I think the question is how exclusive you make that group. If you include schools like Tennessee, Georgia and Penn St, then you have to give consideration to LSU as well. If you go for stricter entry requirements, then there would be 5-7 schools and none of those schools would make it.

I would argue that teams lose blue blood status when they no longer compete at the highest level of the sport. That would eliminate the Ivy League schools that dominated the early days of college football. It would also exclude Army and Navy who do not have Power 5 status.

The AP poll era gives us a more structured source of comparison and the reality is that there were limited programs outside the Northeast and Midwest with national stature prior to that time. Some weight should be given to the achievements of schools like Michigan, ND, Alabama and USC prior to 1936, but the poll era is a good starting point.

5 schools have more than 1000 poll points in the final AP polls since 1936: Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio St, Notre Dame and Michigan. USC is next, followed by Nebraska, Texas and Penn St at over 700. Tennessee, LSU and Georgia are 10th, 11th and 12th.

Next let’s look at NCs in the poll era. Alabama is way in front with 13 with ND second at 8. There are a total of 7 schools with 5+: Bama, ND, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio St, Nebraska and Miami. LSU, Texas and Minnesota complete the Top 10 with 4. Georgia, Michigan, Penn St and Tennessee from the other list have 2 (behind Florida, Florida St and Clemson with 3).

Expanding the scope a little we can look at all-time wins for current Power 5 programs. There are 8 programs with more than 900: Michigan, Alabama, Ohio St, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn St and Nebraska. Tennessee, USC, Georgia and LSU are 9-12.

The 12 current Power 5 programs with more than 800 wins all-time are also the Top 12 all-time in the AP poll. That’s a fairly easy cutoff to make for blue blood status that would include LSU.

If you are going to start to pare the list down from there, Georgia and Tennessee would be the first to go. There are near the bottom of the 12 in wins and all-time poll standings and have only 2 NCs each in the poll era. That leaves LSU in the Top 10 if that’s your cutoff.

The next cut is probably where LSU gets dropped. The 4 NCs are strong but 3 of those are in the last 20 years. Beyond that they are just outside the Top 10 in wins and poll standings. Penn St is other team that would fall out next with only 2 NCs, 9th in the AP standings and 7th in wins, many coming against programs that weren’t in the upper echelon prior to the 1970s. You can make arguments either way as to which should be 9th and which should be 10th. Either way, if there are 8 or fewer programs on your blue bloods list, LSU is out.

Nebraska and Texas would probably fall off next if you just go with the Top 6 in the AP polls. Michigan is light on poll era NCs, but they had a number in the pre-poll era.

Upper Echelon:
Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio St and Oklahoma.

Next 2: USC and Michigan

Next 2: Nebraska and Texas

Next 2: Penn St and LSU

Next 2: Tennessee and Georgia