1970: Ohio State or Texas

[agentmule]

These seem to be about ranking pre-bowl games but interesting nonetheless 

 

 

[drag worm]

My defense: Big difference between a fake natty and a split natty. UPI granted their trophy before bowls back then and chose Texas. Lot of split champions awarded by the two main authorities in the history of the sport. 
 

Fake natty would be like Texas claiming 2008 because we didn’t agree with the B12 tie-breaker rule. 

Edited 3 hours ago by drag worm

[LonghornFan4Ever]

This is the only natty I have a problem with Texas claiming and Ohio State shouldn’t claim this natty at all.  Nebraska did not lose a game that season, but had a tie with a 6-4 Southern Cal team, so maybe that was taken into consideration by the coaches poll when they decided to give their natty to Texas.

If the coaches poll still awarded their natty before bowl games in 1977, Texas would have an additional natty.  The 1963, 1969, and 2005 teams left no doubt that they were the undisputed national champions and if they win any more going forward, those natties will also be undisputed.

[Jeff Howe]

Since the UPI and AP were the two primary selectors, it’s a split title between Texas and Nebraska. The UPI awarded Texas the national championship; Texas shouldn’t be blamed for the final vote coming before the bowl games.

I’d say the same thing about OU’s 1974 national title. They were voted No. 1 in the AP poll despite being on probation. What were they supposed to do? Give it back? Say, “Nah, we’re good. Someone else can have it.”

Ohio State was named co-champion with Texas by the National Football Foundation, which is an NCAA-recognized selector.

Schools can claim whatever titles they want before the BCS era is it’s a legitimate claim. Still, that doesn’t mean everybody else has to recognize it.

[SpaceCityWrangler]

If Texas used SEC measurement rules Texas could claim 9 NC’s.

Edited 2 hours ago by SpaceCityWrangler

[Glass Joe]

Prior to 1974, the UPI poll (now “Coaches Poll”), awarded the national championship after the regular season but prior to the bowl games, most notably in 1964 (Arkansas / Bama) and 1965 (MSU / Bama).
 

It was not uncommon for the UPI national champion to lose their subsequent bowl game…since they had nothing to play for and the bowl was effectively an inter-sectional exhibition game.

There have been 11 times where the UPI / Coaches poll differed from the AP Poll, but once we arrived at the BCS era, that largely resolved things (except for the final AP protest vote in 2003).

[Quinncent McManning, Jr.]

Should be simple. If you were awarded a natty by a major outlet such as AP or UPI/coaches at the time and you and the entire base celebrated it.. that’s a true natty. All this other stuff is nonsense. 

[LonghornFan4Ever]

1 minute ago, Quinncent McManning, Jr. said:

Should be simple. If you were awarded a natty by a major outlet such as AP or UPI/coaches at the time and you and the entire base celebrated it.. that’s a true natty. All this other stuff is nonsense. 

I agree with this, but what about before the AP poll was created in 1936?  Looking back, there are several seasons before 1936 that Texas could claim national championships for.  Wikipedia lists 1914 as an unclaimed national championship, but Texas had several other seasons in which they went undefeated and untied.

[Quinncent McManning, Jr.]

46 minutes ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

I agree with this, but what about before the AP poll was created in 1936?  Looking back, there are several seasons before 1936 that Texas could claim national championships for.  Wikipedia lists 1914 as an unclaimed national championship, but Texas had several other seasons in which they went undefeated and untied.

It’s true there was a lot more issues back then crowning a true champion and it’s the reason aggy can triple their nattys overnight. If you go by those the Yale is still a blue blood program. 

[LovingBuckeye]

I don't know who 1970 should belong to but it shouldn't be my Buckeyes lol. I believe that is the only one OSU claims that they didn't earn

[Jeff Howe]

3 minutes ago, Quinncent McManning, Jr. said:

It’s true there was a lot more issues back then crowning a true champion and it’s the reason aggy can triple their nattys overnight. If you go by those the Yale is still a blue blood program. 

Any claimed titles in the pre-AP poll era (1936) shouldn't count. 

[4thandFive]

Texas just needs to get the 2025 Natty and go from there…

[MarkInAustin]

I think some of Eddie Robinson's teams at Grambling might have been invisible to everyone except the student body and the NFL.