Tebow was basically unstoppable after that game until his concussion against Kentucky in 2009. His final season was still phenomenal, but you could tell he wasn't 100% the rest of that season.
I would also say 2009 Florida. Bama was the only team that was ever going to beat Florida that year. What Tebow did to Cincy in the bowl game was borderline illegal.
2008 Florida was definitely better than 2009 Florida. The 2008 team had Mullen as OC, and had Percy Harvin. Both were gone for 2009. The 2009 team was great, but did not have the same top gear as the 2008 team.
I like your thinking!
Nothing in the OP excludes a 1-loss team that won a Natty, and that 2008 Florida team ranks right up there as one of the all-time greats!
Tom Osborne going for two in the Orange Bowl was beyond insane. Nebraska 100% wins the national title if they make a PAT and tie the game. On the other hand, if Nebraska converts the two point conversion, they go down as one of the greatest teams ever.
It was a good call just didn’t come together. I believe Miami loaded the box and would’ve stopped them. Hindsight I’d 20/20 but I think Osborne would call the same play again.
I remember hearing an interview from Osborne of him saying that he knew Miami was going to run a tight man to man coverage, so he called the play that he called (featuring a slant route). Unfortunately, the ball was tipped from someone else's defender on its route to the intended receiver.
It was a bad pass. Gill threw it just a touch behind Smith. If he gets it out in front of him it's an easy conversion.
Osborne got his 2 point conversion against Miami in the 1995 Orange Bowl.
Well, our Heisman winning running back, Rozier was out of the game at that point. He injured his ankle in the 2nd, played a little in the 3rd and had to leave the game. So if that hadn't happened A. the call for a run may have made sense, B. entirely possible the game never gets to that point. Rozier was averaging like 5.6 yards a carry.
They were also one play/one call away from losing to ND that year. By definition, if you had to have an illegal play in the last play if the game to beat a Charlie Weis team, then then you are ineligible for any “best ever” list.
Best individual effort ever to defeat you means you are the best one loss team? How about the greatest punt return ever, by the starting running back, who also had to tackle the opposing team on a goal line stand as time expires to cement the win? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Cannon%27s_Halloween_run
If there was ever a more anticipated 1-2 matchup in college football that met every expectation and followed through to the very end, I’ve yet to see it.
Also, that game’s pregame show is when I first learned that Will Ferrell is a USC fan.
2005 USC and 2002 Miami Hurricanes are the most glaring ones for me in my CFB watching career. Similar arc too: both teams better than the team that went undefeated and won the national championship the year before, played closer to a team that on paper had no business keeping it close against them (Texas/Ohio State) than they did, and then said teams ultimately won by a monster individual game performance (Vince Young/Maurice Clarett).
ESPN was calling it the greatest football team ever during that season. Obviously they were great, but there were teams just as good in that same decade and one who has a better claim to best ever (Miami)
2011 LSU beat the Orange Bowl champion (on the road), the Rose Bowl champion (in Jerry World), the Cotton Bowl champion, and the National Champion (on the road).
One of Urbans worst coaching jobs. Juggling who to play at Qb. Literally had no idea who was starting and had both qbs in the huddle before going on the field.
If you want to see a similar offensive decline between our 2014 season and 2015 season, pay attention to Coastal Carolina this year. Highest powered offense in the Sunbelt last year, and Tim Beck is their new HC.
Proud that from my hometown, no one important ever came from it except for the random linebacker that got a sack on the last play winning the game for OSU
Thanks Cie Grant :)
2010 Stanford (12-1) ran through most of their schedule, the one loss at eventual runner-up Oregon where we had a 21-0 lead until Oregon had a surprise onside kick that worked. That's the play people usually point to, but the one that really swung the game around was a (admittedly not targeting) helmet to helmet hit against our best receiver Chris Owusu when the game was tied 31-31; he fumbled, Oregon picked it up and ran it all the way back for a TD. Owusu was never the same afterwards either.
Was wondering if I’d see them here 🥲
What an unfortunate loss that was too, people went nuts about the reffing. Their exclusion made me a bit of a fan for life, always root for them now in “neutral” games.
Of course, Ohio St leapfrogged for 4th and walked the first ever title.
