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CtrlAltDel said...

These silly auNecks have told themselves so many times, and have repeated it so many times, and wished for it to be true so many times, that they actually really do believe now that Alabama only has 9 NC's.

They aren't teaching their little baby auNecks the truth, either. These younger auNecks will grow up to be even more uniformed and ignorant than their parents. It's sad in many ways.

Let's have a look at some of Alabama's NC title seasons like adults, and not silly auNecks spitting out country mantras that are taught to them down in Opelika.

Pre-WW-II, the Rose Bowl was, in fact, considered a de-facto NC game as it was the only post season game with any prominence whatsoever. Any pre-war title claim based on the Rose Bowl is as solid as it gets.

But by the 1940's there were so many bowls popping up that they came to be seen as little more than exhibition games (esp after the Rose began its Pac-10/Big-10 tie in). SO, by the 1950's, Polls are really all that should count - but remember that AP was NOT a respected selector by ANY stretch of the imagination until they changed their voting rules in 1958. UPI was the only respected poll until that time.

The fact is that Polls chose to name champions before the bowls simply reflects the opinion of the country. Bowls were not considered particularly meaningful until the late '60's to early '70's - basically when TV became a huge part of the game. That's why AP didn't permanently switch to post-bowl polls until around '68 and UPI didn't until '74.

Every argument about out 1973 title being bogus only "proves" that we should have been named champion in '77. Any argument about our 1964 Title only "proves" that we were robbed in 1966.
If you think 1941 sucks, then explain 1945?

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Alabama claims 4 titles from before the AP poll was created in 1936. Prior to the establishment of the AP and UPI/Coaches Polls, there was no "gold standard" in regard to football polls.

Since the inception of the AP and UPI polls, each of Alabama's national titles but one were awarded by either the AP or UPI/Coaches poll. 1941 is completely bogus.

You can argue the merits or procedures used by the AP and UPI polls, but the bottom line is that many other teams claim titles from these polls in their official records (Notre Dame, OU, etc.)

People argue that Alabama claims titles that were awarded before bowl losses. Many people fail to realize two things.

1) Prior to the late 60s/early 70s, bowls were not widely used as evaluating tools for final rankings. They were exhibition games to reward teams and fans for a successful season, but there wasn't a whole lot of value placed in the outcome of the games. It wasn't like today when anyone with a pulse at the end of the season can go play in the Chuck E. Cheese Bowl. Some time ago, bowls were a legitimate reward for the best teams, but most voters placed more value on the body of work during the regular season.

2) Some teams elected to not participate in bowl games. Notre Dame is a prime example. The Irish, as an independent school, declined bowl invitations for almost 40 years. Many of their national titles were won during seasons when they did not participate in a postseason bowl. From the 30's or 40's until the early 70s they did this. Notre Dame claims about 15 national titles now, but had the luxury of not playing in a game they'd have likely lost on the postseason during many of those "championship runs."

Now tell me...how is it fair on one hand to say that a team like Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. that stepped up and played real competition in a bowl game should not have won a title because they lost said bowl game, but on the other hand, saying it's okay for ND to claim umpteen national titles while they played a weak schedule and declined the challenge of a bowl game?

How many of their elite teams in the 40s-60s would have had their records tarnished because of a bowl loss, as you're claiming Alabama did?

Finally, Alabama went undefeated and untied in 1945 and 1966. To honor Army during the 1945 season, they were awarded the national title in '45. I won't argue the legitimacy of that title because they deserved it and it was a gesture of patriotism and solidarity to do that. But still, Alabama had a very good team and could lay claim to that title. We do not.

In 1966, Alabama had claimed a share of the title in 64 and 65, but the national media wanted to send a message to Southern football teams because many Southern schools had not integrated their athletic programs yet. ND an MSU played to a tie in East Lansing, and both teams basically sat on the ball the entire second half playing for a tie. Meanwhile, Alabama went undefeated and outscored opponents by an average of 20+ points and obliterated their opponent in the bowl game. ND and MSU claim a split national title, and Alabama finished third in voting despite starting the season ranked #1. We do not claim this title.

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We will start with '25 and '26. Many, many, many teams claim NC's from this time period and Alabama doing it is nothing unusual, nothing out of the ordinary at all.

1.) 1925. The facts in the case for 1925 are that Alabama, at the time, was widely considered to be the champions of college football during that year to all the football going public alive at that time. If you were a football fan and followed football, the University of Alabama was the team to be envied this particular year.

'Bama (10-0) traveled out to sunny LA for their first of many Rose Bowls. They defeated a 10-0 Washington team.

Dartmouth, the team that was even halfway in the picture, was 8-0, didn't play a bowl game, and played 4 non-1a teams out of 8 opponents.

'Bama, if there was no such thing as a NC at that time, was certainly the best team in the country. Deal with it. This is the game that made 8,000 Northern sportswriters and West Coast fans commit suicide. Bama(10-0)

2.) 1926. This one is really easy. People were not stupid back in those days. They had just as much sense as modern day folk. They knew champions when they saw them. Let me lay it out for 'ya:

Stanford was 10-0-1 after the TIE in the Rose Bowl with 'Bama. Alabama was 9-0-1 after the TIE with Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Pretty close, right?

Wrong.

Stanford played 6 of what are now considered non-1A opponents out of a total of 10 reg. season games. How many non-1-A opponents did 'Bama face? One, yes, just one.

Therefore, Alabama was what we call in our time National Champions 2 years in a row.

