Why FSU Football has been best program in country over last 30 years

FSU football has been among the heavyweights in the sport over the last three decades – but one reason sticks out that puts them above all the rest.

During the season to forget last year, as the FSU football team got beatdown by Boston College to limp to a 2-5 record at that point, it finally hit me for the first time: the Seminoles might finish the season with a losing record. It was like cold water in your face first thing in the morning for one very simple reason.

I, like many alumni or fans of the school who have only been on this earth for around four decades, have never seen the Seminoles finish a season with a losing record. While our rivals have dealt with it a lot lately (Florida two of the last five seasons, Miami two of the last 11) fans on garnet gold have always enjoyed more wins than losses each of the last 41 seasons.

It’s that consistency why FSU football has been the best college football program over the last three decades.

Recently, USA Today Sports ranked their top 25 college football programs of the last 25 years and put the Seminoles at No. 3, behind Alabama and Ohio State.

"They may not consistently be at the heights they were in the 1990’s, when they were perennial national championship contenders, but the program is still among the best, and is tied for most Top 25 finishes in the last 25 years with Ohio State."

Over that span of seasons from 1993 to 2017, the Noles have finished the season ranked in the polls 21 times with 12 of them being a top 10 finish. Add the six seasons before that so you have an even 30 year sample and the numbers go up to 27 and 18 respectively – by far the best in all of college football during that span.

In the world where trophies are the only that that matters, FSU football comes up right in the middle of he conversation considering they are tied with Florida and Nebraska for the third most titles since 1987 with three crowns (behind just Alabama with six and Miami with four).

But college football is more than just who is hoisting the trophy at the end of each season – it’s a matter of who is going out there and getting the job done year in and year out. FSU football has been the perfect example of consistency over that span.

Alabama can’t say that – they have four losing seasons since 1987 to go along with their trophies. The Buckeyes have won in 2011 that came three seasons before their national title. Anyone can have a good season and win it all with the cards falling their way – it takes a real program to consistently put a winning result on the field.

Next: Writer says Noles have no chance at 2018 national title

FSU football is that real program – and with 2018 likely to be a better season than a 7-6 campaign last year, the argument will be solidified as why their complete body of work is better than all the rest.