Started By
Message
How would the best football teams from decades ago do today?
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:31 pm
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:31 pm
I think that people greatly underestimate how much football has improved over the years.
The worst Power 4 team in 2025 would probably beat the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. And if they're playing a national champion from something like 1975, it would be a total rout.
Similarly, the worst NFL team this year could beat a Super Bowl champion from 30 years ago. And if they were playing a Super Bowl champion from 50 years ago, it would be a massive rout.
The worst Power 4 team in 2025 would probably beat the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. And if they're playing a national champion from something like 1975, it would be a total rout.
Similarly, the worst NFL team this year could beat a Super Bowl champion from 30 years ago. And if they were playing a Super Bowl champion from 50 years ago, it would be a massive rout.
24
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:50 pm to UFFan
Their defenses could not force a modern spread team to punt, schematically speaking.
A modern P-4 offense would score every time they got the ball.
A modern P-4 offense would score every time they got the ball.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:52 pm to UFFan
Today we have HGH. The fuel of champions has changed dramatically. The rules of college football have simply changed today. Let's do away with the 40-second clock and let's see what happens with these HUNH spreads. Then once again, DCs can sub every play according to down and distance. When it once again becomes impossible to snap the ball before the defense is ready and fatigue takes the place of talent. You know, a real level field.
No one should ever be so stupid or naive as to ever think that past generations of talent were any less capable. All they would have to do is put the same PED fuel in the tank and then simply play by the same rules of that era.
I know that was painful to hear for many, maybe put your blindfold back on and earplugs back in, and just keep whistling in the dark. Evolution is, after all, one hell of a drug.
No one should ever be so stupid or naive as to ever think that past generations of talent were any less capable. All they would have to do is put the same PED fuel in the tank and then simply play by the same rules of that era.
I know that was painful to hear for many, maybe put your blindfold back on and earplugs back in, and just keep whistling in the dark. Evolution is, after all, one hell of a drug.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:55 pm to TriStateAreaFootball
I think some of our old wrecking crews could keep up with modern football. We usually played a 3-4 those days and had bigger LBers than we do now. It was a formidable front 7.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 4:58 pm to JayAg
quote:
could keep up with modern football.
Has nothing to with this. Sure, they could run, but defense had not evolved enough schematically for them to even align to the formations let alone depend the RPO game.
They just wouldn't know what to do, if that makes sense.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:01 pm to TriStateAreaFootball
But in those days, everyone ran the option. Why can’t they handle an RPO? They had to account for heavy running QBs that could pitch or pull it back to throw.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:03 pm to UFFan
When are they playing? Some of those defenses from the 90s would have a field day if you tried to pass over the middle every other play with no targeting or helmet to helmet. There’s a lot of receivers today that wouldn’t survive a game.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:04 pm to JayAg
Well for one, blocking a run and throwing a forward pass would have been deemed illegal (Because it should be).
Second, nickel defense had not been invented let alone the concept of split-safety coverage (how teams generally defend RPO game).
Second, nickel defense had not been invented let alone the concept of split-safety coverage (how teams generally defend RPO game).
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:04 pm to bamameister
Sometime between 2005-2012 HS>>college athletes developed rapidly. The SEC was ahead of it. I think it was that 2012 Bama/Michigan game where it stood out that a premier Big10 school was smaller at every position. Bama just was bigger/stronger/faster everywhere. Lots of athletes like that all over college football today.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:05 pm to CaliHorn
Admissions quit pretending camps and 7 on 7s started and recruiting services and recruiting staffs amped up which led to less athletes slipping through the cracks
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:07 pm to UFFan
I don’t think 2024 Purdue is beating 1995 Nebraska. Just a gut feeling though.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:19 pm to CaliHorn
quote:
Sometime between 2005-2012 HS>>college athletes developed rapidly. The SEC was ahead of it. I think it was that 2012 Bama/Michigan game where it stood out that a premier Big10 school was smaller at every position. Bama just was bigger/stronger/faster everywhere. Lots of athletes like that all over college football today.
Frankly, long before that. We have countries, like Russia, China, the USA, and others, and their best scientist who have done nothing but live in labs, pumping the latest and greatest into their greatest athletes. Today, that chemistry is in every locker room in the world. Down to high schools, boys and girls.
Look at today's Mr. Olympia contest compared to the 60s and 70s of Arnold's day. They are even more massive and carry zero body fat with that muscle growth. Unheard of until the mid-80s.
We don't have better genetics, which frankly, would be impossible. But we have much better chemistry, and we have people motivated by money, glory, nationalism, vanity, etc, to use it to the full.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:20 pm to UFFan
They would all get tossed out of the game for targeting, which is why their helmets looked like this.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:22 pm to UFFan
quote:
The worst Power 4 team in 2025 would probably beat the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Nah I don't think so.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:26 pm to CaliHorn
To add context I think gets lost. There is maybe 5 strength and conditioning coaches that controlled college football for 15 years bc they were ahead of their time. Didn’t Georgia hire Bama’s golden boy S&C coach, and started winning titles? I can’t recall when that happened.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:32 pm to JayAg
quote:
I think some of our old wrecking crews could keep up with modern football.
They never won anything that mattered. All hype. No substance.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:38 pm to TriStateAreaFootball
Has nothing to with this. Sure, they could run, but defense had not evolved enough schematically for them to even align to the formations let alone depend the RPO game.
They just wouldn't know what to do, if that makes sense.
They wouldn’t be able to run rpo as you know it today if they played a team from the 90s. Prior to 2009 oline couldnt advance on a pass play 3 yards(nfl still can’t). Brett Favre claims he used rpo’s in the nineties, just looks different when oline can’t advance. Without the D committing to the run bc of what looks like run blocking, it’s not as effective.
They just wouldn't know what to do, if that makes sense.
They wouldn’t be able to run rpo as you know it today if they played a team from the 90s. Prior to 2009 oline couldnt advance on a pass play 3 yards(nfl still can’t). Brett Favre claims he used rpo’s in the nineties, just looks different when oline can’t advance. Without the D committing to the run bc of what looks like run blocking, it’s not as effective.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:47 pm to UFFan
quote:
The worst Power 4 team in 2025 would probably beat the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. And if they're playing a national champion from something like 1975, it would be a total rout.
Nebraska's 1995 team would just line up and pound the living crap out of most teams today running their I option.
And the 1975 national champion Oklahoma team? They would be at a disadvantage for sure to a modern team due to size. But Joe Washington would still be Joe Washington... and the Selmon brothers would still be a handful for a modern offensive line despite being 265 or 270 lbs.
Posted on 4/30/25 at 5:49 pm to bamabaseballsec
quote:
They wouldn’t be able to run rpo as you know it today if they played a team from the 90s. Prior to 2009 oline couldnt advance on a pass play 3 yards(nfl still can’t).
It's not just RPO game. A 10 personnel zone run game would give any team from before 2000 hell because they had simply never seen than before. Coupling that with the speed advantage on offense would allow them to score every time.
or....their slow outside linebackers would just allow bubble screens to gain 7 yards all the way down the field.
Defenses before 2000 simply could not make a modern offense punt (Without self-inflicted wounds).
Posted on 4/30/25 at 6:02 pm to JayAg
quote:
Didn’t Georgia hire Bama’s golden boy S&C coach, and started winning titles? I can’t recall when that happened.
Nahh. He wanted to be a position coach , but I can’t remember what position uga hired him for. Maybe special teams. Turned out he was addicted to prescription drugs and didn’t last long at uga. Maybe he’s worked through that, as he is the new head coach at West Alabama
Page 1 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News