OFFICIAL 2020 COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFSEASON THREAD

Who will the four teams in the College Football Playoff be?

  • Alabama

    Votes: 36 83.7%
  • Clemson

    Votes: 35 81.4%
  • UGA

    Votes: 22 51.2%
  • LSU

    Votes: 7 16.3%
  • Oklahoma

    Votes: 19 44.2%
  • UF

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Ohio State

    Votes: 12 27.9%
  • Auburn

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Michigan

    Votes: 8 18.6%
  • Someone else

    Votes: 17 39.5%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
There’s actually a possibility Fulmer could fire Pruitt and name himself the interim head coach? Is that the doomsday scenario for Tennessee?
 
As long as Fulmer is the AD there is always the chance of him canning whomever the HC is and naming himself the interim HC
 
It’s hindsight but I feel Schiano and Leach would have done better than this.

Has UTK’s defense at least been really good under Pruitt?
 
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casper90403 casper90403 jus3 jus3 @tupac003

I think I posted this last year when there was some discussion about Petersen/Haden but probably relevant and worth posting again now:

“a) Kevin Sumlin refused to interview for the job without an offer. Smart money says he wanted a dollar amount to bounce off A&M to get a raise. USC wasn't going for it. He got an extension anyways and never had a face to face meeting with USC.
b) Chris Peterson interviewed for the job twice with Pat Haden. The spin that he turned USC down after the fact was for Washington's boosters. If he turned down USC for the Washington job, USC would have not paid to get Sark out of his contract with Washington. They also paid to get Justin Wilcox, if you recall. Peterson's second interview with Haden was thought to come with terms and an official job offer from USC. That was the inside word coming from Boise. However, Haden brought Mark Jackson and Steve Lopes with him to the second meeting. Haden was iffy about Peterson from the jump. This is where the whole "he doesn't get SC" thing came from. Once Jackson got on the scene, it was over. He was lobbying for Sark from the start, so the drinking and incidences (there were several) which took place when he was an assistant at USC got rationalized and glossed over. Normally, those unanswered questions would warrant some trepidation, but Sark had an administrator at USC to smooth it over. Plus, being a good time Charlie is part of "getting USC" from what I understand.
c) In each coaching search, a couple of bigger boosters contacted Pete Carroll about coming back. In each case, those boosters felt maybe Pete would come back based on his love for USC. Haden even went up to San Francisco to meet with Pete on the behest of a booster before he hired Clay Helton. In each case Pete had no interest in returning. He took that meeting out of respect for USC.”
 
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casper90403 casper90403 jus3 jus3 @tupac003

I think I posted this last year when there was some discussion about Petersen/Haden but probably relevant and worth posting again now:

“a) Kevin Sumlin refused to interview for the job without an offer. Smart money says he wanted a dollar amount to bounce off A&M to get a raise. USC wasn't going for it. He got an extension anyways and never had a face to face meeting with USC.
b) Chris Peterson interviewed for the job twice with Pat Haden. The spin that he turned USC down after the fact was for Washington's boosters. If he turned down USC for the Washington job, USC would have not paid to get Sark out of his contract with Washington. They also paid to get Justin Wilcox, if you recall. Peterson's second interview with Haden was thought to come with terms and an official job offer from USC. That was the inside word coming from Boise. However, Haden brought Mark Jackson and Steve Lopes with him to the second meeting. Haden was iffy about Peterson from the jump. This is where the whole "he doesn't get SC" thing came from. Once Jackson got on the scene, it was over. He was lobbying for Sark from the start, so the drinking and incidences (there were several) which took place when he was an assistant at USC got rationalized and glossed over. Normally, those unanswered questions would warrant some trepidation, but Sark had an administrator at USC to smooth it over. Plus, being a good time Charlie is part of "getting USC" from what I understand.
c) In each coaching search, a couple of bigger boosters contacted Pete Carroll about coming back. In each case, those boosters felt maybe Pete would come back based on his love for USC. Haden even went up to San Francisco to meet with Pete on the behest of a booster before he hired Clay Helton. In each case Pete had no interest in returning. He took that meeting out of respect for USC.”
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The floor is 8-4, MSU and Maryland are not that good, and I’m not buying Wisconsin yet. CMU and USF are awful.
 
But Vols fans are thrilled with Pruitt and that’s who they wanted...after 50 other coaches turned them down of course
 
The 150 greatest teams in college football's 150-year history

1-50
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1. 1971 Nebraska (13-0)
Coach:
Bob Devaney
The Huskers held 10 of their 13 opponents to seven points or fewer. Only No. 2 Oklahoma scored more than 17. On Thanksgiving Day, the Huskers beat the Sooners 35-31 in a "Game of the Century." Nebraska crushed No. 2 Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl. The only other ranked opponent, No. 9 Colorado, went down 31-7. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado and Alabama finished 1-2-3-4 that season, which meant the Huskers defeated the next three in the final poll, routing two of them. Defensive lineman Larry Jacobsen won the Outland Trophy. Jacobsen, fellow D-lineman Willie Harper and Johnny Rodgers -- a receiver, running back and return specialist -- made the consensus All-America team. Rodgers' 71-yard punt return for a touchdown against Oklahoma is remembered to this day; however, he didn't win the Heisman Trophy until 1972.

