- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Why is it so much more difficult to go undefeated in CFB today than in the past?
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:14 pm
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:14 pm
From 1994-2002, there were undefeated national champions in eight out of those nine seasons. 1996 Florida was the only national champion over that time period who didn't finish the season undefeated. It was virtually impossible to win a NC if a team failed to finish the regular season undefeated. Bobby Bowden had eight seasons with one or fewer losses but he was only able to win two national championships.
On the flip side of the coin, there's been only three undefeated national champions (2009 Alabama, 2010 Auburn, 2013 Florida State) over the past ten seasons. There's been national champions who've had two losses (2007 LSU), failed to win their division (2011 Alabama) and lost by two TDs to an unranked team at home (2014 Ohio State). Urban Meyer and Nick Saban each have only one undefeated season during their entire coaching career. Why is it so much harder to go undefeated today than it was 15-20 years ago?
On the flip side of the coin, there's been only three undefeated national champions (2009 Alabama, 2010 Auburn, 2013 Florida State) over the past ten seasons. There's been national champions who've had two losses (2007 LSU), failed to win their division (2011 Alabama) and lost by two TDs to an unranked team at home (2014 Ohio State). Urban Meyer and Nick Saban each have only one undefeated season during their entire coaching career. Why is it so much harder to go undefeated today than it was 15-20 years ago?
14
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:16 pm to Bench McElroy
Scholarship limitations, more games, many more different offenses.
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:16 pm to Bench McElroy
There's more talent and more diverse systems around the Nation than ever before.
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:18 pm to Bench McElroy
More FBS schools to spread some talent around.
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:19 pm to Bench McElroy
11 to 12 to 15 games.
This post was edited on 9/22/16 at 11:24 pm
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:31 pm to Bench McElroy
Dude look at some of the schedules from the 60's and 70's and 80's.
Conference expansion, integration, etc. Bear Bryant in all his years had two undefeated seasons...one was against a bunch of whites dudes in 1961 and one was in 1979 where they played zero teams outside the South...no Big 10 teams, no Pac-10 teams.
That same year Bama won the SEC in 1979, the second place conference SEC team was Georgia at 5-1, they went 6-5 overall. SEC teams could dominate SEC teams but couldn't win out of conference.
Point is, people controlled their schedules...there wasn't this pressure to play other conferences and some didn't...you could create your reputation beating cupcakes...Bill Synder at KSU, Miami in their early days before the big title game...
I mean look at some schedules...the 1979 SEC schedule is one of the worst ever, the Pac-10 is better (goes to Texas the midwest), the Big8 is better.
But people learned that the key was to schedule nobody...you had two top dogs in each conference playing against mostly dogshite and they played 8-9 games and called it quits before the bowl game...and hope you got an opponent that was from your region.
That's the reality. I don't know why we romanticize the past...most everyone wasn't playing against any real good teams. 75% of the SEC and Big8 were total junk...same with the Big10. Same with the Pac-10.
You only lost if you were bold in scheduling...and some teams stayed home and some teams scheduled bold.
Conference expansion, integration, etc. Bear Bryant in all his years had two undefeated seasons...one was against a bunch of whites dudes in 1961 and one was in 1979 where they played zero teams outside the South...no Big 10 teams, no Pac-10 teams.
That same year Bama won the SEC in 1979, the second place conference SEC team was Georgia at 5-1, they went 6-5 overall. SEC teams could dominate SEC teams but couldn't win out of conference.
Point is, people controlled their schedules...there wasn't this pressure to play other conferences and some didn't...you could create your reputation beating cupcakes...Bill Synder at KSU, Miami in their early days before the big title game...
I mean look at some schedules...the 1979 SEC schedule is one of the worst ever, the Pac-10 is better (goes to Texas the midwest), the Big8 is better.
But people learned that the key was to schedule nobody...you had two top dogs in each conference playing against mostly dogshite and they played 8-9 games and called it quits before the bowl game...and hope you got an opponent that was from your region.
That's the reality. I don't know why we romanticize the past...most everyone wasn't playing against any real good teams. 75% of the SEC and Big8 were total junk...same with the Big10. Same with the Pac-10.
You only lost if you were bold in scheduling...and some teams stayed home and some teams scheduled bold.
This post was edited on 9/22/16 at 11:35 pm
Posted on 9/22/16 at 11:39 pm to Bench McElroy
More Pressure.
Social Media, Internet, message boards.
Social Media, Internet, message boards.
Posted on 9/23/16 at 1:07 am to Bench McElroy
Very good question in the OP. The scholarship limitations kicked-in in the early-to-mid 70's I think so it wasn't much of a factor for the '94-'02 time frame.
My best guess as to why this is would be the ascendancy of the SEC. From '94-'02 the SEC won 2 natty's (UF in '96 and UTenn in '98). From '03 through '15, the SEC has won 9 of the 12 (since USC's '04 was vacated). The SEC became so dominant nationally but also so competitive among itself.
My best guess as to why this is would be the ascendancy of the SEC. From '94-'02 the SEC won 2 natty's (UF in '96 and UTenn in '98). From '03 through '15, the SEC has won 9 of the 12 (since USC's '04 was vacated). The SEC became so dominant nationally but also so competitive among itself.
Posted on 9/23/16 at 1:12 am to Bench McElroy
Less white people
Posted on 9/23/16 at 1:33 am to Bench McElroy
Teams are worse now because of Early draft entries
Posted on 9/23/16 at 2:51 am to Bench McElroy
1. Parity. There are many more great football teams these days.
2. More games. You used to play an 11 game regular season and then a bowl game (only the SEC and Big12 had conference title games for along time). Now you play 12, you play a conference title game, and in the CFP era up to 2 more games. It's a hell of a lot harder to go 14-0 or 15-0 than it is 12-0.
2. More games. You used to play an 11 game regular season and then a bowl game (only the SEC and Big12 had conference title games for along time). Now you play 12, you play a conference title game, and in the CFP era up to 2 more games. It's a hell of a lot harder to go 14-0 or 15-0 than it is 12-0.
Posted on 9/23/16 at 3:20 am to Bench McElroy
cause teams are better? 
are you really this dense?
are you really this dense?
Posted on 9/23/16 at 5:45 am to Bench McElroy
1. more games
2. more talent and money
3. shorter games and rule changes
4. scholarships
2. more talent and money
3. shorter games and rule changes
4. scholarships
Posted on 9/23/16 at 7:56 am to Bench McElroy
and lets not forget, before the BCS started, those national champions didnt have a championship game, just a bowl game that could have a favorable matchup
so before the BCS, being undefeated was important to the beauty contest that was selecting national champions
so before the BCS, being undefeated was important to the beauty contest that was selecting national champions
Posted on 9/23/16 at 8:04 am to Bench McElroy
The game is constantly evolving. It is miles from where it was just 10 seasons ago.
I think outside of the sophistication of spread offenses, programs are learning how to optimize their recruiting. There is not as big of a chasm between teams talent-wise as there used to be. Evaluations have gotten much better.
I think outside of the sophistication of spread offenses, programs are learning how to optimize their recruiting. There is not as big of a chasm between teams talent-wise as there used to be. Evaluations have gotten much better.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News