Which one-loss NON-national champion college football team was the best team ever?

Katzenboyer

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,925
Reaction score
3,186
saturdaysarebetter said:
That '01 team had a great roster but they didn't play to that level on the field every week. As pointed out earlier, they COULD NOT score an offensive touchdown against UNRANKED Boston College, and BC was without the nation's leading running back that week. The "greatest" cfb team ever NOT being able to score an offensive touchdown against an UNRANKED team....it's egregious, ludicrous and preposterous to even think so.

You think LSU 2019, Nebraska 1995, Alabama 2020 wouldn't be able to score an offensive touchdown on UNRANKED BC? They would have scored 70 points.

If you're so inclined, try not to fall asleep watching the "greatest" cfb team ever.



Then, they needed five turnovers to survive #14 Virginia Tech to win by only two points. Based on solely what they did on the field in 2001, and that is all that matters, Billingsley has them ranked at #29 all-time.

CFRC.COM

The College Football Research Center has been part of the online sports community since the early days of the internet. Today, powered by Ryan McVay Technologies, the new CFRC is bigger, better, and more user-friendly than ever! Find your favorite team and browse the hours away in the All-Time...
cfrc.com cfrc.com

And not being able to score on an UNRANKED team isn't even the first flaw in believing they're the greatest cfb team ever:

johnbaranowski.wordpress.com

The Flaw in Claiming the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are the Greatest College Football Team Ever

When the discussion comes up about which is the greatest college football team of all-time, some college football fans will say it was the 2001 Miami Hurricanes team. If you ask them why, invariabl…
johnbaranowski.wordpress.com johnbaranowski.wordpress.com
Click to expand...


2019 LSU is a terrific team. They're not beating the '01 Canes.

You also have to consider it in context. The 00-02 Canes went 35-2, with their two losses coming by a combined 10 points. 2018-2020 LSU? 30-8 (getting the benefit of 15-0 playoff run to bump that number up a bit).

2019 LSU was a historically great offense, but their defense was nothing special (ranked 33rd in team defense). Miami's defense was 1, and their offense was 3rd, in 2001. There's just simply no comparison.

If we're talking about teams that could challenge for the "greatest ever" belt, I think the '95 Cornhuskers have an argument. But pound-for-pound talent on both sides of the ball? It's gotta be the '01 Canes.
 
S

saturdaysarebetter

Member
Messages
52
Reaction score
27
Katzenboyer said:
2019 LSU is a terrific team. They're not beating the '01 Canes.

You also have to consider it in context. The 00-02 Canes went 35-2, with their two losses coming by a combined 10 points. 2018-2020 LSU? 30-8 (getting the benefit of 15-0 playoff run to bump that number up a bit).

2019 LSU was a historically great offense, but their defense was nothing special (ranked 33rd in team defense). Miami's defense was 1, and their offense was 3rd, in 2001. There's just simply no comparison.

If we're talking about teams that could challenge for the "greatest ever" belt, I think the '95 Cornhuskers have an argument. But pound-for-pound talent on both sides of the ball? It's gotta be the '01 Canes.
Click to expand...
If you're truly thinking about context, what Miami did in 2000 and 2002 should not matter one iota. Nothing they did in 2000 or 2002 changes what ACTUALLY took place on the field in 2001. Doesn't change the yards gained, doesn't change the scoreboard. 2001 Miami COULD NOT SCORE AN OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN AGAINST AN UNRANKED team.
 
NorthDakota

NorthDakota

Grandson of Loomis
Messages
15,706
Reaction score
6,013
Katzenboyer said:
2019 LSU is a terrific team. They're not beating the '01 Canes.

You also have to consider it in context. The 00-02 Canes went 35-2, with their two losses coming by a combined 10 points. 2018-2020 LSU? 30-8 (getting the benefit of 15-0 playoff run to bump that number up a bit).

2019 LSU was a historically great offense, but their defense was nothing special (ranked 33rd in team defense). Miami's defense was 1, and their offense was 3rd, in 2001. There's just simply no comparison.

If we're talking about teams that could challenge for the "greatest ever" belt, I think the '95 Cornhuskers have an argument. But pound-for-pound talent on both sides of the ball? It's gotta be the '01 Canes.
Click to expand...
Idk what context 2000 or 2002 provide for 2001 Miami. Same regarding LSU.

I have no idea if they would beat Miami, but you need to score points to win. That LSU team scored at will on everyone.
 
