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Worst National Titles in CFB History


closetojumping

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The 08 Gators were legit: stacked with NFL stars at every position group and some of the absolute nastiest pipe hitters and downass foos to ever grace this sport. I will forever cherish the memory of them dogfucking Oklahoma in that title game.

Yes the Horns got fucked and 08 Texas-Florida is one of the all-time should have been games

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The 2007 season doesn't get enough appreciation for just how absurd it was.  Fucking Rutgers spent a week or two at #1.  Kansas and Missouri played one another and both were in the Top-5.

It was just a fucking absurd season.  It's fitting that it had a fucking absurd national champion.

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4 hours ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

Big 8 champ OU was obligated to play in the Orange Bowl. If BYU offered to play OU, isn’t that the Orange Bowl choosing Washington rather than OU dodging BYU? 

correct OU didn't dodge.  USC got the Rose Bowl bid by win over Washington. Orange Bowl took the TV match up.   I'd take Washington as the best team that year but while the WAC was little sisters of the poor the PAC10 wasn't a rolling ball of butcher knives either.

BYU beat every team in front of them even if Michigan and eventually Pitt ended up unranked. Pitt started #3, 2 years after Marino left, and went 3-7-1.

edit - 2 years after Marino left

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3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

So who was the alternative for that title? Didn't USC have a better record and team?

i'm not sure how tennessee wasn't the national champion.  a&m only gave up 31 points all season but the vols gave up 0.  there was some fuckery in the polls in mid november, with tennessee dropping from first to second following november 18.  the prior poll, the vols had 66 off 85 first place votes, with aggy getting none.  when the vols dropped, aggy got 38 of the first place votes while the vols got 33.  both shut out middling opponents (vandy and rice).  so seems weird to me. 

if the trophy had been handed out after the bowls maybe SC steals votes from aggy.  SC demolished the vols while aggy had a squeaker against tulane.  but aggy was the only unblemished team after january 1. 

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On a more personal note, I'd have to add TN's '97 title to the mix.

They won a game against Syracuse on a b.s. pass interference call at the end of the game.  

Beat Florida in OT w/ 235 total yards of offense before OT started.

They beat Arkansas at home because dumbass Clint Stoerner dropped the ball when trying to run out the clock.

IIRC, they got to play FSU's 3rd string backup in the MNC game.

They won 2-3 other games on plays late in the 4th quarter.

Edit:  I lived it as I had just met, what turned out to be, my wife.  She was a soph at TN at the time.

 

Edited by Knoxtnhorn
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3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

So who was the alternative for that title? Didn't USC have a better record and team?

i'm not sure how tennessee wasn't the national champion.  a&m only gave up 31 points all season but the vols gave up 0.  there was some fuckery in the polls in mid november, with tennessee dropping from first to second following november 18.  the prior poll, the vols had 66 off 85 first place votes, with aggy getting none.  when the vols dropped, aggy got 38 of the first place votes while the vols got 33.  both shut out middling opponents (vandy and rice).  so seems weird to me. 

if the trophy had been handed out after the bowls maybe SC steals votes from aggy.  SC demolished the vols while aggy had a squeaker against tulane.  but aggy was the only unblemished team after january 1.

 

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3 hours ago, n64ra said:

Any retro-actively claimed title. If your administration at the time didn't think you won it, you most certainly didn't. Here's looking at you, Texas A&M, Alabama, Washington, and Oklahoma State just off memory.

 

Second, 1974 OU. On probation so ineligible for a bowl game or the Coaches Poll. Fuck cheaters and fuck OU.

Tennessee went back and put up a bunch of fake championships, inside their stadium, based on obscure polls as well.  Wife and I went to their spring game in 2016.  Even she thought it was bush league.

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9 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

On a more personal note, I'd have to add TN's '97 title to the mix.

They won a game against Syracuse on a b.s. pass interference call at the end of the game.  

Beat Florida in OT w/ 235 total yards of offense before OT started.

They beat Arkansas at home because dumbass Clint Stoerner dropped the ball when trying to run out the clock.

IIRC, they got to play FSU's 3rd string backup in the MNC game.

