 wins

Joe Robbins / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-oregon-state_qzwi35

Total profits: $76,822,304

Players drafted: 2.6%

Winning percentage: 63.1%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 3 wins

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-norte-dame_pp6amt

Total profits: $205,363,207

Players drafted: 3.6%

Winning percentage: 54%

Bowl record: 3 appearances, 2 wins

Scott Boehm / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-iowa_qwuqbc

Total profits: $78,657,595

Players drafted: 2.8%

Winning percentage: 62.5%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 3 wins

David Purdy / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-michigan_sfv24k

Total profits: $193,505,727

Players drafted: 3.5%

Winning percentage: 55.6%

Bowl record: 3 appearances, 1 win

Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-oregon_fmkmsm

Total profits: $43,621,058

Players drafted: 3.5%

Winning percentage: 73.8%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 2 wins

Christian Petersen / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-wisconsin_wlf50u

Total profits: $84,941,414

Players drafted: 2.7%

Winning percentage: 75.4%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 2 wins

Tom Hauck / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/top-20-football-virginia-tech_qzqe8n

Total profits: $59,572,760

Players drafted: 4.1%

Winning percentage: 76.5%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 2 wins

Randy Snyder / AP Photos
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/southern-california-best-college-football-programs_eiksvi

Total profits: $53,288,085

Players drafted: 8.2%

Winning percentage: 78.5%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 4 wins

Norm Hall / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/auburn-best-college-football-programs_dsbtp8

Total profits: $169,983,514

Players drafted: 3.1%

Winning percentage: 72.3%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 4 wins

*National champion, 2010

Butch Dill / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/penn-state-best-college-football-programs_c2wkrh

Total profits: $186,111,087

Players drafted: 4%

Winning percentage: 72.3%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 3 wins

Keith Srakocic / AP Photo
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/alabama-best-college-football-programs_itfop3

Total profits: $179,707,922

Players drafted: 2.9%

Winning percentage: 73.1%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 3 wins

*National champion, 2009

Keith Srakocic / AP Photo
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/georgia-best-college-football-programs_wwi2wd

Total profits: $233,144,005

Players drafted: 4%

Winning percentage: 67.7%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 4 wins

Scott Cunningham / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/oklahoma-norman-best-college-football-programs_uolrhj

Total profits: $120,438,616

Players drafted: 4.2%

Winning percentage: 78.3%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 2 wins

Sue Ogrocki / AP Photo
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/texas-austin-best-college-football-programs_ogqqvx

Total profits: $275,435,807

Players drafted: 4.8%

Winning percentage: 76.9%

Bowl record: 4 appearances, 3 wins

Erich Schlegel / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/ohio-state-best-college-football-programs_elf8uf

Total profits: $155,063,608

Players drafted: 5.8%

Winning percentage: 86.2%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 2 wins

Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/louisiana-state-best-college-football-programs_xkr2mq

Total profits: $174,089,183

Players drafted: 4.8%

Winning percentage: 77.3%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 4 wins

*National Champion, 2007

Jared Wickerham / Getty Images
galleries/2011/09/28/top-20-college-football-teams-from-usc-to-lsu/florida-best-college-football-programs_c4vpw3

Total profits: $205,418,172

Players drafted: 4.3%

Winning percentage: 82.4%

Bowl record: 5 appearances, 4 wins

*National Champion, 2006; 2008

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images