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September 02, 2003 | Football
So how do you rank the top 25 college-football programs in the country?
The easy answer: You don't. But we tried to do it anyway.
Hey, anybody can sit down and do a preseason Top 25. The Times, on the other hand, has attempted to get a grip on the ungraspable to compile a worthwhile ranking of the best 25 football programs in the nation.
It's something akin to seeing a fiery red leaf break from the highest branch of a tall oak in October and then trying to track and grab it before it touches the ground...