Best team in college football in the past 75 years?

FLW Buckeye · Post by **FLW Buckeye** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:30 am

This is just a little something to break the freaking boredom until the start of the season. My old hometown newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, is running a sim to determine the best college football team from the past 75 years.

Dispatch Tourney

The setup is a 16 team tourney with 4 Buckeye teams preselected, the 1942 Ohio State team, the 1954 Buckeyes, the 1968 OSU team and the 2002 Jim Tressel squad (Love the homerism

). A 40 team list is offered to select from with the top 12 vote getters filling the remaining slots. All those participating in the Dispatch tourney may select three.
They will announce the field and the first round on June 5th, with games played(?) the next week. The winner will be crowned July 10th.

Two questions:

1. What would your top twelve list look like, and

2. Are there any teams that you would include that was missing from the list?

Here are the choices:

1930 Notre Dame (10-0)
1932 USC (10-0)
1938 TCU (11-0)
1940 Minnesota (8-0)
1945 Army (9-0)
1947 Michigan (10-0)
1949 Notre Dame (10-0)
1952 Georgia Tech (12-0)
1955 Oklahoma (11-0)
1959 Syracuse (11-0)
1961 Alabama (11-0)
1962 USC (11-0)
1969 Texas (11-0)
1971 Nebraska (13-0)
1972 USC (12-0)
1973 Notre Dame (11-0)
1974 Oklahoma (11-0)
1976 Pittsburgh (12-0)
1978 USC (12-1)
1979 Alabama (12-0)
1981 Clemson (12-0)
1982 Penn State (11-1)
1983 Auburn (11-1)
1983 Nebraska (12-1)
1984 BYU (13-0)
1988 Notre Dame (12-0)
1991 Washington (12-0)
1991 Miami (12-0)
1992 Alabama (13-0)
1993 Florida State (12-1)
1994 Penn State (12-0)
1995 Nebraska (12-0)
1996 Florida (12-1)
1997 Michigan (12-0)
1998 Tennessee (13-0)
1999 Florida State (12-0)
2000 Oklahoma (13-0)
2001 Miami (12-0)
2004 USC (13-0)
2005 Texas (13-0)

Some of you seem knowledgeable. Lets see what you’ve got.

The Seer · Post by **The Seer** » Mon May 15, 2006 9:36 am

Contest has been cancelled.

No Ucla representation.

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:14 am

Where is 2006 Florida?

Sin,

T REx

all kidding aside looks like a pretty comprehensive list. I would argue that the LSU team that won the BCS title in 2004 should be on the list if you are going to include USC...and get rid of the 84 BYU team...

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:37 am

Sorry dude....I think we'll be better next year when Tebow takes over. the guy is a stud. But we will be tough to beat this year. the schedule is just murder.

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Mon May 15, 2006 11:54 am

glad you took the good natured jab with a sense of humor...

from what I hear Tebow is very very good...if he can catch on with Opie's offense the sky just might be the limit...

by the way did you see tOSU and FLA to tangle on the basketball court...should be a sweet matchup Noah vs Oden...

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:29 pm

yeah....I started a thread but none of you bucks responded

We travel to C-bus the following. I'm glad oden won't be around for teh roadie.

Cornhusker · Post by **Cornhusker** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:43 pm

Bogus poll..
1997 shouldn't be Michigan.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:33 pm

1930 Notre Dame (10-0)
1961 Alabama (11-0)
1972 USC (12-0)
1974 Oklahoma (11-0)
1979 Alabama (12-0)
1988 Notre Dame (12-0)
1993 Florida State (12-1)
1995 Nebraska (12-0)
1999 Florida State (12-0)
2001 Miami (12-0)
2004 USC (13-0)
2005 Texas (13-0)

Unfortunately, since I was born in 1980, I never really got to see any of the teams in action prior to 83 or so. Only went by from what I have heard over the years. Hard to compare era's though, since size and speed of the game has increased significantly.

Killian · Post by **Killian** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:44 pm

There is no way to do this without homerisim, but any of the late 40's teams from Notre Dame would be tough to beat in that era. Frank had 4 years worth of war veterans playing for ND. They were literally men among boys in certain games.

I have a hard time with the 2002 OSU team being put in with the final 16 teams. They were a good team, but they had way too many close calls for them to be one of the 16 best ever.

My money would be the '95 Huskers.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:48 pm

Cornhusker wrote:Bogus poll..
1997 shouldn't be Michigan.

WURD!!!

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:48 pm

Killian wrote:There is no way to do this without homerisim, but any of the late 40's teams from Notre Dame would be tough to beat in that era. Frank had 4 years worth of war veterans playing for ND. They were literally men among boys in certain games.

I have a hard time with the 2002 OSU team being put in with the final 16 teams. They were a good team, but they had way too many close calls for them to be one of the 16 best ever.