S

saturdaysarebetter

Member
Messages
52
Reaction score
27
NorthDakota said:
Idk what context 2000 or 2002 provide for 2001 Miami. Same regarding LSU.

I have no idea if they would beat Miami, but you need to score points to win. That LSU team scored at will on everyone.
Click to expand...
They are ranked #1:

CFRC.COM

The College Football Research Center has been part of the online sports community since the early days of the internet. Today, powered by Ryan McVay Technologies, the new CFRC is bigger, better, and more user-friendly than ever! Find your favorite team and browse the hours away in the All-Time...
cfrc.com cfrc.com
 
Katzenboyer

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,925
Reaction score
3,186
saturdaysarebetter said:
If you're truly thinking about context, what Miami did in 2000 and 2002 should not matter one iota. Nothing they did in 2000 or 2002 changes what ACTUALLY took place on the field in 2001. Doesn't change the yards gained, doesn't change the scoreboard. 2001 Miami COULD NOT SCORE AN OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN AGAINST AN UNRANKED team.
Click to expand...

1. It matters for determining the overall collection of talent and thus, overall TEAM (not offensive) dominance. Those Canes teams were more talented and had a better record of success over a three-year period than the 2019 LSU team, based on the results of the year prior and the year after; the 2001 team was the high point for that collection.

2. Your point about BC isn't a bad one, but BC did finish the year 8-4 and ranked in both the AP (#23) and Coaches (#21) polls. And if we're going to focus on bad games...

3. ...does your logic apply to the 2019 LSU team giving up 31 points to 3-9 Vandy? 37 points and 400 yards rushing to 4-8 Ole Miss? 38 points and 500 yards of offense to 8-5 Texas?

Because in my view, defense matters, too.

3. 2019 LSU's average margin of victory was 26.5. Really good. 2001 Miami was 32.9. Better.

4. 2001 Miami had 17 players selected in the first round, and 38 overall players drafted. LSU had 10 first rounders, and 32 players overall. It's close, but Miami gets the edge because the LSU defense was not all that great.
 
Last edited:
S

saturdaysarebetter

Member
Messages
52
Reaction score
27
Katzenboyer said:
1. It matters for determining the overall collection of talent and thus, overall TEAM (not offensive) dominance. Those Canes teams were more talented and had a better record of success over a three-year period than the 2019 LSU team, based on the results of the year prior and the year after; the 2001 team was the high point for that collection.

2. Your point about BC isn't a bad one, but BC did finish the year 8-4 and ranked in both the AP (#21) and Coaches (#21) polls. And if we're going to focus on bad games...

3. ...does your logic apply to the 2019 LSU team giving up 31 points to 3-9 Vandy? 37 points and 400 yards rushing to 4-8 Ole Miss? 38 points and 500 yards of offense to 8-5 Texas?

Because in my view, defense matters, too.

3. 2019 LSU's average margin of victory was 26.5. Really good. 2001 Miami was 32.9. Better.

4. 2001 Miami had 17 players selected in the first round, and 38 overall players drafted. LSU had 10 first rounders, and 32 players overall. It's close, but Miami gets the edge because the LSU defense was not all that great.
Click to expand...
Draft picks do not matter at all. How does a draft pick change what actually happened on the field? Let's start there.
 
Katzenboyer

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,925
Reaction score
3,186
saturdaysarebetter said:
Draft picks do not matter at all. How does a draft pick change what actually happened on the field? Let's start there.
Click to expand...

Because the question is “which one loss non-national championship team is the best ever.” The collection of talent includes where and when players were subsequently drafted.

As to your “what happened on the field,” why are you avoiding the issue of some pretty abysmal performances by the 2019 LSU defense? Let’s start there.
 
S

saturdaysarebetter

Member
Messages
52
Reaction score
27
Katzenboyer said:
Because the question is “which one loss non-national championship team is the best ever.” The collection of talent includes where and when players were subsequently drafted.

As to your “what happened on the field,” why are you avoiding the issue of some pretty abysmal performances by the 2019 LSU defense? Let’s start there.
Click to expand...
Since you won't answer my question our discourse has concluded.
 
Katzenboyer

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,925
Reaction score
3,186
fightingirish595 said:
2008 USC is up there for me. They were probablythe best overall team that year
Click to expand...

Man, that's a good one. You kind of lose sight of the dominance of those non-champion USC teams. That '08 squad BOAT RACED Ohio State to start the season, Penn State in the Rose Bowl, and had a bunch of really good wins in between.

Even their loss to Oregon State (finished 9-4) was a "good" loss.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top