Who was the worst national champion of all time!

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
1947 Notre Dame (worst team? Who knows. Probably not. But fuck Notre Dame)

In 1947, Michigan and Notre Dame had taken turns atop the Associated Press poll, and wouldn’t meet on the field. The Irish were at No. 1 in the initial rankings that season, released October 6, only to see the Wolverines replace them a week later, with Notre Dame back on top by the end of the month, and so forth. They switched places three times even though neither sustained a loss or tie. At the conclusion of the regular season, both teams were 9-0.

The Irish and Wolverines had two common opponents, Pittsburgh and Northwestern. Notre Dame won 40–6 and 26–19, respectively, while Michigan did likewise in the same order, 69–0 and 49–21.

In the final poll, released December 8, Notre Dame was listed first, and its season was complete. The Irish were in the midst of a 45-year stretch (1925-70) in which it rejected all bowl invitations, primarily citing academic reasons and that the games would interfere with final exams.

Michigan, however, had no such policy, and Fritz Crisler’s team accepted the invitation to play No. 3 Southern California (7-0-1) in the Rose Bowl. The game was a slaughter, with the Wolverines celebrating a crushing 49-0 victory, at that point the worst loss in USC history. Afterward, every mathematical ranking opted for Michigan as the national champion except the Williamson System, which like the Associated Press issued its final report prior to the postseason.

Due to the outcry, the AP held a special non-binding postseason poll on Jan. 6, 1948. It had 1. Michigan, 2. Notre Dame, by vote total of 226-119, only it didn’t supersede the final regular season poll. Thus, Notre Dame (which defeated Southern California earlier in the season, 38-7) was considered the “official” national champion, with Michigan the more popular choice.
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This made me literally LOL at my desk
 
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MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
1947 Notre Dame (worst team? Who knows. Probably not. But fuck Notre Dame)

In 1947, Michigan and Notre Dame had taken turns atop the Associated Press poll, and wouldn’t meet on the field. The Irish were at No. 1 in the initial rankings that season, released October 6, only to see the Wolverines replace them a week later, with Notre Dame back on top by the end of the month, and so forth. They switched places three times even though neither sustained a loss or tie. At the conclusion of the regular season, both teams were 9-0.

The Irish and Wolverines had two common opponents, Pittsburgh and Northwestern. Notre Dame won 40–6 and 26–19, respectively, while Michigan did likewise in the same order, 69–0 and 49–21.

In the final poll, released December 8, Notre Dame was listed first, and its season was complete. The Irish were in the midst of a 45-year stretch (1925-70) in which it rejected all bowl invitations, primarily citing academic reasons and that the games would interfere with final exams.

Michigan, however, had no such policy, and Fritz Crisler’s team accepted the invitation to play No. 3 Southern California (7-0-1) in the Rose Bowl. The game was a slaughter, with the Wolverines celebrating a crushing 49-0 victory, at that point the worst loss in USC history. Afterward, every mathematical ranking opted for Michigan as the national champion except the Williamson System, which like the Associated Press issued its final report prior to the postseason.

Due to the outcry, the AP held a special non-binding postseason poll on Jan. 6, 1948. It had 1. Michigan, 2. Notre Dame, by vote total of 226-119, only it didn’t supersede the final regular season poll. Thus, Notre Dame (which defeated Southern California earlier in the season, 38-7) was considered the “official” national champion, with Michigan the more popular choice.
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Fritz shouldn’t have been a bitch and avoided them.
 
Colorado. Were it not for a questionable clipping call, ND wins that Orange Bowl.
 
Red_Alert said:
True. However, the AP and UPI (Coaches) crowned it's National Champion after the regular season and before bowl games back then.

There are other examples (after 1960) of teams being crowned National Champion before losing their bowl games. Here's looking at you 1970 tejas.

Cotton Bowl
Notre Dame - 24
tejas............... - 11


"Both wire services originally conducted their final polls at the end of the regular season and prior to any bowl games being played. This changed when the AP Poll champion was crowned after the bowls for 1965 and then in 1968 onward. The Coaches Poll began awarding post-bowl championships in 1974."
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More obvious example was Alabama being named Coaches Poll champs in 1973 and then lost to the true NC Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. AP of course named ND champs and the coaches poll had egg on it’s face. It was because of this game the polls were moved to after the bowls. To this day Alabama still claims the 1973 NC.
 
jjc2009 said:
More obvious example was Alabama being named Coaches Poll champs in 1973 and then lost to the true NC Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. AP of course named ND champs and the coaches poll had egg on it’s face. It was because of this game the polls were moved to after the bowls. To this day Alabama still claims the 1973 NC.
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Not more obvious, but another example of a team being crowned before losing it's bowl game.
 
Red_Alert said:
Not more obvious, but another example of a team being crowned before losing it's bowl game.
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Well it was cited as the reason for the change which just so happened to be the very next year.
 
jjc2009 said:
Well it was cited as the reason for the change which just so happened to be the very next year.
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It didn't bring the change by itself. There were other examples leading up to 1973. I cited 1970 tejas.

The AP had changed years earlier.

1997 Michigan/Nebraska didn't bring on the BCS by itself. There were plenty of instances where #1 didn't play #2 in bowl games.
1994 Penn St/Nebraska for example.
 
jjc2009 said:
Fritz shouldn’t have been a bitch and avoided them.
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The Irish were in the midst of a 45-year stretch (1925-70) in which it rejected all bowl invitations, primarily citing academic reasons and that the games would interfere with final exams.
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Bitch move
 
2002 Ohio State.

I saw them lose right in front of me on national television, but some ref must have had money on the game so he decided to throw a flag and give them another first down.
 
outofyourmind said:
1950 Oklahoma is another example of winning the NC and loosing your Bowl.

Back then, the season was over, and you went to a Bowl to have fun. Didn't mean anything.
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Yeah, Tennessee should have won in 1950 and NOT got it in 1951.

However, the bowl games didn't mean anything and there are situations where half the team sat out so I am not sure a bowl loss should be seen the way people are taking it in this thread.

1939 Tennessee went undefeated and unscored on but loss the bowl game 14-0 to USC. Looks bad but if you read the story, they literally didn't have their 3 best players make the trip or something like that, so they were not the same team.

Why try in a Bowl Game if you get titles prior to it? (Also National Titles weren't quite taken as seriously back then).
 
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