AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. USC: 12-0-0 -- W, Rose, 42-17
2. Oklahoma: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 14-0
3. Texas: 11-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 17-13
4. Nebraska: 9-2-1 -- W, Orange, 40-6
5. Auburn: 11-1-0 -- W, Gator, 24-3
6. Michigan: 10-1-0 -- NONE
7. Alabama: 10-2-0 -- L, Cotton, 13-17
8. Tennessee: 10-2-0 -- W, Bluebonnet, 24-17
9. Ohio State: 9-2-0 -- L, Rose, 17-42
10. Penn State: 10-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 0-14
Side note: North Carolina finished #12 in the AP poll, with a 11-1 record, the ACC championship and a Sun Bowl win. With a 52% SOS rating, they had a pretty good season.
The Trojans are an obvious choice here, but let's also look at Oklahoma, Texas, Auburn, Michigan and North Carolina -- in reverse order.
UNC: In addition to the credentials above, they beat AP #17 North Carolina State by one point at home, and they lost by 15 points on the road to #9 Ohio State. Those were the only two ranked teams they played all year. Again, a good season, but probably not good enough to unseat the Trojans.
Michigan: They had a great season, but a three-point road loss to Ohio State prevented them from winning the Big Ten, which means they have no claim here. They only had a 48% SOS rating, anyway, and Michigan had a single win over a ranked team (26-7 win at #15 UCLA [8-3]). This was the first year of that three-year stretch where the Wolverines went 30-2-1 and never played in a bowl game. Ladies and gentlemen, THAT is pain.
Auburn: They finished 6-1 in the SEC, while Alabama finished 7-1 in conference play to "claim" the SEC title. However, since Auburn BEAT Alabama, the Tigers will get my nod as the SEC champion. Again, this is the 1970s, and the SEC still couldn't figure out even scheduling: ridiculous. Anyway, Auburn had an outstanding 61% SOS rating (so, North Carolina is officially OUT at this point) in 1972. They beat #8 Tennessee by four points at home, they lost by 28 on the road to AP #11 LSU (9-2-1), they defeated AP #20 Georgia Tech (7-4-1) by ten at home, they beat #7 Alabama (10-0 at the time) by a point at home, and they beat AP #16 Colorado (8-4) in the bowl game. The loss hurts, though, because no McMNC should lose by 28 points. But for now, they have the edge on the other teams previously discussed.
Texas: With an SOS rating of 59%, they should be in this discussion. But they can't be, because they lost 27-0 to Oklahoma. Also, their only win over a ranked team all season was in the bowl game over Alabama. So ... sorry, 'Horns.
Oklahoma: Their SOS rating was 57%, and their only loss was by six points on the road against #16 Colorado. They did beat #3 Texas (see above), they beat #4 Nebraska on the road by three points, and they beat #10 Penn State in the bowl game. Three wins over Top 10 teams is always impressive. But they still aren't ahead of Auburn, which played a tougher schedule. The Sooners' one loss is a better loss than Auburn's one loss, but the Tigers' SOS keeps them at least tied with the Sooners here (so far).
USC: Okay, the Trojans have a 53% SOS rating -- which is enough to eliminate the Sooners from the discussion since the Trojans didn't lose a game. But is it enough to hold off Auburn, which has the SOS to overcome their W/L deficit to USC? Let's look at the Trojans' schedule. They beat AP #19 Washington State (7-4) on the road by 41 points, they beat AP #15 UCLA (8-3) by 17 points on the "road", they beat AP #14 Notre Dame (8-3) at home by 22 points, and they beat #9 Ohio State by 25 points in the Rose Bowl. They didn't just beat ranked teams: they destroyed them. Strangely enough, though, these four wins were the Trojans' last four games of the season. They also beat 8-3 Washington at home by 27 points, they beat 6-5 Stanford on the road by nine points, they beat 5-5-1 Michigan State at home by 45 points, and they beat 6-5 Arkansas on the road by 21 points.
In the end, the Trojans' schedule was definitely good enough to out-do Auburn's one-loss season with the really high SOS rating, simply because: 1) USC scheduled enough good OOC games; 2) Auburn's one loss was a really bad loss; and 3) the SOS advantage for Auburn wasn't in double digits.
John McKay is again in the McMNC winner's circle.
McMNC Revisions
1. USC
2. Auburn
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Nebraska
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
Nebraska: =1970, =1971
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969, =1972
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
1971 McMNC: Nebraska Cornhuskers
AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. Nebraska: 13-0-0 -- W, Orange, 38-6
2. Oklahoma: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 40-22
3. Colorado: 10-2-0 -- W, Bluebonnet, 29-17
4. Alabama: 11-1-0 -- L, Orange, 6-38
5. Penn State: 11-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 30-6
6. Michigan: 11-1-0 -- L, Rose, 12-13
7. Georgia: 11-1-0 -- W, Gator, 7-3
8. Arizona State: 11-1-0 -- W, Fiesta, 45-38
9. Tennessee: 10-2-0 -- W, Liberty, 14-13
10. Stanford: 9-3-0 -- W, Rose, 13-12
What a season. A lot of undefeated teams late in the season (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Penn State, Michigan), but only one survived to and through the bowl season intact. By the way, Toledo again went undefeated winning the Citrus Bowl, too -- finishing 14th in the AP poll.
