Started By
Message
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the biggest robbery in CFB history
Posted on 2/13/16 at 8:18 pm
Posted on 2/13/16 at 8:18 pm
AP & UPI national champs of 1964 and AP national champs of 1965, Alabama entered the 1966 season ranked as college football's top team. Scheduling and the Civil Rights Movement, however, may have killed Alabama's chances for college football's most elusive prize: the threepeat.
Alabama was ranked #1 in both polls going into the first week of the season, but Alabama had a bye that weekend. #2 Notre Dame and #3 Michigan State played and won both of their games. Both polls dropped Alabama to #3 after the first weekend bye while Notre Dame and Michigan State moved up to #1 and #2 respectively.
Despite this, however, Alabama went on a tear in the regular season, dominating opponents left and right:
September 24 vs. Louisiana Tech (W) 34-0
October 1 @ Ole Miss (W) 17-7
October 8 vs. Clemson (W) 26-0
October 15 @ Tennessee (W) 11-10
October 22 vs. Vanderbilt (W) 42-6
October 29 vs. Mississippi State (W) 27-14
November 5 vs. LSU (W) 21-0
November 12 vs. South Carolina (W) 24-0
November 26 vs. Southern Miss (W) 34-0
December 3 vs. Auburn (W) 31-0
Despite the 10-0 finish in the regular season, and despite having finished #1 in at least one of the major polls over the last two years, Alabama couldn't muster the votes to surpass Michigan State and Notre Dame. In the "Game of the Century", the Irish and the Spartans played each other to a 10-10 tie to finish the regular season. Notre Dame declined a bowl invite (as they always did) and Michigan State couldn't go to a bowl game due to stupid rules the Big Ten had in place at the time.
Be that as it may, however, the AP and the UPI selected their national champions at the end of the regular season instead of waiting for the post-season as the AP had done the season before. Both polls voted Notre Dame #1 ahead of Michigan State and Alabama.
Had at least one of the polls waited until after the bowl games to announce, it is very possible Alabama would have finished #1 due to the beating they put on #6 Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl.
In front of 82,000 fans in Tulane Stadium, on January 2, 1967, the Alabama Crimson Tide took a 17-0 first quarter lead en route to a 34-7 victory over #6 Nebraska. After the game, Bryant called his '66 Tide the greatest team he had ever seen.
It is indeed one of the biggest injustices ever dealt to a football team. Even bigger than '83 and '04 Auburn. Alabama was the only undefeated and untied team at the end of the 1966 season, had been national champions in 1964 and 1965, and yet finished third at the end of the '66 season.
I think it about time for Alabama to remove its ridiculous claim to 1941 and begin recognizing 1966 as a national championship season. Most people, despite Alabama failing to win the AP or UPI, would understand the move and sympathize.
Long live the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide football team!
Alabama was ranked #1 in both polls going into the first week of the season, but Alabama had a bye that weekend. #2 Notre Dame and #3 Michigan State played and won both of their games. Both polls dropped Alabama to #3 after the first weekend bye while Notre Dame and Michigan State moved up to #1 and #2 respectively.
Despite this, however, Alabama went on a tear in the regular season, dominating opponents left and right:
September 24 vs. Louisiana Tech (W) 34-0
October 1 @ Ole Miss (W) 17-7
October 8 vs. Clemson (W) 26-0
October 15 @ Tennessee (W) 11-10
October 22 vs. Vanderbilt (W) 42-6
October 29 vs. Mississippi State (W) 27-14
November 5 vs. LSU (W) 21-0
November 12 vs. South Carolina (W) 24-0
November 26 vs. Southern Miss (W) 34-0
December 3 vs. Auburn (W) 31-0
Despite the 10-0 finish in the regular season, and despite having finished #1 in at least one of the major polls over the last two years, Alabama couldn't muster the votes to surpass Michigan State and Notre Dame. In the "Game of the Century", the Irish and the Spartans played each other to a 10-10 tie to finish the regular season. Notre Dame declined a bowl invite (as they always did) and Michigan State couldn't go to a bowl game due to stupid rules the Big Ten had in place at the time.
Be that as it may, however, the AP and the UPI selected their national champions at the end of the regular season instead of waiting for the post-season as the AP had done the season before. Both polls voted Notre Dame #1 ahead of Michigan State and Alabama.
Had at least one of the polls waited until after the bowl games to announce, it is very possible Alabama would have finished #1 due to the beating they put on #6 Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl.
In front of 82,000 fans in Tulane Stadium, on January 2, 1967, the Alabama Crimson Tide took a 17-0 first quarter lead en route to a 34-7 victory over #6 Nebraska. After the game, Bryant called his '66 Tide the greatest team he had ever seen.
It is indeed one of the biggest injustices ever dealt to a football team. Even bigger than '83 and '04 Auburn. Alabama was the only undefeated and untied team at the end of the 1966 season, had been national champions in 1964 and 1965, and yet finished third at the end of the '66 season.
I think it about time for Alabama to remove its ridiculous claim to 1941 and begin recognizing 1966 as a national championship season. Most people, despite Alabama failing to win the AP or UPI, would understand the move and sympathize.
Long live the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide football team!
2
Posted on 2/13/16 at 11:06 pm to RollTide1987
Y'all (I mean we) definitely got screwed but for me you've got to finish #1 in either of the major polls to be able to claim a legit NC. Too many dubious claims out there to start making exceptions.
Posted on 2/13/16 at 11:25 pm to Draconian Sanctions
Then about 45 or so years later.....
And as you said 50 years later:
And as you said 50 years later:
Posted on 2/13/16 at 11:58 pm to Draconian Sanctions
ah, that's what 1941 is for, a placeholder for things like 1977 and 1966
Posted on 2/14/16 at 10:07 am to Lordofwrath88
If you guys haven't read it already, check out Keith Dunnavant's book The Missing Ring.Well worth it and explains the whole season and all the political backdrop as to how Bama got screwed on a title that year.
Posted on 2/14/16 at 3:12 pm to 14&Counting
I think it about time for Alabama to remove its ridiculous claim to 1941 and begin recognizing 1966 as a national championship season.
Before my time, but I've been told the story many times.
I am at a loss when it comes to this. Someone needs to set the record straight. Alabama should be recognized as the only team to ever 3-peat.
Disgraceful how that went down. I hope those responsible grew to be ashamed of what they had done.
Before my time, but I've been told the story many times.
I am at a loss when it comes to this. Someone needs to set the record straight. Alabama should be recognized as the only team to ever 3-peat.
Disgraceful how that went down. I hope those responsible grew to be ashamed of what they had done.
Posted on 2/14/16 at 8:18 pm to FourThreeForty
frick Notre Dame
Posted on 2/15/16 at 5:57 am to RollTide1987
Six shutouts.
"In our hearts we know we're number 1"
"In our hearts we know we're number 1"
This post was edited on 2/15/16 at 5:58 am
Page 1 of 1
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News