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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 4305013, member: 289"] 1983 [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.tiptop25.com/fixing1983.html[/URL] [URL unfurl="true"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_rankings[/URL] Vautravers’ article is a fun read. There were so many arguments for or against various teams that he winds up arguing with himself. The assumption that U of Miami’s Orange Bowl win over Nebraska was “an incredible achievement” is false…but it could be true. Auburn should be #1 because of their difficult schedule…but “one team is not automatically better than another just because they played a tougher schedule”. East Carolina did not belong in the top 20 because of their weak schedule and Miami should not be #1 because they only beat East Carolina 12-7. (Maybe East Carolina should have been ranked because they only lost to Miami 7-12?)… UCLA must be better than Illinois because they beat them 45-9 in the Rose Bowl. They were only 7-4-1 but three losses were to top ten teams…. But 10-2 Illinois won the Big ten and the Big Ten had a much better non-conference record than the Pac 10 so they must have been the better conference. The Rose Bowl was a fluke…. Orange Bowl: [MEDIA=youtube]tTi5SupsuwI[/MEDIA] Cotton Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C4WXvbkYVA"]1984 Cotton Bowl #2 Texas vs #7 Georgia No Huddle[/URL] Sugar Bowl: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91xaCCcjTlE"]1983 84 Sugar Bowl: #3 Auburn vs #8 Michigan[/URL] The one issue he doesn’t take on directly is whether Nebraska’s loss should eliminate them as potential national champions. The Cornhuskers had good teams every year during the Bob Devaney-Tom Osborne Era but they had five great teams. Four of them were national champions, (1971, 1994, 1995 and 1197) and then there was their 1983 team, who lost one game by one point to 11-1 Miami in that Orange Bowl. As Vautravers points out, they would have won the 1983 title if Tom Osborne had simply chosen to kick that extra point. I remember thinking that would be voted #1 anyway as their were clearly the best team: they’d just been upset. Nobody went undefeated. Texas has also gone into New Year’s Day with a perfect record, (including a 20-7 win at Auburn for their only loss), and also lost by a point, 9-10 to Georgia. Georgia (10-1-1) had been one of those top ten teams who beat UCLA, (19-8), had tied 9-1-1 Clemson, (on probation but I’ve been ignoring that in this fantasy as I prefer other means of punishment) and lost to Auburn 7-13. Clemson’s other loss had been to Doug Flutie and Boston College, 16-31. Brigham Young had lost their opener to Baylor 36-40 and then run the table to 11-1, including a 37-35 win over UCLA. That leaves the following contenders: Nebraska 12-1-0 (654-217) #1 in 14 weekly polls until they lost 30-31 to Miami in the Orange Bowl and fell to #2. Texas 11-1-0 (289-114) #2 from the time they won at Auburn 20-7 in Week 3 until they lost to Georgia 9-10 in the Cotton Bowl U of Miami 11-1-0 (313-136) Lost to Florida 3-28 in their opener. Made the rankings at #12 in week 5. Rose to #5 by week 14, then upset Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and rose to #1. Auburn 11-1-0 (311-186) Lost their second game to Texas 7-20. Played the toughest schedule in the country. Beat Georgia 13-7 and 9-3 Michigan 9-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Started out ranked 5th, fell to #11 when they lost to Texas but worked their way back up to #3 by week 14 and stayed there after beating Michigan. Brigham Young 11-1-0 (505-247) Lost to 7-4-1 Baylor 36-40 in their opener. Started unranked but made it to #20 in Week 5. Got to #9 by week 14, beat 7-5 Missouri 21-17 and wound up #7 Georgia 10-1-1 (274-158) Tied Clemson 16-16 and lost to Auburn 7-13 but beat 11-1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl 10-9. Started out #15 and rose to #10 but then tied Clemson 16-16, fell to #14, rose to #4 by week 10, lost 7-13 to Auburn and fell to #7and stayed there until they beat Texas, rising to #4. Clemson 9-1-1 (338-200) Lost their second game to Boston College 16-31 and then tied Georgia 16-16. They were never ranked until week #10 and rose to #11, (in the writer’s poll: the coaches did not rate them due to their probation). The top four teams all belong in a post-bowl playoff. But how can you leave Georgia out after they beat Texas? And if you put them, doesn’t Clemson have to be in? And