Stanford ruined Michigan's perfect season by a point in the Rose Bowl; Georgia was undefeated on November 13 before suffering their only loss to Auburn; Penn State was undefeated until December 4 when they lost by 20 points on the road to Tennessee. And of course, Nebraska beat undefeated Oklahoma on November 25 and undefeated Alabama on January 1 -- perhaps making the best argument ever that the regular season is a tournament.
But I digress.
Nebraska is the clear-cut choice here, obviously: they had a 57% SOS rating and a perfect record. They eliminate the Sooners, the Buffs and the Tide by virtue of head-to-head wins. Has any #1 team ever defeated #2, #3 and #4 in the same season? Incredible, but the SOS is dragged down by 1-10 Missouri. Otherwise, the Huskers played six winning teams and defeated the AP trifecta above. Plus, they dismantled the Tide in the bowl game -- ouch!
Penn State is really the only other team who could pretend for this throne. Georgia didn't win the SEC, so they're out. And the Nittany Lions? With a 47% SOS rating, they don't cut the mustard. And try this for transitive fun: Nebraska beat Alabama by 32 points, and Alabama beat Tennessee by 17 points, and Tennessee beat Penn State by 20 points.
Nebraska was 69 points better than the only other team who could have been even mildly considered this year for the McMNC. The Huskers become only the second team to win back-to-back McMNCs, joining the 1947-48 Michigan Wolverines.
Congrats, Lincoln, NE.
McMNC Revisions
1. Nebraska
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Penn State
5. Georgia
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
Nebraska: =1970, =1971
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
1. Nebraska: 13-0-0 -- W, Orange, 38-6
2. Oklahoma: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 40-22
3. Colorado: 10-2-0 -- W, Bluebonnet, 29-17
4. Alabama: 11-1-0 -- L, Orange, 6-38
5. Penn State: 11-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 30-6
6. Michigan: 11-1-0 -- L, Rose, 12-13
7. Georgia: 11-1-0 -- W, Gator, 7-3
8. Arizona State: 11-1-0 -- W, Fiesta, 45-38
9. Tennessee: 10-2-0 -- W, Liberty, 14-13
10. Stanford: 9-3-0 -- W, Rose, 13-12
What a season. A lot of undefeated teams late in the season (Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Penn State, Michigan), but only one survived to and through the bowl season intact. By the way, Toledo again went undefeated winning the Citrus Bowl, too -- finishing 14th in the AP poll.
Stanford ruined Michigan's perfect season by a point in the Rose Bowl; Georgia was undefeated on November 13 before suffering their only loss to Auburn; Penn State was undefeated until December 4 when they lost by 20 points on the road to Tennessee. And of course, Nebraska beat undefeated Oklahoma on November 25 and undefeated Alabama on January 1 -- perhaps making the best argument ever that the regular season is a tournament.
But I digress.
Nebraska is the clear-cut choice here, obviously: they had a 57% SOS rating and a perfect record. They eliminate the Sooners, the Buffs and the Tide by virtue of head-to-head wins. Has any #1 team ever defeated #2, #3 and #4 in the same season? Incredible, but the SOS is dragged down by 1-10 Missouri. Otherwise, the Huskers played six winning teams and defeated the AP trifecta above. Plus, they dismantled the Tide in the bowl game -- ouch!
Penn State is really the only other team who could pretend for this throne. Georgia didn't win the SEC, so they're out. And the Nittany Lions? With a 47% SOS rating, they don't cut the mustard. And try this for transitive fun: Nebraska beat Alabama by 32 points, and Alabama beat Tennessee by 17 points, and Tennessee beat Penn State by 20 points.
Nebraska was 69 points better than the only other team who could have been even mildly considered this year for the McMNC. The Huskers become only the second team to win back-to-back McMNCs, joining the 1947-48 Michigan Wolverines.
Congrats, Lincoln, NE.
McMNC Revisions
1. Nebraska
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Penn State
5. Georgia
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
Nebraska: =1970, =1971
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
Monday, May 12, 2008
1970 McMNC: Nebraska Cornhuskers
AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. Nebraska: 11-0-1 -- W, Orange, 17-12
2. Notre Dame: 10-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 24-11
3. Texas: 10-1-0 -- L, Cotton, 11-24
4. Tennessee: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 34-13
5. Ohio State: 9-1-0 -- L, Rose, 17-27
6. Arizona State: 11-0-0 -- W, Peach, 48-28
7. LSU: 9-3-0 -- L, Orange, 12-17
8. Stanford: 9-3-0 -- W, Rose, 27-17
9. Michigan: 9-1-0 -- NONE
10. Auburn: 9-2-0 -- W, Gator, 35-28
Note: Toledo went 12-0 in 1970, winning the Citrus Bowl, 40-12, over William & Mary. Great season!
We have four teams worthy of consideration this year: Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Arizona State. Depending on SOS ratings, etc., it's the Cornhuskers' title to lose, since Texas and Ohio State choked away their perfect seasons in the bowl spotlight.
