That was the week that was...

[SWC75]

As I was watching the Clemson game with Accrater I & 2, we remarked that none of us could ever remember when Mississippi State was ranked #1. I told them I’d look up how many weeks each college football team had been ranked #1 in the writer’s poll, (which began in 1936) or the coaches’ poll, (which began in 1950), for each week since they’d began and how many weeks they were ranked #1. I included the preseason polls and the final poll, which has been after the bowls since 1965 (writer’s) and 1975 (coaches). I’ll put the number of “national championships”, (as defined by finishing first in the final poll of a season)each school actually won in parenthesis.

These are the schools whose fans can remember at least one week when they could look at a poll and see their team at the top of it:

107 weeks- Oklahoma (7)
99- Notre Dame (8)
94- Ohio State (4)
93- Southern California (7)
81- Nebraska (5)
76- Alabama (9)
71- Miami (5)
70- Florida State (3)
47- Texas (3)
46- Florida (3)
36- Michigan (2)
33- Louisiana State (3)
32- Michigan State (2)
29- Army (2)
24- Pittsburgh (2)
23- Penn State (2)
19- Washington (1)
18- Minnesota (4) and Tennessee (2)
15- Georgia (1)
13- Iowa
11- UCLA (1)
10- Auburn (2)
9- Oregon
8- Syracuse (1)
7- Texas A&M (1)
6- California, Colorado (1), Maryland (1), Mississippi
5- Northwestern and Purdue
4- Brigham Young (1) and Cornell
3- Mississippi State and Virginia
2- Clemson (1), Missouri, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian (1)
1- Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Comments: The weekly polls that had Syracuse at #1 were 11/9/59, 11/16/59, 11/23/59, 11/30/59, 12/7/59, Pre-season 1960 (writers only), 9/25/60 (coaches only) 10/8/60. We won our national championship before Alabama, Southern California, Texas, Nebraska, Miami, Florida and Florida State won their first ones. I was surprised to see that programs such as Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Wisconsin have had only one week in which they were ranked #1 in the last 79 seasons. The list favors schools that have been powers in recent years when the season was longer and there were more polls.



FYI: I borrowed the title of a show from the 60’s that was my favorite for a while. It was the American version of a British show that kind of anticipated Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and the Daily Show on Comedy Central in that they combined humor and news stories. He’s the beginning of one of the rare recordings of the British show, (both versions were done live):

 

[CusefanATL]

As I was watching the Clemson game with Accrater I & 2, we remarked that none of us could ever remember when Mississippi State was ranked #1. I told them I’d look up how many weeks each college football team had been ranked #1 in the writer’s poll, (which began in 1936) or the coaches’ poll, (which began in 1950), for each week since they’d began and how many weeks they were ranked #1. I included the preseason polls and the final poll, which has been after the bowls since 1965 (writer’s) and 1975 (coaches). I’ll put the number of “national championships”, (as defined by finishing first in the final poll of a season)each school actually won in parenthesis.

These are the schools whose fans can remember at least one week when they could look at a poll and see their team at the top of it:

107 weeks- Oklahoma (7)
99- Notre Dame (8)
94- Ohio State (4)
93- Southern California (7)
81- Nebraska (5)
76- Alabama (9)
71- Miami (5)
70- Florida State (3)
47- Texas (3)
46- Florida (3)
36- Michigan (2)
33- Louisiana State (3)
32- Michigan State (2)
29- Army (2)
24- Pittsburgh (2)
23- Penn State (2)
19- Washington (1)
18- Minnesota (4) and Tennessee (2)
15- Georgia (1)
13- Iowa
11- UCLA (1)
10- Auburn (2)
9- Oregon
8- Syracuse (1)
7- Texas A&M (1)
6- California, Colorado (1), Maryland (1), Mississippi
5- Northwestern and Purdue
4- Brigham Young (1) and Cornell
3- Mississippi State and Virginia
2- Clemson (1), Missouri, Southern Methodist and Texas Christian (1)
1- Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Comments: The weekly polls that had Syracuse at #1 were 11/9/59, 11/16/59, 11/23/59, 11/30/59, 12/7/59, Pre-season 1960 (writers only), 9/25/60 (coaches only) 10/8/60. We won our national championship before Alabama, Southern California, Texas, Nebraska, Miami, Florida and Florida State won their first ones. I was surprised to see that programs such as Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Wisconsin have had only one week in which they were ranked #1 in the last 79 seasons. The list favors schools that have been powers in recent years when the season was longer and there were more polls.



FYI: I borrowed the title of a show from the 60’s that was my favorite for a while. It was the American version of a British show that kind of anticipated Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and the Daily Show on Comedy Central in that they combined humor and news stories. He’s the beginning of one of the rare recordings of the British show, (both versions were done live):

Through a 29 yrs old eyes:

Oklahoma more than expected
Texas and Florida less than expected
Michigan State WAY more than expected... They haven't been #1 in my lifetime to my recollection
Minnesota more than expected
Auburn for a team with 2 natl champ appearances in 3 yrs... less than expected
Ga tech for a team with a title in my lifetime... 1 time? jeeze.

I thought Texas Tech got there for a week a few years ago? Am I thinking Kansas St that just got it?

Surprise WVU only once

 

[SWC75]

Through a 29 yrs old eyes:

Oklahoma more than expected
Texas and Florida less than expected
Michigan State WAY more than expected... They haven't been #1 in my lifetime to my recollection
Minnesota more than expected
Auburn for a team with 2 natl champ appearances in 3 yrs... less than expected
Ga tech for a team with a title in my lifetime... 1 time? jeeze.

I thought Texas Tech got there for a week a few years ago? Am I thinking Kansas St that just got it?

Surprise WVU only once

Minnesota was #1 in 1936, 1940 and 1941. They were also considered the best team in 1934-35. Had there been a poll, they'd have had 5 national championships in 8 years. In the 1950's and 1960's, Michigan State was what Michigan has usually been. The Wolverines took the upper hand from the 70's through the 90's. But they've struggled in recent years and the Spartans have again moved ahead of them.

 

[Hoo's That]

Georgia Tech has won a couple of championships. While some of them may have been before polls, they had a split championship w/Colorado in 1990. Very sore subject. They were 11-0-1 that season and were #1 in the final coaches' poll. Wiki page.

 

[SWC75]

Georgia Tech has won a couple of championships. While some of them may have been before polls, they had a split championship w/Colorado in 1990. Very sore subject. They were 11-0-1 that season and were #1 in the final coaches' poll. Wiki page.

They were the consensus 1917 and 1928 national champions, (if you look at the various historical selectors on the net) . They also won all their games in 1952, finishing second nationally to Michigan State in both polls. They have had several national championship contenders. But the only writers or coaches polls ever to list them at #1 was the final coaches poll of the 1990 season. it surprised me, too.