re: Grantland.com on 1978 season/1979 Sugar Bowl

As to 1978.....Alabama AP National Champs

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. USC pre season ranked #9.

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

Week 6, USC lost to an unranked Arizona St. and dropped from #2 to #7. Meanwhile, Alabama had been moving back up in the polls. So USC had fallen below Bama because of being beaten by an unranked team.

By week nine, only 2 unbeatens... OU and Penn State.
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.
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 13 (last week of regular season) - Penn State, bye; Bama beats AU; USC beats Hawaii.
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

When the dust settled, Alabama became #1 by beating the #1 undefeated Penn State on a famous "Goal Line Stand". USC jumped to #2 by beating #5 Michigan.

Final AP poll for 1978...
1< 2 Alabama (38) SEC 11-1 W 14-7 vs #1 Penn State (Sugar)
2< 3 USC (19) Pac-10 12-1 W 17-10 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

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



USC was awarded the UPI national championship. And USC's win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, on tailback White's TD....

LINK ]"Phantom touchdown".... While diving toward the end zone, White was stripped of the ball by Michigan linebacker Ron Simpkins, who recovered and gained possession for the Michigan offense at its 1-yard line. Even White was surprised by the touchdown call, having thumped his fist into the turf for fumbling at such a key point in the game.


Also.....

LINK ]In the second quarter, White dove towards the Michigan goal line from the three-yard line but fumbled the ball. He hit the ground in the end zone holding nothing but air. Although a Pac-10 official correctly signaled that possession had been turned over, a Big Ten official ran onto the field and ruled the play a touchdown.

The incident has gone on to be remembered as the Phantom Touchdown. “There was no way I got that ball into the end zone,” recalls White. “But what was I supposed to do? Say to the ref, ‘Excuse me, you made a mistake?’” USC went on to win the game 17-10.

78 USC = 2011 Okie St

You jelly of all of Bama's Natty's?

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They are AP, UPI/Coaches, and BCS titles

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So no real NCs.

Nothing but fantasy.

ummm......

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Bama fans are just saying the team was shafted in 66

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Alabama came "that" close to getting shafted in 1979,too. And,if Missouri hadn't upset Nebraska in mid-Nov of '78, Penn State would have played Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

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Bama fans are just saying the team was shafted in 66. We don't claim it. We aren't Arky fans.

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45 too.

Yep. Lots of teams can say they shoulda, woulda. Or shouldn't have. Colorado 1990 comes to mind, as does BYU 1984.

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as does BYU 1984.

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beats a 6-5 Meeeshigan. Course UW only beat them by 9, so I guess good enough.