Phil C
09-17-2009, 04:27 PM
I won't say they are the best ever but they were a great team. They had a great offense and a great defense and had a 13-0 team which was remarkable in 1971. Also they were the National Champions in College Football. The thing is they also are the only team in the history of college football to play the No. 2, 3, & 4 final top 10 teams but that was due to much luck. Still that was almost a playoff system so to speak. They scored at least 31 points in all their games and the most they allowed was Oklahoma's 31 points. They had 3 shutouts and 7 other games in which the opponent scored 7 or less points. In two of the games where the opponents scored more than 7 points they beat Kansas State 44 - 17 and Oklahoma State 41 - 13.
The final top 4 teams they beat were No. 2 Oklahoma 34 - 31 (That was the big game of the year and decided the NC). No. 3 Colorado 31 - 7 and No. 4 Alabama 38 - 6.
Colorado lost only to Nebraska and Oklahoma that year and were able to get No. 3 because they beat a good Houston team in the Bluebonnet Bowl 29-17.
Luck was a big factor because the Big 10 and Pacific Coast and SWC teams had off years and no one to challenge the NC. USC had a bad year for them at 6-4 but they did beat Notre Dame 28 to 14 which was one of ND's 2 losses which helped knock them out.
It was the only time that it has happened and the odds of it happening again until we get a real playoff system is very low. And even then it would be probably a low chance of happening.
Remarkable indeed.
Oklahoma had a great offensive team that year but their defense was only fair. If Oklahoma had had a couple of very good defensive linemen they would probably have been the team that year to get the NC.
The final top 4 teams they beat were No. 2 Oklahoma 34 - 31 (That was the big game of the year and decided the NC). No. 3 Colorado 31 - 7 and No. 4 Alabama 38 - 6.
Colorado lost only to Nebraska and Oklahoma that year and were able to get No. 3 because they beat a good Houston team in the Bluebonnet Bowl 29-17.
Luck was a big factor because the Big 10 and Pacific Coast and SWC teams had off years and no one to challenge the NC. USC had a bad year for them at 6-4 but they did beat Notre Dame 28 to 14 which was one of ND's 2 losses which helped knock them out.
It was the only time that it has happened and the odds of it happening again until we get a real playoff system is very low. And even then it would be probably a low chance of happening.
Remarkable indeed.
Oklahoma had a great offensive team that year but their defense was only fair. If Oklahoma had had a couple of very good defensive linemen they would probably have been the team that year to get the NC.