The 50 Best College Football Bowl Programs in History
College football's bowl season is upon us yet again, and it is time to break down which programs are the best postseason teams out there. They say the best bowl teams are the ones who are the most prepared, which has a lot to do with your coaching staff.
However, the biggest plus about playing in a bowl game is how excited you are to be in it.
We often see teams play down to their opponent and lose more times than not. It is vital to be appreciative of the gift bag and vacation you get regardless of whether you are in Glendale or Detroit.
Without further ado, here are your top 50 bowl teams based on their history (includes all-time records, number of prime-time bowls and current/record-breaking streaks).
Note: Prime-time games or major bowls are Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta.
No. 50: Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Brigham Young Cougars
1 of 50Tulsa Record: 8-9 (47 percent)
BYU Record: 11-17-1 (37 percent)
Though Tulsa has not played in many bowls through the history of college football, this program has won three consecutive bowls and quietly appeared in five games during the 2000s.
The Golden Hurricane upset Hawaii last year 62-35, and the hope is they can stun BYU to start a long history of bowl success.
The Cougars have appeared in many prestigious bowls in the past, though they did not win all of them. However, their prestige, ability to appear in seven straight bowls and wins in four of their past five bowl contests put them on the list.
No. 49: Virginia Cavaliers
2 of 50Record: 7-10 (41 percent)
Though they have not won half of their bowls, the Wahoos crack the list, having won three of their past five bowls. They played in eight bowls during the 1990s and six during the 2000s.
Now with a new decade under way, it looks as if Mike London is destined to put this team on the national radar, especially if it can knock off the Auburn Tigers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
No. 48: Air Force Falcons
3 of 50Record: 10-10-1 (48 percent)
Air Force has won two straight bowl games, though it has not been against elite competition; the Falcons are 4-6 against in their last 10 bowl games against BCS-quality competition.
Despite staying in the Mountain West, the Falcons should remain successful since they will likely not face many top-notch opponents.
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No. 47: Fresno State Bulldogs
4 of 50Record: 10-10 (50 percent)
Pat Hill is no longer a Bulldog on staff, but he will forever be remembered for the upset victories he pulled off.
While it has currently lost three straight bowls, Fresno State has also won four of its past five meetings with teams from the BCS.
No. 46: Illinois Fighting Illini
5 of 50Record: 7-9 (43 percent)
Illinois has not fared extremely well in terms of playing in a prestigious bowl, but history says it is successful when given the chance.
The Illini are 3-2 all-time in Rose Bowls and 6-7 against current BCS teams. Tim Beckman is hopeful to put the Illini in more important bowls with Big Ten tie-ins, but the cupboard is clearly not bare.
No. 45: Missouri Tigers
6 of 50Record: 12-16 (42 percent)
The Tigers have lost two bowls in a row but have been appearing in bowls for seven straight seasons now. Heading over to the SEC could be difficult in terms of playing in a bowl game every season, but they have enough returning next season where they could turn some heads.
No. 44: Mississippi State Bulldogs
7 of 50Record: 8-6 (57 percent)
Just sneaking onto this list are the Bulldogs, who have won four straight bowl games!
Before they had those four straight wins they actually lost four in a row, so the inconsistency has been there. The bowl game they have appeared in most is the Peach Bowl (1-2).
No. 43: Washington State Cougars
8 of 50Record: 6-4 (60 percent)
The Cougars have appeared in four Rose Bowl games, getting spanked in two of them (Oklahoma, Alabama).
They gave Michigan a run for their money back in 1998 and actually defeated Brown in 1916!
The Cougars have not appeared in a bowl since 2003 but defeated Texas in the Holiday Bowl 28-20.
No. 42: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
9 of 50Record: 10-12 (45 percent)
Southern Miss defeated bowl opponents 24.9 to 21.8, though it has won just one of its past four postseason games. The single victory was a three-point victory in overtime against Troy (31-28). In a handful of games against BCS competition, the Golden Eagles have won just once (Pittsburgh, 1997).
However, they were 5-4 in the 2000s and have been a respectable program, and they're coming off a Conference USA title.
No. 41: Kentucky Wildcats
10 of 50Record: 8-7 (53 percent)
The ‘Cats had gone to five straight bowls before failing to reach six wins this season, but they are a respectable 5-6 all-time against BCS foes.
