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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 74197, member: 289"] This is another in my series of "fan fiction" posts on what a Divsion 1 championship tournament might have looked like if we'd had one from the time the other NCAA football divsions started theirs. For the full background, look at this post: [URL]http://syracusefan.com/threads/what-might-have-been-1973.3805/[/URL] The Situation: ACC- North Carolina went 9-2 (286-210) but only 4-2 in the conference while Maryland went 6-0. Overall they were 8-3 (313-97) and beat the Tar Heels 24-12. SEC- Alabama had another dominant year at 11-0 (318-83) Big 10- Ohio State and Michigan were both 10-1 and 7-1 in the conference. The Buckeyes outscored their opposition 420-111 and beat the Wolverines, (324-75) 12-10. Big 8- Oklahoma had the best team in the country at 11-0 (473-92) and were #1 in the AP poll but were still on probation. SWC- Baylor (232-182), Texas (364-170), Texas A&M (222-131) and newcomer Houston (249-154) were all 8-3 but Houston wasn’t yet eligible for the tile and Baylor went 6-1 compared to 5-2 for the two others so they were the conference champs in a “flat” year. Pac 8- USC was 9-1-1 (345-1525) and 6-0-1 in the conference. Other Top Teams: Penn State was the top team in the East at 9-2 (281-122). Auburn was 9-2 (260-126). So was Notre Dame (305-136). Miami (Ohio) was unbeaten again at 9-0-1 (282-76). Arizona was another 9-2 team (263-174) but still in the WAC. Overall, it was kind of a “flat” year in college football after all the undefeated teams of the previous year. What actually happened: Miami (Ohio) again wound up in the Tangerine Bowl vs. an SEC team and again won, 21-10 over Georgia. Houston tied NC State in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, 31-31. Maryland lost to a 6-3-2 Tennessee team in the Liberty Bowl. UNC lost to Mississippi State 24-26 in the Sun Bowl. Auburn crunched Texas 27-3 in the Gator Bowl. On new year’s Day, Penn State swamped Baylor 41-20 in the Cotton Bowl. A couple of 8-3 teams, Nebraska and Florida, met in the Sugar Bowl, the Huskers pulling it out 13-10. The big games were the Rose and Orange Bowls. Notre Dame again beat the Tide in a squeaker, 13-11 in Miami. Southern California and Ohio State had traded two one-sided wins in the 1973 and 1974 Rose Bowls. In the 1/1/75 game, the Trojans pulled it out. That gave them the coach’s national title as they refused to vote for a team, (Oklahoma) that was on probation. If we had the BCS: With the Sooners ineligible, Alabama, #2 in the writer’s poll and #1 in the coaches poll, would have been in the big game. Their opponent would have been #3/#2 Ohio State. The Trojans and Wolverines would have watched it on TV. What might have been: Florida (8-3, 251-184) at Alabama (11-0, 318-83) BYU (7-3-1, 296-183) at Ohio State (10-1, 420-111) Texas A&M (8-3, 222-131) at Michigan (10-1, 324-75) Miami (Ohio ) (9-0-1, 282-76) at USC (9-1-1, 345-125) NC State (9-2, 286-210) at Auburn (9-2, 260-126) Baylor (8-3, 232-182) at Penn State (9-2, 281-122) Texas (8-3, 364-170) at Nebraska (8-3, 360-122) Maryland (8-3, 313-97) at Notre Dame (9-2, 305-136) Site for the title game: The Orange Bowl Penn State did beat Baylor 41-20. The other match-ups aren’t as intriguing as the previous year but they would have produced some good games. More importantly, every legitimate contender not on probation would have been in the tournament. [/QUOTE]

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