Arizona State: With an SOS rating of 41%, they have no chance here, but why not look anyway? They beat 6-5 Kansas State at home by 22 points, they beat 6-4 UTEP on the road by 29 points, they beat 6-4 Utah at home by 23 points, they beat 7-3 New Mexico at home by 12 points, and they beat 8-4 North Carolina by 24 points in the Peach Bowl. That's five winning teams on the slate: not bad, but none of those teams were ranked, either. Duds on the schedule included 1-9 Wyoming, 1-10 Washington State and 2-9 San Jose State.
Tennessee: The Vols had a 52% SOS rating, which is very solid. Their only loss was to #10 Auburn on the road, albeit by 13 points in September. They beat #13 Georgia Tech (9-3) on the road by 13 points, they shutout 6-5-1 Alabama at home 24-0, they beat 7-4 Florida by 31 points at home, they beat 6-5 Wake Forest by 35 points at home, they beat 6-5 UCLA by 11 points at home, and they won their bowl game over #16 Air Force (9-3). So even with that schedule rating, they only beat two ranked teams all year. And there's another catch: LSU won the SEC in 1970 with a 5-0 conference record, while Tennessee went 4-1 in league play. Oh well.
Notre Dame: The Irish also have a 52% SOS rating. They beat 6-4 Northwestern by 21 points on the road, they beat #13 Georgia Tech at home by three points, they beat #7 LSU at home by three points, and they beat then-#1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl by 13 points. Their one loss? The last regular season game against #15 USC (6-4-1) in Los Angeles, where they lost by ten points. Damn that rivalry, eh? That's a tough loss, albeit to a ranked team on the road. We'll see why below ... but Notre Dame is the team to beat now.
Nebraska: They had an SOS rating of 49%, which is good enough for this discussion. Their one tie? To #15 USC on the road on September 19 (21-21). The Trojans ruined two perfect seasons in 1970, didn't they? Otherwise, they beat 6-5 Wake Forest at home by 24 points, they beat UPI #16 Colorado (6-5) on the road by 16 points, they beat 6-5 Kansas State by 38 points at home, they beat AP #20 Oklahoma (7-4-1) by seven points at home, and they beat #7 LSU in the Orange Bowl. So they played just as many ranked teams as Notre Dame did, but their bowl win wasn't as impressive and their SOS lacked by a small margin in comparison to the Irish, too.
However, since both teams played USC on the road, we have an interesting comparative there: the Huskers got the tie, the Irish got the loss. USC played a 59% SOS-rated schedule in 1970, and their 6-4-1 mark reflects that. A good team, yes, but Notre Dame had a lot to play for when they lost that last regular season game. It's impressive they recovered to beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl, but they should have beaten USC if they wanted this McMNC.
In the end, Nebraska's SOS is good enough, since the Irish SOS wasn't overwhelmingly better.
McMNC Revisions
1. Nebraska
2. Notre Dame
3. Arizona State
4. Texas
5. Ohio State
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
Nebraska: =1970
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
1. Nebraska: 11-0-1 -- W, Orange, 17-12
2. Notre Dame: 10-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 24-11
3. Texas: 10-1-0 -- L, Cotton, 11-24
4. Tennessee: 11-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 34-13
5. Ohio State: 9-1-0 -- L, Rose, 17-27
6. Arizona State: 11-0-0 -- W, Peach, 48-28
7. LSU: 9-3-0 -- L, Orange, 12-17
8. Stanford: 9-3-0 -- W, Rose, 27-17
9. Michigan: 9-1-0 -- NONE
10. Auburn: 9-2-0 -- W, Gator, 35-28
Note: Toledo went 12-0 in 1970, winning the Citrus Bowl, 40-12, over William & Mary. Great season!
We have four teams worthy of consideration this year: Nebraska, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Arizona State. Depending on SOS ratings, etc., it's the Cornhuskers' title to lose, since Texas and Ohio State choked away their perfect seasons in the bowl spotlight.
Arizona State: With an SOS rating of 41%, they have no chance here, but why not look anyway? They beat 6-5 Kansas State at home by 22 points, they beat 6-4 UTEP on the road by 29 points, they beat 6-4 Utah at home by 23 points, they beat 7-3 New Mexico at home by 12 points, and they beat 8-4 North Carolina by 24 points in the Peach Bowl. That's five winning teams on the slate: not bad, but none of those teams were ranked, either. Duds on the schedule included 1-9 Wyoming, 1-10 Washington State and 2-9 San Jose State.
Tennessee: The Vols had a 52% SOS rating, which is very solid. Their only loss was to #10 Auburn on the road, albeit by 13 points in September. They beat #13 Georgia Tech (9-3) on the road by 13 points, they shutout 6-5-1 Alabama at home 24-0, they beat 7-4 Florida by 31 points at home, they beat 6-5 Wake Forest by 35 points at home, they beat 6-5 UCLA by 11 points at home, and they won their bowl game over #16 Air Force (9-3). So even with that schedule rating, they only beat two ranked teams all year. And there's another catch: LSU won the SEC in 1970 with a 5-0 conference record, while Tennessee went 4-1 in league play. Oh well.