Their most famous win happens to be their 1951 Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma, and the 1984 All-American Bowl victory over Wisconsin (20-19) is high on the list as well.
No. 40: North Carolina Tar Heels
11 of 50Record: 13-15 (46 percent)
The Heels ended a three-game losing streak in the postseason after a fortunate overtime victory over Tennessee last season (30-27).
UNC was as consistent as any mid-tier team, appearing in seven bowls during the 1990s, and it appears to be on the way up with Larry Fedora taking over as soon as the postseason comes to an end.
No. 39: Louisville Cardinals
12 of 50Record: 11-11-1 (48 percent)
The Cardinals had a chance to perhaps play in the BCS National Championship Game instead of the 2007 Orange Bowl. They took care of business against Wake Forest 24-13 but have since appeared in just one bowl (last year in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl).
Louisville’s streak for most consecutive bowl games is nine seasons (1998-2006), and Charlie Strong is hoping to top that in the near future (currently at two).
No. 38: Cal Bears
13 of 50Record: 10-9-1 (50 percent)
The Bears are 2-5 all-time in the Rose Bowl, having beaten Ohio State (1921) and Alabama (1938).
Their longest bowl streak appearance was seven straight years (2003-2009), and they are looking to get back on the national map in the distant future.
Having played in seven bowls in the 2000s, Cal surprisingly went 5-2 with solid wins over Virginia Tech (Aaron Rodgers went off) and BYU.
No. 37: North Carolina State Wolfpack
14 of 50Record: 13-11-1 (52 percent)
Winning four of their past five bowl appearances by an average margin of victory of 20.5 points puts the Pack on this list.
However, they have never played in a major bowl prior to or in the current BCS era.
Tom O'Brien's team looks as if it has nowhere to go but up with the young talent he is starting to bring in.
No. 36: Oregon State Beavers
15 of 50Record: 8-5 (61 percent)
Who knew the Beavers even appeared in 13 bowls?
They went 6-2 during the 2000s. They smoked Notre Dame 41-9 in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl with a pair of receivers named Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but they also knocked off Notre Dame again in 2004 (last game in the pre-Charlie Weis era).
Two straight postseasons without Oregon State may not seem that odd, but it has certainly proven to be a solid commodity when given the opportunity.
No. 35: Toledo Rockets
16 of 50Record: 10-5 (66 percent)
The Rockets have been a dominant and respectable team in the MAC, though they have taken their fair share of lumps.
In 2002 and 2004 they were pummeled by Boston College and UConn respectively by a combined score of 90-35. They do, however, hold the advantage in average score (28-24.4) in bowl games.
No. 34: TCU Horned Frogs
17 of 50Record: 12-14-1 (44 percent)
Despite the losing record, TCU is coming off a Rose Bowl victory over Big Ten champion Wisconsin, and it is the only team other than Nevada to knock off Kellen Moore of Boise State twice.
Though that has nothing to do with the postseason, the Horned Frogs are a relevant program that gets the benefit of the doubt since they have also won five of their past six bowls.
No. 33: Stanford Cardinal
18 of 50Record: 10-11-1 (45 percent)
The Cardinal are hopeful to remain relevant even without Andrew Luck at quarterback. History says it will be a tough task since he has accomplished so much for the Cardinal.
Stanford lost three bowls in a row before it obliterated the Hokies last season, and if it was to lose to Oklahoma State, who knows if it would even be considered a lock to to play in and/or win a bowl game in the foreseeable future?
No. 32: Colorado Buffaloes
19 of 50Record: 12-16 (42 percent)
The Buffaloes have failed to appear in a bowl game the past four seasons, and the hope is they can soon return.
However, Colorado has had a solid history, appearing in eight prime-time games (3-5), and it once appeared in nine straight bowls (1988-1996).
No. 31: Purdue Boilermakers
20 of 50Record: 8-7 (53 percent)
Bob Griese, Drew Brees, Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter have all enjoyed their bowl games for the Boilermakers, though they have lost to the SEC in their last two meetings (both to Georgia).
Dan Hope has given the faithful some optimism, but they better knock off a MAC team to maintain the positive outlook on the future.
No. 30: Wisconsin Badgers
21 of 50Record: 11-11 (50 percent)
The Badgers were led by Barry Alvarez for three-fourths of the program's bowl games and went 8-3.
