No, "to be fair" I can give you an example that doesn't include Alabama. BTW, don't complain about my answers since YOU are keeping the topic alive, right? Army was a great historical program during the middle of the 20th century. Army is NOT CURRENTLY considered in the context of college football history a great program NOW are they. In fact they are considered almost a doormat program. Notre Dame is exactly the same way in the manner they have fallen on hard times. Really, it is not that hard to understand unless of course for another reason you do not want to understand what I'm saying. Alabama under Bear Bryant for example was a great historical program. Since Alabama fired their last 4 coaches (counting the ex-WSU coach who was fired before coaching 1 game) before little Nicky took over about 6 years ago, it is laughable to currently say that Alabama right now has a great historical program. Winning 2 of 3 NC does NOT contradict that. Put together a long winning streak...don't win a NC after losing to the same team during the regular season....be ranked in the top 3 or 5 at the end of the season for more than 1 year in row...etc, etc.
I agree with that. I've seen some fans begin to compare this current success to that of the 1970's. I've disagreed with that notion each and every time I've commented on the subject. There are very few teams that can claim two NC's in a decade, even fewer that can claim two in three years. When you reach that three in a decade mark? That's "pretty fucking good" as you put it. Four? In the end it's subjective. Everyone is going to have a different opinion with some having outlandish requirements for greatness. The fact that we're sitting here using terms like "current historical" proves we fall into a bit of the moronic stage. I look at Tennessee and want to spit. It's a program I just don't like. But, in my eyes that's a historically great program. The same measure I use for UT puts teams like Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, and others in that category as well. Throughout the history of college football they've been a part of the upper echelon. To maintain that success? That's a great football program. Notre Dame hasn't accomplished anything in the last two decades and UT in the last one. But, you can go back in history and see teams from those schools in the national championship spotlight. (Just as a historical note, that 1956 OU NC team? Tennessee was the second ranked team at the end of the season that year) On the other hand, I don't see teams like Miami or Florida State in that category. Both had great runs in a span of one decade, or two, but there's another eight 10 years spans they weren't anything.
BTW, it's worth noting on the OU winning streak their schedule definitely wasn't close what we'd call difficult. It was a hell of a winning streak, no doubt. 1957-Oklahoma (Big 7) 9/21 @ Pittsburgh (4-6) W 26 0 10/5 vs. *Iowa State (4-5-1) W 40 14 10/12 vs. Texas (6-4-1) W 21 7 @ Dallas, TX 10/19 vs. *Kansas (5-4-1) W 47 0 10/26 vs. *Colorado (6-3-1) W 14 13 11/2 @ *Kansas State (3-6-1) W 13 0 11/9 @ *Missouri (5-4-1) W 39 14 11/16 vs. Notre Dame (7-3) L 0 7 11/23 @ *Nebraska (1-9) W 32 7 11/30 vs. Oklahoma State (6-3-1) W 53 6 1/1 vs. Duke (6-3-2) W 48 21 @ Miami, FL Orange Bowl 10-1-0 333 89 1956-Oklahoma (Big 7) 9/29 vs. North Carolina (2-7-1) W 36 0 10/6 vs. *Kansas State (3-7) W 66 0 10/13 vs. Texas (1-9) W 45 0 @ Dallas, TX 10/20 @ *Kansas (3-6-1) W 34 12 10/27 @ Notre Dame (2-8) W 40 0 11/3 @ *Colorado (8-2-1) W 27 19 11/10 @ *Iowa State (2-8) W 44 0 11/17 vs. *Missouri (4-5-1) W 67 