Notre Dame: The Irish also have a 52% SOS rating. They beat 6-4 Northwestern by 21 points on the road, they beat #13 Georgia Tech at home by three points, they beat #7 LSU at home by three points, and they beat then-#1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl by 13 points. Their one loss? The last regular season game against #15 USC (6-4-1) in Los Angeles, where they lost by ten points. Damn that rivalry, eh? That's a tough loss, albeit to a ranked team on the road. We'll see why below ... but Notre Dame is the team to beat now.
Nebraska: They had an SOS rating of 49%, which is good enough for this discussion. Their one tie? To #15 USC on the road on September 19 (21-21). The Trojans ruined two perfect seasons in 1970, didn't they? Otherwise, they beat 6-5 Wake Forest at home by 24 points, they beat UPI #16 Colorado (6-5) on the road by 16 points, they beat 6-5 Kansas State by 38 points at home, they beat AP #20 Oklahoma (7-4-1) by seven points at home, and they beat #7 LSU in the Orange Bowl. So they played just as many ranked teams as Notre Dame did, but their bowl win wasn't as impressive and their SOS lacked by a small margin in comparison to the Irish, too.
However, since both teams played USC on the road, we have an interesting comparative there: the Huskers got the tie, the Irish got the loss. USC played a 59% SOS-rated schedule in 1970, and their 6-4-1 mark reflects that. A good team, yes, but Notre Dame had a lot to play for when they lost that last regular season game. It's impressive they recovered to beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl, but they should have beaten USC if they wanted this McMNC.
In the end, Nebraska's SOS is good enough, since the Irish SOS wasn't overwhelmingly better.
McMNC Revisions
1. Nebraska
2. Notre Dame
3. Arizona State
4. Texas
5. Ohio State
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
Nebraska: =1970
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
Thursday, May 8, 2008
1969 McMNC: USC Trojans
AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. Texas: 11-0-0 -- W, Cotton, 21-17
2. Penn State: 11-0-0 -- W, Orange, 10-3
3. USC: 10-0-1 -- W, Rose, 10-3
4. Ohio State: 8-1-0 -- NONE
5. Notre Dame: 8-2-1 -- L, Cotton, 17-21
6. Missouri: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 3-10
7. Arkansas: 9-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 22-27
8. Mississippi: 8-3-0 -- W, Sugar, 27-22
9. Michigan: 8-3-0 -- L, Rose, 3-10
10. LSU: 9-1-0 -- NONE
Note: This was Notre Dame's first foray into bowl games, and even though they lost to Texas, they moved up from #9 in the polls to a #5 finish. Quite interesting. Also, it's amazing how many undefeated teams there were late in this season: Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, Arkansas ... crazy fun year for college football. And LSU's only loss? A three-point road loss to #8 Mississippi. And they got no bowl game. Ouch. Maybe it was that 39% SOS rating ...
This is really about three teams: Texas, Penn State and USC. No one else can match then for record/bowl win combinations.
Texas: The Longhorns had a pretty low SOS rating this year (42%). They beat unranked 6-4 Oklahoma at home by ten points, they beat #7 Arkansas on the road by a point, and they beat then-#9 Notre Dame in their bowl game by four points. So, they did beat two ranked teams, but only by a total of five points. And they only played THREE winning teams all year. The stinkers on their schedule? 1-9 Navy and 0-10 Baylor. Not a good year to have a sucky schedule, Texas. They also only played four road games all year.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions had a 53% SOS rating, which is significantly better than the Texas mark above. They beat AP #16 Colorado (8-3) by 24 points at home, they beat AP #17 West Virginia (10-1) in a 20-0 home shutout, they beat 5-4-1 Ohio University at home by 39 points, they beat 5-4 Boston College at home by 22 points, and they beat #6 Missouri in the Orange Bowl by seven points. They did beat three ranked teams, and they beat five winning teams overall. The schedule doesn't look as good as the number might indicate, but ...
USC: The Trojans trump both Texas and Penn State with a 55% SOS rating. Their tie was a 14-14 road game at #5 Notre Dame, hardly a bad tie. They beat #11 Nebraska (9-2) by ten points on the road, they beat 6-4 Oregon State on the road by 24 points, they beat #19 Stanford (7-2-1) at home by two points, they beat #13 UCLA (8-1-1) by two points in the Coliseum, and they won the Rose Bowl over #9 Michigan by a touchdown. They played five ranked teams, as many as Texas and Penn State combined.
The problem here is multifaceted: Penn State gets the edge over Texas due to SOS, and USC gets the edge over Penn State due to SOS, but Texas gets the edge over USC because of the comparative Notre Dame scores. It's a true circle of doubt!
But Texas played Notre Dame in a virtual home game, and USC played Notre Dame in South Bend. That basically eliminates the edge Texas has over USC, especially since the Trojans didn't lose. Throw in USC's significant edge in SOS over Texas, and John McKay's boys steal one from Penn State.
