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This year marks the 80th anniversary of the most controversial title claim in CFB history
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:31 pm
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:31 pm
The 1941 Alabama Crimson Tide...
I can just see the SID guy sometime in the 80s trying to figure out a way to claim more national championships than Notre Dame. 1945 wouldn't be good because Army won it that year and we gotta support the troops; 1966 or 1977 wouldn't look good either because Notre Dame claims national championships in both of those seasons and they'd just tease us about it. But 1941? Some obscure mathematician named Houlgate has a contemporary poll where we finished #1, despite not winning the SEC, despite finishing the season 9-2, and ranked #20 in the poll that is now seen as THE standard in college football. The optics won't be bad at all.
I can just see the SID guy sometime in the 80s trying to figure out a way to claim more national championships than Notre Dame. 1945 wouldn't be good because Army won it that year and we gotta support the troops; 1966 or 1977 wouldn't look good either because Notre Dame claims national championships in both of those seasons and they'd just tease us about it. But 1941? Some obscure mathematician named Houlgate has a contemporary poll where we finished #1, despite not winning the SEC, despite finishing the season 9-2, and ranked #20 in the poll that is now seen as THE standard in college football. The optics won't be bad at all.
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Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:32 pm to RollTide1987
It's just the frickin worst
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:33 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
controversial title claim
quote:
Alabama Crimson Tide
Checks out
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:33 pm to RollTide1987
I wish we would drop the 41 title claim.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:41 pm to RollTide1987
Ha, that’s the year state won one of their unofficial National titles
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:42 pm to mwlewis
Keep it. Aggy will just try and claim.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:46 pm to RollTide1987
I never did understand some of the bama fans claiming that one. MSU only had 1 loss and beat Bama head to head 14-0. I guess every school has them tho.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:47 pm to Poolflood
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Keep it. Aggy will just try and claim.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:47 pm to MullenBoys
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I never did understand some of the bama fans claiming that one.
Our SID claimed it. Any Alabama fan who knows the first thing about that season disavows it.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:51 pm to El_Tigre94
Whatever the number is...all I know is that it’s a lot more than everyone else
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:52 pm to Shamoan
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Ha, that’s the year state won one of their unofficial National titles
They weren’t gonna give us anything no matter what we did. Hell , the year before we didn’t lose a game- held 9 teams to 7 or less points including 4 shutouts and weren’t even in the conversation. I think we both know why.
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:52 pm to RollTide1987
Yeah that claim makes me cringe and is the only claimed title that can’t be justified
Posted on 5/16/21 at 9:54 pm to mwlewis
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I wish we would drop the 41 title claim.
Me too. 1966 should’ve been the one claimed because the case is much much stronger
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:40 am to Ted2010
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1966 should’ve been the one claimed because the case is much much stronger
I don't think 1941 or any other national championship should have been claimed. We should have just stuck with 10 claimed national championships and have been done with it. No one would have faulted us for claiming the Rose Bowl wins as national championship seasons to go along with Bear's six Poll Era titles. You can't claim 1945 because Army won the AP that season; you can't claim 1966 (as much as it sucks) because Notre Dame won AP/Coaches; you can't claim 1975 because Oklahoma won AP/Coaches; and you can't claim 1977 because Notre Dame won AP/Coaches.
Claiming any national championship in the Poll Era that wasn't awarded by a so-called "consensus" selector means that your title claim is pretty fraudulent. That is why 1941 should be dropped by the university.
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:48 am to RollTide1987
its only been 17 years since the most controversial.
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:53 am to RollTide1987
As I've always said, it needs to be swapped for the '66 title that was stolen from us. 
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:53 am to AUDevil
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its only been 17 years since the most controversial.
Are we talking 2003 USC claiming a national championship thanks to be awarding won by the Associated Press or Utah claiming some obscure national championship after their undefeated season in 2004?
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:58 am to RollTide1987
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I don't think 1941 or any other national championship should have been claimed. We should have just stuck with 10 claimed national championships and have been done with it. No one would have faulted us for claiming the Rose Bowl wins as national championship seasons to go along with Bear's six Poll Era titles
Yup
AP/Coaches poll titles from the poll era - Rose Bowl undefeated seasons from the pre-poll era. Totally reasonable. 1941 throws all of that in the trash.
Posted on 5/17/21 at 7:59 am to mwlewis
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wish we would drop the 41 title claim.
Everyone does.
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