re: Alabama with only 8 NC's

Well, this AU fan had to look it up, but bama does claim it. So... write up.

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In the third week of the 1978 season, #2 Southern Cal (12-1) traveled to Birmingham and defeated #1 Alabama (11-1) 24-14. I'll be going into much more detail on this issue, but in the end, there really isn't anything more to say than that. I would rate this as the single worst job the AP poll ever did at #1, excepting of course years when they did not count bowl games.
The only competition for worst #1 selection is Brigham Young in 1984, and while Alabama '78 was a far better team than BYU '84, I think they were a worse #1 selection because there was no excuse for it. At least voters touting BYU in 1984 could say that BYU was the only unbeaten team. That's one more leg than Alabama voters had to stand on in 1978.

The only possible way Alabama could merit #1 in 1978 after losing to Southern Cal by more than a touchdown at home is if Alabama played a markedly stronger schedule and/or outperformed USC by a country mile. So let's go ahead and take a look...

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As the NCAA measures strength of schedule (winning percentage of opponents), Southern Cal not only played a tougher schedule than did Alabama in 1978, they played the 2nd toughest in the country, and the toughest ever played by a team that finished #1 in one of the major polls (.663). Southern Cal played 7 teams that finished ranked in either the AP or coaches' polls, and this is back when they just ranked 20 teams, so that is an incredible number. Alabama played 4. USC played 9 teams that will finish ranked in the fixed and expanded top 25, Alabama 5. So we're not just talking about a tougher schedule for USC here-- we are talking about one of the toughest ever played by a national championship contender, if not the toughest.

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[quote]24-14 in Birmingham plus one of the toughest schedules ever played by a 1-loss team renders any debate silly.[/quote]

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By the way, this is not from an AU fan.