Quick Takes
The most important stat in the NFL is turnovers. Last week, every losing team turned the ball over more than every winning team.........except Oakland and Dallas. There were no turnovers for either team in Oakland’s loss to Seattle. And Dallas would have won their game against Washington had Romo’s apparent touchdown pass hit T.O. in his mouth instead of his hands.
Speaking of turnovers, Baltimore is leading the NFL with a +14. Wanna know why defending Super Bowl champ Pittsburgh is where it is this year? They are dead last in the NFL in that department at -11.
It hasn’t happened since 1931. The Colts are the first NFL team in 75 years to begin consecutive seasons 8-0. Are they for real? Now they are, but let’s wait ‘til the playoffs. To quote Yogi, “It could be deja vous all over again.”
I put money on Seattle to win the Super Bowl this season. It’s still alive, but at this point in time, that bet is like being diagnosed with a terminal illness and told it has two months to live.
Oakland’s been on Monday Night Football twice this season. They scored zero points each time, and allowed nine sacks each time. How did they get on Monday Night Football not once but twice this season?
Story of the Week
ESPN’s ALL-TIME COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS
Before we get going with this 2002 article, I would merely point out how difficult (virtually impossible) it is to qualify and quantify such a ranking on any subject, but it does make for interesting reading. (If I were to do such a list, I’d certainly find a place for USC of 2003 and 2004. They were as good as college football gets.)
1. Nebraska (1971). Many consider the 1971 version of the Cornhuskers the best college football team ever, and we can't find any reason to disagree. The team averaged more than 39 points a game on offense, and surrendered only 8.2 points a game. Led by kick and punt returner par excellence Johnny Rodgers (who won the 1972 Heisman), the top-ranked Cornhuskers defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 on Thanksgiving Day, in what some have called the "Game of the Century." They rounded out their 13-0 season with a 38-6 drubbing of Alabama in the Orange Bowl.
2. USC (1972). USC, coached by John McKay, finished the season 12-0 after blowing out Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl. In the process, the Trojans became the first team to be named No. 1 on every ballot of both the coaches and media polls. Keith Jackson, who's forgotten more about college football than we'll ever know, said the '72 Trojans were the best ever. He might be right, but we're giving Nebraska just a slight edge.
3. Nebraska (1995). Combine a great offense -- 50-plus points per game -- with a great defense. Add a tough schedule, including four Top 10 teams, which the Cornhuskers trounced by no fewer than 23 points. Stir in Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips for an incredible running attack. Presto. You've got a second straight national championship, topped by a 62-24 humiliation of second-ranked Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, and one of the best teams ever, in any sport.
4. Army (1945). It was a very good year for Army. After teaming up with the other branches of the armed services (and the Allies) to win World War II, they then went on to a glorious fall campaign starring Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, fullback Felix "Doc" Blanchard and tailback Glenn Davis. Blanchard, who ran for 718 yards and 19 TDs, won the Heisman in '45; Davis won it in '46. Army went 9-0, and was overwhelmingly dominant. In one game, they trounced Notre Dame, 48-0, in front of 75,000 at Yankee Stadium, then came back the next week to blow out the Pennsylvania Quakers, 61-0. In a game that decided the national title, Army beat its service rival, Navy, in their annual Philadelphia classic, 32-13, before 102,000 fans.
5. Miami (2001). Miami went 12-0, with an average margin of victory of 34. A couple of reasons: All-American QB Ken Dorsey and running back Clinton Portis (who racked up 1,200 yards on the ground). A few more: offensive tackle Bryant "Mount" McKinnie, wide receiver Jeremy Shockey, cornerbacks Phillip Buchanon and Mike Rumph, and safety Edward Reed, all first-round selections in the 2002 NFL draft. "Offense, defense, special teams, this team is loaded," said 'Canes assistant coach Art Kehoe. "It's the best one I've ever seen, and I think we could line up and play with any college team that's ever been."
6. Michigan (1947). Head coach Fritz Crisler let loose his "Mad Magicians" with one of the trickiest offenses in college football history. "For sheer deception, there had been nothing like the Magicians before," wrote Ivan Kaye in Michigan Today. "And there has been nothing like them since -- three men handling the ball was just an ordinary play. The plays that really gave them a kick were the ones where four or even five men handled the ball. It would wear out the spectators and drive defenses crazy." As a result, Michigan, led by tailback Bob Chappius, wingback Chalmers "Bump" Elliott, QB Howard Yerges and fullback Jack Weisenburger, went 10-0 in 1947. While the Irish (see below) were named No. 1 by the AP at the end of the regular season, Michigan forced the voters to reconsider after crushing USC 49-0 in the Rose Bowl, and were ranked No. 1 in an unofficial postseason AP poll.
7. Notre Dame (1947) The Irish won a disputed national title in '47 (see above), but what's not disputed is that the Irish were one of the best teams ever. They were led by three players who would eventually be named among the 100 best in college football history by College Football News: lineman Leon Hart, tackle George Connor and QB Johnny Lujack. Lujack won the '47 Heisman trophy, and in '49 Hart became one of only two lineman ever to win the Heisman. Notre Dame finished its undefeated season by trouncing USC 38-7 in front of 105,000 fans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and 41 of the Irish went on to play pro ball.
8. Oklahoma (1956) At the end of the 20th century, this website named the '56 Sooners the eighth best team, of any sport, pro or college, ever. Here's why: Bud Wilkinson's 1956 squad was in the middle of a 47-game winning streak. They went 10-0, averaging about 47 points a game. The defense held six opponents scoreless. Running back Tommy McDonald finished third in the Heisman Trophy race, but even more impressive was the showing by Jerry Tubbs, who, as a lineman, finished fourth in the voting.
9. Oklahoma (1974) The Sooners dominated college football in 1973 and 1974, going 21-0-1, so it wasn't easy to pick between the two squads. But we give the '74 squad the nod because it won its first national title under legendary coach Barry Switzer. Led by defensive end Lee Roy Selmon (the NFL's No. 1 pick in 1976), Dewey Selmon (an All-American noseguard), linebacker Rod Shoate (AP and UPI Defensive Player of the Year) and halfback Joe Washington (AP and UPI Offensive Player of the Year), the ground-based Sooners (they averaged 74 rushes a game, the most in Oklahoma history) twice won games by scores of 63-0, and also drubbed Utah State, 72-3.
10. Alabama (1961) Bear Bryant was on his way to becoming an Alabama institution, and the Tide won their first national title under his leadership. They'd go on to win five more with Bear at the helm, but the first is always the sweetest. Alabama went 11-0 in 1961, racking up 297 points and allowing only 25. They were ranked first in the nation, and concluded their season with a 10-3 win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
Last Week’s Trivia
Phil Esposito gained his greatest prominence as the center of the Boston Bruins’ top-producing line (it also included Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman at the wings) in the late-60’s and early-70’s. Tony Esposito achieved his stardom as the goalie of Phil’s former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, in the 70’s. Both Esposito brothers are in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. (For more on Phil, see my article of 2/28/02 on Orr, Espo and the Bruins.)
Trivia Question of the Week
Muhammad Ali lost five professional fights during his brilliant career, not including the one he lost to the federal government. Name the fighters who beat him. See next week’s Sports Junkie for the answer.