From: alisg@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Subject: Re: bowls, etc
Reply-To: alisg@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 23:22:24 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.084931.1@ducvax.auburn.edu>, owen@ducvax.auburn.edu writes:
[various things about Auburn's not winning the MNC in 82, in spite of being
ranked 2nd and winning while #1 Nebraska lost --- it's all at the end of this
post]

As an Alabama alum, and certainly no fan of Auburn, I cannot help but
sympathize with these "sour grapes." 

In 1977, Alabama, ranked 2nd, totally destroyed a quite respectable Ohio State
team in teh Sugar Bowl 35-6. That same day in the Cotton Bowl, #1 Texas fumbled
about 8 times and gave #5 Notre Dame the game. Guess who vaulted to #1? (And
people wonder why Notre Dame is so despised by so many.:) 

george
(did you notice how I didn't crow at all about Bama's latest championship?)



>In article <1i8ebjINNakq@crcnis1.unl.edu>, holliday@cse.unl.edu (david holliday) writes:
>> "al sorhaindo" writes:
>> 
>>>Their point is well taken though that "upsets" are not uncommon.
>>>Miami's three victories over the number one team when they were #2
>>>doesn't even include their monumental upset over Nebraska because
>>>the Hurricanes entered that Orange Bowl no higher than #3.
>>> (Auburn was higher in the pre-bowl standings)
>> 
>> Aarrrgghhh. Must people still bring up that first Nebraska-Miami Orange
>> Bowl? :-) I believe the poll situation was Nebraska #1 (all season), Texas #2,
>> (all season), Auburn #3, and Miami #4. I remember Texas losing, but I
>> can't remember who beat them. I'm not too sure about Auburn, but I seem to
>> remember that there was some concern on Miami's part on whether or not they
>> would be #1 after their victory.
>
>Still a sore point here at Auburn.  I believe Miami was actually #5 in the
>pre-bowl polls (#'s 2 and 4 lost earlier in the day, before the Sugar and
>Orange Bowls).  Auburn played a very good Michigan team, which had gotten
>off to a bad start (losing 3 of their first 4 or 5, but finishing strong
>at 8-3) in the Sugar.  With number 2 having already lost, Dye went even
>more conservative than usual, refusing to pass even though Michigan was
>putting 9 and 10 men (and on a few plays, 11) within 3 yards of the line of
>scrimmage to try to stop the run.  Dye thought all he had to do was win,
>and hope Miami won, all of which happened.  The pollsters, however, were
>not impressed.
>
>The MNC was actually won for Miami in August, when Sports Illustrated ran
>a long cover story on Nebraska in their College Football Preview issue,
>going so far as to say that Nebraska was the best college football team
>to ever put on cleats, and probably as good as several NFL teams.  Most
>other writers toed the party line after that, and these assumptions went
>unchallenged through most of the season, given that Nebraska managed to
>go into the bowls undefeated.  This was accomplished with perhaps the
>softest schedule in the history of college football.  The only decent
>teams on their schedule were Oklahoma (having a down year, for them) and
>Oklahoma State (who were good, but not great).  Only having to get up
>for 2 games all year, Nebraska just barely managed to beat these 2 only-
>slightly-above mediocre teams.  Their uniforms were the Emporer's Clothes,
>but nobody in the press seemed to notice.  So when Miami beat them, it
>was not, IMHO, that much of an upset.  It was, however, a great ball game,
>and the hype surrounding it (NBC promoted it for weeks as being for the
>MNC, even though there were 3 teams between Miami and Nebraska in the polls)
>convinced the voters that Miami deserved it.  Had Dye let Randy Campbell
>throw the ball a few more times, and Auburn's victory over Michigan would
>not doubt have been a little more decisive, it probably would have been a
>different story, and justice would have been served ;-).  Ah, the taste of
>sour grapes!
>
>Larry Owen
>
>p.s. If there is another coaching change at Auburn while Schnellenberger
>  is still coaching, and his name comes up, don't believe it.  He will
>  *never* coach at Auburn after the way he shamelessly campaigned for
>  the MNC after this Orange Bowl, costing Auburn the championship.