My money would be the '95 Huskers.

Oklahoma in 50s wasn't much different.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:25 pm

'95 Nebraska is the best IMO.

Did '05 USC get an automatic bye into the Championship Round??

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:51 pm

Cicero wrote:'95 Nebraska is the best IMO.

the 1995 corn fed studs would get my vote, too.

Degenerate · Post by **Degenerate** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:21 pm

1995 Nebraska was the best I've seen in my lifetime. They had just about every game sewn up at halftime. I know they never played from behind in the second half that year.

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:13 pm

cue Bradhuskers post in 5..4..3..2..1

Killian while the 2002 OSU team did have some close calls don't discount they bitchslapped Texas Tech and Washington State early in the season...yeah that Washington State team with that pussy Gessar at QB...and lest we forget they did win 14 games and beat a supposed superior Miami team...just sayin...

anyway there is no way to do it without homerism (agree with Killian)...if they are including National Champions then I standby my assertion that the LSU BCS winning squad should be there...

whoops forgot...

Where is Iowa?

Sin,

Jon=Bitch

Cornhusker · Post by **Cornhusker** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:41 pm

^^^^^^^^^
The last 5 posters (excluding me) or so, is solid proof you guys know your college football..
At the very obvious risk of homerin', I wouldn't play this card if the guys above me wouldn't have given their completely unbiased opinions.

Jeff Saragin at USA Today..(we're all familier with his computer rankings system) has NU '95 and '71 as the 1st and 2nd best teams since 1956. (Guess he didn't have the criteria beyond those years for his formate of rakings.)

'95 team didn't have anyone closer than 14 pts (Washington St.)
Was # 1 in rushing, 399.8 YPG (no surprise for Osborne teams) and #1 in scoring @ 52.4 PPG. #2 Total offense 556.3 YPG.

The 1971 team, was one of my favorites for sure.
The thing I think so many people don't realize is that team finished #1 with OU #2, Colorado #3 and Alabama #4 in the final after bowl rankings.
Nebraska beat ALL 3 of those teams, with OU and Alabama ranked #2 when NU beat them.
That never happened before, and I quite doubt we'll ever see that play out again.
One of my all time favorite games, NU put a major ass spanking on Bear Bryant in the Orange Bowl 38-6.
I tried to enjoy the Game of the Century, but I had the most nervous splitting headache that day in Norman I thought I was gonna have a stroke. I was NEVER so hyped for a game in my life.
Those were 2 superb teams, probably the best 2 teams to ever take the same field in college football. 17 of the 22 All-Conference 1st teamers were from those two squads.
As good as NU's offense was, OU's had better numbers. NU's defense was the strength of the team, (only 3 opponents scored more than 1 touchdown all season) yet OU scored 31. And for NU to drive 74 yards for the game winner with 1:38 left in Norman was epic stuff.

T REX · Post by **T REX** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:07 pm

'95 Braska all the way.

I would add 1987 Miami to any mix. Just check out their coaching staff.....have you ever seen anything like that on a sideline at one time?????

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/ ... 02aac.html

Coaching Staff
Head Coach - Jimmy Johnson
Assistant Coaches
Hubbard Alexander, receivers
Joe Brodsky, running backs
Dave Campo, defensive backs
Butch Davis, defensive line
Art Kehoe, offensive line
Don Soldinger, tight ends
Gary Stevens, asst. head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
Dave Wannstedt, defensive coordinator/linebackers
Tony Wise, offensive line
Steve Hoffman, graduate assistant
Bill Johnson, graduate assistant
Ron Meeks, graduate assistant
Tom Tuberville, graduate assistant
Dan Werner, graduate assistant

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:34 pm

I believe on Woody's staff at tOSU you had

Schembechler
Holtz
Earle Bruce

Then on Earle Bruce's staffs you had
Tressel
Glen Mason
Dom Capers

John Coopers staffs
Lovie Smith
Ron Zook (sup T Rex)
Larry Coker

now not the star power of some of the staffs you mention but pretty good in their own right!

Cornhusker...95 NU just might have been one of if not the most dominant teams of all time...if we didn't inject a little bit of homerism then we wouldn't be fans of this great sport...

I would have like to have seen 95 NU vs 93/94 PSU...that would have been a pretty sweet game in my opinion...I mean Tommie and LP vs Collins, Ki Jana and Kyle Brady...not to mention the Blackshirts and what not...WOW...

I still say LSU needs to be on that list from 2003 (cue broken record) tough to choose I would say...but some of those early 90's teams like U-DUB, where is Colorado on this list? Plus 92 Bama, 91 Miami...many many good teams...

holy shit where is CAL???? BWWWAAAHHHAAAA....

