Phil C
12-20-2004, 02:37 PM
I know I have posted about the 1941 Texas Longhorns who barely missed going to the Rose Bowl but now I have more information that I just found out about. That year rankings were final after the regular season and the bowl games were just something to have. Many experts up to that time considered the 1941 Texas team the best college team ever even after the two upsets (which were more common back then and still happen today as we know). After six games the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 and had outscored their opponents 230 to 27. Then they played their worst game of the year and Baylor pulled on the upset tie 7 to 7. The next week the head coach was gone for a few days because his father passed away and they lost to TCU 14 to 7 when TCU scored a td in the last two minutes to win the game. I always thought it was these two games that kept them out of the Rose bowl but it wasn't because I found out they had an ace in the hole and that was - yes - believe it or not the Texas A&M Aggies who were ranked No. 2 in the country! (Texas was still highly ranked). Texas redemned themselves for the two upsets (if they hadn't been upset that might have been one of the first No. 1 vs No. 2 in the country matches) and beat the Aggies 23 to 0. The Rose Bowl still wanted Texas to play Oregon State in the Rose Bowl. But Texas still had one game to play and that was Oregon who had barely missed upsetting Oregon State in a close game 21 to 16. The Rose Bowl people were afraid that Oregon State would beat Texas and didn't want that to interfear with the crowd draw. The wanted Texas to cancel the game with Oregon State which Texas refused so the Rose Bowl invited Duke to play Oregon State and Oregon State won 20 to 16. Texas proved they made a wrong (or maybe right? :) ) choice as they beat Oregon by a score of 71 to 7 so Texas had regained their form and probably would have whipped Oregon State also. That game was played December 6, 1941 and the next day the country was at war with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Ironically, due to safety reasons the Rose Bowl was played that year in Durham, NC for safety reasons. The entire Texas team rusedh to join the military. All American lineman Chal Daniel was killed in a training mission. Mike Sweeney, an end, died in a battle in Europe. Other Texas players stayed to complete their degrees at the urging of the military, which wanted them to be officers. And California who at least has a bowl game this year thought they had something big to whine about. This Texas team was considered one of the best teams ever had the time and didn't even get to go to a bowl game because of politics. However after December 7, 1941 other more important matters than football began to occupy the minds of the American people.