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2. 2004 USC (13-0)
Coach:
Pete Carroll
The Trojans won their second straight national championship, remaining No. 1 from wire to wire, capping it off by stunning No. 2 Oklahoma 55-19 for the BCS title in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award and the Manning Award.

CFB150 home

All-purpose star Reggie Bush, linebacker Matt Grootegoed and defensive linemen Shaun Cody joined Leinart as consensus All-Americans. The Trojans won three of their four Pac-10 road games by eight points or fewer but still had an average margin of victory of 38-13. In a season with three undefeated teams (Auburn was the other) and a year after the BCS snubbed the Trojans, they came into the Orange Bowl with a point to make. USC dominated the game from the opening kickoff.

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3. 1972 USC (12-0)
Coach:
John McKay
The Trojans won their third national title in 11 seasons under McKay with a performance memorable for its dominance. They zoomed from No. 8 to No. 1 with an opening 31-10 win versus No. 4 Arkansas in Little Rock. And they never left the top spot. USC won every game by at least nine points. They beat six ranked opponents. They scored at least 30 points in 10 games. And they crushed No. 3 Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl. It was a team of future stars -- only tight end Charles Young made All-American -- and yet the names are recognizable to anyone who paid attention to the NFL of the mid-to-late 1970s. The leading rusher was sophomore Anthony Davis (1,191 yards, 17 touchdowns). And the leading receiver was junior Lynn Swann, who averaged 20 yards per catch; his problem was he caught only 27 passes.

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4. 1995 Nebraska (12-0)
Coach:
Tom Osborne
The Huskers were the only national champion since 1950 to win each game by at least 14 points. Nebraska scored at least 35 points in every game and set an NCAA record by rushing for 7.0 yards per attempt. There would be no on-field controversy for the Huskers, but there was plenty off the field. Osborne took a lot of heat for not throwing tailback Lawrence Phillips off the team after Phillips was arrested for assaulting a Huskers women's basketball player in the apartment of teammate Scott Frost. Osborne suspended Phillips for six games and brought him back late in the season. Freshman Ahman Green rushed for 1,086 yards and 13 touchdowns in Phillips' place. Nebraska defeated Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship, a game remembered for Tommie Frazier's epic 75-yard touchdown run. Frazier broke seven tackles as he churned down the sideline. Frazier finished second in the Heisman vote that year to Ohio State's Eddie George and was the Huskers' only first-team All-American that season.

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5. 2018 Clemson (15-0)
Coach:
Dabo Swinney
The Tigers routed defending national champion Alabama 44-16 in the College Football Playoff championship (the fourth straight year the teams met in the playoff) to become the first 15-0 team since 1897. Clemson dominated thanks to a coming-of-age season by freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who took over as starter for Kelly Bryant in the fifth game. That might be why Clemson won its last 10 games by at least 20 points. The offense averaged 526 yards per game, but the defense, which held eight teams to 10 points or fewer, carried the load. Clemson gave up 13 points per game, best in the nation, and 291 yards per game, sixth in the FBS. Two veteran defensive linemen won national awards: Clelin Ferrell took the Hendricks Award as best DE, and Christian Wilkins earned the Campbell Trophy as the best student-athlete. Ferrell, Wilkins and offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt made the consensus All-America team. The Tigers won their fourth consecutive ACC title, a school first.

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6. 2005 Texas (13-0)
Coach:
Mack Brown
The No. 2 Longhorns upset No. 1 USC 41-38 in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl, ending the Trojans' 34-game winning streak and blunting their quest not only for a third straight national title, but to be considered the most dominant team in the history of the game. Texas won thanks to the performance of All-American quarterback Vince Young, who threw for 267 yards and ran for 200.

Young scored the winning touchdown with 19 seconds left, capping the Horns' 12-point comeback in the final four minutes. Young won the Manning and O'Brien quarterback awards, in addition to the Maxwell Award as the game's best player. But he finished runner-up to USC tailback Reggie Bush for the Heisman, and the slight spurred Young and Texas into the Rose Bowl. Texas averaged 50.2 points, scoring at least 40 in 12 games. Texas embarrassed Colorado 70-3 in the Big 12 title game. Safety Michael Huff, like Young a consensus All-American, won the Thorpe Award. Defensive lineman Rodrique Wright and offensive lineman Jonathan Scott also were consensus All-Americans.