BYU was rated higher than Clemson. I doubt anyone would have voted for it but, it being my fantasy, I’ll do a 6 team first round leading to a four team second record: #2 Nebraska vs. #11 Clemson, #3 Auburn vs. #7 Brigham Young, #4 Georgia vs. #5 Texas, with #1 Miami waiting in the wings. Vautravers has Clemson #7 and BYU #8. That would have Nebraska vs. BYU and Auburn vs. Clemson. I like those matches better due to geography and Nebraska’s rushing attack vs. BYU’s passing attack. Nebraska vs. Brigham Young Nebraska beat Wyoming 56-20 who lost to BYU 10-41 = +5 for Nebraska Nebraska beat UCLA 42-10 who lost to BYU 35-37 = +30 for Nebraska Nebraska beat Oklahoma State 14-10 who beat Baylor 24-14 who beat BYU 40-36 = +18 for Nebraska Nebraska beat Oklahoma 28-24 who beat Hawaii 21-17 who lost to Air Force 10-45 who lost to BYU 28-46 = +45 for BYU Nebraska lost to U of Miami 30-31 who beat Purdue 35-0 who lost to Wisconsin 38-42 who beat Northern Illinois 37-9 who beat Bowling Green 24-23 who lost to BYU 28-63 = +24 for Nebraska Result: +32/5 = Nebraska wins by 6. Auburn vs. Clemson Auburn beat Georgia Tech 31-13 who lost to Clemson 14-41 = +9 for Clemson Auburn beat Maryland 35-23 who lost to Clemson 27-52 = +13 for Clemson Auburn beat Georgia 13-7 who lost to Clemson 16-16 = +6 for Clemson Auburn lost to Texas 7-20 who lost to Georgia 9-10 who beat Vanderbilt 20-13 who lost to North Carolina 34-10 who lost to Clemson 3-16 = +3 for Clemson Auburn beat Michigan 9-7 who beat Michigan State 42-0 who lost to Notre Dame 23-28 who beat Boston College 19-18 who beat Clemson 31-16 = +55 for Auburn Result: +24/5 for Auburn who wins on a fourth quarter rally by 5. Georgia vs. Texas Georgia beat Texas 10-9 = +1 for Georgia Georgia lost to Auburn 7-13 who lost to Texas 7-20 = +19 for Texas Georgia beat UCLA 19-8 who lost to Nebraska 10-42 who beat Oklahoma 28-21 who lost to Texas 16-28 = +26 for Texas Georgia tied Clemson 16-16 who beat South Carolina 22-13 who lost to Louisiana State 6-20 who beat Tulane 20-7 who lost to Baylor 18-24 who lost to Texas 21-24 = +1 for Georgia Georgia beat Florida 10-9 who beat Vanderbilt 29-10 who lost to Alabama 24-44 who beat Southern Methodist 28-7 who lost to Texas 12-15 = +18 for Texas Result: 61/5 = for Texas who was actually much the better team and wins by 12. The second round match-ups: #1 Miami vs. #5 Texas and #2 Nebraska vs. #3 Auburn Miami vs. Texas Miami beat Houston 29-7 who lost to Texas 3-9 = +16 for Miami Miami lost to Florida 3-28 who lost to Auburn 21-28 who lost to Texas 7-20 = +45 for Texas Miami beat West Virginia 20-3 who beat Kentucky 20-16 who lost to Georgia 21-47 who beat Texas 10-9 = +4 for Texas Miami beat East Carolina 12-7 who beat Southern Mississippi 10-6 who beat Louisville 27-3 who lost to Southern Methodist 6-24 who lost to Texas 12-15 = +12 for Miami Miami beat Nebraska 31-30 who beat Oklahoma 28-21 who lost to Texas 16-28 = +4 for Texas Result: +25/5 for Texas who wins by 5. Nebraska vs. Auburn Nebraska beat Penn State 44-6 who beat Alabama 34-28 who lost to Tennessee 34-41 who lost to Auburn 14-37 = +14 for Nebraska Nebraska beat UCLA 42-10 who beat Illinois 45-9 who beat Michigan 16-6 who lost to Auburn 7-9 = +76 for Nebraska Nebraska beat Oklahoma State 14-10 who beat Baylor 24-14 who lost to Texas 21-24 who lost to Georgia 9-10 who lost to Auburn 7-13 = +4 for Nebraska Nebraska beat Oklahoma 28-21 who lost to Texas 16-28 who beat Auburn 20-7 = +8 for Nebraska Nebraska lost to Miami 30-31 who lost to Florida 3-28 who lost to Auburn 21-28 = +33 for Auburn Result: +69/5 for Nebraska, who wins by 14. (Imagine how Auburn’s schedule would have been rated had it included the Cornhuskers!) That sets up the championship between two teams that had been #1 and #2 virtually the whole season. Nebraska vs. Texas Nebraska beat Oklahoma 28-21 who lost to Texas 16-28 = +5 for Texas Nebraska beat Oklahoma State 14-10 who beat Baylor 24-14 who lost to Texas 21-24 = +11 for Nebraska Nebraska lost to Miami 30-31 who beat Houston 29-7 who lost to Arkansas 3-24 who lost to Texas 3-31 = +28 for Texas Nebraska beat Penn State 44-6 who beat Alabama 34-28 who lost 20-23 to Auburn who lost 7-20 to Texas = +28 for Nebraska Nebraska beat UCLA 42-10 who lost to Georgia 8-19 who beat Texas 10-9 = +22 for Nebraska Result: 28/5 = Nebraska wins the national championship by 6 points and their 1983 team takes its rightful place along since their 1970-71 and 1994-95 and 1997 teams. [/QUOTE]

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