The Zeitgeist List

Where every program stands

A computed 14-tier ranking of all 138 FBS programs — from Dynasty down to Regional Program. It weighs how good a team is, what it has actually won, and its talent, with recent years counting most. Not how they're playing this week — what the program is.

Dynasty

Alabama

A program clearing 2 titles in 3 years or 3 in 7 — the sport's active dynasty.

Programs ranked

138

Every FBS team, one computed ladder, updated as results land.

Biggest riser

Clemson

Up 7 tiers since 1936 — the era's clearest climb.

Rewind

As of 2021 · drag through the years to see the board move.

Dynasty1

Alabama98.8

Blue Blood4

Ohio State81.3

Clemson81.2

Georgia71.9

LSU69.0

Power Program28

Oklahoma75.6

Notre Dame62.3

Michigan60.8

Oregon59.6

Florida59.6

USC58.7

Penn State57.9

Florida State56.7

Auburn55.5

Texas54.5

Wisconsin54.1

Miami53.6

Texas A&M52.3

Washington50.2

Utah50.1

Boise State48.1

Cincinnati47.4

Oklahoma State47.0

TCU46.7

Pittsburgh46.4

Baylor45.9

Iowa45.8

Michigan State45.0

Ole Miss44.4

Tennessee43.4

BYU43.0

Mississippi State42.9

Stanford42.5

National Program32

Virginia Tech41.6

Nebraska41.5

Louisville40.4

UCLA39.8

Kansas State39.8

North Carolina39.6

South Carolina39.4

Houston39.3

Arizona State39.1

UCF38.9

App State38.8

Missouri37.4

West Virginia37.0

NC State37.0

Minnesota36.1

Iowa State35.1

Kentucky34.6

Arkansas33.3

Memphis32.6

San Diego State32.3

Texas Tech31.6

Georgia Tech31.4

Virginia31.2

California30.6

Wake Forest28.6

Washington State28.3

Fresno State28.1

Toledo27.6

Northwestern27.4

Indiana27.4

Louisiana27.3

Boston College26.5

Regional Program65

SMU26.6

Marshall26.3

Utah State25.2

Western Kentucky24.7

Air Force24.6

Purdue24.2

Tulsa23.8

Navy23.8

Western Michigan23.3

Arizona23.1

Oregon State23.1

Illinois23.0

South Florida22.9

Maryland22.8

Nevada22.4

Army22.1

Louisiana Tech21.7

Colorado21.2

Florida Atlantic20.5

Duke20.4

Syracuse20.4

Tulane19.5

UTSA19.4

UAB19.3

Ohio19.1

Vanderbilt19.0

Troy18.9

East Carolina18.6

Temple18.6

Arkansas State18.6

Miami (OH)18.5

Wyoming18.4

Coastal Carolina17.7

Liberty17.6

Northern Illinois17.3

Central Michigan17.2

Georgia Southern16.6

Rutgers16.4

Middle Tennessee15.8

Hawai'i14.7

Colorado State14.5

Old Dominion14.1

Southern Miss13.7

Georgia State11.6

Buffalo11.3

South Alabama10.8

Florida International10.5

UNLV10.4

North Texas10.1

San José State10.1

Charlotte9.8

Kansas9.2

Ball State8.9

Eastern Michigan8.4

UConn7.5

Kent State6.8

Texas State6.7

New Mexico6.4

Bowling Green6.4

Rice5.6

UL Monroe4.4

Massachusetts3.5

Akron3.1

New Mexico State2.7

UTEP2.7

A program is held to Dynasty or Blue Blood only with real titles behind it — so a #1-by-score team without recent hardware sits in Blue Blood, and elite-but-title-less programs land in Power Program (they carry the history on a heritage badge, not the tier). Dashed outline = held below its score by the titles gate. Full method at /about-model/.