This information will piggyback on the previous thread regarding whether P5 conferences NOWADAYS are one-team races sans the Big Ten and SEC. (In general, they are). Since I already compiled a lot of the data for Bo Schembechler and Paul Bryant on that thread, I will bring the data over here and add to it each day or so. If you have a P5 that you want me to run then let me know. I've already done the 1970s.
1) This is one of those search missions upon which I embark; I have NO IDEA what the data will actually show before compiling it. Sometimes they affirm my assumptions, sometimes they overturn it. For those who are unaware, I have made this basic assertion before (so nobody misunderstands me): while in no way do I disparage Coach Bryant or Alabama, a quick overview has shown that MOST YEARS Alabama: a) did not have an overly challenging schedule; and b) the SEC AS A WHOLE in the 1970s was not the monster conference of 1954-1966 or 1980-onwards. IN NO WAY am I impugning the great coach. Indeed, I suspect (and the research on Bo sort of proved it) that while Alabama may not have played a powerhouse schedule every year during the 1970s, neither did hardly anyone else (my presumed exceptions at this time are Notre Dame and USC - and the Irish played a horrible schedule in 1973 as I've said on this board many times).
2) When I say "beat ranked teams," what I mean is this: "beat teams that were ranked AT THE END OF THE SEASON regardless of whether they were ranked when the two teams played." This is the only fair way - in my view - to do this. Northwestern opened the season at #20 in 1971 and Michigan beat them. They fell out of the rankings and never got back into them. This game does not count for Michigan as beating a ranked team, because they beat a ranked team in September that shouldn't have been ranked. It also enables us to allot for situations where a 3-loss team beats another good team in a bowl game and ends the year at #19.
3) I will be using the Associated Press poll during these years.
There are two reasons for this: 1) the AP poll was generally considered the more respected of the two. Yes, the UPI national championships counted, but prior to 1974, the UPI didn't conduct a post-bowl game poll. This could change the results at least a bit since a team might be #17 in the final UPI poll and then get blown out in the bowl game by an unranked team that replaces them.
4) Important point: in 1989, the polls expanded to 25 teams.To ensure equity across the decade, I WILL NOT INCLUDE RANKED TEAMS from 21-25 in the 1989 season. I WILL include them in any view going forward, but it's not as though beating a 4-loss team in 1989 should really be something to boast about (looking at Auburn's 1989 win over eventual #24 Ohio State as an example).
1) This is one of those search missions upon which I embark; I have NO IDEA what the data will actually show before compiling it. Sometimes they affirm my assumptions, sometimes they overturn it. For those who are unaware, I have made this basic assertion before (so nobody misunderstands me): while in no way do I disparage Coach Bryant or Alabama, a quick overview has shown that MOST YEARS Alabama: a) did not have an overly challenging schedule; and b) the SEC AS A WHOLE in the 1970s was not the monster conference of 1954-1966 or 1980-onwards. IN NO WAY am I impugning the great coach. Indeed, I suspect (and the research on Bo sort of proved it) that while Alabama may not have played a powerhouse schedule every year during the 1970s, neither did hardly anyone else (my presumed exceptions at this time are Notre Dame and USC - and the Irish played a horrible schedule in 1973 as I've said on this board many times).
2) When I say "beat ranked teams," what I mean is this: "beat teams that were ranked AT THE END OF THE SEASON regardless of whether they were ranked when the two teams played." This is the only fair way - in my view - to do this. Northwestern opened the season at #20 in 1971 and Michigan beat them. They fell out of the rankings and never got back into them. This game does not count for Michigan as beating a ranked team, because they beat a ranked team in September that shouldn't have been ranked. It also enables us to allot for situations where a 3-loss team beats another good team in a bowl game and ends the year at #19.
3) I will be using the Associated Press poll during these years.
There are two reasons for this: 1) the AP poll was generally considered the more respected of the two. Yes, the UPI national championships counted, but prior to 1974, the UPI didn't conduct a post-bowl game poll. This could change the results at least a bit since a team might be #17 in the final UPI poll and then get blown out in the bowl game by an unranked team that replaces them.
4) Important point: in 1989, the polls expanded to 25 teams.To ensure equity across the decade, I WILL NOT INCLUDE RANKED TEAMS from 21-25 in the 1989 season. I WILL include them in any view going forward, but it's not as though beating a 4-loss team in 1989 should really be something to boast about (looking at Auburn's 1989 win over eventual #24 Ohio State as an example).
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