Alabama - How Many NC's???

I read a lot of period pieces.  I assuse the FWAA was taken very seriously back then.   The UPI, less so.  Neither had the clout of the AP, though.

The NCAA, to this day, still considers a FWAA title as a "consensus" title on the same level as the AP, AFCA, and the National Hall of Fame.  The UPI was plagued by homer coaches who would vote up their team and their opponents.  Check out Illinois in 1962 who won 2 games and yet finished #18 in the UPI poll.

You want a good read.  Here's a 1967 article that was in sports illustrated:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.
com/vault/article/magazine/MAG10802
69/index.htm

Here's a quote from the aritcle:

"Because of their discontent with all polls, especially those of the wire services, the Football Writers Association of America set about naming the national champion in 1954, also after the bowl games. Feeling that a mere vote by the 1,200 members would not be fair because one section might be overloaded, a committee of five supposedly unprejudiced writers from different areas is appointed each season, and they decide by secret ballot. With two possible exceptions, Iowa in 1958 and Ohio State in 1961, the Football Writers appear to be doing the best job."

Here's another:

"Of all the No. 1 awards currently in existence, the three that are most eagerly sought—and all about equally—are those of the Football Writers, the UPI and the AP. "

The Football Writers was pretty highly considered in the 50s and 60s.  The UPI started with a degree of respectablity that built through the 60s and became pretty powerful in the 70s. In 64, the FWAA was slightly more respectable, but alas, that passed.

I was aiming at running all the pre BCS data win/loss/tie through the BCS computers to see if they would agree with the human polls - Although I may not like the BCS but you have to admitt it takes emotional opinions out of the polls and looks strickley at the numerical eliments.

I do acknowledge that LSU/USC each have a National Championship in 2003.

Knut, after this, you can never tell me again that you dont pick on Bama or try to discredit us or take pride in trying to put us down. 

Anyways, the NCAA recognizes 11 of those 12 that we claim and Alabama should have 12 considering the way the 1966 season went and 1941 is a little iffy. 

By the way, that is written by a Barner and there are plenty of Barners who live and breathe by it, including a facebook group for it. 

Ng,

There are versions of this same article that have floated around the CFB circles for years.  I honestly put it up here today for semi selfish reasons, partly my own CFB education.  I got exactly what I wanted out of this thread and that was truely honest and unbiased opinions backed up with serious facts.  What better way to add credit to Bama's past successes than to put this in an open forum with knowledgable CFB fans that can discredit such an article.

Articles like this are usually seen on team boards where biased fans don't break it down and instead take it all for fact.  I found it on a Mississippi St. board last week and not one fan questioned it for being bogus and biased information.  I knew for a fact the truth would come out and a comprehensive discussion would follow here.

So in short, not only did I not pick on Bama, I helped clear up some misconceptions about your past by putting this out there for some of the best CFB fans to pick it apart.

You can Thank me later Buddy.

KNUT

KNUT