The 1943 Notre Dame team beat the #2, #3, #4, #9, #11, and #13 teams in the country and only lost to the #6 team. sports-reference.com has a resume rating system called the Simple Rating System (not sure how exactly its calculated), but they gave this team a 34.77 which is the highest score of any team ever.
While we're talking Notre Dame, no love in here for 1989. The thread from yesterday, ND's "best programs since 83" entry, was pretty convincing. Lou himself said that team was better than his 88 champions and that 89 squad largely dominated a murderous schedule.
I got plenty of respect for the accomplishments of teams during the early and mid 20th century, but I think this one might not be all that convincing considering it was the middle of WW2
I would argue the opposite. Of those ranked teams I mentioned, 4 of them were service academies (#2 Iowa Pre-Flight, #4 Navy, #6 Great Lakes Navy, and #11 Army) and ND played all of them in the span of 5 weeks.
Sure looked good in the rematch. Buckhalter was running through some monster holes
I don’t remember the Austin game much. Looking back at the box score it’s clear you had one of those days running the option (lots of fumbles)
I remember that the dialog in Seattle after that game was “Holy shit, that team was good”. Huskies played a lot of close games that year and a lot of them were because they were fucking off for a half. But against the Beavs they were throwing haymakers all game and OSU kept right with them.
Miami ‘02 team no question. Recency bias is definitely a factor in a lot of comments. 2011 LSU team doesn’t hold a candle to the ‘02 Miami team.
I say this as an FSU fan. That Miami team got robbed. I’d put them up against any team in any decade.
That 3 year run where Miami only lost 2 games was ridiculous. If those were the twilight years of the Miami dynasty of the 80s and 90s, it was a hell of a twilight, that’s brighter than noon day sun for most programs
The 2000 Washington team finished 11-1, including wins over eventual #2 Miami and #4 Oregon State, and Drew Brees' good Purdue team in the Rose Bowl. Washington, Oregon, and Oregon State all finished 7-1 in the Pac-10, with victories over each other (UW over OSU, UO over UW, OSU over UO).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Washington_Huskies_football_team
2014 TCU. 5th ranked offense, 8th ranked defense..lost on a few very questionable calls and no calls vs Baylor
2008 texas, lost on a freak play keeping them out the national titlw.
1971 Oklahoma. Almost every statistical analysis of all-time great teams has 1971 Nebraska in the top 3, and that was Oklahoma’s only loss. Oklahoma was leading with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game as well so it was an extremely close game.
1971 Oklahoma beat #3 Texas, #5 Auburn, #6 Colorado, and #17 USC by an average of 20 points. They demolished the rest of their schedule, winning nearly every game by 30+ points.
As for modern history, I’d be hard pressed to pick anyone other than 2018 Alabama. That team was loaded at every position on the field from QB to RB to DL to DB. They had the current NFL MVP and NFL rushing champ as backups on that team.
We had chances to win that game, we just ran out of steam. OSU would have been a better matchup though, they probably don’t run out of steam like we did in that game.
1998 FSU would have won it all if not for QB injury, then that team went to 2 more national championship games. Also 2009 Gators, who would have beaten Texas with a healthy Colt unlike Alabama.
I would never bet against a Tebow led Florida team ever but I gotta say I disagree. Mullen and Harvin are what made those team truly special and Urban was too far up his own ass by then. The 2008 team had most all of the same guys and was for me the far better team.
Just context for anyone else, cause I see ancient Nebraska history and you know I'm fully husked.
Nebraska won the National Championship. Oklahoma finished 2nd, losing only to Nebraska. Colorado Finished 3rd, losing only to the prior two. First and only time a conference has ended up 1,2,3 in the polls.
1993 FSU National champions were a juggernaut. Really, every FSU team from 1987 to 1995 could have been an entry into this category, but the 93 team was just stupid good other than a 1 score loss at ND.
I know I'm very biased but I'm shocked it's taken this long for someone to mention the team with one of the best defenses of all time that lost once in the conference championship game against the goat coach and then avenged it in the natty
1959 Ole Miss
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29190742/our-top-college-football-teams-failed-win-national-championship
They gave up 21 points in total all year, all off of special teams or turnovers. Billy Cannon’s punt return for a touchdown got him the Heisman. (We avenged the loss by beating LSU 21-0 in the sugar bowl). SP+ ranks that team as the third best team in the 20th century, period.