They won 2-3 other games on plays late in the 4th quarter.

Edit:  I lived it as I had just met, what turned out to be, my wife.  She was a soph at TN at the time.

 

Tennessee won it in 98, not 97.  97 was a split between Michigan and Nebraska.  

Edited by FartingDreamer
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10 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

On a more personal note, I'd have to add TN's '97 title to the mix.

They won a game against Syracuse on a b.s. pass interference call at the end of the game.  

Beat Florida in OT w/ 235 total yards of offense before OT started.

They beat Arkansas at home because dumbass Clint Stoerner dropped the ball when trying to run out the clock.

IIRC, they got to play FSU's 3rd string backup in the MNC game.

They won 2-3 other games on plays late in the 4th quarter.

Edit:  I lived it as I had just met, what turned out to be, my wife.  She was a soph at TN at the time.

 

1998, but yeah, that was a weak title team. I wouldn't rank them in the bottom 20%, but they don't get much higher than that. 

Stoerner, who I knew at the time because he and my little brother played baseball and traveled for it as an elite team a few years earlier, never lived down that play. I don't think I have ever seen a play like that before or since. Dude always seemed like a nice guy though. 

FSU's Weinke was out, and whoever was in front of or behind him was also out, so FSU played Marcus Outzen at QB. That's off memory, but I think that is right and don't feel like wiki'ing. I couldn't fucking believe that FSU didn't blow them out anyway. 

But, hey, that's what it takes to win a title most years. Lots of breaks. 

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37 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

The 2007 season doesn't get enough appreciation for just how absurd it was.  Fucking Rutgers spent a week or two at #1.  Kansas and Missouri played one another and both were in the Top-5.

It was just a fucking absurd season.  It's fitting that it had a fucking absurd national champion.

The string of teams that were ranked #2 that year and then collapsed is still mindboggling. USC was a juggernaut and then had the crazy loss to Harbaugh and Stanford as 41 point favorites. Then Rutgers, USF!, Kansas, and WVU were all #2 at some point. Missouri ascended to #1 at a late point in the year. I mean, what the fuck is going on here? I would have to look it up, but I am fairly certain there were several other absurdities at #1 or #2 or close to that.

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1982 Penn State

Yeah I get that Texas fans hate SMU and certainly have no sympathy for the Express teams, but here’s the deal:

Penn State got fucking whacked by an 8-4 Alabama 42-21 in the middle of the year. SMU then decides to opt for a tie against Arkansas because it gave them the outright conference title (Texas wins the SWC if Arkansas wins that game), and yet they were punished for that in the polls the following week as PSU jumped over them? Nah fuck all that. 

Not at all saying that was worse than some of the aforementioned in the thread, but they belong in the conversation.

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West Point grad here. The 1945 and 1946 Army National Championships were bullshit. They literally stole players from other squads by guaranteeing them avoiding the war by transferring to West Point. 
 

From Bill Connelly’s book:

Because of loose wartime transfer rules — the service academies were basically able to recruit all-star teams — and because Blaik was relentless in milking every advantage, this team featured plenty of stars from other schools.

Halfback Shorty McWilliams was an All-American for Mississippi State in 1944 and returned to Starkville in 1946; in 1945, he was a backup good enough to finish eighth in the Heisman voting. Fullback Bobby Dobbs helped Tulsa to the Sun Bowl in 1942 and backed up Blanchard in 1945. Guard Joe Steffy played for Tennessee in 1944, when the Volunteers when unbeaten in the regular season again.”

Totally unfair advantage. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Edited by Irieguy
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32 minutes ago, elfenix said:

i'm not sure how tennessee wasn't the national champion.  a&m only gave up 31 points all season but the vols gave up 0.  there was some fuckery in the polls in mid november, with tennessee dropping from first to second following november 18.  the prior poll, the vols had 66 off 85 first place votes, with aggy getting none.  when the vols dropped, aggy got 38 of the first place votes while the vols got 33.  both shut out middling opponents (vandy and rice).  so seems weird to me. 

if the trophy had been handed out after the bowls maybe SC steals votes from aggy.  SC demolished the vols while aggy had a squeaker against tulane.  but aggy was the only unblemished team after january 1. 

