ESPN.com recently relied on three analysts (Pat Forde, Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach) to pick the best 40 programs in college football. This isn’t a top 25 projection for the 2009 season nor is it a listing of the most storied or popular programs of all time nor is a list of the best teams at this very moment; it is a hybrid list of the best teams when “all things considered” out of all 120 NCAA programs.

Three men drafted what they called the ”most successful programs in the nation” based on well… whatever criteria they choose to use. There was no set formula (though wins and losses mattered most) and there was no birthright for any team based solely on its history- 21st century domination was more important than what happened in the 1930s. Fan followings, history and overall team prestige counted as well. So really once you realize the criteria is total bullshit it doesn’t even mean anything at all to be ranked on this list… but ANY time Virginia Tech beats FSU, Miami, and UVA I will happily brag about it.

Here is a portion of the list:
1. USC
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. OSU
7. Penn State
8. Alabama
9. Notre Dame
10. Georgia
11. Michigan
12. Nebraska
13. Virginia Tech
14. FSU
15. Tennessee
…
24. Miami
…
36. Boston College

Apparently these 40-teams will be split up in to four 10-team conferences for a nauseating season-long ESPN.com mock tournament that will pit each team against one another in a weekly fictitious elimination match ending (most likely) with a giant picture of Pete Carroll snorting coke out of Mark Sanchez’s hair. Either way, its good to be the top of the ACC and I’m very proud of how far this school’s football program has come since I went to my first game in 1996.

Link to the list: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4375901