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7. 2001 Miami (12-0)
Coach:
Larry Coker (national coach of the year as first-year HC)
The Hurricanes extended the winning streak that began in 2000 to 22 games. They held eight opponents to fewer than 10 points en route to humiliating Nebraska 37-14 in the BCS title game in the Rose Bowl. The Canes led 34-0 at halftime. Quarterback Ken Dorsey won the Maxwell Award. Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, the Outland Trophy winner, and safety Ed Reed, a Hall of Famer in the college and pro ranks, were consensus All-Americans. Tight end Jeremy Shockey, offensive tackle Joaquin Gonzalez and corner Phillip Buchanon also made at least one All-America team.

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8. 1979 Alabama (12-0)
Coach:
Paul "Bear" Bryant
The sixth and last of Bryant's national champions, unlike his No. 1 teams in 1964, 1965, 1973 and 1978, left no room for argument. The Crimson Tide shut out five teams and held five more to fewer than 10 points. The wishbone remained unsolvable, even though Bryant had employed it for nine seasons. Alabama averaged 69 rushes and 10 passes per game. Only offensive lineman Jim Bunch made the All-America team, a commentary on Bryant's belief in depth. The Tide averaged 344 rushing yards per game, yet senior quarterback Steadman Shealy led the team with 791 rushing yards. Five other backs gained at least 230 yards. Only SEC rivals LSU (3-0) and Auburn (25-18) came within a touchdown, and the 24-9 defeat of Lou Holtz's No. 9 Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl seemed more like a coronation.

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9. 1956 Oklahoma (10-0)
Coach:
Bud Wilkinson
The Sooners repeated as national champs with a third straight undefeated season. Their last victory, 53-0 over Oklahoma State, stretched their winning streak to 40 games. Oklahoma shut out six of their 10 opponents and gave up only 5.1 points per game. No, they didn't play a ranked opponent, but the nonconference schedule included North Carolina, Notre Dame and, of course, Texas. The Sooners beat those three teams by a combined 121-0. They were so good that they prevented one of their own from winning the Heisman Trophy. Lineman Jerry Tubbs and back Tommy McDonald were both All-Americans and both finished in the top five of Heisman voting. It was one of the screwy reasons that allowed Paul Hornung of the 2-8 Irish to take home the award. McDonald did win the Maxwell Trophy.

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10. 2009 Alabama (14-0)
Coach:
Nick Saban
The Crimson Tide team that won the first of five national championships in nine seasons for Saban remains the only one of his No. 1s to finish the season undefeated. The Tide, stung in the fourth quarter of the SEC championship game by eventual national champ Florida the previous year, used that loss to spur them on through a schedule that included six ranked teams. Their two toughest victories came against unranked archrivals -- a 12-10 win over Tennessee in which All-American defensive tackle Terrence Cody blocked a field goal attempt on the last play of the game, and a 26-21 comeback win at Auburn. The Tide followed that win by dominating their two highest-ranked opponents: a 32-13 defeat of No. 1 Florida in the conference title game and a wild 37-21 defeat of Texas in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl. Tailback Mark Ingram, the Tide's first Heisman winner, joined Cody and three other teammates -- linebacker Rolando McClain (Butkus winner), offensive tackle Mike Johnson and defensive back Javier Arenas -- on the consensus All-America team.

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11. 1987 Miami (12-0)
Coach:
Jimmy Johnson
After coming close to winning the national championship in the previous two seasons, the Hurricanes reached the top by defeating six ranked teams, including a 20-14 defeat of No. 1 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl (the game wasn't that close; the Sooners scored a late touchdown on a fumblerooski). Miami had the advantage of playing eight home games, including their last six (the Orange Bowl was certainly a home game). But their most memorable victory came on the road, a 26-25 decision at No. 4 Florida State in which the Canes overcame a 19-3 deficit. Safety Bennie Blades, the Jim Thorpe Award winner and a College Football Hall of Famer, and defensive lineman Daniel Stubbs made the consensus All-America team. The offense, under first-year starter Steve Walsh at quarterback, scored more than 40 points in five of the first seven games, and it didn't score more than 27 in the final five. But that's all Miami needed: The Canes gave up only 10.4 points per game.

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12. 1999 Florida State (12-0)
Coach:
Bobby Bowden
Unlike Bowden's first national champion six years earlier, these Seminoles left little room for doubt. They won their eighth consecutive ACC title (in eight years in the league) and defeated five ranked teams, including No. 2 Virginia Tech 46-29 in a humdinger of a Sugar Bowl. The Seminoles went wire to wire as No. 1. Only unranked Clemson held Florida State to fewer than 31 points. That might have had something to do with the Tigers' being coached by Tommy Bowden, Bobby's son, in the first "Bowden Bowl." That win was Bobby's 300th. Wide receiver Peter Warrick had a real shot at the Heisman as a wide receiver/kick returner, until he was suspended for two games for shoplifting at a local mall. Warrick "settled" for being a consensus All-American, along with offensive lineman Jason Whitaker, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and defensive end Corey Simon. Against the Hokies, Warrick caught scoring passes of 64 and 43 yards and returned a punt 59 yards for a score.

