Ranking the Top 25 Colleges with the Best Football and Basketball Team Combos
Success in one sport is commendable for any program. Excellence in both football and basketball—the two major college sports—is difficult to achieve.
Just ask Kansas.
Total winning percentage was a key factor in determining the list of the best combos during the 2015-16 seasons, but that's not a perfect metric by itself.
Other elements used include division, conference and national championships, bowl eligibility, bids to the NCAA tournament and corresponding seeds. NIT invites were also considered.
While we recognize the records of lower-division schools such as North Dakota State, Dayton, Illinois State, Northern Iowa and Chattanooga, the teams included here participate in both the Football Bowl Subdivision and Division I basketball.
Just Missed the Cut
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Good Football, Missed NCAA Tournament (7): Northwestern (10-3, 20-12); Florida State (10-3, 19-13); Georgia (10-3, 19-13); BYU (9-4, 23-10); Boise State (9-4, 20-12); LSU (9-3, 19-14); Akron (8-5, 26-8)
Average Football, Made NCAA Tournament (6): Pittsburgh (8-5, 22-11); Arizona (7-6, 25-8); Texas Tech (7-6, 19-12); Cincinnati (7-6, 22-10); Connecticut (6-7, 24-10); Tulsa (6-7, 20-11)
Average Football, Made NIT (2): Virginia Tech (7-6, 19-14); Washington (7-6, 18-14)
Below-Average Football, Made NCAA Tournament (3): Kentucky (5-7, 26-8); Texas (5-7, 20-12); Buffalo (5-7, 20-14)
Other Notables (2): Northern Illinois (8-6, 21-12); Memphis (9-4, 19-15)
25. Louisville Cardinals
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Louisville was not eligible for the NCAA tournament as the result of a self-imposed penalty.
At 23-8 in the ACC, however, the Cardinals certainly would have been a top-six seed. Damion Lee and Trey Lewis helped Louisville finish fourth in conference play.
On the football field, Bobby Petrino's team rebounded from three consecutive losses to open the season and ultimately ended the year 8-5. The Cardinals also earned a bowl victory over Texas A&M.
24. Florida Gators
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An SEC East championship highlighted year one of the Jim McElwain era at the Swamp. While the season ended in unceremonious fashion, Florida captured only its second 10-win season since 2009.
The Gators hoped Mike White's first season as head coach would bring similar results, but the basketball team accepted a bid to the No. 2 postseason tournament. The 19-14 record wasn't quite good enough to join March Madness.
I hear you, Seminoles fans. Keep cherishing those head-to-head victories. But the Gators have a division crown.
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23. Indiana Hoosiers
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Excluding offensive linemen Jason Spriggs and Dan Feeney opening running lanes for Jordan Howard, the 6-7 football team wasn't a strong suit in Bloomington.
So, how did the Hoosiers make it here?
The primary result separating Indiana from Arizona, LSU, Connecticut and a host of others is a championship in basketball and a fifth seed for March Madness.
Behind senior point guard Yogi Ferrell, the Hoosiers attained a 15-3 record in Big Ten action and snatched the school's 22nd regular-season conference title.
22. USC Trojans
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Teams don't necessarily have to win all the games. They simply need to win the right ones. That's the story of 2015-16 USC.
Despite a midseason coaching change, the Trojans managed to claim the Pac-12 South Division thanks to a 42-24 victory over Utah that eventually broke a tie at 6-3 in conference play. Overall, Cody Kessler and Co. registered an 8-6 mark.
USC also grabbed a No. 8 seed for the NCAA tournament after logging a 21-12 record. The team avoided falling to any opponent with an RPI lower than 100.
Neither sport had an elite squad, but both earned notable accolades.
21. Clemson Tigers
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It's difficult to weigh the value of an excellent football season against a mediocre—but not Kansas football-level—campaign on the hardwood.
Deshaun Watson led Clemson to Atlantic Division and ACC championships en route to a runner-up finish in the College Football Playoff. Dabo Swinney's squad was atop the polls throughout the year.
However, the Tigers couldn't ride first-team All-ACC guard Jaron Blossomgame—not even to the NIT. Clemson was a meager 17-14, but an eighth-place finish in the nation's toughest conference saved it from tanking out of the list.
Elite success on the football field for a total winning-percentage jump helped differentiate the Tigers from strictly average teams such as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati that qualified for both postseasons.
T-19. Cal Golden Bears and Duke Blue Devils
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It's a tie.
