Ara Parseghian Dead At 94

selmaborntidefan said:

Not to be a jerk but you have several things wrong here.....




Actually, they had THREE common opponents.


Alabama beat Ole Miss, 34-13, and #1 USC, 21-20, in Los Angeles, and killed Miami, 36-0

Notre Dame lost to Ole Miss in Jackson, MS, 20-13, blasted USC in South Bend, 49-19, and mauled Miami, 48-10





True, the games were in back to back weeks.




Actually, Alabama was number three.

AP Poll for 11/28/77

1) Texas - unbeaten
2) Oklahoma - only loss to Texas
3) Alabama - only loss to Nebraska
4) Michigan - a 16-0 stunning loss to Minnesota
5) Notre Dame - loss to Ole Miss
6) Arkansas - only loss to Texas
7) Kentucky - only loss to Baylor
8) Penn St - only loss to Kentucky

Note that Kentucky was ineligible for the SEC title because they were on probation.



Correct




Technically, they moved up FOUR places, and they routed Texas in the Cotton Bowl.




The 1977 argument is actually a tad more complicated than that. Notre Dame blasted Ga Tech, 69-14.....and Tech routed three different teams that Alabama beat:

Tennessee (Tech by 16, Alabama by 14)
Georgia (Tech by 9, Alabama by 8)
Auburn (Tech by 17, Alabama by 27)

Notre Dame beat 7 winning teams to our 4 and four top 20 teams to our two. They also beat two top ten opponents to our none (I'm referring to the end off the season rankings).


Oklahoma was justifiably ahead of us, too - after all, they had smoked Nebraska, 38-7, the same team that beat us, 31-24. OU lost to Arky in a rout in the Orange Bowl, but it's hard to say we should have been number two going into the bowl games.


I'm not arguing in favor of Notre Dame for the 1977 title, I'm simply objectively evaluating the data. And unfortunately, there's no doubt in my mind that our narrow losses to the Irish in 1973-75-76 had greased the public vote in Notre Dame's favor. It certainly is fair to ask whether we should have been ranked ahead of Notre Dame going into the bowls - and I think that's the heartburn so many Tide fans have over it. If we had been ranked fifth and Notre Dame had been ranked 2nd or 3rd then while it would have aroused a lot of anger, I think it would have been easier for our fans to accept. Had there been a BCS, it is VERY PROBABLE that Notre Dame would have played Texas in the BCS title game.

Here's a listing of the toughest SOS via winning percentage per "The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia" for 1977:

1) Penn St
2) Miss St
3) Pitt
4) Notre Dame
5) Miami
6) USC
7) Oregon
8) Nebraska
9) K State
10) Auburn

In fact, Alabama's schedule in 1977 would have been the second easiest schedule of any national champion in the post-segregation era with the exception of BYU.


Now having said all of that - Sip is unquestionably right on his last point. If one went by the number that we COULD legitimately claim then it would be higher anyway.

RTR

Click to expand...

Football is just a game, but he coached it the way it was supposed to be done!
He was an Honorable and just MAN, which is what we all should strive to be!
RIP Coach Parseghian, say hello to 'BEAR' for us mere mortals...!

Click to expand...

Isaiah 63:1 said:

I am reminded of a joke I heard years ago:

Ara Parseghian dies and gets to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the gates, welcomes him heartily, and takes him on a tour. "Everyone in heaven gets a house to live in for eternity, and for college football coaches, the outside of their houses are decorated in the theme of the team they are most associated with. For instance," St. Peter says, pointing to a modest house on the left, sporting a single USC flag, "that's John McKay's house. And over on the right," St. Peter continues, pointing to a similarly modest cottage with a Longhorn flag, "is Darryl Royal's. And this," stopping in front of yet another modest house, but with a solitary Notre Dame flag, "is yours. Welcome home, for eternity!"

Parseghian is about to walk into his heavenly home, when he looks down the street and notices a huge, multistory, opulent mansion with Alabama flags and banners flying from each column, and "Yea Alabama!" joyfully played by deceased members of the Million Dollar Band. A little puzzled, he turns and says, "St. Peter, I am happy to be here, and I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how come Coaches MacKay, Royal and I get small cottages, and Coach Bryant gets that large mansion?"

St. Peter, smiling gently, replies "Oh, that's not Coach Bryant's house. It's God's."

Click to expand...

selmaborntidefan said:

Hey Mike, welcome

Quick note though - even implied profanity (while I get your point) isn't tolerated here, okay? We will enjoy your company, and you'll enjoy ours. You just might get a little "hey don't do this, okay?"

We're all adults here and play well.

Good first post save for that one word.

Click to expand...

Fresno Mike said:

Notre Dame fan here. Re the Irish loss to Ole Miss in '77...for some unknown reason to all of us Dan Devine had Joe Montana as the 3rd string QB at ND at the beginning of that season. ... Joe did not play against Ole Miss. Devine finally put Joe in against Purdue the following week when the Irish were trailing in the second half. Joe led a winning comeback and the Irish never looked back the rest of the season. No one could figure out why Devine had Joe at 3rd string. Even the players on the team knew he was the best. Go figure. It was one of those mind-numbing coaching decisions. The Irish were the pre-season #1 team with an outstanding defense. Devine almost blew it by sitting Joe. Almost.

Lots of respect between ND and Bama. Lots of respect which is the way it should be. It's been heartening to read what you all have written about Ara. Thank you.

Click to expand...

TideEngineer08 said:

I'm more ticked off that he had the gall to call a pass on that 3rd down deep in Notre Dame's own territory in the 1973 Sugar Bowl.

RIP, Ara.

Click to expand...