By Tex Noel, Editor The College Football Historian
With the temperatures hovering around the 90s and higher this summer; think back to a January evening when the University of Alabama won its most recent College Football title.
The scoreboard clock had barely clicked 0:00 and with confetti flowing from the Rose Bowl rafters like rain…a thought turned into faint whisper—that could be heard above all the celebration.
McElroy returns for 'Bama
That quaint audible sound turned into a more vocal and distinctive phrase…which was on the lips of those wearing Crimson in that historic venue…a single word was uttered over and over.
Repeat! Repeat!
Could the Tide repeat as champions of all the Bowl Subdivision/BCS team?
The USA TODAY Coaches’ poll has named the Tide its favorite for a repeat.
This is just the second in a coaches’ poll Alabama has been picked to be #1: The 1978 Bear Bryant-led eleven was UPI’s choice.
They have been Pre-Season #1 twice in the AP survey: 1966 and 1978!
For a team to win back-to-back champions has always been difficult; now with players skipping-out before their senior season, it’s even harder.
For ‘’argument’s sake” National Champions will be ones considered ‘’official by the NCAA: AP, Coaches, FWAA, NFFHF; beginning with the 1936 AP Poll.
There has been 12 times a champion has repeated; including Alabama twice.
From 1936-1989 10 Times:
1940 Minnesota
1941 Minnesota
1965 Michigan State
1966 Michigan State
1944 Army
1945 Army
1946 Notre Dame
1947 Notre Dame
1955 Oklahoma
1956 Oklahoma
1964 Alabama
1965 Alabama
1969 Texas
1970 Texas
1970 Nebraska
1971 Nebraska
1974 Oklahoma
1975 Oklahoma
1978 Alabama
1979 Alabama
Since 1990
1994 Nebraska
1995 Nebraska
2003 USC
2004 USC
Trivia Question:
Name the last Bowl Subdivision team to win it very first national champion?
Tex Noel
Tex Noel is the author of four books on college football’s statistical histories. He also finished a complete rewrite of the Historical Rose Bowl Media Guide; in addition to assisting a number of colleges with their football stat histories.
Currently, Tex is publishing a complimentary monthly newsletter on college football history, The College Football Historian.
