To be fair, they didn't play 12 game seasons back in the day.
Here are the 13 seasons we finished up with a 83.3% (10-2) or better winning percentage*. And yes, according to J Howell, we were #1 six times.** Back in the day the awarding was a beauty contest too. (But that is for an article I'm writing):
Table is year, JHowell ranking at end of season, J Howell Power Ranking, Coach, W, L, Ties and %
* This includes more than regular season games. Also since 1904 when Heisman started coaching as that was the first year we had a professional coach. But we beat the filthy in-breds without a coach before that - 1893 when they threw stones at our team.
**Note in 1917 we were undefeated but ended up ranked 17th. That's because of the SOS.