The almanac · Carousel · 2014–2026
Carousel records of the war
Every season since 2014, replayed to the county. Each record links to the exact moment on the map.
Empire
The largest empires ever
peak holdings at any moment · square miles are planar estimates
| № | Team | Square miles | Counties | Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  LSU | 3,237,145 | 2,560 | 2019 · Bowls 1 › |
| 2 |  Alabama | 3,104,924 | 2,436 | 2016 · Week 8 › |
| 3 |  Clemson | 3,104,924 | 2,436 | 2016 · Bowls 1 › |
| 4 |  Michigan | 3,069,288 | 2,586 | 2023 · Bowls 1 › |
| 5 | Clemson | 2,869,832 | 2,161 | 2019 · Bowls 1 › |
| 6 |  Ohio State | 2,812,194 | 2,120 | 2018 · Bowls 1 › |
| 7 |  Purdue | 2,789,077 | 2,115 | 2018 · Week 8 › |
| 8 |  Michigan State | 2,789,077 | 2,115 | 2018 · Week 9 › |
| 9 |  Miami | 2,786,226 | 2,133 | 2017 · Week 8 › |
| 10 |  Pittsburgh | 2,786,226 | 2,133 | 2017 · Week 13 › |
| 11 | Clemson | 2,641,767 | 2,006 | 2017 · Week 3 › |
| 12 |  Syracuse | 2,641,767 | 2,006 | 2017 · Week 7 › |
Conquest
The biggest single conquests
most land taken in one game
| № | Winner | Took it from | Score | Square miles | Counties | Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson | Alabama | 35–31 | 3,104,924 | 2,436 | 2016 · Bowls 1 › |
| 2 | LSU | Clemson | 42–25 | 2,869,832 | 2,161 | 2019 · Bowls 1 › |
| 3 | Ohio State | Michigan State | 26–6 | 2,789,077 | 2,115 | 2018 · Week 11 › |
| 4 | Purdue | Ohio State | 49–20 | 2,789,077 | 2,115 | 2018 · Week 8 › |
| 5 | Michigan State | Purdue | 23–13 | 2,789,077 | 2,115 | 2018 · Week 9 › |
| 6 | Pittsburgh | Miami | 24–14 | 2,786,226 | 2,133 | 2017 · Week 13 › |
| 7 | Miami | Syracuse | 27–19 | 2,641,767 | 2,006 | 2017 · Week 8 › |
| 8 | Syracuse | Clemson | 27–24 | 2,641,767 | 2,006 | 2017 · Week 7 › |
| 9 | Clemson | Ohio State | 29–23 | 2,412,065 | 1,671 | 2019 · Bowls 1 › |
| 10 | Ohio State | Penn State | 27–26 | 2,381,516 | 1,707 | 2018 · Week 5 › |
| 11 |  Penn State | Pittsburgh | 51–6 | 2,381,516 | 1,707 | 2018 · Week 2 › |
| 12 |  Washington | Oregon | 37–34 | 2,125,006 | 1,649 | 2022 · Week 11 › |
Upset
The wildest upsets
winner's pregame chance from CFBD Elo, land-moving games only
| № | Winner | Over | Chance | Score | Square miles | Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vanderbilt | Alabama | 1% | 40–35 | 19,553 | 2024 · Week 6 › |
| 2 |  Illinois | Wisconsin | 2% | 24–23 | 32,989 | 2019 · Week 8 › |
| 3 | Syracuse | Clemson | 2% | 27–24 | 2,641,767 | 2017 · Week 7 › |
| 4 |  Rice | Louisiana | 3% | 33–21 | 50,194 | 2022 · Week 3 › |
| 5 | Penn State | Ohio State | 3% | 24–21 | 24,457 | 2016 · Week 8 › |
| 6 |  Old Dominion | Virginia Tech | 3% | 49–35 | 17,580 | 2018 · Week 4 › |
| 7 |  UL Monroe | James Madison | 3% | 21–19 | 8,983 | 2024 · Week 6 › |
| 8 | Syracuse | Virginia Tech | 3% | 31–17 | 25,620 | 2016 · Week 7 › |
| 9 | Vanderbilt | Missouri | 4% | 21–14 | 12,567 | 2019 · Week 8 › |
| 10 |  Iowa | Michigan | 4% | 14–13 | 8,197 | 2016 · Week 11 › |