SWC was the SEC of the 30s.  aggy got carried by SMU, TCU and Rice successes of prior years.

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25 minutes ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

Tennessee went back and put up a bunch of fake championships, inside their stadium, based on obscure polls as well.  Wife and I went to their spring game in 2016.  Even she thought it was bush league.

Yeah, I couldn't believe it the first time I went there.  I think whoever wins the Alabama-Tennessee game claims an MNC.

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6 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Well lots of titles are bullshit if underhanded roster acquisition is an issue. Hell, maybe most titles. 

There is no doubt 1945 Army was the best team in the country that season so I don't think it really matches the intent of this thread. 

It’s not the same thing.  Lots of schools had access to underhanded roster acquisition over the years.  In 1945 literally 2 schools had a cheat code.  Army and Navy.  How is that fair? It totally fits the thread.  The 1945 season probably shouldn’t have even been played.

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5 hours ago, tbone_ said:


Never understood why Fla was considered the champ. All they did was the same thing Texas did - won all their games except 1 and beat ou by 10 on a neutral field. Our loss was to top 10 tech on the road and their was to unranked ole miss at home.

Speeches matter I guess.

the mythology of tim tebow being this great winner is baffling. first, he lost more games in one season than VY did in his entire career. second, the guy loses at home to a crappy ole miss team when he's unable to convert a 4th and 2 behind an nfl o line, and this guy is the greatest QB ever? literally 90% of cfb will laugh in your face if you try to tell them that VY was a better QB than tim tebow. it's insanity.

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13 minutes ago, hpslugga said:

1982 Penn State

Yeah I get that Texas fans hate SMU and certainly have no sympathy for the Express teams, but here’s the deal:

Penn State got fucking whacked by an 8-4 Alabama 42-21 in the middle of the year. SMU then decides to opt for a tie against Arkansas because it gave them the outright conference title (Texas wins the SWC if Arkansas wins that game), and yet they were punished for that in the polls the following week as PSU jumped over them? Nah fuck all that. 

Not at all saying that was worse than some of the aforementioned in the thread, but they belong in the conversation.

We have a decent claim for that one. I think our '81 claim is silly. 

We could have gone for 2 to win, we kicked the XP to tie against Pig. It is what it is. 

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2 hours ago, AUinHsv said:

Nebraska was highly overated because they beat Penn State badly in the first game. 

Lol that team averaged over 50 fucking points a game; their offense was one of the all-time greats in the modern era. “Highly overrated” is comical….

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3 hours ago, statsman said:

Naw, it’s as legit as any pre-BCS MNC. 
 

This is as good a time as any to mention one of the craziest figures in college football history, the coach of UCLA’s last MNC (and it was legit). His name was Red Sanders. He was a southerner, hired away from Vanderbilt by the Bruins. Almost immediately, he outraged the locals by dropping a “N-bomb” during a booster talk. Even in the 1950’s, that was no bueno in LA. 
Sanders won pretty big at UCLA, but died of a heart attack while banging a hooker in a cheap downtown LA hotel. 

Yep, blaze of glory and all...

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1 minute ago, shadow_operative said:

just go check reddit if you don't believe me. 

I don't know what that means. 

1 minute ago, Deej said:

Craig James would have killed five more just celebrating the title that night. 

Damn straight. 

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4 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Yep, blaze of glory and all...

Shortly before the 1958 season, Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hotel room on August 14.[11][12][13] His companion was a convicted prostitute, Ernestine Drake, described as a "blonde woman."[14][15][16][17] The room was registered in the name of his friend, W.T. "Pop" Grimes, who had a record of arrests for pandering and had served prison time at San Quentin.[18] Sanders had complained of the heat, and asked Grimes to fetch some soft drinks. He then began gasping for breath and clutching his chest.[15] He died on the floor. His last words to Drake were, "Football is a great game. You should come out this fall and see a few games."

