Which college football blue bloods are actually still blue bloods in 2026?

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MisterGopher

MisterGopher

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https://www.yardbarker.com/college_...y_still_blue_bloods_in_2026/s1_13132_43601104

What makes a college football team a blue blood? To most people the blue blood teams are teams that have a history of winning, national championships, players who won the Heisman, big fans bases and money. However with a larger playoff system the term blue blood and the "traditional" blue blood teams have changed.
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So, which teams qualify in 2026?

Still 100% Blue Bloods​

  • Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Ohio State Buckeyes
  • Michigan Wolverines
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  • Oklahoma Sooners
These schools have been considered blue bloods and still are. All had recent success since 2000 and have historical success while still driving TV ratings.

Name is bigger than their results​

Some of these are close to either being or still being a blue blood in 2026, but they just haven't done enough. Nebraska, historically a great team, has not found much success in in recent years. For the rest of the teams they have been too up and down to say they for sure have great recent and historical success.


New/Almost Blue Bloods​

These three teams are very strong recently and grab major online attention, but lack historical dominance. LSU has three titles since 2003 and multiple SEC titles. Georgia has three total titles but has been at least a top two or three team so far in the 2020s. Oregon, while lacking with zero titles, has been in several playoff games and has a strong winning percentage since 2000. To younger and newer fans these teams are up there when talking about other blue bloods.
 








MNVCGUY said:
Seems like Penn State should be in the name is bigger then then results group.

Nebraska stopped being a Blue Blood a while ago.
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They could be considered one rung below Michigan and OSU. They've had some very solid teams as well. Maybe a brides made the last several years? Unlike Nebraska, they have had some very loaded rousters.
 

STPGopher said:
They could be considered one rung below Michigan and OSU. They've had some very solid teams as well. Maybe a brides made the last several years? Unlike Nebraska, they have had some very loaded rousters.
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I just look at it from the standpoint that before the expansion the big 3 was OSU, Mich and Penn State. Oregon joined that group for sure when the PAC 12 teams came on board and USC is borderline.

I think part of the issue is looking at the traditional blue bloods really doesn't work in the current college football landscape. Heck, I'm not even sure Oklahoma belongs in that top tier anymore.
 



I think everyone bulleted in your lists are bluebloods except for Nebraska.
 

I always sigh when I see Nebraska on someone’s blue blood list. Anywhere on any blue blood list.

The closest they come now is their argument related to a big loyal fanbase. But the sellout streak is a hoax (corps buying out unsold tickets) and if that is enough to be a blue blood then Iowa is a blue blood too and we KNOW that isn’t true.

It’s been 30 years since Nebraska was a threat nationally. If that isn’t enough to lose Blueblood status then MN is a blueblood too given there was a time in the past when that was true.

If there is a category for “fanbase thinks they are a blueblood despite actual results” - then okay, they qualify for that.

Meanwhile, here’s to getting the Gopher win streak over Nebraska to 10.
 

RememberMurray said:
Is Notre Dame a blue blood?
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Yes. I guess a big part of who is on the list is based on how long the list is.

-OSU
-Michigan
-OU
-Texas
-PSU
-ND
-FSU
-Miami
-Florida
-USC
-Oregon
-LSU
-Bama

These would be my blue bloods. The Florida schools have all been roller coasters recently especially Florida and FSU have had some really bad years recently, but they still seem very capable of bringing in championship talent, unless I’m very unaware of new challenges they face in the current NIL/Transfer era, which I very well could be.
 

btowngopher said:
Yes. I guess a big part of who is on the list is based on how long the list is.

-OSU
-Michigan
-OU
-Texas
-PSU
-ND
-FSU
-Miami
-Florida
-USC
-Oregon
-LSU
-Bama

These would be my blue bloods. The Florida schools have all been roller coasters recently especially Florida and FSU have had some really bad years recently, but they still seem very capable of bringing in championship talent, unless I’m very unaware of new challenges they face in the current NIL/Transfer era, which I very well could be.
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Paying under the table was cheaper?
 



It wild they are saying oregon almost a blue blood with zero national titles and only one appearance

Washington has been to a national title game more recently than Oregon


Oregon is a top 5 non blue blood. You gotta actually win something to be a blue blood,
 

Valid point. It's amazing what money, brand, and image can do for a team. Oregon hasbeen consistently solid for a long time now but to your point they've never won what matters.
 

It's crazy to put Texas into the same category as Nebraska and Florida.

Texas has two top 5 finishes in the last three years. How is Oklahoma a real blue blood and not Texas?
 

Not sure where Clemson belongs, but they have to be among these teams as a blue blood or former blue blood. They were one of the two most dominant teams of the 2010s (along with Bama), appearing in the CFP 6 consecutive times between 2015-20, and in the finals 4 times, winning 2 national championships. They had 2 Heisman finalists in that era (Watson and Lawrence) and flooded the NFL with stud players, including Lawrence as a #1 pick. They’ve fallen back to the pack in part because Dabo has refused to play the NIL and portal game, but for a decade they were as dominant as any program in the country.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
Valid point. It's amazing what money, brand, and image can do for a team. Oregon hasbeen consistently solid for a long time now but to your point they've never won what matters.
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They’re for sure one of the best non blue bloods. But if you’ve won a national title post 2000 you’re ahead of Oregon
 

Categories (in no order within the category)
All time greats:
Alabama
Ohio State
Michigan


Great now but not all time great:
Georgia
Clemson
Texas
LSU

Blue bloods who need to win a national title sometime because they haven’t in 20+ years
Notre dame
Penn state
Nebraska
Tennessee
Miami
Oklahoma
USC

Non blue bloods that need to win a national title sometime title:
Oregon

Great but I don’t know where to put them
Florida state
Florida


Teams what have a national title post 1976 but don’t belong on this list in any other categories:
Auburn
Indiana
Washington
Colorado
Georgia Tech
BYU
Pitt

Former blue bloods
Minnesota
Army


Terrible programs
Iowa
Wisconsin
 

Schnauzer said:
I always sigh when I see Nebraska on someone’s blue blood list. Anywhere on any blue blood list.