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon May 15, 2006 5:38 pm

Anyone who doesn't say 95 Nebraska is either in denial or too young to remember them.

Putting teams from the 30s, 40s, & 50s in this tourney is basically just a token show of respect. Those teams would have a hard time competing with the 2005 Temple team, let alone the national champs from the past 20-30 years.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon May 15, 2006 5:47 pm

buckeye_in_sc wrote:where is Colorado on this list?

Hate to say it, but they don't belong. 1990 CU finished 10-1-1. So they not only had an outright loss and a tie, but they needed a bone-headed 5th down by the refs against Mizzou and a bone-headed clip by ND to win the MNC.

I think the 1994 team was the best team they ever fielded, but they happened to run into Nebraska at the 200th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium. Play that game on a neutral field and who knows? Hell, even if McCartney had announced his retirement earlier in the season, it might've given them the emotional edge they needed. But as it stands, scoreboard is scoreboard. As much as I'd like to see CU represented on this list, I don't think they have a team worthy of representation.

Killian · Post by **Killian** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:49 pm

buckeye_in_sc wrote: Then on Earle Bruce's staffs you had
Tressel
Glen Mason
Dom Capers

I'm pretty sure that this staff also included Urban Meyer as a GA.

Vito Corleone · Post by **Vito Corleone** » Mon May 15, 2006 6:54 pm

1. 95 Nebraska
2. 06 Texas
3. 04 USC
4. 45 Army
5. 01 Miami
6. 55 Oklahoma
7. 91 Miami
8. 73 Notre Dame
9. 30 Notre Dame
10. 79 Alabama

Picking these teams is like asking Hefner which playmate of the year was his best lay. I feel pretty strong that the top 3 are easily the best I have ever seen. I'm thinking now that 91 Miami might be a bit low for such a great team. I didn't see Ohio State on that list, I could have sworn they had some pretty good teams back in the early 70 that could have been there.

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Mon May 15, 2006 7:22 pm

Vito Corleone wrote: I didn't see Ohio State on that list, I could have sworn they had some pretty good teams back in the early 70 that could have been there.

Not to be a dick, but try reading the whole post...

Dumbass · Post by **Dumbass** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:51 pm

I got nothin' much here, especially when we start ranking teams before I made my stain, but....

VC, I would just say I would put 04 SC over TEX 06 (along with a handful of others if I really looked). I don't see Texas beating the better SC team (faster defense) when it took a monumental collapse to beat the SC 05 team but of course, they very well could have.

I'll put SC 04 over just about anybody but they're my boys...but they were fooking great and like some of these others in the top, DOMINATED their champiosnship game.

95 Nebraska was a freakin' ATM.
Loved watching those guys play like they took the point spread into consideration. :P That was a monster of a team though.

So back to Texas #2 all time...

I don't know how much you are losing but when I hear that your title hopes rest purely on Vince Young returning? Well what does that say about your TEAM? Palmer left and Leinart hardly lost a game and is now an NFL QB that has question marks galore (according to many).

So, it is truly about the team right? If so, Texas does not even rank if they are going to bottom out at VY's departutre.

Anyways, my two cents.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:10 pm

Vito Corleone wrote:1. 95 Nebraska
2. 06 Texas
3. 04 USC
4. 45 Army
5. 01 Miami
6. 55 Oklahoma
7. 91 Miami
8. 73 Notre Dame
9. 30 Notre Dame
10. 79 Alabama

Picking these teams is like asking Hefner which playmate of the year was his best lay. I feel pretty strong that the top 3 are easily the best I have ever seen. I'm thinking now that 91 Miami might be a bit low for such a great team. I didn't see Ohio State on that list, I could have sworn they had some pretty good teams back in the early 70 that could have been there.

no homer vote here.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:20 pm

My new rankings

99 FSU
93 FSU
the rest are all even

OUMO · Post by **OUMO** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:26 pm

95 Huskers.

Vito Corleone · Post by **Vito Corleone** » Mon May 15, 2006 9:09 pm

The difference between Vince returning and not returning is the fact that now we are looking at starting either a true freshmen or a red-shirt freshmen. Neither of which has taken a snap of D-1A college football. Other than that Texas is top to bottom solid, infact across the board I would say we are either as good or better than the 05 team.

The reason i put Texas over USC 04 is:
1. USC 04 struggled with several opponents in the regular season. Texas had 3 close games all year, one was to USC, one was to OSU and then a$m. Since all three were road games and 2 of the 3 ended the season in the top 5 I gave Texas the edge.
2. Texas had the greatest scoring offense in college football history blowing past the 83 huskers.
3. Statistically Texas had a better offense and defense than the 04 Trojans.

The one thing that makes me even consider the 04 Trojans is the fact they destroyed Oklahoma for the MNC.

