I think they accidentally revealed it was Red Grange during the Illinois game with USC. They showed a slide with the number one. I don't think they meant to reveal it this early.
That list is a joke. Politics came into play with it and that's a shame. Red Grange number 1? Biggest contribution to college football? Yes, but greatest player of all-time? No way. Matt Leinart and Ricky Williams being left off is just pathetic...especially since Reggie Bush came in 24th. Leinart had more to do with USC's success far more than RB. Leinart helped USC win a share of the title his sophomore year, all out title and Heisman his junior year, and played for a title his senior year.
I'm fine going with the nostalgia pick for number one. but Vince was what? 15th or something stupid like that? And no Ricky? That's pathetic.
I know Barry Sanders had a season that will never be matched, but that's it, it was just one season. Herschel Walker had three great seasons where he lead Georgia to three conference titles and a national title and finished 3rd, 2nd and 1st in Heisman voting in his three year career.
Red Grange is the one player I can think of that truly could beat teams single handedly the way VY did. Ironically, his “coming out” game was a 1924 game where he ran all over the Michigan defense just like VY did in the ’05 Rose Bowl, except Grange already had 4 TDs by the end of the first quarter and it was against a much better defense. In my own rankings, I have Grange #1 and VY #2.
Here we go again with the "I didn't see him play in the last three years so he couldn't possibly be any good" crowd. Red Grange was the likely #1 pick all along, certainly he would be in the top 5. Football was played before 2000, although the fact may surprise a large number of you.
I know Ricky set the rushing record and all but am I the only one who thinks Earl should be on the list before Ricky?
It is probably Red Grange but I don't think he was the greatest player ever in college. Sure he helped get interest in college but football was already strong by then. What he really did was help make the NFL and got it started good. They (the NFL) could give each of his surviving family member a million dollars and they would only be giving them something they deserved for what he did for the NFL.
at the end of the day, any list like this would make everybody unhappy somewhere along the line... I think Red Grange at #1 is a fine choice. A way better choice than most. I'm kind of surpised in a way that someone that basically nobody saw play ended up there, but based on his own era, he was the best, and that's how you end up having to do these. Otherwise you end up with only current players, because you talk yourself into the measurables - and today's weight/speed numbers are not going to be matched by anyone in the 20's or teens. But in their own era, Grange and Thorpe and Doak Walker were magnificent players. The other problem with the list is how you figure in greatest years vs. greatest careers... As someone already said, Barry Sanders had probably the best year any RB ever had, but that was really about it. And if his one year makes him #2 - how come OJ's 2 years don't make him #1? And how in the hell can anyone not based in either LA or Bristol think that Reggie Bush was better in either career or best year than Ricky??? If it were up to me, I'd change more than a few of the choices. But... I might leave Jim Thorpe and Red Grange just where they were...