| 11 |  Stanford | Louisville | 4% | 38–35 | 105,417 | 2024 · Week 12 › |
| 12 |  Army | Air Force | 5% | 23–3 | 16,538 | 2023 · Week 10 › |
Reign
The longest reigns
consecutive weeks as the largest empire
Raid
The great raiders
peak empires won by FCS, D-II and D-III programs
| № | Team | Square miles | Counties | Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Dakota StateFCS | 99,396 | 31 | 2023 · Preseason › |
| 2 |  North Dakota State | 99,396 | 31 | 2022 · Bowls 1 › |
| 3 |  Incarnate WordFCS | 99,396 | 31 | 2022 · Week 2 › |
| 4 |  SE LouisianaFCS | 99,396 | 31 | 2022 · Week 4 › |
| 5 |  East Texas A&MFCS | 99,396 | 31 | 2022 · Week 6 › |
| 6 | South Dakota StateFCS | 99,396 | 31 | 2022 · Bowls 1 › |
| 7 |  Montana StateFCS | 88,671 | 25 | 2024 · Week 1 › |
| 8 | North Dakota State | 88,671 | 25 | 2024 · Bowls 1 › |
| 9 | North Dakota State | 76,524 | 138 | 2018 · Preseason › |
| 10 | North Dakota State | 76,524 | 138 | 2017 · Bowls 1 › |
| 11 | North Dakota State | 66,299 | 143 | 2021 · Bowls 1 › |
| 12 |  James Madison | 57,811 | 104 | 2017 · Preseason › |
Campaign
Most conquests in a season
land-moving wins
Finish
Largest at season's end
the final map, by square miles
| № | Team | Square miles | Counties | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LSU | 3,237,145 | 2,560 | 2019 › |
| 2 | Clemson | 3,104,924 | 2,436 | 2016 › |
| 3 | Michigan | 3,069,288 | 2,586 | 2023 › |
| 4 | Ohio State | 2,812,194 | 2,120 | 2018 › |
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 2,786,226 | 2,133 | 2017 › |
| 6 |  Baylor | 2,363,889 | 1,912 | 2021 › |
| 7 | Alabama | 2,262,493 | 1,892 | 2015 › |
| 8 | Alabama | 2,142,569 | 2,296 | 2020 › |
| 9 | Washington | 2,125,006 | 1,649 | 2022 › |
| 10 | Ohio State | 1,985,865 | 1,703 | 2014 › |
| 11 |  Florida | 1,942,787 | 2,159 | 2024 › |
| 12 |  Indiana | 1,821,494 | 1,171 | 2025 › |
Season by season
Every campaign at a glance
end leader · peak empire · first FBS program to lose everything
| Season | Finished #1 | Square miles | Peak empire | Empires | Battles | Raids | Biggest conquest | First to fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026live | Indiana | 1,534,951 | 31 | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2025 | Indiana | 1,821,494 | 9 | 115 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | Florida | 1,942,787 | 9 | 109 | 2 | |||
| 2023 | Michigan | 3,069,288 | 11 | 103 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | Washington | 2,125,006 | 13 | 112 | 6 | |||
| 2021 | Baylor | 2,363,889 | 11 | 100 | 10 | |||
| 2020 | Alabama | 2,142,569 | 14 | 74 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | LSU | 3,237,145 | 10 | 99 | 3 | |||
| 2018 | Ohio State | 2,812,194 | 8 | 90 | 5 | |||
| 2017 | Pittsburgh | 2,786,226 | 12 | 84 | 12 | |||
| 2016 | Clemson | 3,104,924 | 11 | 92 | 19 | |||
| 2015 | Alabama | 2,262,493 | 4 | 75 | 7 | |||
| 2014 | Ohio State | 1,985,865 | 9 | 190 | 10 |