Duke and Cal each went 8-5 in 2015, winning four conference outings apiece. Both programs emerged victorious during their bowl games.
Heading into the NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils and Golden Bears—heck, their nicknames are modified by colors—are 23-10 and hold a No. 4 seed. For good measure, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projects two first-round picks from each roster.
None of the four teams won a division or conference championship. It's a tie.
18. Wisconsin Badgers
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Wisconsin epitomizes having a pair of strong-yet-not-quite-elite programs in 2015-16.
Anchored by the country's No. 2 defense, the Badgers rattled off 10 wins and capped the football season with a bowl victory over USC.
Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ guided Wisconsin to a seventh seed in the NCAA tournament after longtime coach Bo Ryan stepped down midway through December.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports notes the Badgers have played in a bowl game and March Madness since 2002-03, the longest run in NCAA history. Consistency is great.
T-16. West Virginia Mountaineers and Miami Hurricanes
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Another tie? You betcha.
Both West Virginia and Miami finished 8-5 in football after enduring a couple of whippings from conference foes. On the basketball court, the Hurricanes' 25-7 record is mere percentage points better than the 26-8 mark for the Mountaineers.
The selection committee ranked West Virginia as the No. 9 overall seed and Miami as 10th, whereas RPI placed the 'Canes in ninth and the Mountaineers in 10th. Both are No. 3 teams in their respective region.
It hardly gets more even than that.
15. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Lots of wins, but no championships. No NCAA tournament, either.
A late-season loss to Michigan State cost Urban Meyer and Co. a chance to reach the College Football Playoff. Ohio State ended up smacking Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and finishing 12-1.
The basketball Buckeyes found themselves grasping for a second major victory down the stretch. Despite three shots at the Spartans over the final five contests, Ohio State couldn't get it done.
MSU spoiled all the fun in Columbus.
14. Michigan Wolverines
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Jim Harbaugh far exceeded outside expectations during the first season at his alma mater, and the basketball team followed suit on Selection Sunday.
Thanks to a 41-7 beatdown of Florida in the Citrus Bowl, the Maize and Blue reached the double-digit plateau for only the second time since 2006. Michigan offered a reminder to the Big Ten: "We're back!"
Aided by Kameron Chatman's game-winning triple over conference champion Indiana, the Wolverines managed to convince the committee they deserved a play-in berth as a No. 11 seed.
The lack of a division or conference title keeps Michigan in the high teens, but an NCAA tourney appearance bests Ohio State. Perhaps that's all that matters in Ann Arbor.
13. Temple Owls
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Temple all the way up at No. 13? Most definitely.
In addition to winning 10 football games for the second time in program history, the Owls grabbed the AAC East title. As a bonus, Tyler Matakevich registered his fourth straight season with at least 100 tackles.
Plus, Fran Dunphy's basketball team edged SMU to claim the regular-season conference championship. Temple is headed to the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed.
The Owls aren't exactly sleeping giants in either sport, but they've assembled two superb campaigns for the school.
12. Houston Cougars
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Choosing between Temple and Houston was tough. Similar to Clemson's inclusion, though, the Cougars were tremendous on the turf.
Tom Herman was an A-plus-plus hire, leading the team to a 13-1 record, AAC championship and Peach Bowl win over Florida State.
Greg Ward Jr., arguably one of the country's most exciting players, accumulated nearly 4,000 combined passing and rushing yards and scored 38 touchdowns.
Houston was nowhere near as dominant in basketball, but a 22-9 mark was good enough for an NIT invitation.
11. San Diego State Aztecs
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San Diego State fell one victory shy of adding the Mountain West tournament title to the regular-season crown as well as the conference championship in football.
As a result of a handful of bid-stealers, the Aztecs fell out of the March Madness picture. Instead, they're headed to the NIT and thereby dropped down the list.
But total winning percentage, a championship game victory in football and a regular-season basketball title propelled San Diego State up the rankings.
Donnel Pumphrey tallied 1,653 yards—the seventh-most in the nation—and 17 touchdowns. Just in case you didn't pay attention to him heading into last year, remember his name for the start of 2016.
10. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Ah, the value of a national championship.
Tuscaloosa's dynasty added another chapter to Nick Saban's glorious book, hoisting the strange-looking trophy after clipping Clemson. The Tide claimed SEC West and conference titles, too.
Alabama basketball wasn't included in the field of 68, but the team reached the NIT under first-year coach Avery Johnson.
