re: Alabama with only 8 NC's

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Alabama has 8,

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N.dame has 9

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Alabama (8) 1961, 1964, 1965 (AP), 1973 (Coaches), 1978 (AP), 1979, 1992, 2009
Notre Dame (8) 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973 (AP), 1977, 1988

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Nice read and good find on the SI article.

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As to 1978..... AP National Champs, legit

This was the year that #2 Alabama defeated #1 Penn State, the only undefeated team in the nation, in the Sugar Bowl.... the famous "Goal Line Stand".

Alabama started the season ranked #l in the AP.
Top 10 preseason AP poll:
1< 2 Alabama (31) SEC 11-1
2< 3 Arkansas (13) SWC 11-1
3< 5 Penn State (5) Ind 11-1
4< 7 Oklahoma (1) Big 8 10-2
5< 1 Notre Dame (9) Ind 11-1
6< 9 Michigan Big Ten 10-2
7< 11 Ohio State Big Ten 9-3
8< 4 Texas (1) SWC 11-1
9< 13 USC (2) Pac-10 8-4
10< 12 Nebraska Big 8 9-3

The only loss that year was to #7 USC which dropped Alabama from #1 to #7 in week #3. USC jumped from #7 to #2

Alabama was then dropped the next week to #8 when they beat Vandy 51-28. After that drop, Alabama did not lose another game and gradually worked their way back up in the polls, going to #4 by week 6.

Week 6, USC lost to an unranked Arizona St. and dropped from #2 to #7.

Week 7, Alabama moved up from #4 to #3; USC moved up from #7 to #6.

Week 8, no movement with the top 8 teams.

Week 9, USC jumps to #5 when then #5 Maryland lost. Bama remained #3. Undefeateds OU #1 and Penn State #2.

Week 9 top five:
1< 1 Oklahoma (50) Big 8 9-0
2< 2 Penn State (13) Ind 9-0
3< 3 Alabama SEC 8-1
4< 4 Nebraska Big 8 8-1
5< 6 USC Pac-10 7-l

Week 10, OU loses to Neb. and drops. Penn State is #1 and the only undefeated team in the nation. Pollsters jump Neb. above Alabama.
Top five:
1< 2 Penn State (55) Ind 10-0
2< 4 Nebraska (6) Big 8 9-1
3< 3 Alabama (4) SEC 9-1
4< 1 Oklahoma Big 8 9-1
5< 5 USC (1) Pac-10 8-1

Week 11, Neb. loses and drops out of the top five. Alabama moves up to #2; USC jumps OU for #3.

Week 12, Michigan moves into top 5. Rest remain the same with everyone winning their games. Penn State is the only undefeated and remains #1.

Week 13 (last week of regular season) - Penn State, bye; Bama beats AU; USC beats Hawaii; OU, bye; Mich., bye.
1< 1 Penn State (48) Ind 11-0
2< 2 Alabama (5) SEC 10-1
3< 3 USC (3) Pac-10 11-1
4< 4 Oklahoma (3) Big 8 10-1
5< 5 Michigan Big Ten 10-1

Bowl time! January 1,1979....
#1 Penn State and #2 Alabama SEC Champs were chosen to play in the Sugar Bowl. Bama 14-7
#3 USC Pac-10 champs and #5 Big 10 co-champs played in the Rose Bowl. USC 17-10
#4 Oklahoma Big 8 co-champ played #6 Nebraska Big 8 co-champ in the Orange Bowl. OU 31-24

When the dust settled, Alabama was jumped to #1 by beating the #1 undefeated Penn State. USC jumped to #2 by beating #5 Michigan. OU jumped to #3 by beating #6 Neb. Penn State dropped to #4; Mich. remained at #5; and Neb. dropped to #8.

Final AP poll (top ten):
1< 2 Alabama (38) SEC 11-1 W 14-7 vs #1 Penn State (Sugar)
2< 3 USC (19) Pac-10 12-1 W 17-9 vs #5 Michigan (Rose)
3< 4 Oklahoma (1) Big 8 11-1 W 31-24 vs #6 Nebraska (Orange)
4< 1 Penn State Ind 11-1 L 14-7 vs #2 Alabama (Sugar)
5< 5 Michigan Big Ten 10-2
6< 7 Clemson ACC 11-1
7< 10 Notre Dame Ind 9-3
8< 6 Nebraska Big 8 9-3
9< 14 Texas SWC 9-3
10< 9 Houston SWC 9-3

The Rising Of The Tide
Alabama beat Penn State 14-7 in the Sugar Bowl to lay claim to the national title



And USC's win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl....
Tailback Charles White of USC has done some amazing things this season. And in the Rose Bowl he performed a trick worthy of Houdini, apparently scoring a touchdown without the football.

Interesting.. I don't see a particular team bowling that claims that years title.

December 09, 1957

The Bowls Now Are Settled:

Rose—ohio State And Oregon;
Cotton—navy And Rice;
Sugar—mississippi And Texas;
Orange—duke And Oklahoma;
Gator—tennessee And Texas A&m

I guess this is accurate after all.