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13. 1968 Ohio State (10-0)
Coach:
Woody Hayes
A precocious group of sophomores (remember, freshmen weren't yet eligible) matured over the course of the season into Hayes' third national champion. The young players learned as they went. They won at unranked Illinois and at unranked Iowa by less than a touchdown. But the Buckeyes also beat three top-four teams by double digits. They closed the season with a 50-14 rout of No. 4 Michigan (Hayes famously went for two to reach 50) and, in the Rose Bowl, a 27-16 defeat of No. 2 USC. Only offensive lineman Dave Foley made the All-America team, but among the sophomores were future College Football Hall of Famers Rex Kern at quarterback and Jack Tatum at defensive back, 1970 Outland/Lombardi winner Jim Stillwagon and running back John Brockington. Five would be taken in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft.

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14. 1974 Oklahoma (11-0)
Coach:
Barry Switzer
In only his second season as head coach, the 37-year-old Switzer led Oklahoma to its first national title in 18 seasons. The Sooners won it with a powerful wishbone offense and a defense that held every opponent to no more than 14 points. Only archrival Texas challenged Oklahoma, which won that game 16-13. The only other opponent to come within 14 points was OU's other rival, Nebraska. The Sooners won that one, in Lincoln, 28-14. Only the NCAA slowed the Sooners that year. Probation prevented Oklahoma from playing in a bowl or winning the coaches' poll (USC finished No. 1 there). Halfback Joe Washington, offensive lineman John Roush and linebacker Rod Shoate made the All-America team; Washington and Shoate are in the College Football Hall of Fame.

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15. 1994 Nebraska (13-0)
Coach:
Tom Osborne
The Huskers climbed the mountain for the first time since 1971 in Osborne's 22nd season as head coach. They won the title with an explosive offense, led by two quarterbacks: Tommie Frazier and -- after Frazier missed half the season because of a blood clot in his leg -- Brook Berringer. Nebraska won its first 12 games by at least 10 points, then concluded the season by defeating No. 3 Miami 24-17 in the Orange Bowl (the Canes' home field) with a physically dominant fourth quarter. Nebraska had always been strong. Osborne saw what Miami and Florida State did with speed in the late 1980s and early 1990s and made his defense faster too. That said, the Huskers proved themselves stronger in that fourth quarter, methodically grinding out two touchdown drives for a comeback win. Frazier returned from injury for the game. Berringer replaced him in the first half, and Frazier came back in the decisive fourth quarter. Offensive linemen Zach Wiegert, one of three consensus All-Americans on the team, won the Outland Trophy. Fellow lineman Brenden Stai and linebacker Ed Stewart joined him as All-Americans.

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16. 1994 Penn State (12-0)
Coach:
Joe Paterno
This might have been JoePa's best team, even if the voters snubbed the Nittany Lions in favor of Nebraska. Penn State averaged 47 points (and never fewer than 31), thanks to an offense led by quarterback Kerry Collins, tailback Ki-Jana Carter and tight end Kyle Brady, all of whom were selected among the first 10 players in the 1995 NFL draft. The Nittany Lions defeated four ranked teams and beat nine opponents by at least 18 points. Their gutsiest victory came at Illinois, where they spotted the Illini a 21-0 lead before coming back to win 35-31. But the victory that might have cost them the national championship occurred a week earlier at Indiana. Penn State led 35-14 when JoePa began playing his subs. The Hoosiers' scored two late touchdowns for a 35-29 final that made the game appear close. Penn State dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 and never caught Nebraska. Collins and Carter made the consensus All-America team. Collins won the Maxwell and O'Brien awards, and wide receiver Bobby Engram won the Biletnikoff Award.

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17. 1969 Texas (11-0)
Coach:
Darrell Royal
Using the newfangled wishbone offense that Longhorns assistant Emory Bellard had created the previous year, Texas extended its winning streak to 20 games with impressive dominance. Only No. 8 Oklahoma (27-17) came within 10 points of Texas until the season finale, a showdown at No. 2 Arkansas. ABC moved the game from its usual October date with the hope that both teams would be undefeated. Not only did that happen, but Michigan's 24-12 upset of season-long No. 1 Ohio State cleared the way for Texas and Arkansas to be ranked 1-2. Texas scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to win 15-14 and closed out the season with a 21-17 defeat of No. 9 Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, the Fighting Irish's first bowl game in 44 seasons. Only offensive lineman Bob McKay (a future College Football Hall of Famer) made the All-America team. The Longhorns averaged 68 rushes and 13 passes per game. Yet with nine backs rushing for at least 200 yards, Jim Bertelsen led the team with only 740 rushing yards.

