1975 Sugar Bowl - Coach Bryant vs Tom Osborne

[selmaborntidefan]

On the Sugar Bowl tie-in - in 1978, Bama and Georgia were both undefeated in the conference with 2 weeks left in the season. IIRC, if Georgia won out, they would go to the Sugar since Bama was there in 1977. Georgia was kind enough to tie Auburn and avoid the scenario.

You're spot on, but let me fill in the picture.

What you're saying begs an obvious question - "Why did Georgia go in 1981 when they'd just been the year before and they and Alabama were both undefeated in the SEC?" The answer is that after the Georgia-Notre Dame game, the SEC amended the agreement with the Sugar Bowl to permit the Sugar Bowl to pick ANY team that won the SEC title regardless. This was actually smart economics for the SEC because it enabled the conference flexibility to get TWO big-paying bowl games if they had two highly ranked teams (which is exactly what happened in 1981, when Georgia got the Sugar and Alabama got the Cotton, a game that paid $400,000 more than the Orange did that year).

In 1978, Georgia opted to kick the game-tying PAT with 5:18 left, figuring:
a) they would get the ball back and
b) Rex Robinson - the best kicker in SEC history at the time - was their insurance policy.

Dooley's action was defensible except for one peculiar fact: Auburn outgained UGA, 502-268, and rushed for over 400 yards, so why did Dooley actually believe he had a chance to win?

In 1979, it was even funnier: UGA wound up 6-5 but for awhile there was the possibility they would wind up 5-6 but win the SEC and a Sugar Bowl berth. Again, Auburn came through for us, beating Dooley that day.

 

[TexasBama]

You're spot on, but let me fill in the picture.

What you're saying begs an obvious question - "Why did Georgia go in 1981 when they'd just been the year before and they and Alabama were both undefeated in the SEC?" The answer is that after the Georgia-Notre Dame game, the SEC amended the agreement with the Sugar Bowl to permit the Sugar Bowl to pick ANY team that won the SEC title regardless. This was actually smart economics for the SEC because it enabled the conference flexibility to get TWO big-paying bowl games if they had two highly ranked teams (which is exactly what happened in 1981, when Georgia got the Sugar and Alabama got the Cotton, a game that paid $400,000 more than the Orange did that year).

In 1978, Georgia opted to kick the game-tying PAT with 5:18 left, figuring:
a) they would get the ball back and
b) Rex Robinson - the best kicker in SEC history at the time - was their insurance policy.

Dooley's action was defensible except for one peculiar fact: Auburn outgained UGA, 502-268, and rushed for over 400 yards, so why did Dooley actually believe he had a chance to win?

In 1979, it was even funnier: UGA wound up 6-5 but for awhile there was the possibility they would wind up 5-6 but win the SEC and a Sugar Bowl berth. Again, Auburn came through for us, beating Dooley that day.

We were on a bye in 78, so I went over to Auburn to visit some HS friends and went to the game. My support of Auburn was not well received.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

We were on a bye in 78, so I went over to Auburn to visit some HS friends and went to the game. My support of Auburn was not well received.

The one time it's acceptable for a Tide fan to root for Auburn - when it helps the Tide!!!

(But you lose your "fan card" if you utter that damn phrase......)

 

[TD10]

I never understood why Oklahoma's decisive defeat to Kansas 23-3 at home at such a late date (Nov. 8) did not cost them more. Their victory over Nebraska was overrated. One-point wins over Colorado and Missouri and a 3-point win over a 2-8 Miami team plus the loss at home to Kansas should have made the final polls much closer.

Why on earth would Coach Bryant want to guarantee the Big 8 loser a Sugar Bowl bid. Nebraska lost to Oklahoma by 25 points; if Oklahoma had lost to Nebraska they would have had two losses at home in November. No point in guaranteeing either team. Penn State did not have a QB like Vince Ferragamo but had a great defense and was a better team than Nebraska. They held Ohio State to 17 at Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tony Dorsett to 6, and Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to 13. That Sugar Bowl was a war and kind of a preview of the rematch three years later.

