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The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: OrangeAfroMan on April 10, 2020, 09:59:52 PM

Title: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on April 10, 2020, 09:59:52 PM
For fun.  Vote!
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: FearlessF on April 10, 2020, 10:34:50 PM
2011 LSU lost to the Crimson Tide 0–21. It was the first time a team was ever shut out in a BCS game.

02 Miami lost to The Ohio State Buckeyes

05 USC lost to Vince - Pete the cheat with Reggie the heismanless

09 Texas one second put back on the clock and lost to Bama

voted for undefeated 04 Auburn
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: Kris60 on April 10, 2020, 10:52:24 PM
I voted for 05 USC but 2011 LSU’s resume of beating three teams that FINISHED in the AP top 5 is pretty damn impressive.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: ELA on April 11, 2020, 12:35:33 PM
Based on S&P+, 2003 USC, 2007 USC, 2008 USC, 2009 Florida and 2010 Alabama are the 5 teams to finish #1 and not win the NC.  None of those are options, so I voted "Other".

I'm trying to distinguish between 2007 and 2008 USC.  But I do remember 2007 was an absolute mess of a year, and USC still couldn't take advantage, while both Oklahoma and Florida were really good in 2008.  So I'll say 2008 USC was the best, and they didn't even play for it.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: bayareabadger on April 11, 2020, 01:16:14 PM
Based on S&P+, 2003 USC, 2007 USC, 2008 USC, 2009 Florida and 2010 Alabama are the 5 teams to finish #1 and not win the NC.  None of those are options, so I voted "Other".

I'm trying to distinguish between 2007 and 2008 USC.  But I do remember 2007 was an absolute mess of a year, and USC still couldn't take advantage, while both Oklahoma and Florida were really good in 2008.  So I'll say 2008 USC was the best, and they didn't even play for it.

This year's OSU team made it in as well, and I likely would've given them my vote if I had the option. 

I voted LSU because it was the most accomplished. Picking nits with the rest:
2002 Miami - Between the schedule and a couple of dicy games, they just seemed to lack a little extra polish
2005 USC - Defense was not top-20 by year's end (Offense was everything, however)
2009 Texas - A very good team, but the lack of a top-end run game or that many big wins hurts the case. 
2004 Auburn - Recipient of the no-loss thing OAM oft gets irked by. Bad SEC, yards per play defense outside the top 20. Meh.

2008 USC is a good one. One of the best defenses around. Pass game was pretty good. Balanced run game. Only one game closer than 14. 

The LSU pick wasn't ideal because the offense was funky. But the resume was pretty great. Crossovers coulda been better. 
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: Mdot21 on April 11, 2020, 03:14:10 PM
'02 Miami. Easy choice for me. The knee injury to McGahee was devastating. That injury probably cost Miami the game (not any penalties), McGahee a top 3 draft slot and a shot at the NFL HOF.

It was a 3-pt game with basically the entire 4th QTR left to go if I'm recalling it correctly, and McGahee suffered one of the worst injuries I've ever seen in a football game on live tv. The dude's knee was just shredded- his ACL, MCL, and PCL all tore- AND he fractured his leg. It was nasty. And sports medicine/knee surgeries in '02/'03 were nowhere near as good as they are now almost 20 years later. Amazingly McGahee was still a late 1st round pick and he went on to have a very productive NFL career.

The kind of determination and character that guy had combined with his supreme raw athletic talent- if that gruesome freak injury never happened he'd have likely been a top 3 pick and probably would've found his way into the NFL HOF. As it was on that busted up frankenstein knee he had a pretty damn good 10+ year NFL career.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on April 11, 2020, 04:01:48 PM
No one is a probable HOFer at the age of 21.  But yeah, he was good.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: Mdot21 on April 11, 2020, 09:23:59 PM
No one is a probable HOFer at the age of 21.  But yeah, he was good.
That isn’t what I was saying. 

I said the guy went on to have like an 11 year NFL career and rush for 9,000 yards and score 75 TD’s- all while missing that first year trying to rehab a gruesome injury that might’ve ended lesser people’s careers. He came back from that and was never quite the same but still very good. And that was before the knee surgeries and recovery are what they are today. 
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: FearlessF on April 11, 2020, 11:15:00 PM
nfl
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on April 11, 2020, 11:49:43 PM
he'd have likely been a top 3 pick and probably would've found his way into the NFL HOF.
It's literally what you said.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: Mdot21 on April 12, 2020, 12:18:59 AM
He went on to have a way above average NFL career and at times was a border line elite RB in the league. And this was after he was playing on a Frankenstein knee that plagued him his entire career. He was never quite the same guy after that gruesome knee injury. And he still put up just under 9k yards and 75 total TD’s. My whole point was if he never has that injury those pro numbers are probably way better- and he would’ve had a great shot at the HOF. A pair of other former Canes RB’s that he was better then are HOF bound- Edgerin James just got in to the HOF- and Frank Gore will probably sneak into the HoF just based off the #’s- and McGahee very likely would’ve had numbers comparable to those guys if he never suffered that nasty knee injury.  
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: MrNubbz on April 12, 2020, 08:46:02 AM
Ya McGahee very solid even after the wood chipper incident,hats off to him.i voted 2005 USC but could have went 2002 Canes
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on April 12, 2020, 09:39:44 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVcVceKWAAAdEgA?format=jpg&name=large)
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on April 12, 2020, 09:49:25 PM
Pretty good variance in votes.  That's nice.
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: FearlessF on April 12, 2020, 09:54:17 PM
apparently, utee hasn't voted
Title: Re: Best Non-National Champ (Recent Edition)
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on April 12, 2020, 10:04:15 PM
He may prefer 08 Texas, they both have pluses and minuses.