Phil C
08-10-2007, 04:05 PM
In the 1960s the football college national championship (or really the mythical national championship) was decided by polls based on the regular season. The two main polls then that folks really paid attention too were the AP and UPI polls.
Alabama was voted the MNC in 1964 because they had a perfect season record.
They also were voted for it in 1965 because they had a perfect season record. They went on to win the Orange Bowl over Nebraska 39 to 28.
This made two straight MNCs. Could they get the third one. They did what they could. They had a perfect season record. They also beat Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl 34 to 7. But the polls chose Notre Dame even though they had tied Michigan State during the season 10 to 10 and went for the tie in the last minute of play instead of the win. ND would not play bowl games since they apparantly hadn't discovered the airplane yet. :) It would have been great if Notre Dame had played Bama in the Sugar Bowl but it wasn't meant to be.
Many Alabama faithful feel that Bama should have had three straight MNCs and were cheated.
However they fail to remember that in 1964 when they got the MNC that they lost their bowl game to Texas 21 to 17. This Texas team had lost by one point to Arkansas 13 to 14. Arkansas had a perfect record and went on to beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl 10 to 7 and thus counting bowls had the only team that did not have a blemish (loss or tie) against its' record.
Alabama fans nor their coach never publicly said they should have given up the MNC to Arkansas in 1964 after the bowl games. But they sure did complain in 1966.
Oh the irony. :(
Alabama was voted the MNC in 1964 because they had a perfect season record.
They also were voted for it in 1965 because they had a perfect season record. They went on to win the Orange Bowl over Nebraska 39 to 28.
This made two straight MNCs. Could they get the third one. They did what they could. They had a perfect season record. They also beat Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl 34 to 7. But the polls chose Notre Dame even though they had tied Michigan State during the season 10 to 10 and went for the tie in the last minute of play instead of the win. ND would not play bowl games since they apparantly hadn't discovered the airplane yet. :) It would have been great if Notre Dame had played Bama in the Sugar Bowl but it wasn't meant to be.
Many Alabama faithful feel that Bama should have had three straight MNCs and were cheated.
However they fail to remember that in 1964 when they got the MNC that they lost their bowl game to Texas 21 to 17. This Texas team had lost by one point to Arkansas 13 to 14. Arkansas had a perfect record and went on to beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl 10 to 7 and thus counting bowls had the only team that did not have a blemish (loss or tie) against its' record.
Alabama fans nor their coach never publicly said they should have given up the MNC to Arkansas in 1964 after the bowl games. But they sure did complain in 1966.
Oh the irony. :(