Bowl Games Won That Determined A National Champion

Just remove two from the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose since there were eight seasons before the BCSNCG era which was its own game without the bowl name.

I definitely would have guessed the Orange and Sugar Bowls first and second due to the flexibility they had during the days of bowl ties and the strength of conference affiliations.

The Rose Bowl had to take the B10/P10 champs but the OB could take an at-large to go along with the B8 champ and the SB bowl an at-large to go along with the SEC champ. The B8/SEC champs were also usually better than both the B10/P10 champs.

The Fiesta Bowl could take any but didn’t come into prominence until the mid ‘80s when Miami and PSU played.

I would argue no stadium saw more significant football history (college and pro) than the Orange Bowl stadium at the time of its demolition,

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"The Mormons come to town with the Ten Commandments and a $20 bill, and they don't break either one of them."

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That’s hilarious.

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I’d be interested to know what those numbers are excluding 1998-2005 in the pre-BCS days.

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The 1966 Orange Bowl was the first post-season game of the Poll Era to decide a national championship. The Associated Press had switched its final voting period to AFTER the bowls following the 1964 season and #1 Alabama's loss to Texas in the Orange Bowl. #1 Michigan State lost in the Rose Bowl and #2 Arkansas lost in the Cotton Bowl, thus making #3 Nebraska vs. #4 Alabama in the Orange Bowl the de facto national championship game for the AP.

So the match-ups prior to the BCS which would decide the national championship were as follows:

1966 Orange Bowl - #3 Nebraska (28) vs. #4 Alabama (39)
1972 Orange Bowl - #1 Nebraska (38) vs. #2 Alabama (6)
1979 Sugar Bowl - #1 Penn State (7) vs. #2 Alabama (14)
1983 Sugar Bowl - #1 Georgia (23) vs. #2 Penn State (27)
1984 Orange Bowl - #1 Nebraska (30) vs. #5 Miami (31)
1987 Fiesta Bowl - #1 Miami (10) vs. #2 Penn State (14)
1988 Orange Bowl - #1 Oklahoma (14) vs. #2 Miami (20)
1993 Sugar Bowl - #1 Miami (13) vs. #2 Alabama (34)
1994 Orange Bowl - #1 Florida State (18) vs. #2 Nebraska (16)
1995 Orange Bowl - #1 Nebraska (24) vs. #3 Miami (17)
1996 Fiesta Bowl - #1 Nebraska (62) vs. #2 Florida (24)

So, why were they invited from 1978-84,89-91,93? I'm not saying what you said is wrong. In fact, I've heard that before, but the Holiday had no control who they invited from 1978-84, and again from 86-87,89 as the WAC Champ was automatic. In 85 and 88 they could pick at large and if they invited a WAC team as an at large it didn't have to be the champ. In 85 they invited two non-WAC teams for the first time, and in 88, even though they weren't contractually obligated still took the WAC Champ, Wyoming, as an at large. From 1990-96 the contract called for a WAC team, and it didn't have to be the champ. During that 6 year period(the contract was nullified before the 96 game), they took BYU 3 times or half the time. So, they really didn't stop inviting BYU. The statement was made after BYU coaxed the WAC into a new contract with the Holiday in 1985, because ,as I stated in my other post, BYU was pissed they had to go to the Holiday in 1984, instead of the Orange or Sugar. So, in response the Holiday Bowl director made his comments about the cheap Mormons.

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Interesting fact: BYU won the WAC once again in 1985, and qualified for the Holiday Bowl. BYU turned down the invite since the game was on a Sunday and would thus violate BYU's religious rules against playing on Sunday's. BYU instead accepted an invite to the Citrus Bowl to play Ohio State. Because of this the Holiday was not obligated to take a WAC school, so they chose Arkansas and Arizona St. If anything, BYU wanted the WAC out of the Holiday Bowl contract, because if they had not been bound to the Holiday Bowl in 1984, that team could've went to a major bowl and brought in bucket loads more money than the chump change the Holiday Bowl was paying back then. It also cost BYU a chance to play in a prime time NYD game in a "real" national championship game instead of playing 6-5 Michigan in the Holiday.

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interesting history from before my time. I always wondered about that odd one off NC that BYU won. Always thought it was odd they were selected national champion with that schedule (like a 1998 undefeated Tulane), but didn’t know they were tied to the Holiday Bowl.

How fortunate were they to get to play mighty #3 Pitt to start the season to slingshot them all the way up to #13 before they played pansies the remainder of the season. ***That #3 Pitt team they barely beat went on to go 3-7-1 that season

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I'm not going to argue with your stupid arse. I lived there when it happened.

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And I explained why. I don't give a damn where you lived. I was alive also and remember it well.

1984 might be in the running for biggest "down year" in the history of college football. So many great programs were in the process of rebuilding. So much had to happen for BYU to win the national championship that year.

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I guess all the newspapers lied, you pompous jackass. I LIVED THERE! Not just alive.

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That BYU joke has been around forever. It has nothing to do with BYU being in or not being in the Holiday Bowl. The Holiday hosted the WAC champion for nearly 20 years. BYU won the WAC frequently. There were other tie ins that came and went related to the Holiday, but the facts remain and where you lived and what papers you think you read are irrelevant.