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The string of teams that were ranked #2 that year and then collapsed is still mindboggling. USC was a juggernaut and then had the crazy loss to Harbaugh and Stanford as 41 point favorites. Then Rutgers, USF!, Kansas, and WVU were all #2 at some point. Missouri ascended to #1 at a late point in the year. I mean, what the fuck is going on here? I would have to look it up, but I am fairly certain there were several other absurdities at #1 or #2 or close to that.
Didn't Kentucky beat LSU that year as well when LSU was a top 2 ranked team? That was a wild ass season.

Hell I think Boston College with Matt Ryan was a top 2 team at some point that year.
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2 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Shortly before the 1958 season, Sanders died suddenly of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hotel room on August 14.[11][12][13] His companion was a convicted prostitute, Ernestine Drake, described as a "blonde woman."[14][15][16][17] The room was registered in the name of his friend, W.T. "Pop" Grimes, who had a record of arrests for pandering and had served prison time at San Quentin.[18] Sanders had complained of the heat, and asked Grimes to fetch some soft drinks. He then began gasping for breath and clutching his chest.[15] He died on the floor. His last words to Drake were, "Football is a great game. You should come out this fall and see a few games."

With that kind of leadership, who knows what heights we might have reached?  

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5 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

Didn't Kentucky beat LSU that year as well when LSU was a top 2 ranked team? That was a wild ass season.

Hell I think Boston College with Matt Ryan was a top 2 team at some point that year.

Both things are correct, some notes on that season from Wikipedia. 
 

The 2007 season became known for the "Curse of the No. 2", where the team ranked No. 2 by the AP Poll was defeated seven times in the final nine weeks of the regular season:[5]

The No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams had not lost in the same week of the season since 1996. In 2007 alone, No. 1 and No. 2 fell during the same weekend three times, including in both of the final two weeks of the regular season:

  • No. 1 LSU lost to Kentucky 43–37 in three overtimes, and No. 2 California lost to Oregon State 31–28 on October 13.
  • No. 1 LSU lost to Arkansas 50–48 in three overtimes on November 23, and No. 2 Kansaslost to No. 4 Missouri 36–28 on November 24.
  • No. 1 Missouri lost to No. 9 Oklahoma 38–17 in the Big 12 Championship Game, and No. 2 West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh 13–9 on December 1.
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7 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said:

Didn't Kentucky beat LSU that year as well when LSU was a top 2 ranked team? That was a wild ass season.

Hell I think Boston College with Matt Ryan was a top 2 team at some point that year.

Matty Ice.  Put some respect on that name.

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6 hours ago, closetojumping said:

a ND player was called for a phantom clip on a TD punt return by Rocket Ismail

Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit.  It was an obvious block in the back, right next to Ismail, and it wasn't the only one on that play:

image.png.cbafc70e48322a2a0a1cc6264a00c063.png

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59 minutes ago, Irieguy said:

West Point grad here. The 1945 and 1946 Army National Championships were bullshit. They literally stole players from other squads by guaranteeing them avoiding the war by transferring to West Point. 
 

From Bill Connelly’s book:

Because of loose wartime transfer rules — the service academies were basically able to recruit all-star teams — and because Blaik was relentless in milking every advantage, this team featured plenty of stars from other schools.

Halfback Shorty McWilliams was an All-American for Mississippi State in 1944 and returned to Starkville in 1946; in 1945, he was a backup good enough to finish eighth in the Heisman voting. Fullback Bobby Dobbs helped Tulsa to the Sun Bowl in 1942 and backed up Blanchard in 1945. Guard Joe Steffy played for Tennessee in 1944, when the Volunteers when unbeaten in the regular season again.”

Totally unfair advantage. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Was looking at some past years.  Notre Dame in 1943 raises some questions.  They did beat #2 Iowa Pre-flight for their only loss, #3 Michigan for their only loss and #4 Navy for their only loss.  Notre Dame was 9-1 losing only to 10-2 #6 Great Lakes Naval Station.  The only top 6 team they didn't play was #5 Purdue 9-0, who did beat #6 Great Lakes Naval Station.  4 of the top 10 were military bases, Navy was #4 and Army was #11.  Purdue did go unbeaten and beat the only team to beat Notre Dame.  Purdue didn't play Michigan or Notre Dame that year.  Only other ranked unbeatens were #12 Washington 4-0, #17 Bainbridge Navy Training school 7-0 and #18 Colorado College 7-0.

