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If this playoff happened, I think Nebraska would mercy-rule BYU in the first round.




I also think Florida was objectively the best team in 1984.

As for Florida, I said the same above.
As for BYU, no they were not the best team, but I think how "bad" they were gets oversold because they were so clearly not the best.  I think they were still a top 5-6 team.  But yes, Nebraska would beat them, but I think BYU would have probably hung closer than many expect, simply because we tend to overrate how bad they really were, simply because they so clearly were not the best.

I don't really think this Nebraska team would have much chance here, as the QB position was weak. I would actually point to this squad as evidence that the previous years' team was the best in the country however, as this elite defense was the same group of guys that played in 1983, albeit a year more expereinced. The difference in 1984 was they played alot more after halftime than the year before.

How many other times were mid-majors undefeated, and how did they fare?  Was there a reason BYU was given that benefit of the doubt at the time?

I think it was two things and in both of them BYU was just VERY lucky:

• They got a HUGE boost from playing a highly ranked "Power Conference" type opponent early in the season.  As it turned out, they were even luckier because that highly ranked opponent wasn't any good so they basically got a freebie.  As I noted above, that win over "#3" moved them up to #13.  
• There was just plain Armageddon down the stretch.  As late as November 6 BYU was ranked #4 (even that was way too high, IMHO)*.  Then #1 Washington lost to USC which moved them up to #3.  Then #1 Nebraska lost to OU and #2 USCe lost to Navy in the same week which moved them up to #1.  Then #3 OkSU lost to OU.  Then in the bowls #2 OU lost to Washington, #3 UF was ineligible.  

I strongly disagree with your assessment that they were a top 5-6 type team:  
They had two wins over teams that finished above .500 and those were by five points each.   Those two teams (Hawaii and Air Force) lost worse to Fullerton State, Colorado State, Iowa, Wyoming, Utah, and Army.  

They had another two wins over teams that finished exactly .500 and those wins were by three and seven points.  Those two teams (Wyoming and Michigan) lost worse to Nebraska, Oregon State, SDSU, UTEP, Washington, Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State.  

The most direct comparisons to other teams that finished ranked are these:
BYU beat Pitt by six, 20-14.  Against other teams that finished ranked Pitt:

• Lost to #6 Oklahoma by 32
• Lost to #11 USCe by 24
• Lost to #18 Miami, FL by 20

BYU beat Hawaii by five, 18-13.  Against other teams that finished ranked Hawaii:

• Lost to #16 Iowa by 11

BYU beat Air Force by five, 30-25.  Against other teams that finished ranked Air Force:

• n/a, they didn't play any

BYU beat Wyoming by three, 41-38.  Against other teams that finished ranked Wyoming:

• Lost to #4 Nebraska by 35

BYU beat Michigan by seven, 24-17.  Against other teams that finished ranked Michigan:

• Lost to #2 Washington by nine but note that this was before Michigan's QB (Harbaugh) was lost for the season.  
• Beat #18 Miami, FL by eight but note that this was before Michigan's QB was lost for the season.  
• Lost to #13 Ohio State by 15.  
• Lost to #16 Iowa by 26.  

That BYU team was obviously not as good as #2 Washington and #4 Nebraska but they were also not as good as #11 USCe, nor #13 Ohio State, nor #16 Iowa.  They were arguably as good as #18 Mimia, FL.  A reasonable ranking for them would be somewhere around #17-20 if ranked at all.  

I also think BYU had pseudo Helmet qualities to them at that point.  They were the perennial Holiday Bowl rep. (when the Holiday Bowl was amongst the best non NYD bowl games),  and they had 'star QBs' prior to Bosco and they were in some respects,  Boise State circa Chris Peterson era.   Very lovable, did have some notable wins in prior years.   Given the train wreck around them in the top 10 (as we've discussed about 21 times on this and the old board) they had the stars align.   There was no shortage of controversy.  If you can find and watch the entire pregame, game and postgame of the Orange Bowl, this is discussed to death during the UW v OU game.

If I remember 1984 was similar to 2007 as teams were just falling out left and right. BYU was yes the Boise st/UCF of their day going 11-1 in 1983 (arguably a better BYU team than 84) and finishing in the top 10 the season before. 

I got no problems w/ them winning the NC that year. There was a ton of outraeg about their schedule and yes while they were locked into the Holiday bowl, there were a ton of good teams that passed on playing them. So that argument kind of rings hollow. Oklahoma lost in the orange bowl, if NU played BYU and beat them they could have been national champs and/or split the title w/ Washington. 

If this playoff happened, I think Nebraska would mercy-rule BYU in the first round.




I also think Florida was objectively the best team in 1984.

Agree on both counts.

I highly doubt it.  Playing BYU would have been a lose/lose proposition for any of the top teams.  Nebraska or any other real top-10 team would have been favored by at least two TD's.  It is lose/lose because:

• If you win the game it is a cream-puff opponent and doesn't help.  
• If you lose the game, you lost.  

Nebraska would NOT have won a NC by beating the Cougars, they'd have simply given it to Washington.  The Cornhuskers had two losses (Syracuse and Oklahoma) and went into the bowls ranked ranked #5 (behind #1 BYU, #2 OU, #3 UF, and #4 UW).  

Rankings going into the bowls and what happened:

• BYU:  Beat the worst Michigan team of Bo Schembechler's tenure 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl, finished #1.  
• Oklahoma:  Lost 28-17 to #4 Washington
• Florida:  ineligible
• Washington:  Beat #2 OU 28-17
• Nebraska:  Beat #11 LSU
• Ohio State:  Lost to #18 USC
• USCe:  Lost to #9 OkSU
• Boston College:  Beat nr Houston
• Oklahoma State:  Beat #7 USCe
• SMU:  Beat #17 Notre Dame