Top-10 Winningest College Football Programs Ranked: USC Trojans Snubbed?

The USC Trojans were slotted at No. 7, just behind the Texas Longhorns and right in front of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

For a program that holds the most NFL Hall of Famers and most Heisman Trophy winners of all time, some could argue a No. 7 ranking might not suit the statistics behind their program.

Top-10 Winningest College Football Teams All-Time

Among the other nine programs, the list includes the following:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
T-2. Michigan Wolverines
T-2. Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
5. Oklahoma Sooners
6. Texas Longhorns
7. USC Trojans
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
10. Tennessee Volunteers

The Trojans boast a record of 882-374-54 and a .694 win percentage across a 1,000 game stretch. In terms of National Championships, USC has a total of 11 across 80 seasons. Their first came in 1928 and their most recent came in 2004.

USC also won a national title in 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978 and 2003.

Coach Howard Jones Initiated Longtime Success

Behind every talented team, there’s usually an elite head coach. When the Trojans won their first set of back-to-back national titles in 1931 and 1932, coach Howard Jones was at the helm.

Jones was known for developing the Trojans into a blue blood program, and is also responsible for winning four national championships during his tenure in Los Angeles.

Jones tragically passed away in 1941 while still coaching the Trojans. In his honor, the university named USC’s practice field after him, recognizing his success and his efforts in bringing the program national recognition.

John McKay Picked Up Where Trojans Left Off

USC would have success for the next 20 years, but no national titles until John McKay stepped in as head coach in 1960. McKay, who had no issue mirroring Jone's success, accumulated four national championships during his time with USC.

McKay coached USC Legends O.J. Simpson and Mike Garrett, two players who won the Heisman Trophy under McKay's leadership. McKay coached the Trojans for 15 seasons before moving onto the NFL for nine seasons, where he was the first head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Trojans won another national title in 1978 under coach John Robinson before the Pete Carroll era. Carroll has been tabbed as one of the best coaches to ever run through South Central.

After All of Pete Carroll's Accomplishments with USC, Still No College Football HOF Induction?

The Las Vegas Raiders coach led the Trojans from 2001-2009 and earned USC's second round of consecutive national titles in 2003 and 2004. Carroll also produced three Heisman Trophy winners in quarterback Carson Palmer in 2002, and back-to-back award winners with quarterback Matt Leinart in 2004 and running back Reggie Bush in 2005.

In his nine seasons with the Trojans, he accumulated a 97-19 record, eight consecutive Pac-10 titles, 53 NFL Draft Picks with 14 being in the first round and 33 consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in AP Polls.

Coach Lincoln Riley devoted a portion of his press conference at Big Ten Media Days this year to honor Carroll, and show support for the former Trojans coach induction into the hall of fame.

"He's one year short on the requirement but hard to imagine a guy that's had an impact like coach Carroll had on college football." Riley said. "That's a little difficult for me and I think my colleagues to imagine a hall of fame that exists without his impact."

Even in the wake of recent struggles, USC's rich history of success ensures the program will always be considered a blue-blood football program.