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Topic: Teams from the 1950s

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Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #28 on: March 28, 2020, 12:59:44 PM »
I chuckled because a couple ND players were accused of flopping in the UGA game.  It looked that way to me, and they came right back in the game.

My solution would be if you leave the game after going down, you stay out until the next series.

FearlessF

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #29 on: March 28, 2020, 01:23:58 PM »
mine too
"Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."

Hawkinole

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #30 on: March 30, 2020, 12:42:01 AM »

The major poll selections of Maryland are understandable, as those polls didn't count bowl games, and Maryland was 10-0 when they voted (though Maryland had not played a single team that was rated in the final AP poll). The selection of Oklahoma by the College Football Researchers Association, on the other hand, is a real head-scratcher, given that Notre Dame had a better record and defeated Oklahoma in Norman. And in addition to the head-to-head result, Notre Dame's tie came to 5-3-1 Iowa, rated #9, while Oklahoma's tie came to 3-5-1 Pittsburgh, a team Notre Dame beat 23-14 the next week. Oklahoma had 4 close wins (touchdown or less), and Notre Dame had 1. The fact is, Oklahoma is a simply awful selection as 1953 MNC, an embarrassment for the CFRA.


The Iowa at Notre Dame game most likely led to this season ending rivalry game ending after 1969 and thereafter being replaced on Iowa's schedule by Iowa State. Ugh, Iowa State.

Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #31 on: March 30, 2020, 07:16:10 AM »
https://tiptop25.com/champ1954.html

Ohio State halfback Hopalong Cassady scoring a touchdown against Michigan in 1954

Here is my painting of Ohio State halfback Hopalong Cassady hopping in for the touchdown that made the final score 21-7 over Michigan in 1954. The Buckeyes then beat Southern Cal 20-7 in the Rose Bowl to finish 10-0. But two other major teams also sported perfect records this season: 9-0 UCLA and 10-0 Oklahoma. Unlike UCLA, however, Oklahoma stirred little to no national championship debate.

Here is how all of the organizations listed in the NCAA Records Book see the 1954 mythical national championship (omitting math/computer ratings, which are not generally accepted as MNCs):

10-0 Ohio State: AP PollINS Poll (sportswriters)CFB Researchers (tie), Helms (tie), National Championship Foundation (tie)
9-0 UCLA: UPI Poll (coaches), Football Writers Association of America, National Championship Foundation (tie), CFB Researchers (tie), Helms (tie)

This was the debut season for the Football Writers Association of America "championship," a poll of member writers that was very different from the AP poll in that it was done after the bowl games. The FWAA handed out the Grantland Rice Trophy to its champion, as it did every year through 2013, after which the system was retired, the FWAA being satisfied with the debut of the 4-team college football playoff in 2014.

As you can see, people were perfectly divided on whether Ohio State or UCLA deserved to sit on this season's throne, but I'll be looking at the completely ignored Oklahoma team as well. They did go 10-0, and they would also post perfect records in each of the next 2 seasons, winning a pair of consensus MNCs... should they have had a threepeat?

Defending champion 9-1 Notre Dame was upset by 5-3-1 Purdue 27-14 early in the season and thus blew their chance at repeating this season. 8-1 Miami-Florida lost 14-13 at 8-3 Auburn, but their schedule wasn't good enough for MNC contention anyway. That is even more true in the cases of 8-1 West Virginia (lost 13-10 to 4-5 Pittsburgh) and 8-0-1 Virginia Tech (tied by 4-4-2 William & Mary).

All rankings in the following article, except as noted, come from my 1954 fixed AP poll.

Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #32 on: March 30, 2020, 07:21:18 AM »
That brings us to Ohio State vs UCLA. Obviously Ohio State played a vastly tougher schedule, and their best win, 31-14 over #7 Wisconsin, was better than UCLA's best win, 12-7 over #10 Maryland. I would select Ohio State as #1 myself. However, playing a tougher schedule does not mean that a team is better, and in this case I think that UCLA performed better enough overall that they are a legitimate option for #1 over Ohio State. UCLA had one poor outing against an unrated opponent, while OSU had 2. UCLA had a better average point differential than Ohio State did against rated opponents (UCLA 23-4, OSU 24-10), against unrated opponents that were .500 or better (UCLA 34-3, OSU 24-7), and against losers (UCLA 47-10, OSU 27-5). And of course, UCLA performed better against each of their 2 common opponents.

It's a split title.

Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #33 on: March 30, 2020, 07:21:59 AM »
Neither UCLA nor OU played in a bowl game that year ....

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #34 on: March 30, 2020, 10:03:29 AM »
 I don't, so I do not consider Oklahoma 1950 to be a national champion, mythical or otherwise. But who is?