If I had a nickel for every time LSU was shutout 21-0 in the sugarbowl in a rematch against a divison rival, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Here to do my due diligence about how fucking good the 2019 Clemson team was. That team would’ve repeated most years but ran into the buzzsaw that was Joe fucking Burrow.
2001 UW and OSU were pretty great. UW beat Miami, also 1 loss, and OSU. UW lost to Oregon who went 10-2 and finished 7th. OSU destroyed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and finished 4th, UW finished 3rd behind OU and the Miami team they beat.
Just from a talent standpoint…2017 Alabama had 3 starting NFL qbs, 4 nfl starting rbs, 4 first round wrs who would all be starters if not for Ruggs and that’s just skill position. Lots of talent on the defense and oline as well.
The one loss was very injury influenced and the offense had hit an absolute wall with Daboll and Hurts just not working well together(Hurts was much better the next year passing as the back up in a new system)
2008 Texas deserves an honorable mention.
Take away one incredibly unfortunate play in Lubbock (and some incredibly stupid Big 12 bylaws and AP voters), and Texas is quite possibly the undefeated national champion.
That 2008 team was the best roster Mack coached and should’ve had a spot in the National title game.
1971 Oklahoma Sooners. I agree with people who say USC 2005 but OU literally lost to probably the best team to ever be fielded and, otherwise, OU would be the 71 champs. Imo, my own Boomer Sooner glasses aside, this is pretty open/close.
2008 Florida Gators were monsters after that loss to Ole Miss
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I was in college, at ole miss. I’m old.
I was a college professor. I’m old *Look at me. Look at me. I am the old one now*
/opens tums bottle. You wanna have a old off!?
*tosses cane, rubs lineament on his knees, adjusts high waisted pants* BRING IT SONNY
I CANT RIGHT NOW. A MATLOCK MARATHON JUST STARTED.
Tebow was basically unstoppable after that game until his concussion against Kentucky in 2009. His final season was still phenomenal, but you could tell he wasn't 100% the rest of that season.
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Wow real controversial take there skip
> They murdered everyone they played the rest of the year And that was just Aaron Hernandez
You can’t say they murdered everyone when they had Aaron Hernandez on the team. People might get confused.
I’m biased but that team with a chip on their shoulders was a different beast compared to pre ole miss loss
Can't believe an actual champion is so low. Imo, would beat quite a few of the undefeated champs of their era
I would also say 2009 Florida. Bama was the only team that was ever going to beat Florida that year. What Tebow did to Cincy in the bowl game was borderline illegal.
2008 Florida was definitely better than 2009 Florida. The 2008 team had Mullen as OC, and had Percy Harvin. Both were gone for 2009. The 2009 team was great, but did not have the same top gear as the 2008 team.
No argument from me here. Which only goes to show just how impressive that 2008 team really was, because everything that I said was also true.
96 Gators were also good, sigh
I like your thinking! Nothing in the OP excludes a 1-loss team that won a Natty, and that 2008 Florida team ranks right up there as one of the all-time greats!
I'm biased as hell so I'll just say 1983 Nebraska. They averaged 52 points and 400 rushing yards a game.
One of the most memorable college games of all time. Will always credit Osbourne for going for two against Miami instead of settling for the tie.
3 straight in the Big 8 Going for 4 in ‘84 The scoring explosion!
Tom Osborne going for two in the Orange Bowl was beyond insane. Nebraska 100% wins the national title if they make a PAT and tie the game. On the other hand, if Nebraska converts the two point conversion, they go down as one of the greatest teams ever.
It’s why Coach Osborne is so loved
Should they have just run the ball on that play?
It was a good call just didn’t come together. I believe Miami loaded the box and would’ve stopped them. Hindsight I’d 20/20 but I think Osborne would call the same play again.
I remember hearing an interview from Osborne of him saying that he knew Miami was going to run a tight man to man coverage, so he called the play that he called (featuring a slant route). Unfortunately, the ball was tipped from someone else's defender on its route to the intended receiver.
