All-Time Great Non-National Champion Teams...

[OrangeAfroMan]

1993 lost one game, on a fluke night, to a hated rival. They play 9 more times and UW wins all 9.

1998 lost one game, and in that one they were completely outclassed by Michigan.

1999 was a good team by the end, but I can't get past the Cincinnati loss and that they struggled with Stanford.

'93 'Sconnie it is....the Bastage has spoken.

[SFBadger96]

1993 lost one game, on a fluke night, to a hated rival. They play 9 more times and UW wins all 9.

1998 lost one game, and in that one they were completely outclassed by Michigan.

1999 was a good team by the end, but I can't get past the Cincinnati loss and that they struggled with Stanford.

Oh God that Minnesota game. One of the few games I traveled to while a student (at least '95 Penn State was the flip side of the coin). Rivalry game with so many turnovers.

I still think 2010 and 2011 might really be the ones--or '17, but '93 it is (OAM has spoken and it's his game).

[847badgerfan]

Oh God that Minnesota game. One of the few games I traveled to while a student (at least '95 Penn State was the flip side of the coin). Rivalry game with so many turnovers.

I still think 2010 and 2011 might really be the ones--or '17, but '93 it is (OAM has spoken and it's his game).

2010 or 2011 would have been undefeated with the coaching staff in place today. I think, top-to-bottom, this staff is the best staff UW has ever had - 1993 included.

And 1993 was a HELLUVA staff.

[CWSooner]

Switzer himself has said, this was his best team

And he usually knew what he was talking about.

[OrangeAfroMan]

OU will have plenty of teams made before I start chasing the non-champs.  If it gets to where I'm making the '78 Sooners card set, then big things would be happening, lol.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Can I make a suggestion for punt returns. Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see a chance for the returner to lose yards. Maybe change it to roll 1-lose few yards, 2 fair catch, 3- short gain, 4-normal gain, 5-big gain, and 6- get a chance to roll again if you get 6 again it’s a huge gain or even td, if not it’s just like rolling a 5. Or did I overlook the chance for losing yards on punt return?

Also I’d love to get a set of teams and play some games and give you my results. If you’d like that help anyway. This is a great idea.

Once it gets to that step, I'll mail out a couple of team card sets and the game components to you and whoever else wants to play-test it.  I'll probably request you keep a play log (like "Henry run 2 yds" or "Newton INT by Lester") to help with keeping track of things.  
Playability is certainly #1 - if you enjoyed it or not.  But after that, I want to check the number of plays, compile stats, etc, to see how close it is to reality.  I'm not looking for exact, just that the good RB doesn't average 2 ypc or 12 ypc.  The winning QB doesn't have a 4 INT game, things like that.
Thanks for the interest.

[OrangeAfroMan]

And as for the punt return chart - I'm going with a 12-sided die.  It'll allow for a greater range of outcomes, from 2 yd loss to longer returns, and include fair catches.

The chart I have now was too limited in its range of yardage.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

Best UCLA team of the last 40 years?  

The 1998 team peaked at #2.  Aikman's '88 squad got to #1.  Best teams are all 10-2 or so.  

[ELA]

Best UCLA team of the last 40 years?  

The 1998 team peaked at #2.  Aikman's '88 squad got to #1.  Best teams are all 10-2 or so.  

Yeah that 1998 team was primed to go play Tennessee for the NC, then lost the makeup game to Miami on that crazy final Saturday of the season when Texas A&M also lost, and suddenly FSU was there.
I think probably the 1997 team?  They started 0-2 with a 3 point loss to eventual Big Ten champ Ryan Leaf and WSU, and then lost by 6 to Tennessee, who wound up playing for the NC.  They won 10 in a row after that, starting by going on the road the following week and throttling #11 Texas in Austin 66-3.  So they are like '02 USC that was playing as well as anyone by the end of the year, but came out of the gates slow.
Heh, so both '97 and '98 went 10-2, with '97 losing their first two, '98 losing their last two, and a 20 game win streak in between.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

I want to say Edgerrin James ran for 299 yards in that game.  It was nuts.  I thought McNown had the Heisman if they won out.  And who was it - the Bears? - that drafted him highly....that was stupid.  He threw a lot of jump balls and just poor decisions with good outcomes in the games I saw.  Sort of like Manziel.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

I'm going with 1997 for UCLA - better defense and special teams numbers.  

Hey Twerps, give me the best Maryland year since the mid-70s.  76 or 01 or what?

[OrangeAfroMan]

Looking at which Iowa and Illinois teams ----


Iowa - 
85 - the Chuck Long season (10-2)
02 - best I've seen - dynamic Brad Banks at QB, good running game, Dallas Clark at TE (11-2)
15 - good D, missed out on playoff, B10 title (12-2)

91 - went 10-1-1, but I don't recall anything about them - national attention was on Howard and Michigan



Illinois - 
83 - Jack Trudeau at QB (10-2)
89 - Jeff George, good D (10-2)
01 - big year for Brandon Lloyd at WR (10-2)


Any reason to pick any one of these over the others?  

[FearlessF]

Iowa - 
85 - the Chuck Long season (10-2)

[OrangeAfroMan]

Sexy update!!!

(hopefully the picture is large enough to see)

Iowa (85) is made and Maryland I haven't decided the year yet.