1949 McMNC: Oklahoma Sooners

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. Notre Dame: 10-0-0 -- None
2. Oklahoma: 11-0-0 -- W, Sugar, 35-0
3. California: 10-1-0 -- L, Rose, 14-17
4. Army: 9-0-0 -- None
5. Rice: 10-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 27-13
6. Ohio State: 7-1-2 -- W, Rose, 17-14
7. Michigan: 6-2-1 -- None
8. Minnesota: 7-2-0 -- None
9. LSU: 8-3-0 -- L, Sugar, 0-35
10. Pacific: 11-0-0 -- None

So, there's no three-peat here, that's for certain. And Cal lost the Rose Bowl again with a perfect season on the line. See? Bowl games do matter, boys and girls. Otherwise, Cal would be looking at multiple titles. Tennessee knows the same pain.

This comes down to Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Pacific. Let's peak at them, in reverse AP poll order:

Pacific is an outsider here, of course. But their SOS was solid: opponents won 55% of their games, but the opponents may not have been playing good teams, either. Pacific played ONE road game, at Loyola Marymount, too. It was a very stacked schedule against regional teams. Outscoring your opponents 412-46 is impressive, but finishing 10th was a reward for them.

Oklahoma won the Big Seven, played a good schedule (opponents' WP was .520) and won a bowl game in a blowout over a Top 10 team playing in its backyard. Oklahoma only beat three ranked teams all season (#15 Santa Clara at home, #20 Missouri on the road, #9 LSU in the Sugar Bowl), but the thrashing of LSU in the bowl game says a lot. Also of note, Santa Clara won the Orange Bowl by beating #11 Kentucky and Bear Bryant, 21-13.

Notre Dame also played a good schedule: opponents won 50% of their games. The best Irish win? They beat #16 North Carolina, 42-6, in South Bend. They also beat #19 Michigan State by 13 points in East Lansing. Other than that, they really don't have any other impressive wins. Notre Dame didn't play anyone as good as Santa Clara, either.

Oklahoma played a better schedule, they played more ranked teams, and they had more impressive wins. They also put it all on the line in a bowl game.

Case closed. Sorry, Notre Dame.

McMNC Revisions
1. Oklahoma
2. Notre Dame
3. Pacific
4. Rice
5. California

RUNNING SCORECARD:
Tennessee: +1938, +1942
Michigan: +1947, =1948
Oklahoma: +1949
Georgia: +1946
Alabama: +1945
Purdue: +1943
Stanford: +1940
California: +1937
Texas A&M: =1939
Ohio State: -1942, +1944
Pittsburgh: +1936, -1937
TCU: -1938
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949