Bret Bielema is just 2-3, though he is appearing in his fourth New Year's bowl. The only issue with playing in vital bowls is that you will always be going up against stellar competition. The Badgers will hopefully be looking forward to their Rose Bowl this postseason against the Ducks.
No. 29: UCLA Bruins
22 of 50Record: 14-15-1 (45 percent)
The Bruins once appeared in eight straight bowl games (1981-1988), but winning seven straight (1982-1988) is a bit more noteworthy.
UCLA has only won four bowl games since 1991, but it did appear in 10 Rose Bowls prior to 1991 (5-5) and has appeared in 12 total (5-7).
The Bruins are looking to gain some hype in the near future with a bowl victory over Illinois, though Jim L. Mora will hopefully give them an additional spark compared to the past several years.
No. 28: Arizona State Sun Devils
23 of 50Record: 12-11-1 (50 percent)
The Sun Devils were a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s but have not fared well in recent memory. No longer are they known as the Fearful Forks, but they have gone 5-2 in Rose and Fiesta Bowls nonetheless.
A new coaching staff (led by Todd Graham) could perhaps get them back into respectable bowl games, which could put them higher on this list in the near future.
No. 27: Washington Huskies
24 of 50Record: 15-14 (51 percent)
Washington’s longest streak of bowl appearances was nine, from 1979-1987. The Huskies have also never won more than three bowl games in a row, but they have posted a respectable Rose Bowl record (7-6-1).
No. 26: Miami RedHawks
25 of 50Record: 7-3 (70 percent)
Known for the "Cradle of Coaches" and Big Ben Roethlisberger, Miami-Ohio has stepped up to the plate when given the spotlight. The RedHawks have won two of their last three bowl games since 1986, though they are known most for winning three straight Tangerine Bowls in the 1970s.
The MAC only has two other schools that have won at least three bowl games (NIU and Bowling Green), but without Miami it would be by far the most dreadful conference in America.
No. 25: Oklahoma State Cowboys
26 of 50Record: 13-8 (62 percent)
The Cowboys had a great team for the 1988 Holiday Bowl with Barry Sanders and quarterback Mike Gundy.
However, they have gone just 4-5 since then in bowl games.
The Pokes are taking on a legit Stanford team from the Pac-12 Conference, which they are 1-1 all-time against. Oklahoma State will be appearing in its sixth straight bowl, which is a school record. Its most dominant of bowl runs was in the 1980s, when it went 4-2 and outscored opponents 30-23 on average.
No. 24: Clemson Tigers
27 of 50Record: 16-17 (48 percent)
The Tigers have played in some critical bowl games before, though this season is the first time in a long time that it has been a nationally relevant game.
Clemson has lost four of its last five bowl games, though a few of them were to highly respectable programs. Still, if Clemson is ever going to compete for a national championship, it starts with winning its very first BCS game in its first-ever appearance.
No. 23: Boston College Eagles
28 of 50Record: 13-9 (59 percent)
BC's bowl streak was snapped at 12 years with a disappointing 2011 season, but that doesn’t keep it off this list. The Eagles had eight straight bowl victories from 2000-2007, though they have lost three since.
BC’s first-ever bowl result was a 6-3 loss to Clemson in the 1940 Cotton Bowl.
No. 22: Syracuse Orange
29 of 50Record: 13-9-1 (56 percent)
The Orange have won three of their past four bowl games, but they have been a proven commodity when they do play in December and January.
The only problem is they have not played in many postseason games over the past few decades (just three bowls since 2000 with a 2-1 record).
However, prior to 2000, Syracuse went 8-2 going back to 1989. Through 23 postseason games, Syracuse is nearly dead-even with the opposition, allowing 478 points compared to their 479.
No. 21: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
30 of 50Record: 22-17 (56 percent)
The Yellow Jackets have now gone to 15 straight bowls, which ranks among the best in the country. GT has appeared in 11 major bowls, though the 2010 Orange Bowl was its last and only historic bowl since the late 1960s.
Georgia Tech will attempt to end its current six-game losing streak when it takes on Utah in the Sun Bowl.
No. 20: Tennessee Volunteers
31 of 50Record: 25-24 (51 percent)
The Tennessee Vols are 6-10 in prime-time games, but they have just won two of their last eight games.
