1965 McMNC: UCLA

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. Alabama: 9-1-1 -- W, Orange, 39-28
2. Michigan State: 10-1-0 -- L, Rose, 12-14
3. Arkansas: 10-1-0 -- L, Cotton, 7-14
4. UCLA: 8-2-1 -- W, Rose, 14-12
5. Nebraska: 10-1-0 -- L, Orange, 28-39
6. Missouri: 8-2-1 -- W, Sugar, 20-18
7. Tennessee: 8-1-2 -- W, Bluebonnet, 27-6
8. LSU: 8-3-0 -- W, Cotton, 14-7
9. Notre Dame: 7-2-1 -- NONE
10. USC: 7-2-1 -- NONE

Note: The AP only ranked ten teams in 1965, and for the first time ever, the final poll was conducted AFTER the bowl games. This was a direct result of the 1964 AP poll, which named Alabama its champion only to see Arkansas finish undefeated while 'Bama lost its bowl game (a result the McMNC remedied previously, of course). While this doesn't affect the McMNC debates, obviously, it is an interesting tidbit. This is the beginning of a decade-long transition to bowl relevancy for the "MNC" itself.

The top three teams in the AP poll all lost their bowl games (Michigan State, Arkansas, Nebraska). If the AP hadn't switched their polling in 1965, Michigan State would have been its champion of record.

But they did lose, and that leaves us with an interesting debate. Is winning a bowl game still a requirement? It has been an McMNC mainstay since 1936, but this year is odd. Alabama, UCLA, Missouri and Tennessee are the teams that fit the usual criteria, and there are some problems here -- as we will see. Perhaps we still need to consider Michigan State and Arkansas (the Cornhuskers get eliminated on the basis of their head-to-head loss to Alabama in the Orange Bowl).

So that's six teams under consideration in 1965, to start.

Alabama: They are the SEC champion of record in 1965, with a 6-1-1 conference mark. They also had a very solid 55% SOS rating. They lost to UPI #15 Georgia (6-4) on the road to open the season by one point, and they tied #7 Tennessee at home (7-7). They also beat UPI #17 Mississippi (7-4) at home by one point, they pounded #8 LSU on the road by 24 points (!), and they beat previously unbeaten and then-#3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The LSU score looks impressive, but LSU finished just 3-3 in SEC play, also losing 23-0 at Mississippi. Was the SEC that strong? Perhaps. Either way, 'Bama played five winnings teams in 1965, going 3-1-1 against them.

UCLA: You want a strong SOS rating? The Bruins' SOS rating of 69% in 1965 is perhaps an all-time high in the McMNC discussions. Yes, they have two losses and a tie (just like Missouri, see below), but look at the slate: they lost by ten points on the road to #2 Michigan State to open the season. Then, the Bruins tied #6 Missouri (14-14) on the road in mid-October. Finally, UCLA traveled to Knoxville on December 4 and lost to the #7 Vols by three points. Are you kidding me? All three of the games on the road? No wonder this team was battled-tested enough to win the Rose Bowl in its rematch with Michigan State. Other games on the slate contributing to that 69% SOS rating? They beat UPI #19 Syracuse (7-3) by ten points at home, they beat 6-3-1 Stanford by 17 points on the road, they beat #10 USC on the "road" by four points, and they beat then-#1 Michigan State in the Rose Bowl. They also beat 5-5 Penn State (by two on the road), 5-5 California (by 53 points at home), and 5-5 Washington (by four points at home). Those mid-level wins certainly contributed to the SOS rating, but seven games against winning teams, going 4-2-1 and finishing with a 69% SOS rating is a GREAT season and generally better than Alabama's 1965 marks, even with the extra loss.

Missouri: With a 51% SOS rating, they better have some amazing wins to keep pace with the Tide. They lost 7-0 at home to open the season against UPI #18 Kentucky (6-4, 3-3 in SEC play), and they also lost to #5 Nebraska by two points at home. Their tie came against #4 UCLA at home (14-14). So their flaws are decent flaws. They did beat 5-4-1 Minnesota on the road by 11 points, they beat 5-4-1 Iowa State on the road by 16 points, they beat UPI #20 Colorado (6-2-2) on the road by 13 points, and they beat UPI #12 Florida (7-4, 4-2 in SEC play) in the Sugar Bowl. They played seven winning teams in 1965, and they went 4-2-1 in those games. A good resume all around, but it's not enough to overcome the edge 'Bama has on them in the loss column.