The #2 team was Army, 8-0 at the time of the last poll, but the AP poll didn't just end before the bowl games, it ended before the regular season was even over, and Army was upset by 3-6 Navy a week after the poll ended, finishing them at 8-1. The #3 team was 9-2 Texas, but they lost to Oklahoma during the regular season, and they lost to 11-1 Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl.

11-1 Tennessee, who was #4, is therefore our rightful national champion of the 1950 season. They took an upset loss to 4-5 Mississippi State early in the season, but they bounced back with 4 wins over AP-rated teams, more than anyone else attained this season. The biggest win came 7-0 over 11-1 Kentucky, as Kentucky gave #1 Oklahoma their only loss in the Sugar Bowl. Tennessee's victory over #3 Texas in the Cotton Bowl was just icing on the cake.

Nope.
I know in candy-land pretend time, all teams go all-out every time they take the field.  But here in reality, we can't fault Army for losing after the final poll.  Nor do we get to hold Tennessee on high for happening to win what was then a meaningless game.  
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Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #35 on: March 30, 2020, 12:35:18 PM »
You think Army didn't "go all out" because the final poll was done?


Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #36 on: March 30, 2020, 12:37:10 PM »
Maybe Maryland didn't go all out.

http://www.tiptop25.com/champ1955.html



Pictured above is Oklahoma's star halfback Tommy McDonald carrying the ball against Maryland in the Orange Bowl. 11-0 Oklahoma defeated 10-1 Maryland 20-6 to end all debate as far as the 1955 mythical national championship is concerned, and they were and are the unanimous choice for 1955 MNC among organizations listed in the NCAA Records Book (omitting math/computer ratings, which are not generally accepted as MNCs).

One math-based ranking system (Boand) did go with 9-1 Michigan State for #1, but MSU took an upset loss at Michigan (7-2, #14), and they are not a legitimate contender for the 1955 crown. Neither are 10-1 Mississippi, who lost at Kentucky (6-3-1, #22), or 9-0 Miami-Ohio, who played no one of any value. So Oklahoma is the only team I'll be summarizing for this article.


Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #37 on: March 30, 2020, 12:38:47 PM »


The first nose guards?

Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #38 on: March 30, 2020, 01:27:28 PM »
His fixed poll includes only teams which would finish top 25 today in some years, plausibly:

1) Oklahoma 11-0
2) Michigan State 9-1
3) Maryland 10-1
4) UCLA 9-2
5) Ohio State 7-2
6) Texas Christian 9-2
7) Georgia Tech 9-1-1
8) Auburn 8-2-1

9) Notre Dame 8-2
10) Mississippi 10-1
11) Pittsburgh 7-4
12) Michigan 7-2
13) Southern Cal 6-4
14) Miami (Florida) 6-3
15) Miami (Ohio) 9-0
16) Stanford 6-3-1
17) Texas A&M 7-2-1
18) Navy 6-2-1
19) West Virginia 8-2
20) Army 6-3

Cincydawg

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #39 on: March 30, 2020, 02:12:24 PM »
I think we're entering the time of boredom ...

http://www.tiptop25.com/champ1956.html


1) Oklahoma 10-0--
2) Iowa 9-1+1
3) Texas A&M 9-0-1+2
4) Baylor 9-2+7
5) Tennessee 10-1-3
6) Georgia Tech 10-1-2
7) Minnesota 6-1-2+5
8) Michigan 7-2-1
9) Michigan State 7-2--
10) Pittsburgh 7-3-1+3
11) Miami (Florida) 8-1-1-5
12) Texas Christian 8-3+2
13) Syracuse 7-2-5
14) Army 5-3-1IN
15) Penn State 6-2-1IN
16) Ohio State 6-3-1
17) Oregon State 7-3-1-7
18) Southern Cal 8-2--
19) UCLA 7-3IN
20) Navy 6-1-2-4
21) Oregon 4-4-2IN
22) Colorado 8-2-1-2
23) Clemson 7-2-2-4
24) Florida 6-3-1IN
25) Auburn 7-3IN




Brutus Buckeye

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #40 on: March 30, 2020, 02:34:43 PM »
Who was the worst team in each major conference over the span of that decade?
1919, 20, 21, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 42, 44
WWH: 1952, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 67, 68, 70, 72, 74, 75
1979, 81, 82, 84, 87, 94, 98
2001, 02, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Teams from the 1950s
« Reply #41 on: March 30, 2020, 03:44:49 PM »
You think Army didn't "go all out" because the final poll was done?


This phrasing makes it seem like they didn't try.  Yes, they tried.  Yes, they did their assignments and played to their ability level. 
But there's trying and there's slobbering, panicked, adrenaline, snot-bubble, wolves-are-chasing-me trying...and teams tend not to do that when everything isn't on the line. 
.
And every time I suggest it, it's refuted, and I'll keep on suggesting it.
“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

 

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