1963 McMNC: Texas Longhorns

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. Texas: 11-0-0 -- W, Cotton, 28-6
2. Navy: 9-2-0 -- L, Cotton, 6-28
3. Illinois: 8-1-1 -- W, Rose, 17-7
4. Pittsburgh: 9-1-0 -- NONE
5. Auburn: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 7-13
6. Nebraska: 10-1-0 -- W, Orange, 13-7
7. Mississippi: 7-1-2 -- L, Sugar, 7-12
8. Alabama: 9-2-0 -- W, Sugar, 12-7
9. Oklahoma: 8-2-0 -- NONE
10. Michigan State: 6-2-1 -- NONE

Note: The AP only ranked ten teams in 1963. And again, we had a #1 vs. #2 in a bowl game. Wow!

Texas has the edge here, of course, so let's see if they earned it. Although Mississippi and Alabama cancel each other out here: Mississippi won the SEC with a 5-0-1 conference mark, but Alabama beat them in the Sugar Bowl to eliminate them. Auburn is out, too, of course. Is there any team worthy enough to challenge Texas, if that crack exists? Illinois, Pittsburgh and Nebraska, of course.

Texas: The Longhorns have a 49% SOS rating, which is probably good enough considering they were the only undefeated team in 1963. They beat #9 Oklahoma by 21 points in a home game, they beat 6-4 Rice at home by four points, they beat UPI #20 Baylor (8-3) in a seven-point shutout at home, and they beat #2 Navy in the Cotton Bowl. But Navy's other loss was to 4-7 SMU on the road, and Texas beat SMU on the road by five points. Maybe Navy wasn't a worthy #2 team? They beat four winning teams all year, two of which were AP Top 10 teams. Solid effort.

Illinois: The Illini have a lot to make up since they have a loss and a tie, so their 49% SOS rating isn't impressive in this debate. They beat 5-4 Northwestern by a point at home, they tied 5-3-1 Ohio State on the road (20-20), they beat 5-4 Purdue at home by 20 points, they LOST to 3-4-2 Michigan at HOME, they beat 5-4 Wisconsin on the road by ten points, and they beat #10 Michigan State on the road in a huge 13-0 win that decided the Big Ten title. And they beat 6-5 Washington in the Rose Bowl. A nice season, but losing to Michigan was pathetic. That alone pretty much eliminates them from contention.

Pittsburgh: Biggest problem with the Panthers is they didn't go bowling. As an independent, they had a 52% SOS rating. They lost by 12 points on the road to #2 Navy, which is a respectable loss, but since Texas beat Navy by 22 points (albeit in a relative home game), that's a big gap and direct comparison that Pitt loses. They did beat UPI #15 Washington at home by seven points, they beat UPI #12 Syracuse (8-2) at home by eight points, they beat 7-3 Army at home in a 28-0 shutout, and they beat #UPI #16 Penn State (7-3) by a point at home. A good season, but they aren't good enough to overcome Texas.

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers finally escaped Bud Wilkinson's shadow in 1963. With a 50% SOS rating, it was a good season for Nebraska. However, they lost to 7-4 Air Force, which lost to 7-3 Army, which lost to 9-2 Navy. And we know how Navy did against Texas ... fun times with transitive scores, eh? But the schedule power just isn't there. ne of Nebraska's wins over a "winning team" was a 58-7 home victory over 2-1 South Dakota State. They beat UPI #16 Missouri (7-3) by a point on the road, and they beat Oklahoma and Auburn to end the season. Again, good, but not enough to overcome the Longhorns.

Hook 'em, 'Horns.

McMNC Revisions
1. Texas
2. Nebraska
3. Illinois
4. Mississippi
5. Pittsburgh

RUNNING SCORECARD:
Tennessee: +1938, +1942, +1950, -1951
Mississippi: +1962
Washington: +1960
Iowa: +1956
Georgia Tech: +1952
Illinois: +1951
Michigan: +1947, =1948
Georgia: +1946
Alabama: +1945, =1961
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
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949