Tennessee: This is a problem, since the Vols didn't win the SEC. As we know, Alabama won the conference, but Tennessee's SEC record was 2-1-2 and they tied 'Bama on the road (7-7). Now WHY Alabama played EIGHT conference games and Tennessee only played FIVE is just asinine. Do we hold that against the Volunteers? They were clearly a team just as good as Alabama. Their SOS rating was an amazing 60% in 1965! They beat 7-3-1 Georgia Tech at home by 14 points, they lost to UPI #17 Mississippi by one point at home, they beat UPI #18 Kentucky on the road by 16 points, they beat #4 UCLA at home by three points, and they beat UPI #16 Tulsa (8-3) by 21 in their bowl game. They played six teams with winning records in 1965, and they went 4-1-1 in those games. Their other tie? At home to 5-5-1 Auburn, which went 4-2-1 in SEC play in 1965. Not a bad tie, but ... the extra blemish is another tough one to overcome if we want to consider the Vols for the McMNC.

So Alabama, UCLA and Tennessee are still viable TUCs in 1965. What about the three previously unbeaten teams which lost their bowl games?

Michigan State: They split with UCLA, so they can't get eliminated there. Their SOS was equal to Alabama's at 55%. They beat 6-4 Illinois by ten points at home, they beat UPI #11 Ohio State (7-2) at home by 25 points, they beat UPI #13 Purdue (7-2-1) on the road by four points, and they beat #9 Notre Dame on the road by nine points. Overall, they played games against teams with winning records six times, winning a 1965-high five of them (5-1). No other TUC can match that 83% winning percentage against winning teams. But they lost their bowl game by two points, a road rematch with a Top 5 team. That's the definition of a "good" loss. I can't eliminate Sparty from the debate just yet.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks "only" have a 50% SOS rating, which -- against this group -- might eliminate them consideration, especially since they lost their bowl game to a mid-level SEC team (albeit a Top 10 team). They beat UPI #18 Tulsa by eight points at home, they beat 6-5 TCU at home in a 28-0 shutout, they beat 6-4 Texas by three points at home, and they beat UPI #10 Texas Tech (8-3) by 18 points at home. Overall, they went 4-1 against teams with winning records, but the low SOS rating dooms them in this crowd.

So what does that leave us with? Alabama (55%, 3-1-1, bowl win), Michigan State (55%, 5-1, bowl loss), UCLA (69%, 4-2-1, bowl win) and Tennessee (60%, 4-1-1, bowl win), in AP poll order. In the end, Sparty just can't hang with the others due to the bowl loss, but they had an amazing season, of course. Also, Tennessee's blemish against Auburn is the blemish versus an unranked team in this debate, so they can't hang, either.

So it's Alabama versus UCLA. Considering Nebraska's SOS rating was 44%, UCLA has the better bowl win, as they beat a significantly better team (Michigan State) in their bowl game. Add that to the HUGE edge UCLA has in SOS rating (and relative difficulty, with those road games), and it's enough to overcome Alabama's single advantage: overall W/L record. Common opponent? The Vols, who tied Alabama in Tuscaloosa and beat UCLA by three in Knoxville. That's pretty even, in truth.

In the end, I'm crowning a McMNC with two losses, contrary to the belief I stated in the 1960 analysis (that no two-loss team should ever win the McMNC if at all possible). Why? Because their SOS is too good to ignore, and they have every other required attribute. If they had scheduled a pancake instead of the road games at Michigan State and/or Tennessee, they'd have won this hands-down.

As it is, it's one of the closest decisions I've made yet in this McMNC analytical saga, and I don't really like it. But if I'm going to value SOS at all, I have to reward a team that schedules like this 1965 UCLA team scheduled. But Alabama didn't face a pancake schedule, either, like Oklahoma did in 1956. This isn't because of anything the Tide didn't do.

It's just because of what UCLA did. There's no way to ignore the best schedule I've ever seen in this McMNC discussion.

McMNC Revisions
1. UCLA
2. Alabama
3. Tennessee
4. Michigan State
5. Arkansas

RUNNING SCORECARD:
Tennessee: +1938, +1942, +1950, -1951
UCLA: +1965
Arkansas: +1964
Mississippi: +1962
Washington: +1960
Iowa: +1956
Georgia Tech: +1952
Illinois: +1951
Michigan: +1947, =1948
Georgia: +1946
Purdue: +1943
Stanford: +1940
California: +1937
Pittsburgh: +1936, -1937
Texas: =1963
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
USC: -1962
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949