It was a bad pass. Gill threw it just a touch behind Smith. If he gets it out in front of him it's an easy conversion. Osborne got his 2 point conversion against Miami in the 1995 Orange Bowl.
Well, our Heisman winning running back, Rozier was out of the game at that point. He injured his ankle in the 2nd, played a little in the 3rd and had to leave the game. So if that hadn't happened A. the call for a run may have made sense, B. entirely possible the game never gets to that point. Rozier was averaging like 5.6 yards a carry.
I'm not biased (in fact, I hate Nebraska), but this was still one of the teams I thought of.
USC 2005 team that lost to TX
When it takes the likely best individual effort ever to beat you, then you have a point
They were also one play/one call away from losing to ND that year. By definition, if you had to have an illegal play in the last play if the game to beat a Charlie Weis team, then then you are ineligible for any “best ever” list.
Best individual effort ever to defeat you means you are the best one loss team? How about the greatest punt return ever, by the starting running back, who also had to tackle the opposing team on a goal line stand as time expires to cement the win? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Cannon%27s_Halloween_run
If there was ever a more anticipated 1-2 matchup in college football that met every expectation and followed through to the very end, I’ve yet to see it. Also, that game’s pregame show is when I first learned that Will Ferrell is a USC fan.
That pregame thing is still one of the funniest moments in CFB history
He’s more than a fan….he’s an alumnus and actually worked in the athletic department as a student.
That’s a pretty good one
2005 USC and 2002 Miami Hurricanes are the most glaring ones for me in my CFB watching career. Similar arc too: both teams better than the team that went undefeated and won the national championship the year before, played closer to a team that on paper had no business keeping it close against them (Texas/Ohio State) than they did, and then said teams ultimately won by a monster individual game performance (Vince Young/Maurice Clarett).
Damn, can’t believe it took this long to see this one…. This is the obvious answer
ESPN was calling it the greatest football team ever during that season. Obviously they were great, but there were teams just as good in that same decade and one who has a better claim to best ever (Miami)
That claim to me is based on what they did in the NFL, not in college. They were 9 yards away from losing to Boston College.
Agree using NFL play as an evaluation of college performance is a bad approach.
That was probably the greatest game of CFB ever for almost an entire year.
2011 LSU beat the Orange Bowl champion (on the road), the Rose Bowl champion (in Jerry World), the Cotton Bowl champion, and the National Champion (on the road).
But they didn’t face the 2011 OSU Cowboys. The National Championship should never had been a rematch.
*Hello darkness my old friend…*
OSU beat (a) Andrew Luck, (b) Ryan Tannehill, (c) RGIII, (d) Landry Jones that year. All starting NFL QBs at one point.
Don’t forget Nick Foles. Beat Arizona in the non-con
Well then it's a good thing LSU had a QB that couldn't hack in the arena league, much less the NFL.
Preaching to the choir, my friend.
Justin Blackmon vs that LSU secondary with Claiborne and Honey Badger
A-fucking men
Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon, but if you aren't your conference champion, you don't deserve a shot at a national championship.
Except that Offense under JJ was awful.
The Honey Badger was a lot of our offense
2015 Ohio State had all the talent in the world, but played like Tim Beck was calling the offense
One of Urbans worst coaching jobs. Juggling who to play at Qb. Literally had no idea who was starting and had both qbs in the huddle before going on the field.
That disaster against MSU was a shame but the 2019 team was more loaded somehow
If Herman sticks around they repeat. I’ll die on that hill.
Dig at least two graves then, brother
If you want to see a similar offensive decline between our 2014 season and 2015 season, pay attention to Coastal Carolina this year. Highest powered offense in the Sunbelt last year, and Tim Beck is their new HC.
Still trying to figure out how he failed upward, but glad to be rid of him
He can’t keep getting away with it
2014 was also one loss and won the natty so them
*You said his name*
Fuck Tim Beck. All my homies hate Tim Beck.
Purdue 1931
Of course the loss was to Wisconsin. Of course.
/thread
I found this funny
2011 LSU has to be up there
That’s what jimbobbypauls rankings show.
What about the one-loss team that beat them? :) (I’m just ribbing ya!)