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18. 1988 Notre Dame (12-0)
Coach:
Lou Holtz
The Fighting Irish won their first national title in 11 seasons (and, at this writing, their most recent) with a stifling defense and a punishing ground game. Notre Dame won 10 games by at least 10 points, including its last two games, a 27-10 dismantling of No. 2 USC in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the 34-21 defeat of undefeated No. 2 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. This Irish team, however, will be best remembered for its other defeat of a top-3 team, the 31-30 victory over No. 1 Miami in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish won by stopping a two-point conversion late in the game. Miami coach Jimmy Johnson maintains to this day that instant replay would have overruled a called fumble by Canes running back Cleveland Gary at the Irish goal line. Defensive lineman Frank Stams and linebacker Michael Stonebreaker made the consensus All-America team. Sophomore quarterback Tony Rice led the team with 700 rushing yards and threw for nearly 1,200 more. His poise, despite his inexperience, justified Holtz's belief in him.

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19. 1955 Oklahoma (10-0)
Coach:
Bud Wilkinson
The Sooners dominated every team in their path, extending their three-season winning streak to 30 games. After opening with a 13-6 victory at North Carolina, Oklahoma won its next nine games by at least 12 points. In fact, the Sooners shut out their last four regular-season opponents. The Orange Bowl against No. 3 Maryland showcased Wilkinson against his mentor, former OU head coach Jim Tatum. The Terps had finished No. 1 two years earlier. When Maryland scored in the second quarter to take a 6-0 halftime lead, it was the first points Oklahoma had given up since Oct. 29. The Sooners controlled the second half, winning easily, 20-6. Lineman Bo Bolinger represented the Sooners on the consensus All-America team.

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20. 1991 Miami (12-0)
Coach:
Dennis Erickson
The Canes won their second AP national title in three seasons under Erickson pretty much as Miami had won in 1987 under Jimmy Johnson: with a dominant defense and an explosive, balanced offense. Defensive back Darryl Williams and kicker Carlos Huerta made the consensus All-America team. Miami led the nation by giving up only 8.3 points per game; you had to be ranked in the top 10 to score more than 14. No. 9 Penn State fell 26-20 (in a game in which the telecast was partially preempted by the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas). More famous was the Canes' 17-16 victory at No. 1 Florida State, known forever as Wide Right I. Seminoles kicker Gerry Thomas' 34-yard field goal attempt drifted just to the right in the first season after the NCAA narrowed the goal post by some six feet. Miami embarrassed No. 11 Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl and shared the national title with Washington.

Legend for polls that decided titles

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26. 1986 Penn State (12-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: RB D.J. Dozier, LB Shane Conlan
What to know: Beat No. 2 Alabama on the road, and No. 1 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions intercepted five of Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde's passes and sacked him four times in a 14-10 upset. The Nittany Lions were outgained 442-116 in total offense by the Hurricanes.

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27. 1963 Texas (11-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Darrell Royal
Led by: QB Duke Carlisle, DL Scott Appleton, LB Tommy Nobis
What to know: Defeated No. 1 Oklahoma in Dallas, and No. 2 Navy in the Cotton Bowl. Texas won five of its last six regular-season games by a touchdown or less, including a 7-0 victory over Baylor, in which two-way star Carlisle made a leaping interception in the end zone to preserve the win.

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28. 1973 Notre Dame (11-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF (Alabama won coaches)
Coach: Ara Parseghian
Led by: QB Tom Clements, TE Dave Casper
What to know: Defeated No. 6 USC and No. 20 Pittsburgh, and No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Against the Crimson Tide, Notre Dame rallied from deficits three times, falling behind 23-21 on a halfback-to-quarterback pass. But Clements led the Irish on a 79-yard scoring drive in which his 30-yard pass to Casper set up a go-ahead field goal.

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29. 2013 Florida State (14-0)
Titles:
BCS
Coach: Jimbo Fisher
Led by: QB Jameis Winston, LB Telvin Smith
What to know: Defeated No. 25 Maryland, No. 3 Clemson and No. 20 Duke, and No. 2 Auburn in the BCS National Championship at the Rose Bowl. Behind Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner, the Seminoles won by an average margin of 39.5 points and scored 40 points or more in 12 games. They set an NCAA single-season scoring record with 723 points.

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30. 1979 USC (11-0-1)
Titles:
None (Alabama won AP and UPI)
Coach: John Robinson
Led by: RB Charles White, S Ronnie Lott
What to know: Beat No. 20 LSU, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 15 Washington, and No. 1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Arguably the best team to not win a national championship, USC's only blemish in 1979 was a 21-21 tie against Stanford. The Trojans beat four ranked opponents by an average of eight points, and White won the Heisman Trophy by running for 2,050 yards.

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31. 1971 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles:
None (Nebraska won AP and UPI)
Coach: Chuck Fairbanks
Led by: RB Greg Pruitt, QB Jack Mildren
What to know: Defeated No. 17 USC, No. 3 Texas, and No. 6 Colorado, and No. 5 Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. While utilizing offensive coordinator Barry Switzer's wishbone offense, the Sooners set an NCAA record with 472.4 rushing yards per game. Their only setback was a 35-31 loss to No. 1 Nebraska in the "Game of the Century."

