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College vs pro football
Posted on 6/15/26 at 11:58 pm
Posted on 6/15/26 at 11:58 pm
If we can all agree that football players at both levels have only gotten bigger stronger faster over the decades. So how far back would we have to go to see a great modern college football team be able to consistently beat NFL teams? 80s? 70s?
4
Posted on 6/16/26 at 1:57 am to biglego
Even looking back decades, the depth of an NFL roster makes it almost impossible for a college team to win. Great college teams only have a handful of future pros, while every player on an NFL team is a professional. The gap is too massive.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:37 am to Combaro01
Whenever the lineman went from being 250 lb to 330 lb behemoths with athleticism would be the cutoff. College kids these days would run right through those guys with modern rules. Sure those guys were tough and hard but bigger, faster, better athletes with modern rules would destroy them. Maybe as recent as the 70s. The 70s Steelers with all those Hall of Famers would have issues with the young kids today just based on size, strength and athleticism. DL these days are faster and at times more athletic than wrs of that era. Beating a team consistently that is more athletic, faster and bigger at almost every position is a tough row to hoe no matter how tough and smart you are. That goes for your backyard, hs, college and the pros.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 7:46 am to biglego
quote:
If we can all agree that football players at both levels have only gotten bigger stronger faster over the decades. So how far back would we have to go to see a great modern college football team be able to consistently beat NFL teams? 80s? 70s?
I think all-time great college teams from recent seasons (like 2018 Clemson, 2019 LSU, 2020 Bama) would handle any Super Bowl champion from Lombardi’s Packers to at least the ‘85 Bears.
It’s not just about size, speed, and strength - which are significantly in favor of college teams vs. ‘70s and ‘80s NFL competition. Football schemes are light years ahead of where they were decades ago. A modern college staff would coach circles around Lombardi, Landry, Noll, etc., in an actual matchup. No disrespect at all to those coaches. It’s just the evolution of a hyper competitive sport.
There used to be a game played annually between a college All-Star team and the NFL/Super Bowl champions. The college guys were competitive and even won a few games in spite of being thrown together with only seniors - many of whom played in offenses like the wishbone and didn’t have much time to gel.
In the last five years the game was played (early/mid ‘70s) the Super Bowl champion never scored more than 24 pts. The 1972 Dolphins only scored 14 pts. You think a collection of early ‘70s college players with all-star game prep could hold Burrow, Chase, and Jefferson to 14 pts.? frick no.
This post was edited on 6/16/26 at 8:31 am
Posted on 6/16/26 at 11:15 am to biglego
Okay Jimmy the Greek
Posted on 6/16/26 at 11:57 am to biglego
Are today’s flag football college teams playing with the rules of whatever past era they are visiting?
If so, they wouldn’t beat any pro teams.
If so, they wouldn’t beat any pro teams.
Posted on 6/16/26 at 6:12 pm to weagle1999
quote:
Are today’s flag football college teams playing with the rules of whatever past era they are visiting? If so, they wouldn’t beat any pro teams.
Those offenses would be like voodoo to pros who never seen them… remember how much our population has grown. That’s a big factor in comparing eras’ talent levels
This post was edited on 6/16/26 at 6:16 pm
Posted on 6/16/26 at 7:18 pm to chalmetteowl
quote:
remember how much our population has grown. That’s a big factor in comparing eras’ talent levels
There's a NFHS graph of High School sports participation through the decades:
1973: Approximately - 1 million boys played HS football
2003: Approximately - 1 million boys played HS football
2018: Approximately - 1 million boys played HS football
1993 had the same participation level as 1970 , around 930,000.
LINK
Football has always weeded out the casual athletes... Either football do yes or football do no...as Miyagi would say. Kids have more options today...%s have actually gone down.
This post was edited on 6/16/26 at 7:22 pm
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