The closest they come now is their argument related to a big loyal fanbase. But the sellout streak is a hoax (corps buying out unsold tickets) and if that is enough to be a blue blood then Iowa is a blue blood too and we KNOW that isn’t true.

It’s been 30 years since Nebraska was a threat nationally. If that isn’t enough to lose Blueblood status then MN is a blueblood too given there was a time in the past when that was true.

If there is a category for “fanbase thinks they are a blueblood despite actual results” - then okay, they qualify for that.

Meanwhile, here’s to getting the Gopher win streak over Nebraska to 10.
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Honestly, what else is there to do in Lincoln...
 

Some guy said:
Categories (in no order within the category)
All time greats:
Alabama
Ohio State
Michigan


Great now but not all time great:
Georgia
Clemson
Texas
LSU

Blue bloods who need to win a national title sometime because they haven’t in 20+ years
Notre dame
Penn state
Nebraska
Tennessee
Miami
Oklahoma
USC

Non blue bloods that need to win a national title sometime title:
Oregon

Great but I don’t know where to put them
Florida state
Florida


Teams what have a national title post 1976 but don’t belong on this list in any other categories:
Auburn
Indiana
Washington
Colorado
Georgia Tech
BYU
Pitt

Former blue bloods
Minnesota
Army


Terrible programs
Iowa
Wisconsin
Click to expand...

"Terrible programs
Iowa
Wisconsin"


Love it
 

btowngopher said:
Yes. I guess a big part of who is on the list is based on how long the list is.

-OSU
-Michigan
-OU
-Texas
-PSU
-ND
-FSU
-Miami
-Florida
-USC
-Oregon
-LSU
-Bama

These would be my blue bloods. The Florida schools have all been roller coasters recently especially Florida and FSU have had some really bad years recently, but they still seem very capable of bringing in championship talent, unless I’m very unaware of new challenges they face in the current NIL/Transfer era, which I very well could be.
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I would add Clemson to my list. My list is based on the last 25 years at minimum. You have to have done something in the past 25 years, and I’ll allow for slightly less if you did a lot in the 10-15 years prior to that.
 

MNVCGUY said:
I just look at it from the standpoint that before the expansion the big 3 was OSU, Mich and Penn State. Oregon joined that group for sure when the PAC 12 teams came on board and USC is borderline.

I think part of the issue is looking at the traditional blue bloods really doesn't work in the current college football landscape. Heck, I'm not even sure Oklahoma belongs in that top tier anymore.
Click to expand...
Ya, they are the New Nebraska. Stink but don't know it yet.
 

btowngopher said:
Yes. I guess a big part of who is on the list is based on how long the list is.

-OSU
-Michigan
-OU
-Texas
-PSU
-ND
-FSU
-Miami
-Florida
-USC
-Oregon
-LSU
-Bama

These would be my blue bloods. The Florida schools have all been roller coasters recently especially Florida and FSU have had some really bad years recently, but they still seem very capable of bringing in championship talent, unless I’m very unaware of new challenges they face in the current NIL/Transfer era, which I very well could be.
Click to expand...
Good list but shouldn't Georgia also be on it?
 

MNVCGUY said:
Good list but shouldn't Georgia also be on it?
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They should, that’s another one I missed. So with Georgia and Clemson it’s a 15 team list, which seems about right to me. Couple teams on the bubble with a chance to get in with continued success over the next decade would be Washington, Ole Miss, and Indiana.
 

btowngopher said:
I would add Clemson to my list. My list is based on the last 25 years at minimum. You have to have done something in the past 25 years, and I’ll allow for slightly less if you did a lot in the 10-15 years prior to that.
Click to expand...
Clemson is in a very precarious spot right now. Dabo mastered the pre-NIL/transfer era, built a juggernaut there, and the results showed. They are not well-equipped for this new era we're in. I wouldn't call them a Blue Blood, actually. Also, great QB's can make everything look better. Having Watson + Lawrence really carried that program. Just look at Lincoln Reilly, lucked into Baker, Hurts, Caleb Williams and since then he has shown his true colors
 

GophEnEspaña said:
Clemson is in a very precarious spot right now. Dabo mastered the pre-NIL/transfer era, built a juggernaut there, and the results showed. They are not well-equipped for this new era we're in. I wouldn't call them a Blue Blood, actually. Also, great QB's can make everything look better. Having Watson + Lawrence really carried that program. Just look at Lincoln Reilly, lucked into Baker, Hurts, Caleb Williams and since then he has shown his true colors
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If you want to shoot an early shot and call that their blue blood era is coming to an end then sure, but they’ve clearly been one of the best programs over the past twenty years. Of course great QBs help, there’s no such thing as a blue blood that wins a lot despite awful qb play.
 


If you go to Madison.com(the Wisconsin state journal site the first 6 stories are badger stuff. Strib.com and you will need to page down to get to a gopher story.
 

Spaulding!No! said:
If you go to Madison.com(the Wisconsin state journal site the first 6 stories are badger stuff. Strib.com and you will need to page down to get to a gopher story.
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It's a company town, and really the only reason people in Madison would read the newspaper any more is to get UW sports news.
 

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