The 20 Longest Winning Streaks in Major College Football History

Winning.
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Legendary NFL head coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

For the college football programs discussed in this slideshow, winning was the only thing for at least 25 consecutive games.

Today, we will look at the 20 longest winning streaks in Division-I college football history.

All College Football Hall of Fame information updated through Aug. 20, 2012. Head coaches included.

Washington (1908-14, 39 games) and San Diego State (1965-67, 25 games) were not in major college football during their winning streaks, according to sportsreference.com/cfb/.

Southern California: 25 Games (1931-33)

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Conference: PCC

Head Coach: Howard Jones (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1931 HELMS/NCF, 1932 HELMS/NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 5

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 6

Army: 25 Games (1944-46)

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Conference: Independent

Head Coach: Red Blaik (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1944 AP, 1945 AP)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 8

Players In College Football Hall of Fame: 8

Heisman Trophy Winners: 2 (Doc Blanchard– 1945, Glenn Davis– 1946)

Michigan: 25 Games (1946-49)

Conference: Western

Head Coaches: Fritz Crisler (1946-47; College Football Hall Of Fame), Bennie Oosterbaan (1948-49)

National Championships: 1 (1948 AP)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 4

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 5

Best Heisman Finish: 2 (Bob Chappuis – 1947)

Brigham Young: 25 Games (1983-85)

LaVell Edwards
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Conference: WAC

Head Coach: LaVell Edwards (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1984 AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI/USA-CNN)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 2

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 2

Best Heisman Finish: 2 (Steve Young – 1983)

Michigan: 26 Games (1903-05)

Conference: Western

Head Coach: Fielding Yost (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1903 NCF, 1904 NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 2

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 2

Cornell: 26 Games (1921-24)

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Conference: Independent

Head Coach: Gilmour Dobie (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1921 HELMS/NCF, 1922 HELMS)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 4

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 3

Nebraska: 26 Games (1994-96)

Tom Osborne
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Conferences: Big 8 (1994-95), Big 12 (1996)

Head Coach: Tom Osborne (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1994 AP/FWAA/UPI/USA-CNN/USA-NFF, 1995 AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI/USA-CNN)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 6

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 1

Best Heisman Finish: 2 (Tommie Frazier – 1995)

Michigan State: 28 Games (1950-53)

Conference: Independent (1950-52), Big Ten (1953)

Head Coach: Biggie Munn (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1952 AP/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 3

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 1

Best Heisman Finish: 8 (Don McAuliffe – 1952)

Oklahoma: 28 Games (1973-75)

Barry Switzer
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Conference: Big 8

Head Coach: Barry Switzer (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1974 AP, 1975 AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 8

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 3

Best Heisman Finish: 3 (Joe Washington – 1974)

Alabama: 28 Games (1978-80)

Bear Bryant
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Conference: SEC

Head Coach: Bear Bryant (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: (1978 AP/FWAA/NFF, 1979 AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 2

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 1

Best Heisman Finish: 10 (Stedman Shealy – 1979)

Alabama: 28 Games (1991-93)

Gene Stallings
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Conference: SEC

Head Coach: Gene Stallings (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1992 AP/FWAA/UPI-NFF/USA-CNN)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 4

Best Heisman Finish: 3 (David Palmer – 1993)

Michigan: 29 Games (1901-03)

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Conference: Western

Head Coach: Fielding Yost (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 3 (1901 HELMS/NCF, 1902 HELMS/NCF, 1903 NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 1

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 2

Miami (FL): 29 Games (1990-92)

Dennis Erickson
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Conference: Independent (1990), Big East (1991-92)

Head Coach: Dennis Erickson

National Championships: 1 (1991 AP)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 6

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 2

Heisman Trophy Winners: 1 (Gino Torretta – 1992)

Texas: 30 Games (1968-70)

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Conference: SWC

Head Coach: Darrell Royal (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1969 AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI, 1970 NFF/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 5

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 2

Best Heisman Finish: 4 (Steve Worster – 1970)

Pennsylvania: 31 Games (1896-98)

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Conference: Independent

Head Coach: George Woodruff (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1897 HELMS/NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 9

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 5

Oklahoma: 31 Games (1948-50)

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Conference: Big 7

Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1950 AP/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 3

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 3

Best Heisman Finish: 8 (Leon Heath – 1950)

Pittsburgh: 32 Games (1914-18)

Conference: Independent

Head Coaches: Joseph Duff (1914), Pop Warner (1915-1918; College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1916 HELMS/NCF, 1918 HELMS/NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 4

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 4

Pennsylvania: 34 Games (1894-96)

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Conference: Independent

Head Coach: George Woodruff (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 1 (1895 HELMS/NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 9

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 6

Miami (FL): 34 Games (2000-02)

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Conference: Big East

Head Coach: Butch Davis (2000), Larry Coker (2001-02)

National Championships: 1 (2001 AP/BCS/FWAA/NFF/USA-ESPN)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 6

Best Heisman Finish: 3 (Ken Dorsey – 2001)

*Southern California: 34 Games (2003-05)*

Pete Carroll
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Conference: PAC-10

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

National Championships: 2 (2003 AP/FWAA, 2004 AP/FWAA/NFF/USA-ESPN)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 8

Heisman Trophy Winners: 2* (Matt Leinart – 2004, *Reggie Bush – 2005*)

*Southern California was stripped of two wins in 2004 and 12 wins in 2005 due to NCAA violations. Reggie Bush was also stripped of his Heisman Trophy in 2005.

Toledo: 35 Games (1969-71)

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Conference: MAC

Head Coaches: Frank Lauterbur (1969-70), Jack Murphy (1971)

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 1

Best Heisman Finish: 8 (Chuck Ealey – 1971)

Yale: 37 Games (1887-89)

Walter Camp
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Conference: Independent

Head Coaches: No Coach (1887), Walter Camp (1888-89: College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1887 HELMS/NCF, 1888 HELMS/NCF)

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 4

Yale: 37 Games (1890-93)

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Conference: Independent

Head Coach: Walter Camp (1890-92; College Football Hall Of Fame), William Rhodes (1893)

National Championships: 2 (1891 HELMS/NCF, 1892 HELMS/NCF)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 6

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 5

Oklahoma: 47 Games (1953-57)

Conference: Big 7

Head Coach: Bud Wilkinson (College Football Hall Of Fame)

National Championships: 2 (1955 AP/FWAA/UPI, 1956 AP/FWAA/UPI)

Walter Camp All-Americans: 7

Players In College Football Hall Of Fame: 5

Best Heisman Finish: 2 (Kurt Burris – 1954)