The Associated Press devised a formula to rank all the Division I college football programs since the AP’s ranking system began in 1936, and Northwestern finished 50th, one spot ahead of in-state rival Illinois.
Titled simply “The Top 100”, the rankings had Ohio State at No. 1. Here’s how it works:
To determine the all-time Top 25, the AP formula counted poll appearances (one point) to mark consistency, No. 1 rankings (two points) to acknowledge elite programs and gave a bonus for AP championships (10 points).
There have been 1,103 polls over the 80 years of AP polls.