Everyone enjoys watching teams light up the scoreboard on a Saturday. And some teams did so at an astonishing rate. Ranking the top five offenses in college football history highlights the teams that beat their opponents into submission.
2019 LSU Tigers
Although some may claim that recency bias is the reason behind the 2019 LSU Tigers getting the nod over other historic teams, it’s hard to overlook how potent Joe Burrow and company were throughout the season, especially down the home stretch. In his final five games of the season, which included two wins in the College Football Playoff against Oklahoma and Clemson, the Heisman Trophy-winning Burrow averaged nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns per game.
2005 USC Trojans
The Trojans were already getting their 2004 Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart back for his senior season, so you know they would be firing on all cylinders. And with Reggie Bush’s 220-plus all-purpose yards per game, they were an unstoppable force until they met Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl. Bush went on to win the 2005 Heisman, making it the first time a backfield consisted of two winners of college football’s most prestigious award.
1994 Penn State Nittany Lions
We usually don’t associate traditional Big 10 teams as offensive juggernauts, but the 1994 Penn State Nittany Lions were mighty. This team would score fast and often, putting up nearly 50 points per game on drives that were approximately two minutes long.
They had plenty of NFL talent, including the number one overall pick, Ki-Jana Carter. They punctuated their season with a 38-20 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl, but the highlight was throttling Ohio State 63-14 in the middle of their undefeated season.
1971 Oklahoma Sooners
With the inception of the air raid offense in today’s game, we won’t ever see the likes of a team like the 1971 Oklahoma Sooners again. The Sooners finished the season number two behind the only team that defeated them, the Nebraska Cornhusker, but their offensive statistics were out of this world.
Oklahoma averaged over 470 rushing yards and 6.8 yards per carry. They had two rushers, Greg Pruitt, and their QB, Jack Mildren, rush over 1,000 yards. Even their third-string running back, Roy Bell, ran for over 600, making them the most electric rushing team ever assembled.
1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Do you know all those great teams Nebraska fans reference whenever they want to seem like a credible team in 2022? The 1995 team is what their default defense is. And it’s hard to argue against them, considering they were the best offensive team the sport has ever seen.
The Tommie Frazier-led Cornhuskers averaged 53 points a game with a schedule that featured seven winning teams, four of which had over 10 wins. They waxed anyone standing in their way, capping off their perfect season with a 62-24 shellacking of the Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl.
In the storied history of the game that featured hundreds of special teams, it’s challenging to rank the top five offenses in college football history. Yet, these five teams reign supreme over the competition. If you want to walk away a huge winner like these programs, Pregame’s knowledgeable CFB picks against the spread are a great place to start. Follow the advice of expert analysts to know what games you should focus on for the upcoming week.