As for the 95 huskers, they dominated everyone, I think they had only one close game all year. And what they did to Florida was beyond even what USC did to Oklahoma in 04. I also believe that was the year the Big 8 had 3 teams finish in the top 10. Together that trumps anything either Texas or USC has done.

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Mon May 15, 2006 11:35 pm

the 1979 USC Trojans, yeah they had a tie but that team went to Bama in 78 and beat them, they also had 2 heisman Trophy winners and guys from that team went on to play in more than 60 NFL Pro Bowls, no other team has come close to that

The 79 Trojan team also beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, LSU in Baton Rogue, Notre Dame in South Bend and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl

Yeah, 6 of 11 regular season games were on the road, plus a neutral site game

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:41 am

Believe the Heupel wrote:Are you sure you don't want to mention the OU/USC game a few more times?

What gets me is that the same team that he continualy harps about is the only team in 30 years to give both Texass and Radio a goose egg.

Mississippi Neck · Post by **Mississippi Neck** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:01 am

I'd say the Vince Young led TX team. After all, they beat the best team ever.....

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:32 am

Gotta be '95 huskers.
I'm surprised there isn't at least one vote for '94 PSU in the top five. That offense was a machine.
my top five, in no particular order:
01 Miami (as much as I hate to say it)
95 huskers
94 nittany lions
04 usc
05 Texas, just to throw vito a bone.

Shaz · Post by **Shaz** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:08 pm

Ken wrote:Gotta be '95 huskers.
I'm surprised there isn't at least one vote for '94 PSU in the top five. That offense was a machine.
my top five, in no particular order:
01 Miami (as much as I hate to say it)
95 huskers
94 nittany lions
04 usc
05 Texas, just to throw vito a bone.

I think you have to be the best team YOUR YEAR in order to count for top 5 ever.

Don't remember who said 87 Miami but that was a sweet team.

95 Nebraska and then everyone else.
They beat 4 teams that finished in the final top 10 by a combined score of 196-73 an average of 49-18.
When someone else gets in that ball park, please let me know.
Sept 4, 1993 - October 10, 1998 65 wins 3 losses, 3 national titles.

L45B · Post by **L45B** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:11 pm

SoCalTrjn wrote:The 79 Trojan team also beat Texas Tech in Lubbock, LSU in Baton Rogue, Notre Dame in South Bend and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl

Fuckin' A. tOSU was undefeated going into that game, lost 17-16 in the RB.

Vito Corleone · Post by **Vito Corleone** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:17 pm

I have no problems with putting the 95 huskers #1 I've never seen a team dominate like they did.

How can anyone not consider 05 Texas in the top 5. Even without considering all the BS put out by ESPN that they beat the All-Time greatest team.

Texas beat two top 5 teams on their home field.
Outside of a$m they destroyed everyone. The average margin of victory was the highest in NCAA history.

BTW when I made my list I eliminated every team from consideration that had a tie or a loss, IMO to make this list you need to be perfect.

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:42 pm

The 05 USC team wasnt close to the 04 USC team.
Norm Chow, Ed Orgeron, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed.... It's not even close, the 05 team didnt even have corners healthy enough to play by the end of the year, they didnt have a full back, ESPN was a year late and tried to make up for it by pumping up a team that wasnt in the same league as the one they picked OU to roll in the Orange Bowl

MiketheangrydrunkenCUfan · Tue May 16, 2006 11:00 pm

SoCalTrjn wrote:The 05 USC team wasnt close to the 04 USC team.
Norm Chow, Ed Orgeron, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed.... It's not even close, the 05 team didnt even have corners healthy enough to play by the end of the year, they didnt have a full back, ESPN was a year late and tried to make up for it by pumping up a team that wasnt in the same league as the one they picked OU to roll in the Orange Bowl

I agree with your basic point that 05 SC was not in the same league as 04 SC, but saying they didn't have a fullback is bullshit. David Kirtman was honorable mention all-conference and got drafted in the 5th round (1st FB taken). Not exactly a nobody.

buckeye_in_sc · Post by **buckeye_in_sc** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:50 pm

vito...3 points is not a destruction...

prolly better to say outside of tOSU and A&M Texas destroyed everyone...plus they beat SC by 7 right?

look I would tend to agree that the 95 Huskers were the shit...but I still think 94 PSU deserves some major run...

SoCalTrjn · Post by **SoCalTrjn** » Wed May 17, 2006 12:23 am

Kirtman wasnt the run-blocker that Lee Webb was, hes a good pass catcher and is fast and agile, but when you need a couple yards, Webb is the guy you'd want leading the way.

Texas beat SC by 3, 41-38

TheChief · Post by **TheChief** » Wed May 17, 2006 12:41 am

My two cents...I have no problem with the 99 FSU team being in top 5. Can't consider the 93 team since ND beat them at Tally.