McMNC Revisions
1. USC
2. Penn State
3. Texas
4. Ohio State
5. LSU
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
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
1. Texas: 11-0-0 -- W, Cotton, 21-17
2. Penn State: 11-0-0 -- W, Orange, 10-3
3. USC: 10-0-1 -- W, Rose, 10-3
4. Ohio State: 8-1-0 -- NONE
5. Notre Dame: 8-2-1 -- L, Cotton, 17-21
6. Missouri: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 3-10
7. Arkansas: 9-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 22-27
8. Mississippi: 8-3-0 -- W, Sugar, 27-22
9. Michigan: 8-3-0 -- L, Rose, 3-10
10. LSU: 9-1-0 -- NONE
Note: This was Notre Dame's first foray into bowl games, and even though they lost to Texas, they moved up from #9 in the polls to a #5 finish. Quite interesting. Also, it's amazing how many undefeated teams there were late in this season: Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, Arkansas ... crazy fun year for college football. And LSU's only loss? A three-point road loss to #8 Mississippi. And they got no bowl game. Ouch. Maybe it was that 39% SOS rating ...
This is really about three teams: Texas, Penn State and USC. No one else can match then for record/bowl win combinations.
Texas: The Longhorns had a pretty low SOS rating this year (42%). They beat unranked 6-4 Oklahoma at home by ten points, they beat #7 Arkansas on the road by a point, and they beat then-#9 Notre Dame in their bowl game by four points. So, they did beat two ranked teams, but only by a total of five points. And they only played THREE winning teams all year. The stinkers on their schedule? 1-9 Navy and 0-10 Baylor. Not a good year to have a sucky schedule, Texas. They also only played four road games all year.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions had a 53% SOS rating, which is significantly better than the Texas mark above. They beat AP #16 Colorado (8-3) by 24 points at home, they beat AP #17 West Virginia (10-1) in a 20-0 home shutout, they beat 5-4-1 Ohio University at home by 39 points, they beat 5-4 Boston College at home by 22 points, and they beat #6 Missouri in the Orange Bowl by seven points. They did beat three ranked teams, and they beat five winning teams overall. The schedule doesn't look as good as the number might indicate, but ...
USC: The Trojans trump both Texas and Penn State with a 55% SOS rating. Their tie was a 14-14 road game at #5 Notre Dame, hardly a bad tie. They beat #11 Nebraska (9-2) by ten points on the road, they beat 6-4 Oregon State on the road by 24 points, they beat #19 Stanford (7-2-1) at home by two points, they beat #13 UCLA (8-1-1) by two points in the Coliseum, and they won the Rose Bowl over #9 Michigan by a touchdown. They played five ranked teams, as many as Texas and Penn State combined.
The problem here is multifaceted: Penn State gets the edge over Texas due to SOS, and USC gets the edge over Penn State due to SOS, but Texas gets the edge over USC because of the comparative Notre Dame scores. It's a true circle of doubt!
But Texas played Notre Dame in a virtual home game, and USC played Notre Dame in South Bend. That basically eliminates the edge Texas has over USC, especially since the Trojans didn't lose. Throw in USC's significant edge in SOS over Texas, and John McKay's boys steal one from Penn State.
McMNC Revisions
1. USC
2. Penn State
3. Texas
4. Ohio State
5. LSU
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
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Auburn: -1957
Texas: =1963, -1969
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966
Monday, May 5, 2008
1968 McMNC: Ohio State Buckeyes
AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. Ohio State: 10-0-0 -- W, Rose, 27-16
2. Penn State: 11-0-0 -- W, Orange, 15-14
3. Texas: 9-1-1 -- W, Cotton, 36-13
4. USC: 9-1-1 -- L, Rose, 16-27
5. Notre Dame: 7-2-1 -- NONE
6. Arkansas: 10-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 16-2
7. Kansas: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 14-15
8. Georgia: 8-1-2 -- L, Sugar, 2-16
9. Missouri: 8-3-0 -- W, Gator, 35-10
10. Purdue: 8-2-0 -- NONE
Note: The AP poll went back to ranking 20 teams in 1968, and they also went to the permanent post-bowl poll -- bringing us almost in-line with the modern poll. Almost. Interesting bowl season, with only Notre Dame and the Big Ten being losers.
[By the way, Michigan finished 8-2 and ranked #12. So why was 1969's win over Woody considered such a big upset? It's not like the Wolverines were bad in 1968 ...]
There's two obvious contenders here, and there are two others to look at as well, just because ... if USC, Georgia and Kansas hadn't lost their bowl games, I would have considered them, too.
Let's look at the seeming pretenders first.
Texas: The Longhorns' 52% SOS rating is very solid in this discussion, as will be seen. They started the season 0-1-1, and then they ran the table (which continued into 1969 and most of 1970, too). They tied #18 Houston (6-2-2) at home to open the season, and then they lost to 5-3-2 Texas Tech on the road by nine points. They recovered to beat #11 Oklahoma (7-4) by six points at home, they beat #6 Arkansas at home by ten points (thus eliminating the Razorbacks from this discussion -- see below), they pounded #14 SMU (8-3) at home by 31 points, and they beat #13 Tennessee (8-2-1) in the Cotton Bowl by 23 points. They had some stumbles early to decent teams, and they recovered strongly.
Arkansas: They had a 50% SOS rating, which is better than either of the top two teams. But they did lose to Texas, so they're out.