In reality I think all parties involved regarded Ohio State winning the Rose Bowl and national title as a foregone conclusion since they had trounced UCLA 41-20 in Los Angeles earlier in the season. No one expected what UCLA actually did in the Rose Bowl. Thus the exotic nature of the Superdome (for Alabama) and the first time that the Michigan-Ohio State loser was eligible for a bowl (for the Orange Bowl) was the real focus instead of a perceived-to-be long shot at a national championship. I always respected and admired Tom Osborne, but he got what he deserved against Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl for his inappropriate comments.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I never understood why Oklahoma's decisive defeat to Kansas 23-3 at home at such a late date (Nov. 8) did not cost them more.

Because:
a) it was their first loss
b) every team ranked below them had at least two losses except..
c) Texas had one loss but OU had beaten them and
d) Arizona St, whom (fairly or unfailry) nobody took seriously
e) Kansas was 5-3 and the Big Eight was perceived as a strong conference.

We can argue the point, but given the teams below it, the drop was defensible.

Their victory over Nebraska was overrated. One-point wins over Colorado and Missouri and a 3-point win over a 2-8 Miami team plus the loss at home to Kansas should have made the final polls much closer.

They still had a 39-1-1 record in their last four seasons at that point, and they were defending champions (which usually gets you a bit of a mulligan). And while they may have only beaten Missouri by one point, they didn't lose to them by 13 as we did.

Why on earth would Coach Bryant want to guarantee the Big 8 loser a Sugar Bowl bid. Nebraska lost to Oklahoma by 25 points; if Oklahoma had lost to Nebraska they would have had two losses at home in November. No point in guaranteeing either team. Penn State did not have a QB like Vince Ferragamo but had a great defense and was a better team than Nebraska. They held Ohio State to 17 at Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tony Dorsett to 6, and Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to 13. That Sugar Bowl was a war and kind of a preview of the rematch three years later.

Our own Keith Dunnavant has uttered (in his book) the phrase "Bryant was allowed to pick his opponent."
Bryant's hand was strengthened by the fact Nebraska didn't sell out the Sugar Bowl the previous year.
He knew that Penn St would return a bunch of tickets but Alabama fans would travel.

In reality I think all parties involved regarded Ohio State winning the Rose Bowl and national title as a foregone conclusion since they had trounced UCLA 41-20 in Los Angeles earlier in the season. No one expected what UCLA actually did in the Rose Bowl. Thus the exotic nature of the Superdome (for Alabama) and the first time that the Michigan-Ohio State loser was eligible for a bowl (for the Orange Bowl) was the real focus instead of a perceived-to-be long shot at a national championship. I always respected and admired Tom Osborne, but he got what he deserved against Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl for his inappropriate comments.

I'd have had more respect if Osborne could have just said, "We want that Sugar Bowl because of the money."

 

[TD10]

Your points are well taken. I just thought the late date (Nov. 8) of Oklahoma's loss differed qualitatively from Alabama's in the first game. Regional politics as much as anything. I very much miss the bowls on New Year's Day from back then but NOT the politics and biases of the polls.

