1967 McMNC: USC Trojans

AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results

1. USC: 10-1-0 -- W, Rose, 14-3
2. Tennessee: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 24-26
3. Oklahoma: 10-1-0 -- W, Orange, 26-24
4. Indiana: 9-2-0 -- L, Rose, 3-14
5. Notre Dame: 8-2-0 -- NONE
6. Wyoming: 10-1-0 -- L, Sugar, 13-20
7. Oregon State: 7-2-1 -- NONE
8. Alabama: 8-2-1 -- L, Cotton, 16-20
9. Purdue: 8-2-0 -- NONE
10. Penn State: 8-2-1 -- T, Gator, 17-17

Note: The AP only ranked ten teams in 1967. And this was the FINAL year that the AP finalized itself before the bowl games. The top four teams faced off in another situation calling for an "Plus-One" scenario. In addition, undefeated Wyoming got a major bowl game shot, although they lost to 7-3-1 LSU.

This year comes down to USC or Oklahoma. They earned their stripes with bowl wins over the two other top teams heading into bowl season, and no one else deserves consideration, really.

USC: They had a 54% SOS rating, and they won the AAWU with a 6-1 mark. Their only loss was a three-point road defeat at #7 Oregon State. They also beat 6-4 Texas at home by four points, they pounded #5 Notre Dame on the road by 17 points, they beat UPI #10 UCLA (7-2-1) by one point in the Coliseum, and they beat #4 Indiana in the Rose Bowl. They also beat three 5-5 teams (Washington, Stanford and Cal) by a combined 66 points. Overall, the schedule seems harder than the 54% rating would suggest.

Oklahoma: The Sooners' SOS rating was only 46%, so already they have an uphill fight against USC. Their one loss was a two-point road defeat to Texas (a team USC beat in Los Angeles). They did shutout unranked Missouri (7-3) on the road by seven points; they also shutout UPI #13 Colorado (9-2) at home by 23 points. They beat unranked Nebraska (6-4) on the road by seven points, and they nicked #2 Tennessee in the bowl game. The schedule also looks better than the rating, but 0-9 Maryland, 1-9 Kansas State and 2-8 Iowa State truly dragged down the SOS.

An interesting side note to this comparison: Both teams opened their season against Washington State at home, USC on September 15 and Oklahoma on September 23. USC won 49-0, and Oklahoma won 21-0.

USC's bowl win was probably more impressive, as it was by double digits over the #4 team, while Oklahoma only won their bowl game by two points over the #2 team. Small advantage to USC, but when combined with the SOS factor and the "better loss" factor (not to mention the Sooners' one loss came to a team USC beat), the Trojans get to claim the McMNC.

So John McKay gets his first McMNC.

McMNC Revisions
1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. Tennessee
4. Indiana
5. Wyoming

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, =1967
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966