So now to the big boys!
Penn State: The Nittany Lions had an SOS rating below Texas' at 47%, which is not super. They beat unranked 7-3 West Virginia on the road by 11 points, they beat unranked 6-3 Boston College on the road in a 29-0 rout, they beat unranked 7-3 Army at home by four points, they beat unranked 6-4 Syracuse by 18 points at home, and they beat #7 Kansas by a point in the Orange Bowl. They only beat one ranked team all year, and that was by a point. Strange SOS, to be sure.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes only check in with a 49% SOS rating, but it's better than Penn State's schedule. They also played only three road games all season (four, including the Rose Bowl). Pretty lame. But they did beat #14 SMU by 21 points at home, they shutout #10 Purdue 13-0 at home, and they beat #12 Michigan by 36 points at home (in the famous "I couldn't go for three" game). This was capped by an 11-point win over #4 USC in the Rose Bowl.
The Longhorns' resume isn't good enough to knock off an undefeated team at the top, since they have two blemishes to overcome. So they're out. And it's funny to note how "close" the SOS ratings are for Penn State and Ohio State, despite the fact the Buckeyes clearly played a significantly more impressive schedule.
Sorry, Joe -- Woody takes you down here.
McMNC Revisions
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Texas
4. Arkansas
5. USC
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, =1968
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
1. Ohio State: 10-0-0 -- W, Rose, 27-16
2. Penn State: 11-0-0 -- W, Orange, 15-14
3. Texas: 9-1-1 -- W, Cotton, 36-13
4. USC: 9-1-1 -- L, Rose, 16-27
5. Notre Dame: 7-2-1 -- NONE
6. Arkansas: 10-1-0 -- W, Sugar, 16-2
7. Kansas: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 14-15
8. Georgia: 8-1-2 -- L, Sugar, 2-16
9. Missouri: 8-3-0 -- W, Gator, 35-10
10. Purdue: 8-2-0 -- NONE
Note: The AP poll went back to ranking 20 teams in 1968, and they also went to the permanent post-bowl poll -- bringing us almost in-line with the modern poll. Almost. Interesting bowl season, with only Notre Dame and the Big Ten being losers.
[By the way, Michigan finished 8-2 and ranked #12. So why was 1969's win over Woody considered such a big upset? It's not like the Wolverines were bad in 1968 ...]
There's two obvious contenders here, and there are two others to look at as well, just because ... if USC, Georgia and Kansas hadn't lost their bowl games, I would have considered them, too.
Let's look at the seeming pretenders first.
Texas: The Longhorns' 52% SOS rating is very solid in this discussion, as will be seen. They started the season 0-1-1, and then they ran the table (which continued into 1969 and most of 1970, too). They tied #18 Houston (6-2-2) at home to open the season, and then they lost to 5-3-2 Texas Tech on the road by nine points. They recovered to beat #11 Oklahoma (7-4) by six points at home, they beat #6 Arkansas at home by ten points (thus eliminating the Razorbacks from this discussion -- see below), they pounded #14 SMU (8-3) at home by 31 points, and they beat #13 Tennessee (8-2-1) in the Cotton Bowl by 23 points. They had some stumbles early to decent teams, and they recovered strongly.
Arkansas: They had a 50% SOS rating, which is better than either of the top two teams. But they did lose to Texas, so they're out.
So now to the big boys!
Penn State: The Nittany Lions had an SOS rating below Texas' at 47%, which is not super. They beat unranked 7-3 West Virginia on the road by 11 points, they beat unranked 6-3 Boston College on the road in a 29-0 rout, they beat unranked 7-3 Army at home by four points, they beat unranked 6-4 Syracuse by 18 points at home, and they beat #7 Kansas by a point in the Orange Bowl. They only beat one ranked team all year, and that was by a point. Strange SOS, to be sure.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes only check in with a 49% SOS rating, but it's better than Penn State's schedule. They also played only three road games all season (four, including the Rose Bowl). Pretty lame. But they did beat #14 SMU by 21 points at home, they shutout #10 Purdue 13-0 at home, and they beat #12 Michigan by 36 points at home (in the famous "I couldn't go for three" game). This was capped by an 11-point win over #4 USC in the Rose Bowl.
The Longhorns' resume isn't good enough to knock off an undefeated team at the top, since they have two blemishes to overcome. So they're out. And it's funny to note how "close" the SOS ratings are for Penn State and Ohio State, despite the fact the Buckeyes clearly played a significantly more impressive schedule.
Sorry, Joe -- Woody takes you down here.
McMNC Revisions
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Texas
4. Arkansas
5. USC
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, =1968
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
Thursday, May 1, 2008
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
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
Monday, April 28, 2008
1966 McMNC: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
1. Notre Dame: 9-0-1 -- NONE
2. Michigan State: 9-0-1 -- NONE
3. Alabama: 11-0-0 -- W, Sugar, 34-7
4. Georgia: 10-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 24-9
5. UCLA: 9-1-0 -- NONE
6. Nebraska: 9-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 7-34
7. Purdue: 9-2-0 -- W, Rose, 14-13
8. Georgia Tech: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 12-27
9. Miami-FL: 8-2-1 -- W, Liberty, 14-7
10. SMU: 8-3-0 -- L, Cotton, 9-24
Note: The AP only ranked ten teams in 1966, and in a surprise move, they went BACK to the final poll being pre-bowl this season. Go figure ...