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4 hours ago, n64ra said:

Any retro-actively claimed title. If your administration at the time didn't think you won it, you most certainly didn't. Here's looking at you, Texas A&M, Alabama, Washington, and Oklahoma State just off memory.

Excuse me?  UDub claims 1960 (Helms Foundation or something, which was awarded after the bowls; Huskies beat #1 Minnesota in Rose) and 1991.  

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20 minutes ago, bullet said:

Was looking at some past years.  Notre Dame in 1943 raises some questions.  They did beat #2 Iowa Pre-flight for their only loss, #3 Michigan for their only loss and #4 Navy for their only loss.  Notre Dame was 9-1 losing only to 10-2 #6 Great Lakes Naval Station.  The only top 6 team they didn't play was #5 Purdue 9-0, who did beat #6 Great Lakes Naval Station.  4 of the top 10 were military bases, Navy was #4 and Army was #11.  Purdue did go unbeaten and beat the only team to beat Notre Dame.  Purdue didn't play Michigan or Notre Dame that year.  Only other ranked unbeatens were #12 Washington 4-0, #17 Bainbridge Navy Training school 7-0 and #18 Colorado College 7-0.

Neat.

 

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16 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Tebow is Sam Ehlinger with better teammates.

not far off. the guy had urban meyer running his offense, had the pouncey twins in front of him, had Percy Harvin (the real star of the offense), and had some serious talent in defense as well, and he's out here getting stuffed on 4th and 2 at home, losing to a jevan snead-led ole miss team. but he's somehow the goat, and some great champion. give me a break.

here's how i always frame it, and i've yet to have anyone even entertain me here: name your top 25 QBs of the last 20 years. So 2002 - 2022. you've got Leinart, Young, McCoy, Bradford, RG III, Luck, Mariota, Johnny Hitler, Cam Newton, Jameis, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Tua, Hurts, etc, etc. Ok. now take your list of QBs, and rank them 1-25 as passers. where does Tebow rank on that list? 20th? worse? now take your list, and rank these 25 QBs as runners. Where does Tebow end up on this list? 15th? 18th? worse? and yet this is your GOAT? this guy is football jesus?

Colt McCoy was a better QB than Tebow, and yet you'll be hard pressed to find many CFB fans who think that VY was better than Tebow. it's lunacy.

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8 hours ago, perfectchaos007 said:

The 1941 Alabama National championship has always stood out to me. They suffered two shutout losses that season and still claimed the national championship after beating aggy in a bowl game. Most fraudulent national title I can think of 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_Alabama_Crimson_Tide_football_team

Wow, they jumped from #20 to #1 on the strength of a Cotton Bowl win over aggy. That's impressive.

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3 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

not far off. the guy had urban meyer running his offense, had the pouncey twins in front of him, had Percy Harvin (the real star of the offense), and had some serious talent in defense as well, and he's out here getting stuffed on 4th and 2 at home, losing to a jevan snead-led ole miss team. but he's somehow the goat, and some great champion. give me a break.

here's how i always frame it, and i've yet to have anyone even entertain me here: name your top 25 QBs of the last 20 years. So 2002 - 2022. you've got Leinart, Young, McCoy, Bradford, RG III, Luck, Mariota, Johnny Hitler, Cam Newton, Jameis, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Tua, Hurts, etc, etc. Ok. now take your list of QBs, and rank them 1-25 as passers. where does Tebow rank on that list? 20th? worse? now take your list, and rank these 25 QBs as runners. Where does Tebow end up on this list? 15th? 18th? worse? and yet this is your GOAT? this guy is football jesus?

Colt McCoy was a better QB than Tebow, and yet you'll be hard pressed to find many CFB fans who think that VY was better than Tebow. it's lunacy.

Literally no one is calling Tebow the GOAT but you in this thread and delusional Florida fans. You're attacking strawmen here. If someone at a bar tells me they think that Tebow was a better player than VY I'm ridiculing them until they either accept I'm right or one of us is kicked out. Tebow is properly rated. You must be going down some weird internet rabbit holes or hanging out with Tebow fans. 

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