re: Was the 2001 Miami Hurricanes the best college football team of all time?

Nope. Possibly the best collection of talent, but best team no.

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1995 Huskers

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Not many will argue here.

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1971 Huskers

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So where does 1971 Oklahoma rank on your list?

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1994 Huskers

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Were they actually better than Penn State?

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So where does 1971 Oklahoma rank on your list?

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I don't know about his list, but '71 Oklahoma is definitely one of the best teams that never won a national championship. They smoked everyone on their schedule, but lost in a heartbreaker in the final 90 seconds to Nebraska (one of the greatest college football games to ever be played IMO). They finished the season 11-1 with a 40-22 win over once beaten Auburn in the Sugar Bowl (while Nebraska smoked undefeated Alabama 38-6 in the Orange Bowl).

I believe the '71 Sooners still hold the major college football record for average rushing yards in a game (472.4).

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miami blew them out in 2000 and 2002(albeit against ron zook).

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While the final score may have been terrible for UF in 02, Florida lead at the half by 20 IIRC. We collapsed completely in the second half, which defined Ron Zooks teams.

08 was the most frustrating since that may have been Pete's best team, top to bottom. They just struggled with consistency on offense. I would've killed to see a playoff that year with UF, UT, OU, and SC. How awesome would that have been.

2006 and 2007 were less consistent on offense. I agree 2008 might've been the second best to 2004. A 2008 playoff would've featured Florida, USC, Texas, and OK. All great teams. The finest four team playoff you could want.

That's BCS standings, not a committee. I believe the committee leaves Bama out, due to not winning your conference. USC isn't getting left out by winning the Pac 12. The big question would've been Bama, UT or Utah for that last spot.

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I believe the committee leaves Bama out, due to not winning your conference.

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Texas didn't win the Big 12.

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A 2008 playoff would've featured Florida, USC, Texas, and OK. All great teams. The finest four team playoff you could want.


Not if you go by the final BCS standings:

1. Oklahoma (12-1)
2. Florida (12-1)
3. Texas (11-1)
4. Alabama (12-1)

First Two Out:

5. USC (11-1)
6. Utah (12-0)

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A playoff committee would have almost certainly had SC ahead of Bama and probably Texas as well, especially if they had and won a PAC title game.

In fact, that year's Utah team might have even been ahead of Bama and perhaps even Texas given the current criteria. According to the final pre-bowl AP at the time, Utah's best win - TCU at #11 - was better than anything Bama had, and they also had a win over #17 BYU (compare to Bama's #16 UGA and #20 Ole Miss). Utah would almost certainly have been in that playoff given current criteria over Bama and, given the bowl game result, obviously would have deserved it. Bama would have had no shot in 2008 - it would have been a three horse race for two spots between USC, UT, and Utah.

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As there was no playoff committee back in 2008, we can't possibly speculate on what they would or wouldn't have done. We can only use the tools we were given at the time, and at the time we had the BCS, the AP, and the Coaches:

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Well, we can look back at the criteria that the playoff committee has used and is using and judge accordingly. Bama would not have been in the playoff - they would have lost out to conference champions with as good or better wins (USC) and teams with straight up better wins (UT and Utah). I don't think that's any big surprise.

USC both won a conference championship and had beaten the #10 and #15 teams in the final pre-bowl AP poll. Texas had beaten the #2, #13, and #25 teams in the final AP poll. Utah was an undefeated team (and minor conference champion) that had beaten #11 and #17 during the season. Bama was a one loss conference loser who had only beaten the #16 and #20 teams in the final pre-bowl poll. They weren't getting in no matter what under the post-2014 criteria; the discussion would have concerned only USC, Texas, and Utah.

Did you ever consider that Utah was a straight up better team than Bama in 2008? They were undefeated, had beaten better teams before the bowl game, and dominated you in the bowl. It's pretty cut and dry at that point.