This was the year of the "Game of the Century", a 10-10 tie in East Lansing between Notre Dame and Sparty. After that tie on November 19, the Irish traveled to Los Angeles and beat the shit out of USC, 51-0. That may have swayed voters a bit, since the Irish tied the Spartans on the road without their starting QB and their starting RB.
But I digress.
We can consider five teams this year: Notre Dame, Michigan State, Alabama, UCLA and Georgia. But let's break some "ties" first.
Notre Dame versus Michigan State: They tied on Michigan State's home field, which gives a slight edge to Notre Dame. The Irish also have the SOS rating edge, 54%-49%. Notre Dame beat #7 Purdue on the road by ten points, while Michigan State beat Purdue by 21 points at home. Edge? Michigan State. Notre Dame beat Northwestern on the road by a 35-7 score, while Michigan State beat Northwestern on the road, 22-0. Draw. Notre Dame was 4-0-1 against winning teams in 1966, while Michigan State was just 2-0-1 against winning teams in 1966. The Big Ten had a down year, and three Spartan opponents (North Carolina State, Penn State and Ohio State) were a combined 14-15. So Notre Dame gets the head-to-head edge over Michigan State in 1966.
Alabama versus Georgia: Both teams went undefeated in SEC play, although Alabama was 6-0 and Georgia was 5-0. The SEC was ridiculous, once again, in uneven scheduling. Anyway, the Bulldogs have the SOS rating edge, 50%-46%. But they also have one loss: an OOC road loss by one point to #9 Miami-FL. That is hardly a blemish, all things considered. But the SEC can only have one representative in this debate, so let's look closer: Alabama had six wins over winning teams, including three wins over ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi [8-3], UPI #14 Tennessee [8-3], and AP #6 Nebraska). The first two were road games, and 'Bama nicked the Vols by one point. Also, Nebraska (45% SOS rating) certainly wasn't "up" for its bowl game, as they blew their perfect season in the last game of the regular season, losing by one point on the road to Oklahoma. As for Georgia, they had five wins over winning teams, including four wins over ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi, UPI #11 Florida [9-2], AP #8 Georgia Tech and AP #10 SMU). Plus, they had a fifth game against a ranked opponent in their close road loss to Miami-FL. Overall, the scheduling edge goes to Georgia, because they played better teams and only lost one game to a Top 10 team on the road by a point. While 'Bama's bowl win over #6 Nebraska is very good, it comes with a caveat of disinterest from the Cornhuskers. But in the end, Alabama went undefeated, and Georgia's SOS edge isn't enough to compensate for a loss.
So we have Notre Dame and Alabama alive here, with UCLA still to consider: The Bruins had a poor SOS rating at 47%, and they lost to unranked Washington (6-4) on the road by 13 points. That's not a bad loss, but combined with the reality they didn't play in a bowl game, they really have no shot at passing either the Irish or the Tide in this analysis.
So it's Notre Dame versus Alabama: yes, the Irish didn't play in a bowl game, either, but as noted, they had a superior SOS rating (54%-46%). Their only blemish is a great tie on the road to the other #1 team for most of the season. Notre Dame was 4-0-1 against winning teams; Alabama was 6-0 against winning teams. The Irish played three ranked teams all season [AP #7 Purdue, AP #2 Michigan State, and UPI #18 USC [7-4]), while Alabama also played three ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi [8-3], UPI #14 Tennessee [8-3], and AP #6 Nebraska). Notre Dame played a more top-heavy schedule, for sure, and overall, they had a better schedule as well. But they didn't play in a bowl game, and Alabama did. Notre Dame did beat their opponents by an average of 32 points, while Alabama only beat theirs by an average of 23 points.
In 1943, the Irish lost the McMNC because of a bad tie; in 1946, the Irish lost the McMNC because their SOS wasn't enough to overcome the lack of a bowl game (only a 3% edge over Georgia) and a tie blemish; in 1947, the Irish had a far inferior SOS rating to Michigan (48%-39%) and no bowl win on their resume; in 1949, they lost to Oklahoma because of an inferior SOS rating (52%-50%) and no bowl win.
This time, they have the edge in SOS by a significant margin, and the blemish on their record really isn't a blemish: it was as good as victory considering the circumstances and the fact Alabama played no opponent of that caliber all season long.
The lack of bowl game doesn't hurt the Irish in 1966, because the rest of their resume was finally strong enough to overcome that inequity. I realize this is two years in a row I've broken my own "rules", but rules were made to be broken on special occasions.
