The time when 1+2+3 did = 8 in college football.

[Phil C]

This occurred in 1971. There were of course no playoffs and teams played in bowls and no BCS but things worked out that year where we really had the best teams competing for the MNC. The Big 8 was the team conference that had the best teams that year which included Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, etc.

At the end of the year Nebraska played No. 2 Oklahoma and both teams had perfect records. Also Alabama was to play Auburn and both teams met with perfect records. It was agreed that the winners would play in the Orange Bowl and the losers in the Sugar Bowl.

Nebraka beat Oklahoma in a great game 34 to 31 and that was really the MNC game and they were to be ranked No. 1 and No. 2 after the season and bowl games. But at the time they played Alabama and Auburn were top ranked teams and when they played Alabama whipped Auburn 31 - 7.

Hence it was Nebraska against Alabama in the Orange Bowl for the MNC as both teams had perfect records. Nebraska proved it was their game with Oklahoma that was the real NC game as they whipped Alabama 38 - 6. Meantime Oklahoma whipped Auburn in the Sugar Bowl 40 - 22 (and it wasn't that close).

Nebraska and Oklahoma of course wound up as No. 1 and No. 2 but Colorado was sneaking up on the polls. They only two games they lost were to Nebraska and Oklahoma who whipped them but they won all the rest of the games. What helped them was that early in their season they beat LSU and Ohio State both who had powerful teams in the past but Colorado caught them in a down year in 1971. Colorado helped their cause by winning their last 4 games and beating Houston at 9-3 for the year in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. Things feel into place in football results at the end of the year for Colorado and they were voted No. 3 behind Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Thus the Big 8 had the top teams that year and they came up with 1+2+3=8. I don't think it has ben duplicated since.

[Maroon87]

You da man, Phil. :)

[Sweetwater Red]

Must have been a real down year for the Big Ten and Pac Ten.:thinking: :D

[Phil C]

One thing that helped Colorado was that Notre Dame who might have been ranked No. 3 faltered at the end of the season. They lost to USC who had a down year also 28 to 14 but they could have had a one loss season but on their last game of the season they got whipped by LSU (who Colorado had beaten earlier) 28 to 8.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Sweetwater Red
Must have been a real down year for the Big Ten and Pac Ten.:thinking: :D

You are right. Ohio State had been a power house but they were off that year and I think had a 6-4-1 record. The Pac 10 was down with USC having a 6-4-1 record. Washington was 8-3 and Stanford was 9-3 and got to go to the Rose Bowl as Pac 10 champions. Michigan was the power of the Big 10 and had a perfect regular season at 10-0. Michigan might have had a claim for No. 1 had they won the Rose Bowl against Stanford but Stanford pulled off the upset 13-12 and knocked Michigan out of any NC consideration but also opened the door for Colorado to get No. 3. By losing the last game of the year Michigan opened the door for the Big 12. To get what the Big 12 got that year takes winning but it takes luck with what happened in the rest of the Country. Had Michigan beat Stanford I think they would have been No. 3 and maybe No. 2 behind Nebraska.

[SpeedOption]

AP

1971
1. Nebraska
2. Oklahoma
3. Colorado
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
6. Michigan
7. Georgia
8. Arizona State
9. Tennessee
10. Stanford
11. Louisiana State
12. Auburn
13. Notre Dame
14. Toledo
15. Mississippi
16. Arkansas
17. Houston
18. Texas
19. Washington
20. USC


UPI
1971
1. Nebraska
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Michigan
5. Auburn
6. Arizona State
7. Colorado
8. Georgia
9. Tennessee
10. Louisiana State
11. Penn State
12. Texas
13. Toledo
14. Houston
15. Notre Dame
16. Stanford
17. Iowa State
18. North Carolina
19. Florida State
20. Arkansas
(tie) Mississippi

[Phil C]

Originally posted by SpeedOption
AP

1971
1. Nebraska
2. Oklahoma
3. Colorado
4. Alabama
5. Penn State
6. Michigan
7. Georgia
8. Arizona State
9. Tennessee
10. Stanford
11. Louisiana State
12. Auburn
13. Notre Dame
14. Toledo
15. Mississippi
16. Arkansas
17. Houston
18. Texas
19. Washington
20. USC


UPI
1971
1. Nebraska
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Michigan
5. Auburn
6. Arizona State
7. Colorado
8. Georgia
9. Tennessee
10. Louisiana State
11. Penn State
12. Texas
13. Toledo
14. Houston
15. Notre Dame
16. Stanford
17. Iowa State
18. North Carolina
19. Florida State
20. Arkansas
(tie) Mississippi

Good information. Remember the AP waited till after the bowl games for its' final list while the UPI awarded theirs right after the regular season had just ended and did not wait for bowl results. They didn't know that Alabama was going to get trounced by Nebraska as was Auburn by Oklahoma. Also Michigan was about to be upset in the Rose Bowl by Standford.

[Panther One]

Makes you think how great it would be to have a playoff. Instead, Ohio State will be back in the championship game next and we all know how it will end...

[runthequarter]

Loss

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Panther One
Makes you think how great it would be to have a playoff. Instead, Ohio State will be back in the championship game next and we all know how it will end...

Sad but true. We need a real playoff system with at least the top 8 - preferable the top 16.

[Panther One]

Originally posted by Phil C
Sad but true. We need a real playoff system with at least the top 8 - preferable the top 16.
That starts a week or two after conference championship games. The gap between the end of the season and the bowls, especially the national championship game is rediculous and always has been.

Using the 2008 schedule:
Sat, Dec 6: Last week of regular season, conf champ games, etc
Sat, Dec 13: Round of 8
Sat, Dec 20: Semifinals
Mon, Jan 5: National Championship

With this setup, you could still have other bowl games being played on and around new years with the title game capping it all off. If this ever did happen, you would probably see the conferences with championship games eliminate those and just declare a champ. If that happens, then you could add another round of playoffs beginning on the 6th, or give everyone a week off. By eliminating championship games and keeping a 12 game regular season, you would have two teams playing 16 games. High school teams do this every year and the pros have a 16-game regular season. I think college could manage it.

[SpeedOption]

The NCAA wont do that because of finals. They let teams play in bowls because it didnt interfear with finals. Started out like that but has blossomed to 32 bowl games. Ridiculus

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by SpeedOption
The NCAA wont do that because of finals. They let teams play in bowls because it didnt interfear with finals. Started out like that but has blossomed to 32 bowl games. Ridiculus

It doesn't seem to bother the Div. I-AA, II, & III schools. LOL

[Panther One]

Originally posted by Maroon87
It doesn't seem to bother the Div. I-AA, II, & III schools. LOL
I guess academics just don't matter on those levels.