We cover all four divisions of NCAA football at HERO Sports, so we often find ourselves debating the definition of 'success' in college football. 
Is it all about national championships? Wins and losses? Conference titles and individual awards? Something else? And how does success at one level compare to success at another?
Last year we set out to create an equation to level the playing field and figure out the best college football teams by state. The first edition of this piece inspired a lot of discussion, debate, interest, and only a few threatening emails.
So we decided to do it again.
The equation we used this time is a little different from the one we used the first time around. The biggest difference is that now, every team is judged on the same timeline: all stats and records are from the last five seasons. Older programs don't have an advantage this time. It's all about what they've done lately.
Scores are tabulated on the following criteria:
Winning Percentage x 10
MVP Awards (Heisman/Payton/Hill/Gagliardi): 0.5 points
AFCA Coach of the Year Awards: 0.5 points
Each Bowl Game Appearance: 0.5 points
Each Conference Championship: 0.75 points
Each Playoff Appearance: 1 point
Each National Championship: 2 points
Let's get to it. The top college football teams by state, 2017 edition. Use your arrow keys or the arrows above and below to navigate the list, or jump straight to your home state with the directory below:
