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re: 1950: Who DESERVED the National Title
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:54 pm to AUTiger789
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:54 pm to AUTiger789
quote:It’s a 2 hour trip and it’s 1950. I don’t think stadium’s really were in the custom of raising hell at this point in time. It’s not like it is today where you can’t hear yourself while on the field. We also got one more high quality win than they did against Alabama
Agree. But venue of that game does matter. If UT had beat KY in Lexington there’d be no debate, but there was an advantage in playing at home.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 2:58 pm
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Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:08 pm to GreatPumpkin
quote:
It’s a 2 hour trip and it’s 1950. I don’t think stadium’s really were in the custom of raising hell at this point in time.
The stadium in Knoxville did a major expansion in 1948 to bring capacity up to 47,000. That’s essentially like a home game at Ole Miss in 2025. For that time in history, that was a very large stadium.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:24 pm to AUTiger789
quote:It was I think they got close to 50k that year for that particular game which is remarkable given how sparsely populated Tennessee was in 1950. But I don’t think people stood and screamed their lungs out for their defense beck then. Maybe I’m wrong I’d love to hear from an old timer about when crowd noise became a factor.
The stadium in Knoxville did a major expansion in 1948 to bring capacity up to 47,000. That’s essentially like a home game at Ole Miss in 2025. For that time in history, that was a very large stadium.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:36 pm to AUTiger789
Tennessee lost in week 2 of 1950 on the road. They finished the year on a 10 game win streak including beating UK.
Pre Bowl Champion: Deserves to be OU 10-0
Post Bowl Champion: Unequivically Tennessee at 11-1
It can't be UK cause the Vols beat them head-to-head. It can't be OU cause they lost their bowl game (if this argument is taking place after the bowl game). Overall of those 3 teams, the Vols had 3 ranked wins including 2 top 5 wins. Thats easily the best resume of the bunch. Late season losses matter more than early seasons losses. We see this every year. I have no problem with OU getting the nod because they were awarded the title pre bowl game. However, the Vols are the only right answer if this is a post bowl game debate.
Vols were also the only top 5 team to win their bowl game that year. UK was ranked 7 when they beat OU. If modern standards were applied to this situation, the Vols are awarded national champions easily.
Pre Bowl Champion: Deserves to be OU 10-0
Post Bowl Champion: Unequivically Tennessee at 11-1
It can't be UK cause the Vols beat them head-to-head. It can't be OU cause they lost their bowl game (if this argument is taking place after the bowl game). Overall of those 3 teams, the Vols had 3 ranked wins including 2 top 5 wins. Thats easily the best resume of the bunch. Late season losses matter more than early seasons losses. We see this every year. I have no problem with OU getting the nod because they were awarded the title pre bowl game. However, the Vols are the only right answer if this is a post bowl game debate.
Vols were also the only top 5 team to win their bowl game that year. UK was ranked 7 when they beat OU. If modern standards were applied to this situation, the Vols are awarded national champions easily.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 3:47 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:39 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
n 2004, when Auburn went into Knoxville and beat the tar out of Tennessee, he said from the College Gameday postgame set, “If Auburn wins out they will absolutely deserve to play for the national title and they would have my vote.” He was an AP voter that year, and his and ESPN’s opinions majorly sway other voter’s opinion
He pulled the same shite with UGA in 07 saying they didn't deserve to be in the championship game because they didn't win their division. 2011 he turned around and said it didn't matter and we'd never seen anything like this before. He's a POS.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:47 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
should claim this trophy since they were the only ones to be awarded it.
You don't "claim" trophies. You either have a trophy that was awarded to you, or you don't.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:51 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
One should assume that if a team is going to play in a bowl game, they enter that game with the intent to win.
But that assumption sorta knocks that 2013 Bama Sugar Bowl narrative in the head, doesn't it?
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:59 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
The AP was the only major poll that year.
Incorrect. The Coaches Poll started in 1950.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:01 pm to Harry Boutte
quote:
You don't "claim" trophies. You either have a trophy that was awarded to you, or you don't.
One ironic twist to this thread is that the next season's champion (1951) Tennessee... lost their bowl game as well... to Maryland.
Two seasons later... the exact same thing happened to Maryland... lost their bowl game to Oklahoma.
There were nine seasons (between 1950 and 1973: inclusive) in which the national champion (when picked before the bowl game) lost in their bowl game.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:16 pm to Gunga Din
Oklahoma won 47 straight games in the 50's. The reason they didn't win 4 straight Nattys is because back then you were only allowed to go to a bowl every other year.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:18 pm to scrybe
quote:
But that assumption sorta knocks that 2013 Bama Sugar Bowl narrative in the head, doesn't it?
They were reeling from being Kick 6’ed and OU just laid the wood to them.
10/10 game
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:36 pm to Wishbone85
quote:
Oklahoma won 47 straight games in the 50's. The reason they didn't win 4 straight Nattys is because back then you were only allowed to go to a bowl every other year.
That was a Big 7 conference rule at the time that tried to mix up who got to go to bowls… but it wouldn’t have had any effect on the national championship as the AP awarded the trophy prior to the bowl games anyway.
OU won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956. They didn’t 4-peat for other reasons:
In 1954, OU went 10-0 but finished #3 in the AP behind #1 Ohio State (9-0) and #1 UCLA (9-0). The reason OU didn’t win the title is because those other teams passed the Sooners in the rankings after big wins.
OU was ranked #1 in 4 poll releases early in the season… but after only beating Kansas State 21-0 (yes, KSU was that bad in those days), and after Ohio State soundly beat #2 Wisconsin the same day, Ohio State passed OU in the rankings.
A week later, after a narrow win over Colorado, OU got jumped again by UCLA. UCLA had just defeated Cal 27-6, and voters likely compared that score to Oklahoma who had beat Cal 27-13 a few weeks earlier.
Oklahoma stayed put at #3 the rest of the season.
In 1957, OU probably would have 3-peated but they lost to Notre Dame late in the season, and that thankfully paved the way for 10-0 Auburn to win the title instead (thank you very much).
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 4:38 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:39 pm to Gunga Din
quote:
There were nine seasons (between 1950 and 1973: inclusive) in which the national champion (when picked before the bowl game) lost in their bowl game.
It is absolutely baffling to me that fans put up with this for so long. Granted the AP began awarding trophies after the bowls following the 1964 fiasco (sorry Hogs). The UPI kept giving them out before the bowls through 1973 when once again Bama was given a trophy and the promptly lost their bowl game.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:52 pm to AUTiger789
quote:
They were reeling from being Kick 6’ed and OU just laid the wood to them. 10/10 game
It was Derrick Henry’s breakout though and for some reason Bama didn’t ride that horse as hard as they should have. So stubbornly locked into Yeldon’s “seniority” that Henry only got 8 carries. Still totes it for a hundred.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 6:24 pm to AUTiger789
Kentucky has it. Always has.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 6:42 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
It's crazy how that 1950 Kentucky team might just be the best in program history.
Whys it crazy? They are flat out the best team in program history, there’s no “might”?
Posted on 7/24/25 at 7:18 pm to Porter Osborne Jr
quote:
He’s a POS
I’ve got to agree with this Dawg.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 10:06 am to AUTiger789
Well we will never know.
Posted on 7/25/25 at 10:19 am to AUTiger789
Kentucky
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:54 am to AUTiger789
quote:
1950: Who DESERVED the National Title
If we've learned anything from Bama, its that if you claim a natty, it counts as your's.
UK claims 1950, therefore we have the title for that year.
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