Auburn's Tainted Title

[ACamp1900]

And Bama went undefeated in '66 while Notre Dame tied Mich State but was crowned champion. Again, you can't complain about '73 and not mention '66.

I think I just did... Pretty easy. ND finished number 1.

66 would be Bamas version of 93 for ND, which ND doesn't claim, but has frustrations over.

 

[Johannes]

And Bama went undefeated in '66 while Notre Dame tied Mich State but was crowned champion. Again, you can't complain about '73 and not mention '66.

MSU has a better claim to '66 than Bama.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Seriously?? Never knew that... Yet they still claim it... Smh

So, do you claim the '66 title or would you say it falls in the category of BS? Funny, people out here want to rant about Bama but fail to see that ND has a few questionable titles as well.

 

[ACamp1900]

So, do you claim the '66 title or would you say it falls in the category of BS? Funny, people out here want to rant about Bama but fail to see that ND has a few questionable titles as well.

66 is in no way questionable, at all.

ND has nothing even close to 1941 or 1930... Both are indefensible IMO.

 

[T Town Tommy]

MSU has a better claim to '66 than Bama.

Yeah... they tied Notre Dame and Bama went undefeated with what was considerd the best Bryant team ever. Do you really know why Bama was shunned in the final voting?

 

[ACamp1900]

Yeah... they tied Notre Dame and Bama went undefeated with what was considerd the best Bryant team ever. Do you really know why Bama was shunned in the final voting?

We are all well aware of why Bama claims they were shunned... And don't care. Bama loses all right to complain about the one season they don't claim while hanging banners for years like 41

 

[Irish#1]

So, do you claim the '66 title or would you say it falls in the category of BS? Funny, people out here want to rant about Bama but fail to see that ND has a few questionable titles as well.

Claimed because the polls said so.

 

[woolybug25]

So, do you claim the '66 title or would you say it falls in the category of BS? Funny, people out here want to rant about Bama but fail to see that ND has a few questionable titles as well.

I don't agree. The three major polls (AP, Coaches and UPI) all crowned Notre Dame the champion. Bama finished #3 in the polls behind ND and MSU and was only ranked #1 by the PRESEASON AP poll. They were later passed by both MSU and Notre Dame in the polls.

We honor consensus titles. This one was actually unanomous. I'm not understanding the connection to Bama's 1973 where only one ranking had them number one.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Claimed because the polls said so.

As was '73.

 

[T Town Tommy]

I don't agree. The three major polls (AP, Coaches and UPI) all crowned Notre Dame the champion. Bama finished #3 in the polls behind ND and MSU and was only ranked #1 by the PRESEASON AP poll. They were later passed by both MSU and Notre Dame in the polls.

We honor consensus titles. This one was actually unanomous. I'm not understanding the connection to Bama's 1973 where only one ranking had them number one.

Again... does anyone out here know the underlying reason that Bama was shunned in the final voting for the '66 title? It wasn't that those who voted in the final polls thought Bama wasn't the best team that year and should have won the title. It was for a very different reason why the national media voted them third. Put your thinkin' caps on.

 

[woolybug25]

As was '73.

Nope. One poll said so. Every other poll gave it to Notre Dame. It wasn't a consensus title for Bama, it was literally one poll which happened to vote before bowl season. Which they changed their voting for after that season. Their reasoning being that they gave their title vote to the wrong team.

 

[woolybug25]

Again... does anyone out here know the underlying reason that Bama was shunned in the final voting for the '66 title? It wasn't that those who voted in the final polls thought Bama wasn't the best team that year and should have won the title. It was for a very different reason why the national media voted them third. Put your thinkin' caps on.

That doesn't matter. Notre Dame was the consensus winner in '66. Regardless of how the voting was done. Again though... you compared it to the '73 title, which they have no similarities.

Kinda ironic to think SEC fans think the polls are rigged against them back then but not at all now.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Nope. One poll said so. Every other poll gave it to Notre Dame. It wasn't a consensus title for Bama, it was literally one poll which happened to vote before bowl season. Which they changed their voting for after that season. Their reasoning being that they gave their title vote to the wrong team.

The title in many polls was given for several years before the bowl games were played. And again, if you bring up '73 then you can't conveniently forget '66.

 

[Irish#1]

It's simple. If you were ranked number 1 by any recognized poll after the season then the school should claim a title. With that, ND has more.

 

[T Town Tommy]

That doesn't matter. Notre Dame was the consensus winner in '66. Regardless of how the voting was done. Again though... you compared it to the '73 title, which they have no similarities.