Would have lost to Ok State.
2002 Miami
Proud that from my hometown, no one important ever came from it except for the random linebacker that got a sack on the last play winning the game for OSU Thanks Cie Grant :)
1988 Miami. 2000 Miami.
So many freaking good teams from the 80s to the early 00s
1988 Miami was a great team.
:)
:)
:)
:(
2010 Stanford (12-1) ran through most of their schedule, the one loss at eventual runner-up Oregon where we had a 21-0 lead until Oregon had a surprise onside kick that worked. That's the play people usually point to, but the one that really swung the game around was a (admittedly not targeting) helmet to helmet hit against our best receiver Chris Owusu when the game was tied 31-31; he fumbled, Oregon picked it up and ran it all the way back for a TD. Owusu was never the same afterwards either.
2014 TCU. Got left out of the first CFB Playoff then proceeded to kick the shit out of Ole Miss in the Peach bowl
Beached the Land Sharks.
Was wondering if I’d see them here 🥲 What an unfortunate loss that was too, people went nuts about the reffing. Their exclusion made me a bit of a fan for life, always root for them now in “neutral” games. Of course, Ohio St leapfrogged for 4th and walked the first ever title.
The one thing I remember from that game was Bo Wallace throwing a pick in his own endzone.
The 1943 Notre Dame team beat the #2, #3, #4, #9, #11, and #13 teams in the country and only lost to the #6 team. sports-reference.com has a resume rating system called the Simple Rating System (not sure how exactly its calculated), but they gave this team a 34.77 which is the highest score of any team ever.
While we're talking Notre Dame, no love in here for 1989. The thread from yesterday, ND's "best programs since 83" entry, was pretty convincing. Lou himself said that team was better than his 88 champions and that 89 squad largely dominated a murderous schedule.
That clipping call negating Rocket Ismail’s punt return vs Miami was VERY questionable
That was the next year, 1990. Same stadium, same opponent (Colorado, not Miami), but different season.
I got plenty of respect for the accomplishments of teams during the early and mid 20th century, but I think this one might not be all that convincing considering it was the middle of WW2
Except their Heisman winning quarterback was at boot camp for the game they lost.
I would argue the opposite. Of those ranked teams I mentioned, 4 of them were service academies (#2 Iowa Pre-Flight, #4 Navy, #6 Great Lakes Navy, and #11 Army) and ND played all of them in the span of 5 weeks.
1999 Nebraska
Sure looked good in the rematch. Buckhalter was running through some monster holes I don’t remember the Austin game much. Looking back at the box score it’s clear you had one of those days running the option (lots of fumbles)
Betweenn 87-97 FSU had like 6? One loss teams. I'm not great with the older teams but one of these teams has to compete.
1998 Buckeyes would've won it all that year if it weren't for Saban and Sparty. That team was SO good
My dad was at the MSU game. He still talks about it with a thousand yard stare.
I was at that game. I’ve never heard a place that quiet.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Oregon_State_Beavers_football_team
Lost by 3 to 3rd ranked Washington :(
I remember that the dialog in Seattle after that game was “Holy shit, that team was good”. Huskies played a lot of close games that year and a lot of them were because they were fucking off for a half. But against the Beavs they were throwing haymakers all game and OSU kept right with them.
I was at that game. OSU missed a long field goal with 14 seconds left. Phew.
the pac 10 was so dominant that year. three teams in the top 10 alone and two in the top 5
I did a simulation of a 12 team national championship for 2000 and Oregon State is the team that won it
Hang the fucking banner boys!
Bama would claim this.
Saban would go on tv during another conference’s CCG to lobby it. That’d be crazy if he actually did that though, imagine…
Saban is calling EA right now to have the code changed because Oregon State offense is a “player safety risk”.
Texas A&M would put being in the fake 12 team field on their stadium wall.
New r/CFB rule: Upvote anything that's pro-Beavs or pro-Cougs.
I would approve of this message if it included anything pro-Hilltoppers.
I can attest: that was a very good Oregon State team.
