Alabama football is not unique in setting National Championship goals before a season. In recent years, those goals have been realistic more frequently for the Alabama Crimson Tide. A historical look at college football’s top National Championship programs shows why other schools often share similar optimism.
According to NCAA records, only 44 schools have won National Championships since the first was awarded for a two-game season in 1869. The number over a shorter interval, beginning in 1919, drops to 37 CFB programs. Keep in mind, before the BCS in 1998, it was not uncommon for more than one team to be declared a National Champion.