McMNC Revisions
1. Notre Dame
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Michigan State
5. UCLA
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, =1966
1. Notre Dame: 9-0-1 -- NONE
2. Michigan State: 9-0-1 -- NONE
3. Alabama: 11-0-0 -- W, Sugar, 34-7
4. Georgia: 10-1-0 -- W, Cotton, 24-9
5. UCLA: 9-1-0 -- NONE
6. Nebraska: 9-2-0 -- L, Sugar, 7-34
7. Purdue: 9-2-0 -- W, Rose, 14-13
8. Georgia Tech: 9-2-0 -- L, Orange, 12-27
9. Miami-FL: 8-2-1 -- W, Liberty, 14-7
10. SMU: 8-3-0 -- L, Cotton, 9-24
Note: The AP only ranked ten teams in 1966, and in a surprise move, they went BACK to the final poll being pre-bowl this season. Go figure ...
This was the year of the "Game of the Century", a 10-10 tie in East Lansing between Notre Dame and Sparty. After that tie on November 19, the Irish traveled to Los Angeles and beat the shit out of USC, 51-0. That may have swayed voters a bit, since the Irish tied the Spartans on the road without their starting QB and their starting RB.
But I digress.
We can consider five teams this year: Notre Dame, Michigan State, Alabama, UCLA and Georgia. But let's break some "ties" first.
Notre Dame versus Michigan State: They tied on Michigan State's home field, which gives a slight edge to Notre Dame. The Irish also have the SOS rating edge, 54%-49%. Notre Dame beat #7 Purdue on the road by ten points, while Michigan State beat Purdue by 21 points at home. Edge? Michigan State. Notre Dame beat Northwestern on the road by a 35-7 score, while Michigan State beat Northwestern on the road, 22-0. Draw. Notre Dame was 4-0-1 against winning teams in 1966, while Michigan State was just 2-0-1 against winning teams in 1966. The Big Ten had a down year, and three Spartan opponents (North Carolina State, Penn State and Ohio State) were a combined 14-15. So Notre Dame gets the head-to-head edge over Michigan State in 1966.
Alabama versus Georgia: Both teams went undefeated in SEC play, although Alabama was 6-0 and Georgia was 5-0. The SEC was ridiculous, once again, in uneven scheduling. Anyway, the Bulldogs have the SOS rating edge, 50%-46%. But they also have one loss: an OOC road loss by one point to #9 Miami-FL. That is hardly a blemish, all things considered. But the SEC can only have one representative in this debate, so let's look closer: Alabama had six wins over winning teams, including three wins over ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi [8-3], UPI #14 Tennessee [8-3], and AP #6 Nebraska). The first two were road games, and 'Bama nicked the Vols by one point. Also, Nebraska (45% SOS rating) certainly wasn't "up" for its bowl game, as they blew their perfect season in the last game of the regular season, losing by one point on the road to Oklahoma. As for Georgia, they had five wins over winning teams, including four wins over ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi, UPI #11 Florida [9-2], AP #8 Georgia Tech and AP #10 SMU). Plus, they had a fifth game against a ranked opponent in their close road loss to Miami-FL. Overall, the scheduling edge goes to Georgia, because they played better teams and only lost one game to a Top 10 team on the road by a point. While 'Bama's bowl win over #6 Nebraska is very good, it comes with a caveat of disinterest from the Cornhuskers. But in the end, Alabama went undefeated, and Georgia's SOS edge isn't enough to compensate for a loss.
So we have Notre Dame and Alabama alive here, with UCLA still to consider: The Bruins had a poor SOS rating at 47%, and they lost to unranked Washington (6-4) on the road by 13 points. That's not a bad loss, but combined with the reality they didn't play in a bowl game, they really have no shot at passing either the Irish or the Tide in this analysis.
So it's Notre Dame versus Alabama: yes, the Irish didn't play in a bowl game, either, but as noted, they had a superior SOS rating (54%-46%). Their only blemish is a great tie on the road to the other #1 team for most of the season. Notre Dame was 4-0-1 against winning teams; Alabama was 6-0 against winning teams. The Irish played three ranked teams all season [AP #7 Purdue, AP #2 Michigan State, and UPI #18 USC [7-4]), while Alabama also played three ranked teams (UPI #12 Mississippi [8-3], UPI #14 Tennessee [8-3], and AP #6 Nebraska). Notre Dame played a more top-heavy schedule, for sure, and overall, they had a better schedule as well. But they didn't play in a bowl game, and Alabama did. Notre Dame did beat their opponents by an average of 32 points, while Alabama only beat theirs by an average of 23 points.
In 1943, the Irish lost the McMNC because of a bad tie; in 1946, the Irish lost the McMNC because their SOS wasn't enough to overcome the lack of a bowl game (only a 3% edge over Georgia) and a tie blemish; in 1947, the Irish had a far inferior SOS rating to Michigan (48%-39%) and no bowl win on their resume; in 1949, they lost to Oklahoma because of an inferior SOS rating (52%-50%) and no bowl win.
This time, they have the edge in SOS by a significant margin, and the blemish on their record really isn't a blemish: it was as good as victory considering the circumstances and the fact Alabama played no opponent of that caliber all season long.
The lack of bowl game doesn't hurt the Irish in 1966, because the rest of their resume was finally strong enough to overcome that inequity. I realize this is two years in a row I've broken my own "rules", but rules were made to be broken on special occasions.
McMNC Revisions
1. Notre Dame
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Michigan State
5. UCLA
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, =1966
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