USC Football Ranks No. 5 In All-Time AP Poll

USC football ranks No. 5 in the All-Time AP Top 25 poll, which compiled the results of every AP poll since 1936 to determine the historical ranking.

The AP poll won the offseason Tuesday, celebrating its 80th anniversary by releasing their all All-Time Top 25.

USC football, unsurprisingly, appears along side the top programs in the country — occupying the No. 5 spot with 974 points.

Ahead of the Trojans? Ohio State at No. 1, Oklahoma at No. 2, Notre Dame at No. 3 and Alabama at No. 4.

The criteria for the All-Time Top 25 took poll appearances, No. 1 rankings and AP championships into account with a point system. Polls going back to 1936 determined the rankings.

Here’s some nuggets on USC’s place in the polls:

Total appearances:

743, 67.36% of all polls

First appearance:

1936

No.1 ranking:

90 1/2

Championships:

Five (last 2004)

Best full decade:

1970s appeared in 89.86% of polls.

Worst full decade:

1940s appeared in 47.43% of polls.

Poll point:

The Trojans were top-ranked 42 times from Dec. 7, 2003-Sept. 21, 2008 under coach Pete Carroll.

The first AP poll appearance for the men of Troy was in 1936 under Howard Jones, who had already won three national championships with the Trojans by that point.

However, USC’s first AP national championships didn’t come until 1962 when John McKay’s Trojans went undefeated. The AP also recognized the Trojans as champions in 1967, 1972, 2003 and 2004.

USC’s 90-and-a-half No. 1 rankings are well better than Alabama’s 74, but the Crimson Tide have the Trojans doubled in AP Championships, which explains their spot ahead.

An astounding 42 of USC’s No. 1 rankings came during the Pete Carroll era, from December 2003 to September 2008.

SEE ALSO: 5 Best Moments of the Pete Carroll Era

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Still, the Trojans best decade was in the 1970s, when McKay and John Robinson won three national championships, though just one of those was awarded by the AP, and six conference championships.

Interestingly enough, USC’s worst decade — the 1940s — still featured four PCC championships under Jeff Cravath.

The next-highest ranked Pac-12 team behind USC is UCLA at No. 17 with Washington claiming a spot at No. 20. Outside of the Top 25 but inside the Top 50 are Colorado at No. 27, Oregon at No. 28, Arizona State at No. 30, Stanford at No. 32, Cal at No. 45.

Arizona checked in at No. 54, Washington State at No. 59, Utah at No. 64 and Oregon State at No. 65.