National Directional Champions

[SWC75]

(Before we leave our 'directional' opponents behind, I offer to you one of my sillier projects.)

We were all excited to begin the season with three “directional” teams- a chance to start 3-0! We’ve found out that not all directional teams are alike. They all started out as small colleges but many of them have established themselves as solid mid-majors in FBS. I decided to look back and see which of them was the highest ranked “directional” team each year, (as far back as they have been major college teams) and declare that team to be the “directional national champion.

Some ground rules: the school has to be known as a subsection of a state. North and South Carolina or North and South Dakota need not apply. They can be “North, (or Northern), South, (or Southern), East, (or Eastern), West, (or Western), Middle, Central or a combination of those terms like “Southwest (or Southwestern), etc. with the name of a state as the second part of the name. They have to be state schools, (sorry Northeastern and Northwestern). They have to have been considered major colleges or be in Division D1A/FBS

Here is a list of schools and when they were considered major college from James Howell’s site:
Historical Scores - Alphabetically by Team

I’ve decided to include these schools in this project:

Central Florida (1996-present)
Central Michigan (1975-present)
Coastal Carolina (2017-present) (they are basically “East South Carolina”)
East Carolina (1965-present) (They are basically East North Carolina)
East Tennessee State (1979-1981)
Eastern Michigan (1975-present)
Louisiana-Lafayette (1973-present) (for the period they were Southwestern Louisiana 1973-98)
Louisiana-Monroe (1975-1981, 1994-present) (“ “ they were Northeastern Louisiana 1975-98)
Middle Tennessee State (1999-present)
North Texas (1953-1982, 1995-present)
Northern Arizona (1931-1942, 1946-1952)
Northern Colorado (1923-1937)
Northern Illinois (1968-present)
Northwestern State (1976-1979)
South Alabama (2012-present)
South Florida (2000-present)
Southern Illinois (1972-1985)
Southern Mississippi (1963-present)
West Texas A&M (1941-1942, 1944-1985)
Western Carolina (1977-1981) (They are basically “Western North Carolina”)
Western Kentucky (2007-present)
Western Michigan (1962-present)

I’ll use the AP Poll first and if that contains no “directional” schools, I’ll resort to Howell’s own rankings:
NCAA Division IA Football Power Ratings
…to determine the #1 team. I don’t know how far back I want to go so I’ll do this backwards, starting with 2016.