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32. 1985 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI
Coach: Barry Switzer
Led by: LB Brian Bosworth, NG Tony Casillas, QB Jamelle Holieway
What to know: Beat No. 17 Texas, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 17 Oklahoma State, and No. 1 Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners' only loss came against Miami, after they lost quarterback Troy Aikman to injury. Holieway took over the wishbone offense and won the next eight games. OU's defense held nine opponents to 10 points or fewer.

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33. 1980 Georgia (12-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Vince Dooley
Led by: RB Herschel Walker, WR Lindsay Scott, CB Scott Woerner
What to know: Defeated No. 14 South Carolina, No. 20 Florida and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Walker set an NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,616 yards and gained 200 yards or more in four games. Georgia's national title hopes were saved by Buck Belue's 93-yard touchdown pass to Scott in the final minutes of a 26-21 win over Florida.

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34. 2002 Ohio State (14-0)
Titles:
BCS
Coach: Jim Tressel
Led by: RB Maurice Clarett, WR Michael Jenkins, S Mike Doss
What to know: The Buckeyes defeated five ranked teams, including No. 1 Miami in two overtimes in the Fiesta Bowl to win the school's first national championship since 1968. OSU won several close games over Cincinnati (23-19), Wisconsin (19-14), Penn State (13-7), Purdue (10-6), Illinois (23-16 in overtime) and Michigan (14-9) to finish unbeaten in the regular season.

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35. 1998 Tennessee (13-0)
Titles:
BCS
Coach: Phillip Fulmer
Led by: QB Tee Martin, WR Peerless Price, LB Al Wilson
What to know: A year after losing quarterback Peyton Manning to the NFL, the Volunteers defeated six ranked opponents, including No. 2 Florida State in the first BCS National Championship, to win their first national title since 1951. Tennessee went unbeaten in the SEC for the first time since 1967, after ending a five-game losing streak to rival Florida.

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36. 1983 Nebraska (12-1)
Titles:
None (Miami won AP and UPI)
Coach: Tom Osborne
Led by: RB Mike Rozier, WR Irving Fryar, G Dean Steinkuhler
What to know: The Cornhuskers, dubbed the "Scoring Explosion," had one of the most prolific offenses in college football history, averaging 52 points in their first 12 games and scoring 654 points for the season. The Huskers were ranked No. 1 from wire to wire until losing to Miami on a failed two-point conversion attempt in a 31-30 loss in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska might have won at least a share of the national title if Osborne had settled for a tie.

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37. 1949 Oklahoma (11-0)
Titles:
None (Notre Dame won AP)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Led by: E Jim Owens, QB Darrell Royal, T Wade Walker
What to know: The Sooners gave up only eight points per game and shut out five opponents, including a 35-0 victory over No. 9 LSU in the Sugar Bowl. They won the Big Six Conference title and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 399-88, but still finished No. 2 behind the Irish in the final AP poll. The team included two future head coaches: Royal (most famously at Texas) and Owens (Washington).

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38. 1966 Alabama (11-0)
Titles:
None (Notre Dame won AP and coaches; Notre Dame and Michigan State shared NFF)
Coach: Paul "Bear" Bryant
Led by: QB Ken Stabler, WR Ray Perkins
What to know: Alabama didn't play a ranked opponent during the regular season, and gave up only four points per game with six shutouts. Before beating No. 6 Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl, the Tide were voted No. 3 in the final AP poll, behind Notre Dame and Michigan State, which had played to an infamous 10-10 tie during the regular season.

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39. 1959 Syracuse (11-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Ben Schwartzwalder
Led by: RB Ernie Davis, G Roger Davis
What to know: Led in the backfield by Davis, who would become the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, the Orange defeated No. 7 Penn State and No. 17 UCLA, and No. 4 Texas 23-14 in the Cotton Bowl to win the school's only national championship. Syracuse shut out five opponents and gave up only 59 points during the regular season.

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40. 1981 Clemson (12-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Danny Ford
Led by: QB Homer Jordan, LB Jeff Davis, DB Terry Kinard
What to know: Unranked in the preseason, the Tigers upset defending national champion Georgia 13-3 in their third game to debut in the polls. They kept winning, beating No. 9 North Carolina and finally No. 4 Nebraska 22-15 in the Orange Bowl to win the school's first national title. The Tigers gave up only 8.8 points per game and gave up eight points or fewer in seven games.

play
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Auburn fan predicts national title
Auburn fan Alecia Hamm recalls how her belief that Cam Newton could lead Auburn to a national championship led to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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41. 2010 Auburn (14-0)
Titles:
BCS
Coach: Gene Chizik
Led by: QB Cam Newton, DT Nick Fairley, RB Michael Dyer
What to know: Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner, guided Auburn to a perfect season, taking down No. 12 South Carolina, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 2 Oregon in the process. The Tigers rallied from a 24-point deficit to beat Alabama 28-27 in the Iron Bowl, and beat the Ducks 22-19 in the BCS National Championship to win their first title since 1957.