Football can't get much better, and basketball has a promising future. It probably feels good to support the Tide.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Notre Dame's 10-3 record in football, while not championship-worthy, was impressive—especially when you consider the three losses were to teams that finished Nos. 2, 3 and 4 nationally.
And if you'd like even better framing, the Irish accomplished that with their third option at quarterback.
There's no Independents league championship to boast, but Notre Dame's ACC basketball membership went well. A 21-11 clip led to a No. 6 seed in March Madness.
South Bend celebrated a couple of above-average squads.
8. Baylor Bears
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Seth Russell's injury derailed what could have been a special football season, but Art Briles' team also finished 10-3 following a bowl victory over North Carolina.
Baylor basketball has two advantages over Notre Dame. One is negligible, while the other is minor. Yet, that's still enough.
On the court, the Bears finished 22-11 compared to the Irish's 21-11. Drawing any sort of conclusion from that isn't exactly fair. But the committee handed Baylor a No. 5 seed compared to the Irish's No. 6.
Told you it was minor.
7. Texas A&M Aggies
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Texas A&M has similar numbers to West Virginia and nearly identical winning percentage marks to Baylor and Miami as March Madness arrives.
Like the Mountaineers and 'Canes, the Aggies were 8-5 on the football field. A 26-8 basketball record also gives them a No. 3 seed, which is higher than the Bears.
However, Texas A&M earned the SEC regular-season title in basketball.
Even if the NCAA tournament doesn't bring much success, the Aggies can tout their conference championship.
6. Utah Utes
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Utah is the highest school on the list without any sort of championship to its name, but the total winning percentage would have been foolish to ignore.
For comparison's sake, USC—which slid up to 22nd simply because of its football tiebreaker over Utah—was 36th out of 45 possible teams. The Utes, on the other hand, were sixth.
Football coach Kyle Whittingham and basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak deserve recognition for the competitive programs, regardless of the lack of titles.
Utah finished 10-3 in football and carries a 26-8 record into March Madness as a No. 3 seed.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes
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The lack of a championship caught up to Utah here, because there wasn't much else to separate the Utes and Hawkeyes.
Iowa football escaped mediocrity, accomplished an undefeated regular season and claimed the Big Ten West crown before losing to Michigan State and Stanford.
Somewhat similarly, Hawkeyes basketball started fast. Iowa was even ranked third nationally at one point, though a late slide resulted in a seven seed.
Nevertheless, the 2015-16 season brought plenty of success for the Hawkeyes.
4. Oregon Ducks
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Oregon probably doesn't receive enough credit for its performance with a healthy Vernon Adams under center. When injuries were not an issue with Adams, the Ducks were 7-0.
Although the season was a little disappointing otherwise, the team still finished a solid 9-4.
Besides, basketball picked up the slack anyway.
Bolstered by regular-season and conference tournament championships, the Ducks soared to a No. 1 seed in March Madness. Perhaps Oregon will reach its first Final Four since 1939.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
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Oklahoma is a 47-foot buzzer-beater that didn't count away from potentially jumping to No. 2. Unfortunately, the ball left Buddy Hield's hand one-tenth of a second too late.
Instead, the Sooners must settle for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament with a veteran corps and Hield, a candidate for player of the year.
That's not much different than the football team. Baker Mayfield—who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting—guided Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth.
Hield and Co. will attempt to finish the job and bring a national title back to Norman.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels
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Once again, a small gap separates the top teams.
UNC football tallied 11 season victories, and Marquise Williams was a blown penalty on an onside kick away from a chance to force overtime in the ACC Championship Game.
North Carolina's basketball achievements are similar to Oklahoma's football accolades, but the Tar Heels secured a Coastal Division crown as well as a No. 1 seed.
Star forward Brice Johnson, a unanimous first-team All-ACC basketball honoree, powered North Carolina to a 28-6 record. The Heels will be a popular choice to survive March Madness.
1. Michigan State Spartans
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One school collected championships in both football and the basketball tournament. That would be Michigan State.
It seems fitting that East Lansing holds this title, since Tom Izzo and Mark Dantonio regularly support each other publicly. Heck, according to ESPN.com's Dan Murphy, the coaches live five houses apart.
The Spartans obtained their second straight Big Ten football championship, finishing 12-2 with a College Football Playoff appearance. MSU basketball recently lifted the conference tournament trophy and received a No. 2 seed for March Madness.
A national championship is the only way it gets better for Michigan State.
Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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