Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Dispelling the "12 NCs Lie"


I wrote this three or four years ago, and first posted it on either the old collegefootballnews.com blog (now scout.com) or the now-defunct Paul Finniboom blog. I've refined it a bit since the first version, but the gist is the same:

Bammer's claim of winning 12 NCs is a contemptible LIE.

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If you read the NCAA records (online), you won't be left with a sense that Bama can legitimately claim 12 NCs.

When you hear a Bammer fan say that Bammer has 12 NCs, you can immediately confront the LIE. Here are THE FACTS:

  • 1925: There was no national champion (or championship) in 1925. Without exception, every poll mentioned in the NCAA record book was assigned retroactively no less than 1 year later, and as many as 55 years later. The two polling methods Bammer quotes are Helms (applied retroactively in 1941) and Football Annual/College Football Researchers Association (whose retroactive application of their method was no earlier than 1982, and is described in the NCAA Record Book as "conducted on a poll by Harry Carson Frye"). Who the hell is Harry Carson Frye? A Bammer? I just didn't get a good feeling about this, so I did a little more research.

    What I found was that Dartmouth appears to have the only legitimate claim to the 1925 championship, as the method used (Dickinson) came into being prior to 1925, although it was not marketed to newspapers until 1926. Dickinson's method seems to be the first to employ strength-of-schedule and a trophy (the Rissman Trophy). There is a lengthy write-up about the Dickinson poll on the USC website; if you read it, it's pretty obvious that this was the prevailing method of the day.

    Scratch the alleged 1925 championship. This Bammer lie has been exposed and repudiated.

  • 1926: According to Dickinson (the poll in use in 1926), Stanford is the 1926 National Champion. But wait a minute, the Bammers say... Alabama tied Stanford in its final game of the season (the Rose Bowl), and both were otherwise undefeated. The question is - was Dickinson applied after the head-to-head matchup? The answer is YES - check the Stanford website - Stanford received the Rissman Trophy. If there's any doubt - Notre Dame (believe it or not) has/had permanent possession of the Rissman Trophy; it may have an inscription indicating the 1926 National Champion. My guess is that it's got "Stanford" next to "1926", but if you want to be sure, call the Notre Dame Athletic Department; maybe they can tell you for sure. Without any better information....

    Scratch the alleged 1926 championship. Another Bammer lie exposed and repudiated.

  • 1930: Notre Dame is ranked #1 by 9 of the 13 polls recognized by the NCAA records for 1930. Of the 13 polls, only three were actually used in 1930: Dickinson, Boand, and Houlgate, and all three selected Notre Dame. The modern day NCAA consensus pick is also Notre Dame.

    Scratch the alleged 1930 championship. Another Bammer lie exposed and repudiated.

  • 1934: Here's our first potential dilemma. Of the polls in use mentioned in the NCAA records, six are actually in existence in 1934, and they're evenly split between Minnesota and Bammer. The edge would seem to be in Minnesota's favor (Dickinson picked'em), but if we look further at the NCAA data, on p. 89, the modern-day NCAA consensus pick is Minnesota - who also at least shared the 1935 National Championship with SMU (who lost in their bowl game to Stanford). Minnesota also won the 1936 National Championship outright.

    Scratch the alleged 1934 championship. Another Bammer lie exposed and repudiated.

  • 1941: Woops.... it's Minnesota again. Of the seven polls in existence at the time, Minnesota comes out on top in six (including Dickinson, and the Associated Press). Bammer comes out on top in only one (existing) poll, and no retroactive polls. But it gets better! During the season, Bammer lost to Vanderbilt (who ended the season unranked according to the AP) and Mississippi State (who ended the season ranked #16 according to the AP). AP puts Bammer at #20. No question here...

    Scratch the alleged 1941 championship. Another Bammer lie exposed and repudiated.

  • 1961: No doubt here - it's Bammer's first National Championship.

  • 1964: Sorry Bammer! No cigar! Bammer was undefeated until it lost to #5 Texas (who was the unanimous 1963 National Champion) in the Orange Bowl. And if you can't beat #5, then you can't be #1. Isn't this obvious?

    Scratch the alleged 1964 championship. Another Bammer lie exposed and repudiated...

  • 1965: Not much doubt here - Michigan State loses its bowl game, and Bammer moves up to #1 from #4. Bear gets National Championship #2.

  • 1973: Sorry Bammer, no cigar here! #1 ranked Bammer plays #4 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl - and LOSES 24-23. Notre Dame moves up to #1, and is the consensus National Champion; to say Bammer is better than Notre Dame in 1973 is beyond delusional - it's an outright lie. The only reason Bammers claim they were National Champions in 1973 is because, at that time, the UPI poll didn't consider bowl games as the AP and other polls did. It would seem to most people that if you can't beat #4, then you can't be #1, but a deception based on an outdated poll is good enough for the Mullet Nation...

    Scratch the alleged 1973 championship. Another Bammer lie has been exposed and repudiated.

  • 1978: Looks like a winner... Bammer loses early in the season to USC, but not long after, USC loses to Arizona State. Both win their bowl games, and finish 10-1. Bammer wins the AP poll, USC the UPI poll. It's Bammer's third National Championship.

  • 1979: No question here... Bammer's 4th National Championship.

  • 1992: No question here either - Bammer's 5th National Championship.
SO..... in review: 12 - 7 = 5. That's FIVE NCs. And five only.

Now that we know the correct number... what would have happened had the NCAA uncovered the massive corruption that Bourbon Bryant rode heard over at Bammer starting in 1958? I dare say there would be ZERO national championships, and perhaps several hundred FELONY CONVICTIONS...


Remember - when a Bammer says ANYTHING about 12 NCs - challenge him/her ON THE SPOT - LIAR! THAT'S A DAMN LIE!
Then crush him/her with the facts if he/she attempts to continue to LIE.

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