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42. 2015 Alabama (14-1)
Titles:
CFP
Coach: Nick Saban
Led by: RB Derrick Henry, DL A'Shawn Robinson, LB Reggie Ragland
What to know: The Crimson Tide were upset by Ole Miss 43-37 at home in their third game but rallied to win their final nine regular-season games. Alabama faced nine ranked opponents and beat eight of them. The Tide blasted No. 3 Michigan State 38-0 in a CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl and then outlasted No. 1 Clemson 45-40 in the CFP National Championship to win their fourth title in seven years. Henry won the Heisman Trophy by rushing for 1,059 yards with 12 touchdowns.

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43. 1997 Michigan (12-0)
Titles:
AP, FWAA (Nebraska won coaches poll)
Coach: Lloyd Carr
Led by: DB Charles Woodson, QB Brian Griese, DE Glen Steele
What to know: The Wolverines defeated seven AP-ranked teams in winning a share of the school's first national title since 1948. Michigan and Nebraska were both undefeated after the regular season. Michigan beat No. 8 Washington State 21-16 in the Rose Bowl; Nebraska routed No. 3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl the next day. Then-Cornhuskers quarterback Scott Frost politicked for votes, and Tom Osborne's contemporaries apparently listened. Michigan was No. 1 in the final AP poll; Nebraska was No. 1 in the coaches' poll. Woodson became the first defensive player to win the Heisman.

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44. 1975 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles:
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI
Coach: Barry Switzer
Led by: DT Lee Roy Selmon, RB Joe Washington, NG Dewey Selmon
What to know: The Sooners won their first eight games -- three of them by seven points or fewer, which caused them to fall to No. 2 in the polls -- and then fell to Kansas 23-3 at home, which ended their 28-game winning streak. But OU rebounded to win its last three games, beating No. 18 Missouri, No. 2 Nebraska and No. 5 Michigan in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners climbed to the top spot in the final polls after No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Texas A&M lost their bowl games.

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45. 1961 Alabama (11-0)
Titles:
AP, Coaches, NFF (Ohio State won FWAA)
Coach: Paul "Bear" Bryant
Led by: T Billy Neighbors, LB Lee Roy Jordan, QB Pat Trammell
What to know: The 1961 Alabama team was Bryant's first to win a national championship -- and maybe his best defense. The Crimson Tide shut out six opponents and gave up only 25 points the entire season. They didn't allow a touchdown -- giving up only two field goals -- in the final seven games. Alabama led the NCAA in three defensive categories and set 10 school records for defense. The Tide defeated No. 9 Arkansas 10-3 in the Sugar Bowl to finish unbeaten.

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46. 1969 Penn State (11-0)
Titles:
None (Texas won AP, FWAA, NFF and UPI)
Coach: Joe Paterno
Led by: DT Mike Reid, LB Jack Ham, RB Franco Harris
What to know: The Nittany Lions gave up only 8.2 points per game and finished unbeaten for the second straight season. They finished No. 2 in the polls behind Texas, after President Richard Nixon declared that the winner of the Texas-Arkansas game would be the national champion. The slight caused Paterno to famously quip later, "I'd like to know how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973 and so much about college football in 1969?" Penn State defeated No. 6 Missouri 10-3 in the Orange Bowl.

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47. 1972 Oklahoma (11-1)
Titles:
None (USC won AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Coach: Chuck Fairbanks
Led by: LB Rod Shoate, RB Greg Pruitt, DL Derland Moore
What to know: The Sooners played seven games against ranked opponents, losing once to No. 9 Colorado 20-14 on the road, which was enough to cost them a national title to unbeaten USC. OU's high-powered offense averaged 478 yards and 37 points, which were best among Division I teams. The Sooners held nine opponents to 10 points or fewer and shut out No. 10 Texas in Dallas and No. 5 Penn State in the Sugar Bowl, handing Joe Paterno his first loss in a bowl game.

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48. 1954 Oklahoma (10-0)
Titles:
None (Ohio State won AP; UCLA won coaches and FWAA)
Coach: Bud Wilkinson
Led by: C/LB Kurt Burris, E Max Boydston
What to know: The Sooners went unbeaten in what would be the second year of a three-year stretch without a defeat, while establishing the NCAA record for consecutive victories at 47 from 1953 to 1957. The Sooners gave up only 62 points in 10 games but didn't play a top-10 team, which caused them to finish behind Ohio State and UCLA in the polls. Because of the Big Seven's no-repeat rule, the Sooners didn't even get to play in a bowl game.