2016 Western Michigan 13-1 AP #15
2015 Western Kentucky 12-2 AP #24
2014 Northern Illinois 11-3 Howell #44
2013 Central Florida 12-1 AP #10
2012 Northern Illinois 12-2 AP #22
2011 Southern Mississippi 12-2 AP #20
2010 Central Florida 11-3 AP #21
2009 Central Michigan 12-2 AP #23
2008 East Carolina 9-5 Howell #42
2007 South Florida 9-4 Howell #19
2006 South Florida 9-4 Howell #33
2005 South Florida 6-6 Howell #43
2004 Northern Illinois 9-3 Howell #40
2003 Southern Mississippi 9-4 Howell #33
2002 South Florida 9-2 Howell #34
2001 East Carolina 6-6 Howell #54
2000 Southern Mississippi 8-4 Howell #24
1999 Southern Mississippi 9-3 AP #14
1998 Central Florida 9-2 Howell #38
1997 Southern Mississippi 9-3 AP #19
1996 Southern Mississippi 8-3 Howell #22
1995 East Carolina 9-3 Howell #25
1994 East Carolina 7-5 Howell #39
1993 Southwestern Louisiana 7-3-1 Howell #47
1992 Southern Mississippi 7-4 Howell #31
1991 East Carolina 11-1 AP #9
1990 Southern Mississippi 8-4 Howell #28
1989 Central Michigan 8-3-1 Howell #49
1988 Northern Illinois 9-2 Howell #42
1987 Eastern Michigan 10-2 Howell #31
1986 Southern Mississippi 6-5 Howell #61
1985 Southern Mississippi 7-4 Howell #42
1984 Central Michigan 8-2-1 Howell #47
1983 East Carolina 8-3 AP #25
1982 Southern Mississippi 7-4 Howell #38
1981 Southern Mississippi 9-2-1 Howell #14
1980 Southern Mississippi 9-3 Howell #24
1979 Central Michigan 10-0-1 Howell #13
1978 East Carolina 9-3 Howell #24
1977 North Texas State 9-2 Howell #16
1976 East Carolina 9-2 Howell #16
1975 Southern Mississippi 7-4 Howell #29
1974 East Carolina 7-4 Howell #59
1973 East Carolina 9-2 Howell #20
1972 East Carolina 9-2 Howell #37
1971 Western Michigan 7-3 Howell #36
1970 Western Michigan 7-3 Howell #46
1969 West Texas State 6-4 Howell #44
1968 West Texas State 8-2 Howell #42
1967 North Texas State 7-1-1 Howell #28
1966 North Texas State 8-2 Howell #28
1965 East Carolina 9-1 Howell #20
1964 Southern Mississippi 6-3 Howell #66
1963 Southern Mississippi 5-3-1 Howell #58
1962 West Texas State 9-2 Howell #24
1961 West Texas State 6-4 Howell #59
1960 West Texas State 3-7 Howell #88
1959 North Texas State 9-2 Howell #19
1958 North Texas State 7-2-1 Howell #23
1957 West Texas State 7-3 Howell #56
1956 West Texas State 8-2 Howell #29
1955 West Texas State 4-4 Howell #58
1954 North Texas State 4-6 Howell #75
1953 West Texas State 1-8-1 Howell #101
1952 West Texas State 3-6 Howell #105
1951 West Texas State 2-7 Howell #114
1950 West Texas State 10-1 Howell #30
1949 West Texas State 5-4 Howell #79
1948 West Texas State 6-5 Howell #77
1947 West Texas State 7-4 Howell #56
1946 West Texas State 5-5 Howell #77
I decided to cut it off at this point. Basically, until the 1960’s it was all West and North Texas State. The others were small colleges if they exited yet at all. West Texas State is presently West Texas A&M and they now play as a Division II team.

(Idle hands are the devil's tool...)

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Has there been a year in which two directional schools cracked the top 25?

Also, I was not aware of Howell before this post ...

 

[SWC75]

Has there been a year in which two directional schools cracked the top 25?

Also, I was not aware of Howell before this post ...

There are a lot of them: The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: American College Football - Rankings

I didn't have to go farther back than last year to find two directionals in the Top 25:
2016 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 16 - ESPN

 

[Hoo's That]

UTEP officially was the "Texas Western College of the University of Texas" from 1949-66 (which includes when their won the bball championship). Does that affect the rankings?

 

[SWC75]

UTEP officially was the "Texas Western College of the University of Texas" from 1949-66 (which includes when their won the bball championship). Does that affect the rankings?

You've got a point there. The sources I looked at tend to use the current name of the schools. "Texas Western" had the state first and the direction second but that doesn't matter. Southern Mississippi used to be Mississippi Southern. And adding the Miners in "improves the brand":

1966 North Texas State 8-2 Howell #28
1965 East Carolina 9-1 Howell #20
1964 Southern Mississippi 6-3 Howell #66
1963 Southern Mississippi 5-3-1 Howell #58
1962 West Texas State 9-2 Howell #24
1961 West Texas State 6-4 Howell #59
1960 Texas Western 4-5-1 Howell #72
1959 North Texas State 9-2 Howell #19
1958 North Texas State 7-2-1 Howell #23
1957 West Texas State 7-3 Howell #56
1956 Texas Western 8-2 Howell #12
1955 Texas Western 6-2-2 Howell #25
1954 Texas Western 8-3 Howell #46
1953 Texas Western 8-2 Howell #38
1952 Texas Western 5-5-1 Howell #76
1951 Texas Western 3-7 Howell #109
1950 West Texas State 10-1 Howell #30
1949 Texas Western 8-2-1 Howell #37