That 1975 Alabama team often gets overlooked. After that Missouri loss they won 11 straight only giving up 52 points. Of that 52 points, Miss State scored on a fumble return and Ole Miss scored on the last play of the game (they were down 32-0, went for two, missed 32-6). So meaningfully they only gave up 39 points in those last 11 games. Unheard of by 1975. Bob Baumhower, Leroy Cook, and Woodrow Lowe with young backups like Marty Lyons and Barry Krauss. Truly a defense for the ages. They beat Washington and Warren Moon 52-0 and it was 52-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Missouri were truly the Giant Killers of the 1970s. A fascinating story. An enigma wrapped in mystery as Churchill said of Stalin. They won at Notre Dame in 1972 and 1978 (Montana was QB). They won at Nebraska in 1974, 1976, and 1978 - also in 1973 at home. They won at Alabama in 1975. They won at USC and at Ohio State in 1976. They shut out Arizona State twice in 1974 and 1977. Their wins over Alabama in 1975 and USC in 1976 (who finished 11-1 and 2nd to Pittsburgh in the final polls) directly cost both a national championship. Both Alabama 1975 and USC 1976 would likely have been 12-0 and national champions otherwise. Their win at Nebraska in the last regular season game of 1978 cost the Huskers (who had upset #1 Oklahoma the week before) a national title game vs Penn State in the Orange Bowl. No Missouri, no Goal Line Stand. But they were so unpredictable. An example - in 1976 they beat USC 46-25 in the LA Coliseum in the first game of the season; the next week at home they lost 31-6 to Illinois, a 5-6 team; the next week they beat Ohio State (Orange Bowl champs) 22-21 in Columbus. Those 1975 and 1976 Missouri teams were both 6-5 and neither played in a bowl.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Your points are well taken. I just thought the late date (Nov. 8) of Oklahoma's loss differed qualitatively from Alabama's in the first game. Regional politics as much as anything. I very much miss the bowls on New Year's Day from back then but NOT the politics and biases of the polls.

I agree with this. I VERY MUCH miss the old days of getting up that morning and watching a few minutes of both the Rose and Cotton Bowl parades, maybe an hour or so of ESPN (back before it got to corporate) and then a veritable buffet of choices.

I probably got more exercise as a kid on New Year's Day than any other day. "Ok, flip it over to the other one while they're at commercial," LOL!!

The really weird thing is that it was FUN when you had 3-4 teams in the running on NYD but frustrating as hell trying to figure out who would be the actual champion.

That 1975 Alabama team often gets overlooked. After that Missouri loss they won 11 straight only giving up 52 points. Of that 52 points, Miss State scored on a fumble return and Ole Miss scored on the last play of the game (they were down 32-0, went for two, missed 32-6). So meaningfully they only gave up 39 points in those last 11 games. Unheard of by 1975. Bob Baumhower, Leroy Cook, and Woodrow Lowe with young backups like Marty Lyons and Barry Krauss. Truly a defense for the ages. They beat Washington and Warren Moon 52-0 and it was 52-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

I'm a tad bit too young for any firsthand knowledge of the team, but I've heard a lot good about them from folks who were around.

Missouri were truly the Giant Killers of the 1970s. A fascinating story. An enigma wrapped in mystery as Churchill said of Stalin. They won at Notre Dame in 1972 and 1978 (Montana was QB). They won at Nebraska in 1974, 1976, and 1978 - also in 1973 at home. They won at Alabama in 1975. They won at USC and at Ohio State in 1976. They shut out Arizona State twice in 1974 and 1977. Their wins over Alabama in 1975 and USC in 1976 (who finished 11-1 and 2nd to Pittsburgh in the final polls) directly cost both a national championship. Both Alabama 1975 and USC 1976 would likely have been 12-0 and national champions otherwise. Their win at Nebraska in the last regular season game of 1978 cost the Huskers (who had upset #1 Oklahoma the week before) a national title game vs Penn State in the Orange Bowl. No Missouri, no Goal Line Stand. But they were so unpredictable. An example - in 1976 they beat USC 46-25 in the LA Coliseum in the first game of the season; the next week at home they lost 31-6 to Illinois, a 5-6 team; the next week they beat Ohio State (Orange Bowl champs) 22-21 in Columbus. Those 1975 and 1976 Missouri teams were both 6-5 and neither played in a bowl.

I discovered that when I did my write-up of the 1978 Alabama team. Missouri was one of those blockbuster teams that would go about 7-4 and play in the Holiday Bowl but every year they'd knock off some big-time opponent.....and then turn right around and lose to someone that made you say, "Huh?" It's almost like they were the Big Eight version of Houston Nutt's Arkansas.