3.) 1930 Another clear cut NC for 'Bama. 'Bama went 9-0 reg. season and then ventured out to sunny LA again, they got tired of seeing us, and stomped a hole clean through the chest cavities of a very strong 9-0, at the time, Washington State team. The final score = Champions 24, Wash. State 0.

Ouch, that one hurt the pride of lot's of folks out on the West Coast.

What did Notre Dame do? They went undefeated at 10-0 just like 'Bama but they stayed at home and said "no mas, no mas" we don't wants to play no bowl game.

Advantage = 'Bama. Number 3 baby, number 3 on our way to greatness. (Bama 10-0)

4.) 1934. A very strong Alabama team this year. Gritty and determined.

In 1934, Alabama surged through a regular season destruction, utter destruction of all opponents, and finished it all off with a face shattering pummeling of a very strong Stanford team whose record, at the time, stood at 9-0-1.

We shamed them and once again made everyone curse those stupid Southern boys who keep bursting apart cherised ideas about football supremacy on the West Coast and in the North.

The score was 29-13 in favor of who? That's right, 'Bama.

3 time Rose Bowl Champ-Ions by this time.

What did any team that was even close do? Minnesota went 8-0 and beat a bunch of 4 win teams and naturally, didn't play in a bowl game, no sir, not their style.

Chalk another one up for what very well may be the greatest football team to ever strap on helmets, the Alabama Crimson Tide. (Bama 10-0)

And on we go:

1941. Not a NC. The year 1941 was put on the list to keep Alabama fans humble.

#5.) 1961. AP + UPI + just about everything and everyone else chose 'Bama. Enough said. 5 so far, many more to come. ('Bama 11-0)

#6.) 1964. The AP & UPI, the two big dogs, chose Alabama plus a couple of other selectors. To hell with Arkansas or anyone else. Sure, the AP gave out their trophy before bowl games, that is the way it was. Who is Alabama to tell the AP that what they were doing was wrong? They were just a humble football team doing it's best.

If the BCS decided to give out NC trophies before bowl games in 2013, I am sure whomever won it would take it. Let's get real everyone. Don't revise history. 50 years from now, BCS championships may be considered to be invalid, especially in light of the new bowl system that is soon beginning, that does not negate the fact that your team may have won a BCS championship. It is what it is. ('Bama 10-1)

#7.) 1965. #7. A great one. This particular trophy is very beautiful and well designed. For this one, I am going to give a link to a much more well thought out summary than I can come up with.

Here you go:

Anxious to avoid the uproar that followed its regular season final poll last year, AP waited until after New Year's to crown the 1965 national champion.

Good move. At the end of the regular season Michigan State, Arkansas and Nebraska were all 10–0, with Alabama at 8–1–1 (the Tide lost their opener to Georgia and tied Tennessee). The bowl match-ups had Arkansas playing LSU in the Cotton, Michigan State vs UCLA in the Rose, and Nebraska vs Alabama in the Orange. Each game followed the other on TV.

The three top-ranked teams all lost. Arkansas, denied the '64 national title it deserved, had its 22–game winning streak snapped in Dallas. LSU took a 14–7 lead in the second quarter then shut the Razorbacks out in the second half.

Michigan State, UPI's national champ, had opened the regular season with a 13–3 win over UCLA. The Spartans hoped to close the year on the same note, but couldn't overcome the Bruins' 14–0 halftime lead. The victory was UCLA's first Rose Bowl win ever.

So the Orange Bowl, in its second year at night, became the national championship game. Underdog Alabama built up a 24–7 lead by halftime then held off a Nebraska comeback to win 39–28.

Bama's Bear Bryant joined Minnesota's Bernie Bierman (1940–41), Army's Red Blaik (1944–45), Notre Dame's Frank Leahy (1946–47) and Oklahoma's Bud Wilkinson (1955–56) as the only coaches to win back-to-back national titles.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0746746.html

End of story. For 'Bama fans, it was a story book ending. ('Bama 9-1-1)

#8.) 1973. Love this one. 'Bama was undefeated at the end of the season and the UPI decided we were the best team in the country. It is a nice trophy too, kind of big. See, what many people don't understand is that at this time and during the preceding years, bowl games did not determine NC's, they weren't really important.

Wait, wait, how can that be, you may say. That is just the way it was. Bowl games were meant to be consolation prizes, not determinants of who was the NC. That was already decided after the regular season.

Once again it comes down to modern man attempting to place his mindset and values and ideas about how things should have been done to times past. Guess what? It doesn't work that way.

'Bama shared this one with Notre Dame, the team that beat them in a fantastic and 6 or 7 lead changing Sugar Bowl game. Don't believe Alabama won a NC this year? Come on down and take a look at the UPI trophy. That ain't no People's Championship, folks. ('Bama 11-1)

The rest of them aren't really worth going over because, well, you should all be more familiar with them.

@rpayne2107

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hubcitytider said...

Living and working in Alabama as i do, Princeton has zero effect on my life. now auburn on the other hand..I laugh at the mess that is on the plains. What do you think zeke pike is up to tonight? a little weed? or a lot of weed?

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hubcitytider said...

long history, all of roughly 6, 7 games, come on pastor. give us some truth. if you own bds, by that same logic, we own the series. willing to make a bet on this years game at bds? we'll 'keep it down home cuz' to quote a former auburn coach.

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AUBonner said...

I can piss further, longer and with a more consistent stream than bama fans.

@rpayne2107

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Bo Knows said...

Doesn't change a single thing about his post.

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1831 said...

14 > 2*

TURDS ALL UP IN THIS MUG. /// "2010 Auburn Tigers, my favorite team. Unbeaten in all ways." -- Dan Wetzel, April 4, 2013, 6:29 p.m.