14 11/24 vs. *Nebraska (4-6) W 54 6 12/1 @ Oklahoma State (3-5-2) W 53 0 10-0-0 466 51 1955-Oklahoma (Big 7) 9/24 @ North Carolina (3-7) W 13 6 10/1 vs. Pittsburgh (7-4) W 26 14 10/8 vs. Texas (5-5) W 20 0 @ Dallas, TX 10/15 vs. *Kansas (3-6-1) W 44 6 10/22 vs. *Colorado (6-4) W 56 21 10/29 @ *Kansas State (4-6) W 40 7 11/5 @ *Missouri (1-9) W 20 0 11/12 vs. *Iowa State (1-7-1) W 52 0 11/19 @ *Nebraska (5-5) W 41 0 11/26 vs. Oklahoma State (2-8) W 53 0 1/2 vs. Maryland (10-1) W 20 6 @ Miami, FL Orange Bowl 11-0-0 385 60 1954-Oklahoma (Big 7) 9/18 @ California (5-5) W 27 13 9/25 vs. Texas Christian (4-6) W 21 16 10/9 vs. Texas (4-5-1) W 14 7 @ Dallas, TX 10/16 @ *Kansas (0-10) W 65 0 10/23 vs. *Kansas State (7-3) W 21 0 10/30 @ *Colorado (7-2-1) W 13 6 11/6 @ *Iowa State (3-6) W 40 0 11/13 vs. *Missouri (4-5-1) W 34 13 11/20 vs. *Nebraska (6-5) W 55 7 11/27 @ Oklahoma State (5-4-1) W 14 0 10-0-0 304 62 1953-Oklahoma (Big 7) 9/26 vs. Notre Dame (9-0-1) L 21 28 10/3 @ Pittsburgh (3-5-1) T 7 7 10/10 vs. Texas (7-3) W 19 14 @ Dallas, TX 10/17 vs. *Kansas (2-8) W 45 0 10/24 vs. *Colorado (6-4) W 27 20 10/31 @ *Kansas State (6-3-1) W 34 0 11/7 @ *Missouri (6-4) W 14 7 11/14 vs. *Iowa State (2-7) W 47 0 11/21 @ *Nebraska (3-6-1) W 30 7 11/28 vs. Oklahoma State (7-3) W 42 7 1/1 vs. Maryland (10-1) W 7 0 @ Miami, FL Orange Bowl 9-1-1 293 90
and for the record, the alabama road game is one of the best experiences each time we go. the fans ive dealt with are almost always super respectful, like to talk football and are cordial when in the stadium. and the atmosphere is pretty damn good. even after we win. Ive always been pretty impressed and looked forward to the games there.
Wow, you just gave your age if you can with knowledge comment on that strength of schedule....5 decades ago so you are like 70+ right?
Actually, there are more schools that you think...I just went back about 50 years and all of these won 2 out of 3 NCs in 3 years....Alabama, Florida, USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Miami, Ohio State, Texas, and Michigan State. I didn't even bother doing 2 in a decade but obviously LSU would be added to that list and so would some other schools. If you want to go more than 50 years back, you can add Princeton, Yale, Notre Dame, Pitt, Harvard, Minnesota, Penn, Army, California, Tennessee, and Penn State to the list of 2 NCs in 3 years. Once again, no way is Alabama's CURRENT program a historically great one. That was my initial statement and nothing that has been said remotely changes that. Now, if you mean historically great, you are talking about all time wins, all time winning percentage, etc. Alabama certainly qualifies there but Notre Dame does also even though right now they have a mediocre program...and that is very, very kind. I agree with you about Miama and Florida State not being historically great programs. Hell, until a few decades ago, Florida State was a girl's school right? Miami and Florida State as you mentioned has limited runs of success judging by the amount of time college football has been played. LSU is a historically great program with several national championships although not 2 in 3 years. LSU is in the top 10 all time for number of football national championships and my guess is all time wins. I checked the first statement, not the second one. P.S. Just checked LSU alltime wins...come in at #15 on the list with 716 total wins. Honestly, 4 of the programs are jokes NOW that are ahead of LSU and only have more due to longevity AND playing in a divison 1-AA caliber conference....Yale, Harvard, Penn, Princeton.
