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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 4274664, member: 289"] 1977 [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_NCAA_Division_I_football_rankings"]1977 NCAA Division I football rankings - Wikipedia[/URL] [URL="http://www.tiptop25.com/fixing1977.html"]Fixing the 1977 AP Poll[/URL] 1977 was to 1-loss teams what 1973 was to undefeated teams. 1973 had 6 power conference undefeated teams at the end of the regular season. 1977 had one such team, followed by seven 1-loss teams, all in power conferences or at that level. Texas was the undefeated team (11-0, outscoring their opponents 431-114) and ranked #1. Behind them were Oklahoma (10-1, 395-186), who had lost to Texas 6-13 in their 5th game, Alabama (10-1, 355-133), who had lost to 8-3 Nebraska, 24-31 in their second game, Michigan, (10-1, 333-97), who had lost to 7-4 Minnesota 0-16 in their 7th game, Notre Dame, (10-1, 382-129), who had lost to 5-6 Mississippi 13-20 in their second game, Arkansas (10-1, 358-95), who had lost to Texas 9-13 in their 5th game, Kentucky (10-1, 252-111), who had lost to 5-6 Baylor, 6-21 in their second game and Penn State (10-1, 348-157), who had lost to Kentucky, 20-24 in their fourth game. How do you make a four-team playoff out of that? You might eliminate Kentucky because they were on probation but I haven’t been doing that for reasons I’ve already explained. In the bowl games, Penn State beat 9-2 Arizona State 42-30 in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma was heavily favored to beat poor Arkansas in the Orange Bowl. “Lou Holtz suspended three players prior to the game for team violations. Two of those players, running back Ben Cowins and wide receiver Donny Bobo, had accounted for 78% of the Hogs' points…Arkansas was an 18-point underdog prior to the suspensions. After the suspensions, they were given as 24-point underdogs by Las Vegas oddsmakers.” (Wikipedia) The final score was 31-6 but those who bet on Oklahoma to beat the spread lost their money. The Razorbacks won by that score, Holtz’s remaining troops rallying around his stand while the Sooners played as if they expected an easy game. The Sugar Bowl was a meeting of irascible coaching legends, Alabama’s Bear Bryant and Ohio State’s Woody Hayes. Haye’s team just missed the 10-1 party, losing an early game to Oklahoma 28-29 and then to Michigan 6-14 for the Big ten title. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Tide this day, losing 6-35. There was also a roar of mighty guns from the Cotton Bowl where, for a third time in a decade, Notre Dame took on an undefeated, #1 ranked Texas team. The Longhorns barely rallied to win in the 1970 game, 20-17, got beat 11-24 the next year and were shockingly crushed this season, 10-38. They had a great running back in Earl Campbell, who rushed for a tough 116 yards on 29 carries but didn’t score. But the Irish had a superstar of their own in quarterback Joe Montana but he threw only one TD pass. The star of the game was ND running back Vegas Ferguson, who scored 3 times. But the real key was the Irish defense, which took the ball away 6 times, setting up touchdowns 5 of those times. Meanwhile Washington, led by still another future pro star, Warren Moon, upset Michigan 27-20 in the Rose Bowl. Fiesta Bowl: [MEDIA=youtube]rYGEN1feJiQ[/MEDIA] Cotton Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5H2s9WbXuo"]1978 Cotton Bowl Notre Dame vs Texas No Huddle[/URL] Rose Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut2snlzJl10"]1978 Rose Bowl #13 Washington vs #4 Michigan No Huddle[/URL] Orange Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wi4UVGMRc8"]1978 Orange Bowl #2 Oklahoma vs #6 Arkansas No Huddle[/URL] Sugar Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ZNaKB4w50"]1978 Sugar Bowl, #8 Ohio State vs #3 Alabama (Highlights)[/URL] That leaves us with the following 11-1 teams: Texas (441-152) still qualifies. So does their conqueror, Notre Dame, (420-139), Arkansas, (389-101), Alabama (380-139) and Penn State (390-187) and 10-1, 252-111 Kentucky, the only team to beat Penn State. Under LiMu’s system, that’s a 6-team playoff. The first round, based on the post-bowl rankings, would be Notre Dame vs. Kentucky, Alabama vs. Penn State and Arkansas vs. Texas, in a re-match of a 9-13 game. (I’ll assume Lou let the 3 suspended players come back to the fold, having learned their lesson.) In the second round the highest ranked team would get a bye, then play the winner of a game between the remaining teams. Notre Dame vs. Kentucky Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 19-9 who lost to Penn State 13-15 who lost to Kentucky 20-24 = +4 for Notre Dame Notre Dame beat Michigan State 16-6 who tied Indiana 13-13 who beat Louisiana State 24-21 who lost to Kentucky 13-33 = +7 for Kentucky Notre Dame beat Southern California 49-19 who beat Oregon 33-15 who lost to Georgia 16-27 who lost to Kentucky 0-33 = +4 for Notre Dame Notre Dame beat Clemson 21-17 who tied North Carolina 13-13 who lost to Kentucky 7-10 = +1 for Notre Dame Notre Dame beat Texas 38-10 who beat Rice 72-15 who lost to Florida 3-48 who lost to Kentucky 7-14 = +33 for Notre Dame Result: +35/5 = Notre Dame wins by 7 points. Alabama vs. Penn State Alabama beat U of Miami 36-0 who lost to Penn State 7-49 = +6 for Penn State Alabama lost to Nebraska 24-31 who beat North Carolina 21-17 who beat Maryland 16-7 who lost to Penn State 9-27 = +12 for Penn State Alabama beat Southern California 21-20 who beat Oregon State 17-10 who lost to Arizona State 31-33 who lost to Penn State 30-42 = +6 for Penn State Alabama beat Louisiana State 24-3 who lost to Kentucky 13-33 who beat Penn State 24-20 = +5 for Alabama Alabama beat Ohio State 35-6 who beat Miami 10-0 who lost to Notre Dame 10-48 who beat Pittsburgh 19-9 who lost to Penn State 13-15 = +9 for Alabama Result: +14/5 = Penn State by 3 points. Arkansas vs. Texas Arkansas lost to Texas 9-13 = +4 for Texas Arkansas beat Texas Christian 42-6 who lost to Texas 14-44 = +6 for Arkansas Arkansas beat Houston 34-0 who lost to Texas 21-35 = +20 for Arkansas Arkansas beat Rice 30-7 who lost to Texas 15-72 = +34 for Texas Arkansas beat Baylor 35-9 who lost to Texas 7-29 = +4 for Arkansas Arkansas beat Texas A&M 26-20 who lost to Texas 28-57 = +23 for Texas Arkansas beat Southern Methodist 47-7 who lost to Texas 14-30 = +24 for Arkansas Arkansas beat Texas Tech 17-14 who lost to Texas 0-26 = +23 for Texas Arkansas beat Oklahoma 31-6 who lost to Texas 6-13 = +18 for Arkansas Result: +12/5 = Texas wins by 2 points Texas vs. Penn State Texas lost to Notre Dame 10-38, who beat Pittsburgh 19-9 who lost to Penn State 13-15 = +20 for Penn State Texas beat Arkansas 13-9 who beat Oklahoma State 28-6 who lost to Iowa State 13-21 who lost to North Carolina State 14-24 who lost to Penn State 14-21 = +1 for Texas Texas beat Oklahoma 13-6 who beat Missouri 21-17 who beat Arizona State 15-0 who lost to Penn State 30-42 = +14 for Texas Texas beat Texas A&M 57-28 who lost to Michigan 3-41 who lost to Minnesota 0-16 who lost to Maryland 7-17 who lost to Penn State 9-27 = +53 for Penn State Texas beat Texas Tech 26-0 who beat Baylor 17-7 who beat Kentucky 21-6 who beat Penn State 24-20 = +55 for Texas Result: +3/5 = Penn State wins by 1 point. Notre Dame vs. Penn State Notre Dame beat Pittsburgh 19-9 who lost to Penn State 13-15 = +8 for Notre Dame Notre Dame beat U of Miami 48-10 who lost to Penn State 7-49 = +4 for Penn State Notre Dame beat Texas 38-10 who beat Baylor 29-7 who beat Kentucky 21-6 who beat Penn State 24-20 = +69 for Notre Dame Notre Dame beat Clemson 21-17 who lost to Maryland 14-21, who lost to Penn State 9-27 = +21 for Penn State Notre Dame beat Southern California 49-19 who beat Missouri 27-10 who beat Arizona State 15-0 who lost to Penn State 30-42 = +50 for Notre Dame Result: +102/5 = Notre Dame wins the national championship by 20 points. The other four games were decided by a total of 13 points. [/QUOTE]

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