Since Phillip Fulmer has left Knoxville, the Volunteers have struggled, losing their past two bowl games.
No. 19: Boise State Broncos
32 of 50Record: 7-4 (63 percent)
The Broncos will forever be remembered for their comeback and historic victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
However, they were once 4-0 in bowl games and have won their only two appearances in the BCS. The Broncos will be appearing in their 10th straight bowl and will be looking for their third consecutive bowl victory.
No. 18: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
33 of 50Record: 15-15 (50 percent)
The Irish have struggled a tad in their bowl games because they have often been overmatched in overall talent—at least recently.
Notre Dame is 0-3 in the BCS (6-8 in prime-time bowls), but it is looking to change that bad history in the near future. Lou Holtz went 5-4 in bowl games, which included the 1988 national championship.
Despite some tough losses recently, history and prestige outweigh most of the bad moments.
No. 17: Iowa Hawkeyes
34 of 50Record: 14-10-1 (56 percent)
Kirk Ferentz is known as one of the best postseason coaches in the country for his ability to get his players primed and ready to showcase their talents on national television.
Ferentz is 6-3 in bowl games for Iowa, having won his last three bowls by an average of 11.3 points. There have been some magical moments, which include the 2010 Orange Bowl and 2005 Capital One Bowl.
We will find out how much magic is left when they take on a more talented Oklahoma Sooners squad that will be led by former Hawkeye (player) Bob Stoops in the Insight Bowl.
No. 16: Utah Utes
35 of 50Record: 12-4 (75 percent)
The Utes are a scary good bowl team, though they were smoked by Boise State last season and may not have the best of chances against Georgia Tech this season.
But before last season, they did happen to win nine straight bowl games!
Utah wins its bowl games by an average of a touchdown in its program history, and the bowl game it is most familiar with is the Las Vegas Bowl (now Maaco), where it is 2-1. Going 2-0 in the BCS is also helpful for a team that was once known as a non-automatic qualifier.
No. 15: Michigan Wolverines
36 of 50Record: 19-21 (47 percent)
The Wolverines have appeared in only two straight bowl games but once played in 33 straight from 1975-2007!
Plus, this is Michigan, so throw out the record, which is not too impressive. The problem with being the all-time winningest program is that you will often run into a few buzz-saw teams on New Year's.
Michigan’s fanbase travels arguably as well as any program in the country, and it certainly is enjoyable when Michigan is playing in one of those prime-time games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange), where it is 10-14 all time.
No. 14: Miami Hurricanes
37 of 50Record: 18-16 (53 percent)
The 'Canes are 9-9 in the prime-time games (Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose), but they were as dominant as any team in the nation in spurts. Miami appeared in 12 straight games from 1983-1994 and should be on the upswing in the near future.
No. 13: Ohio State Buckeyes
38 of 50Record: 20-22 (47 percent)
The Buckeyes are 14-13 in prime-time bowl games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange) and have also appeared in 11 straight bowl games overall.
Ohio State also has appeared in the most BCS games of all time (nine), and it is 6-3 in them. Before last season the Buckeyes had never beaten an SEC school in the postseason, but they now have a chance to win consecutive bowl games against the national powerhouse conference.
No. 12: Ole Miss Rebels
39 of 50Record: 21-12 (63 percent)
For a team in the SEC, Ole Miss may be the least hyped of any BCS conference team despite a few disappointing seasons.
Still, it has gone 5-4 in Sugar and Orange Bowls and has also won three straight Cotton Bowls (2004, 2009, 2010).
No. 11: Auburn Tigers
40 of 50Record: 21-13-2 (58 percent)
Auburn once appeared in nine straight bowls, but that was from 1982-1990. The Tigers have won their last four bowl games, though it has not been in four straight seasons.
Despite having a solid bowl record, the Tigers have actually been outscored 19.5-19.4 throughout the program's prestigious history.
No. 10: Nebraska Cornhuskers
41 of 50Record: 24-23 (51 percent)
The Huskers are 13-16 in the prime-time bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange) and once appeared in 35 straight bowls (1969-2003).
Prior to the late 1980s, Nebraska was not accustomed to losing bowl games.
However, it did lose seven straight from 1987-1993, which is its longest losing streak in bowl games.