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49. 1978 USC (12-1)
Titles:
UPI (Alabama won AP)
Coach: John Robinson
Led by: RB Charles White, S Ronnie Lott, OT Anthony Munoz
What to know: The 1978 USC squad, which shared a national title with Alabama, might have arguably been its most talented team under Robinson. More than three dozen players from the 1978 roster, including Charles White, Marcus Allen, Anthony Munoz and Ronnie Lott, played in the NFL. The Trojans upset No. 1 Alabama 24-14 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, and knocked off defending national champion Notre Dame 27-25 at the Coliseum. The only blemish was a 20-7 loss at Arizona State, in which the Trojans fumbled the snap six times after losing their starting center to injury. USC defeated No. 5 Michigan 17-10 in the Rose Bowl to finish No. 1 in the UPI poll.

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50. 1970 Nebraska (11-0-1)
Titles:
AP (Texas won coaches poll)
Coach: Bob Devaney
Led by: QB Jerry Tagge, LB Jerry Murtaugh, WR Johnny Rodgers
What to know: A year after assistant Tom Osborne went to an I-formation with a balanced line, the Huskers went unbeaten for the first time since 1965. The Cornhuskers tied USC 21-21 at the Coliseum in their second game and then beat Army 28-0 the next week, which was the start of a 23-game winning streak. They rolled through the Big Eight and defeated Oklahoma 28-21 to finish 10-0-1 in the regular season. The No. 3 Cornhuskers beat No. 5 LSU (the only ranked opponent they played that season) 17-12 in the Orange Bowl, and grabbed a share of the title after No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Ohio State lost their bowl games.

60-150
https://www.espn.com/college-footba...atest-teams-college-football-150-year-history
 
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The California State Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow college athletes to more easily make money off their own name, image and likeness, beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

The vote -- initially posted as 66-0, but later shown as 72-0 with 7 not voting -- all but assures that the measure will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

Because the bill was amended after it had passed the State Senate, it will have to return there for a concurrence vote that could come as early as Tuesday, according to the office of Sen. Nancy Skinner, the bill's sponsor. However, the Senate approved its version of the bill by a 31-5 margin, and the bill’s basic intent remains unchanged.

If the legislation reaches Newsom’s desk, he will have 30 days to sign it or veto it. If he takes no action, the bill becomes law.

Although an NCAA panel is studying potential changes in the association’s policies regarding athletes’ names, images and likenesses, this sets up the prospect of a conflict between the NCAA’s amateurism rules and the laws of a state that has more than 20 Division I schools, including four members of the Pac-12 Conference
 
Jesus just saw some BS on espn about top 10 teams ever and had 2001 hurricanes 7th

And not 1 but 2 Nebraska teams over it

Crack prices must have dropped
 


Hearing the “none were interested” part of this was completely made up.

What’s going on with Brett?
 
That team is #2 at worst. Them and the ‘04 USC squad would wreck the other 8 teams.

Pretty much.. that Miami team is basically the template for these current bama teams and while bama has had stacked teams top end doesn’t match that ‘01 Miami squad

Then gotta throw ‘05 Texas in there.. not sure which of these bama squads you go with, maybe 2 of em make it.. gotta have one of those Tebow UF squads with Percy harvin and the rest of the goons.. one of these Clemson teams makes it, maybe 2
 
Jesus just saw some BS on espn about top 10 teams ever and had 2001 hurricanes 7th

And not 1 but 2 Nebraska teams over it

Crack prices must have dropped

It's hard to know what to do with these teams before the modern era ( post NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma) but 95 Nebraska certainly has an argument to being considered the GOAT.

4 W's against top 10 teams, and they didn't win a game that year by less than 14 points.

Personally my modern era top 5 would be

1. 95 Nebraska
2. 01 Miami
3. 04 SC
4. 18 Clemson
5. 08 UF
 
Pretty much.. that Miami team is basically the template for these current bama teams and while bama has had stacked teams top end doesn’t match that ‘01 Miami squad

Then gotta throw ‘05 Texas in there.. not sure which of these bama squads you go with, maybe 2 of em make it.. gotta have one of those Tebow UF squads with Percy harvin and the rest of the goons.. one of these Clemson teams makes it, maybe 2

That ‘05 Texas team wasn’t that good man. They literally had one player and he happened to be a super Saiyan.

His knee (and Reggie’s) was also down. But whatever.

If we’re putting ‘05 Texas in the top 10, why not ‘02 tO$U? I’m also lol’ing at 2018 Clemson being there in the top 10. Bama and Notre Dame may have been the only good teams they played all year.
 
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It's hard to know what to do with these teams before the modern era ( post NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma) but 95 Nebraska certainly has an argument to being considered the GOAT.

4 W's against top 10 teams, and they didn't win a game that year by less than 14 points.

Personally my modern era top 5 would be

1. 95 Nebraska
2. 01 Miami
3. 04 SC
4. 18 Clemson
5. 08 UF
No Bama
91ApW1z.gif
 
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