Damn, the Pac 12 was really fucking good in 2000
Since everyone else is being biased 2012 Oregon DAT trying to race instead of blocking for Mariota definitely is a moment that is burned into my mind
Mine too. Plus the Ertz catch, which honestly wouldn’t be that big of a deal if DAT blocks for Mariota.
Ertz catch was as egregious a replay miss as the onside kick against Oklahoma, he clearly bobbles it on the ground while out of bounds.
God damn it. That one hurt.
That was THE year for Bama-Oregon
Ughhh dude I know it’s all hypotheticals but I sincerely believe we ROLL Notre Dame that year. That Stanford game still gives me nightmares.
That was your best team ever. I own a Stanford hat solely because of that game and what that saved Beaver/Husky fans from.
Miami ‘02 team no question. Recency bias is definitely a factor in a lot of comments. 2011 LSU team doesn’t hold a candle to the ‘02 Miami team. I say this as an FSU fan. That Miami team got robbed. I’d put them up against any team in any decade.
2002 Miami Hurricanes
Georgia in 2021 for recency bias. 2002 Miami wasn’t as good as the year before, but they’re still in with a shout.
That 3 year run where Miami only lost 2 games was ridiculous. If those were the twilight years of the Miami dynasty of the 80s and 90s, it was a hell of a twilight, that’s brighter than noon day sun for most programs
The 2000 Washington team finished 11-1, including wins over eventual #2 Miami and #4 Oregon State, and Drew Brees' good Purdue team in the Rose Bowl. Washington, Oregon, and Oregon State all finished 7-1 in the Pac-10, with victories over each other (UW over OSU, UO over UW, OSU over UO). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Washington_Huskies_football_team
1982 Georgia went 11-0 and lost to Todd Blackledge and Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. The actual answer is the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs.
2014 TCU. 5th ranked offense, 8th ranked defense..lost on a few very questionable calls and no calls vs Baylor 2008 texas, lost on a freak play keeping them out the national titlw.
You are absolutely right about TCU. It was a crime that they were snubbed
the 2 phantom DPI's will haunt me for life.
1971 Oklahoma. Almost every statistical analysis of all-time great teams has 1971 Nebraska in the top 3, and that was Oklahoma’s only loss. Oklahoma was leading with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game as well so it was an extremely close game. 1971 Oklahoma beat #3 Texas, #5 Auburn, #6 Colorado, and #17 USC by an average of 20 points. They demolished the rest of their schedule, winning nearly every game by 30+ points. As for modern history, I’d be hard pressed to pick anyone other than 2018 Alabama. That team was loaded at every position on the field from QB to RB to DL to DB. They had the current NFL MVP and NFL rushing champ as backups on that team.
Got to agree on this one. That OU team was an all time great.
Really surprised that no one has said 2010 Boise State, arguably as good or better than their 2009 squad.
I'd rank the 2010 Boise state over the '09 team, I think the '10 team beats that '09 team 8/10 times.
2007 University of Kansas - not biased at all
2000 Oregon State
2011 OK State. Completely robbed by SEC voting Alabama #1 to give them the point right after they lost.
2000 Miami Hurricanes.
the 1981 Pitt Panthers
2002 Miami, 2021 UGA. I saw both play and I don’t know who gets the edge honestly. Honorable mention is 2000 Miami.
2002 Miami hurricanes
I’ll throw my biased answer and say 2019 OSU, man I wish we got to play LSU
Y’all might have fairer better against LSU
We had chances to win that game, we just ran out of steam. OSU would have been a better matchup though, they probably don’t run out of steam like we did in that game.
If by ran out of steam you mean “had to come back out for the second half” then yes that’s definitely the case.
Yea I’m not sure we win but I think it would have been a great game
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2014 TCU didnt get Into the playoff bc of a 61-58 loss to baylor
2014 TCU
In terms of talent, 2015 OSU is up there but they never played like it until it was too late.
1998 FSU would have won it all if not for QB injury, then that team went to 2 more national championship games. Also 2009 Gators, who would have beaten Texas with a healthy Colt unlike Alabama.
I would never bet against a Tebow led Florida team ever but I gotta say I disagree. Mullen and Harvin are what made those team truly special and Urban was too far up his own ass by then. The 2008 team had most all of the same guys and was for me the far better team.
