As we prepare to embark on yet another college football season, The Sporting News took a look at the 25 greatest college football personalities of all time.
Any college football fan will recognize the names. Some are coaches, while others are players. Broadcasters and media types populated the list, too.
And, yes, so did mascots.
“As someone who gets a little tired of college football lists, I must confess I found this one fairly fascinating,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum told this reporter about being ranked No. 6 on the list right behind former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth and right in front of former Florida coach Steve Spurrier. “Being ranked ahead of Tim Tebow and Nick Saban in anything is a career bucket list.”
Agree or disagree with the order of the list, but clearly most of these names belong here.
“The ‘The Paul Finebaum Show’ soared in popularity during the SEC’s stranglehold of college football during the BCS and four-team College Football Playoff era,” The Sporting News reads. “Finebaum’s understated delivery, strong opinions and self-deprecating sense of humor rile up callers who stir the pot for arguments that often cross over into Big Ten country. It makes for some of the most entertaining material in the social-media era, and Finebaum continues to contribute to being the leading provocateur in the sport.”
Broadcasters dominate the top of the list.
Former ESPN and “College GameDay” host Lee Corso comes in at No. 1 followed by the late “Pope of College Football” Beano Cook.
Former Mississippi State coach, the “Pirate” himself, the late Mike Leach ranks No. 4.
Rounding out the top 10: (7) Steve Spurrier, former Florida coach, (8) Lou Holtz, former coach and broadcaster, (9) Nick Saban, former coach and now broadcaster and (10) Tim Tebow, former player and now broadcaster.
Saban is one of two former Alabama coaches to make the list with Paul “Bear” Bryant listed at No. 12.
The Big Ten gets some love with former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes at No. 22.
Yes, we mentioned mascots. Oregon’s duck Puddles (No. 24) and Georgia’s Uga (No. 13) are on the list.
Check out the full list and tell us in the comment section what they got wrong and who was left out.
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