No. 9: Texas Longhorns
42 of 50Record: 25-22-2 (51 percent)
Texas is darn prestigious, as it is 6-4 (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose) in those prestigious bowls.
However, in the mid-20th century the Cotton Bowl was as important as any of the bowl games for the Longhorns.
Texas is 10-10-1 all-time in the Cotton Bowl, but it certainly has a ton of future prime-time games ahead of it in the near future.
Going from Darrell Royal to Mack Brown has given us a ton of bowl games, but the magic has never stopped. Vince Young appeared in two of the greatest BCS bowls (Rose) in the history of the sport, and it has been a joy to watch all of Texas' classics.
Texas had appeared in 12 straight bowls before it fell short last year.
No. 8: Georgia Bulldogs
43 of 50Record: 26-17-3 (56 percent)
The Dawgs are 7-6 in prime-time games, but they have now appeared in 15 straight bowl games.
Georgia has had some key wins in January, and another one in the Outback Bowl could help it become a Top Five team next season.
No. 7: Florida Gators
44 of 50Record: 19-19 (50 percent)
The Gators have owned the BCS era despite their struggles this season, but they also appeared in a boatload of prestigious bowl games. They have won 10 New Year’s Day or later-dated bowl games in their past 17 appearances.
Florida is 7-6 all-time in the major bowl games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange).
No. 6: LSU Tigers
45 of 50Record: 22-19-1 (52 percent)
The Bayou Bengals have appeared in 12 straight bowl games and are attempting to win their third BCS national championship, which would be the record.
LSU is also 9-10 in prime-time games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange), but it is arguably the top-notch program in college football right now. If Les Miles can keep it going, he may be setting a few more records in Baton Rouge.
No. 5: Penn State Nittany Lions
46 of 50Record: 27-14-2 (62 percent)
The Nittany Lions were dominant in terms of appearing in New Year’s bowls in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. They will have now appeared in six straight bowl games, with their longest streak standing at 13.
PSU has gone 12-6 in prime-time games, which is certainly impressive.
Penn State has been among the best bowl teams every season, and even with all of the recent coaching changes, the Nittany Lions have a great chance to upset Houston to further improve their postseason status.
No. 4: Alabama Crimson Tide
47 of 50Record: 33-22-3 (56 percent)
The Tide once appeared in 25 straight bowl games from 1959-1983 but are going to their eighth straight this season.
Nick Saban has taken this team to a New Year’s Day bowl in four of the past five seasons (his tenure) and is also looking for the school's second BCS national championship. The Crimson Tide have appeared in the third-most prime-time bowl games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange) of all time, with a record of 17-11-1 in them.
No. 3: Florida State Seminoles
48 of 50Record: 23-14-2 (59 percent)
Florida State has appeared in 30 straight bowls going all the way back to 1982! The Seminoles have gone an unprecedented 22-6-1 in that time frame, which includes 14 seasons of Top Four finishes (14 straight Top Four finishes from 1988-2001).
Though Florida State hasn't appeared in a BCS bowl since 2006, the Seminoles have won three straight bowl games.
They have also outscored their bowl opponents by an average score of 25.2-21.0, and FSU has appeared in 18 major bowls (Sugar, Fiesta, Rose, Orange), which is in the top 10 for most of all time.
Had the Seminoles been able to play in a few more national championship games and/or win a few more national titles, they certainly would have topped this list.
No. 2: Oklahoma Sooners
49 of 50Record: 26-17-1 (59 percent)
The mighty Sooners have appeared in 31 prime-time bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange), having gone 19-12 in them. Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops are collectively as good as it gets when it comes to the postseason.
Fact: Oklahoma is the only school to have four coaches (listed above) win 100 or more games.
No. 1: USC Trojans
50 of 50Record: 32-16 (66 percent)
The "V" must stand for victory in January, because the Trojans are the best in the game.
The Trojans have appeared in 33 Rose Bowls, which is flat-out ridiculous (36 prime-time bowls: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta).
USC also has the best winning percentage of any program in the country that has appeared in at least 30 bowls.
The Trojans have had a prestigious history of winning prime-time games, whether it has been under John Robinson, John McKay or Pete Carroll. Make no mistake about it—they are the best in the sport at playing in the national spotlight.
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