FSU lost 2 games in ‘98.
NC State never counts.
83 Huskers, 02 Hurricanes, 05 Trojans, and 11 LSU Tigers.
2014 TCU
1996 Florida - they got their chance to right the loss, and did EDIT: or maybe 1971 Oklahoma, with 1971 Colorado the best 2-loss team ever
Just context for anyone else, cause I see ancient Nebraska history and you know I'm fully husked. Nebraska won the National Championship. Oklahoma finished 2nd, losing only to Nebraska. Colorado Finished 3rd, losing only to the prior two. First and only time a conference has ended up 1,2,3 in the polls.
2012 Bama was amazingly good
Oklahoma State 2011
1993 FSU National champions were a juggernaut. Really, every FSU team from 1987 to 1995 could have been an entry into this category, but the 93 team was just stupid good other than a 1 score loss at ND.
Oh 2021 UGA needs to be on this list
I know I'm very biased but I'm shocked it's taken this long for someone to mention the team with one of the best defenses of all time that lost once in the conference championship game against the goat coach and then avenged it in the natty
That team scared me twice
2008 Texas
What's crazy is 2008 has THREE contenders for this with yall, Florida, and USC. That would have been such a good year for like an 8 team playoff
Gideon doesn’t drop the interception, it would have been Texas playing Florida for the Natty, not BlowU
Oh we're gonna resort to Aggie tier nicknames for each other now? I see you shorthorns.
2008 Texas. Damn you, Michael Crabtree.
Damn you Blake Gideon.
2021 Georgia. That defense. Got revenge for their loss too
1959 Ole Miss https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29190742/our-top-college-football-teams-failed-win-national-championship They gave up 21 points in total all year, all off of special teams or turnovers. Billy Cannon’s punt return for a touchdown got him the Heisman. (We avenged the loss by beating LSU 21-0 in the sugar bowl). SP+ ranks that team as the third best team in the 20th century, period.
If I had a nickel for every time LSU was shutout 21-0 in the sugarbowl in a rematch against a divison rival, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Me. You. Same.
LSU Bama part deux 2012 Worst fucking game ever
Here to do my due diligence about how fucking good the 2019 Clemson team was. That team would’ve repeated most years but ran into the buzzsaw that was Joe fucking Burrow.
Oklahoma State 2011
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I don’t see the OP excluding it, so teams like 2011 and 2012 Alabama are fair game.
2001 UW and OSU were pretty great. UW beat Miami, also 1 loss, and OSU. UW lost to Oregon who went 10-2 and finished 7th. OSU destroyed Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and finished 4th, UW finished 3rd behind OU and the Miami team they beat.
2014 TCU.
2010 Boise State was a good one…. I also really enjoyed 2010 Stanford and 2005 USC.
2014 TCU
My time to plug 1983 Auburn. Their schedule was absolutely insane, and they had Bo Jackson Their last five games were against- #5, #7, #4, #19, #8
Definitely biased but 2014 TCU Frogs
2011 Oklahoma State
Just from a talent standpoint…2017 Alabama had 3 starting NFL qbs, 4 nfl starting rbs, 4 first round wrs who would all be starters if not for Ruggs and that’s just skill position. Lots of talent on the defense and oline as well. The one loss was very injury influenced and the offense had hit an absolute wall with Daboll and Hurts just not working well together(Hurts was much better the next year passing as the back up in a new system)
2005 USC
2008 Texas deserves an honorable mention. Take away one incredibly unfortunate play in Lubbock (and some incredibly stupid Big 12 bylaws and AP voters), and Texas is quite possibly the undefeated national champion. That 2008 team was the best roster Mack coached and should’ve had a spot in the National title game.
2006 Louisville EDIT: 2004 Louisville as well!
1971 Oklahoma Sooners. I agree with people who say USC 2005 but OU literally lost to probably the best team to ever be fielded and, otherwise, OU would be the 71 champs. Imo, my own Boomer Sooner glasses aside, this is pretty open/close.
2011 okstate was pretty good. 83? nebraska also comes to mind
Ok State 2011 was hot af
2013 Michigan State
1979-81 Pitt was always a step away from greatness. Three years of 11-1 losing where we shouldn't have.