Kinda ironic to think SEC fans think the polls are rigged against them back then but not at all now.

And it's ironic that Irish fans would debate the '73 title but want to forget '66. Seems it is more talking out of both sides of the mouth.

 

[johnnycando]

None of this means shit if ND never wins another.

 

[johnnycando]

I'm a now kinda guy.

I want MOAR now!

Right meow.

 

[palinurus]

A couple points of clarification:

Bama lost to Texas on New Year's Day 1973, to end the 1972 season. They lost to ND New Year's Eve 1973 to end the 1973 season. They lost two bowl games in one calendar year, but they were different "seasons."

Second, the Bama "title" in 1973 was in the AP poll, I believe, which at the time awarded titles BEFORE and not counting bowl game activity. It's technically true, but shameless, to claim that as a Bama national title, considering ND actually beat them that season. (You understand, TT, nothing personal.) There is no ND analogy for this, ND never having won a national title in a season where they subsequently lost a bowl game.

 

[woolybug25]

The title in many polls was given for several years before the bowl games were played. And again, if you bring up '73 then you can't conveniently forget '66.

In '73, Notre Dame had the consensus voting in titles. Only one service voted for someone else.

In '66, Notre Dame had the consensus voting in titles. Only one service voted for someone else.

That is why we have both titles. Simple as that. There is no connection other than Bama claims one because they got one pre-bowl vote as #1. If they would have gotten one in '66, they would have done the same.

 

[ulukinatme]

I'm a little regretful that I bumped this thread now

 

[Johannes]

I'm a little regretful that I bumped this thread now

Nah, it's a beautiful illustration of stereotypes. ND elitism, southern backwardness, etc.

 

[T Town Tommy]

In 1966, the overwhelming majority of poll voters voted against Bama due to the segregation issue. Instead of voting for the best team that year - and it really wasn't much of a debate - they voted to crown ND the national champion and Mich State second due to that one reason. That's why ND won the '66 title.

Again, if the Irish nation brings up '73 - which I feel they were the champions that year - then you can't argue that the '66 title is legit based on why the voters voted the way they did.

Time to move on from this one.

 

[palinurus]

I remember seeing a guy, a year or two ago, wearing this Bama lettermen's style coat, with all the Bama titles list by year on the back. I couldn't decide if I should laugh in his face, rip off the "1973" numbers, or talk trash about "owning the Bear."

ps -- Unlike a lot around here, I don't really dislike Alabama. I hate Ohio State, So Cal and MIchigan a million times more.

 

[IrishLion]

In 1966, the overwhelming majority of poll voters voted against Bama due to the segregation issue. Instead of voting for the best team that year - and it really wasn't much of a debate - they voted to crown ND the national champion and Mich State second due to that one reason.

Checking schedules and rankings, Bama stayed pretty steady with a #3/4 ranking for basically the entire season. Did voters ban together before the season and say, "we aren't going to rank them higher than 3 no matter what"?

 

[palinurus]

Pollsters gave segregated Bama the title in '65 but didn't in '66 because they were segregated? Seems like a lot of "growth" in just one year. May be true, I don't know, but I don't think that was the whole picture.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Checking schedules and rankings, Bama stayed pretty steady with a #3/4 ranking for basically the entire season. Did voters ban together before the season and say, "we aren't going to rank them higher than 3 no matter what"?

Don't think so. ND and MSU started 1 and 2 I believe and finished unbeaten till they played each other. I am sure the voters would have loved for one of them to win their game outright but when that didn't happen, it lead to many in the national media to vote against Bama due to the civil rights movement and segregation. If, at the end of the day, that brought about the change for the good then I am perfectly fine with it.

 

[IrishLion]

Pollsters gave segregated Bama the title in '65 but didn't in '66 because they were segregated? Seems like a lot of "growth" in just one year. May be true, I don't know, but I don't think that was the whole picture.

Probably had more to do with the fact that ND and MSU were 1/2 most of the year and that they tied at the end of the season, and since ND was no.1 at the time, they just stayed there.

 

[palinurus]

Probably had more to do with the fact that ND and MSU were 1/2 most of the year and that they tied at the end of the season, and since ND was no.1 at the time, they just stayed there.

plus, don't forget, ND thumped Southern Cal, 51-0, the week after the Mich State tie. Michigan State didn't play again.

 

[connor_in]

If I recall correctly, the pollsters voted against Bama due to issues with star player at the time, Forrest Gump

 

[palinurus]

Btw, that was a 7-2 So Cal team that went to the Rose Bowl that year.