Interesting Story...1964 National Champs

[Dossenator]

The 1964 national championship was historic not so much for who won but for when the title was awarded. In 1964, seven different entities named a mythical national champion. The two most notable polls to fans at the time - The Associated Press and the United Press International - did not wait until after the bowl games to award their champion. Because of that, Alabama was named the national champ by the AP, UPI, and Litkenhous groups. However, the Crimson Tide went on to lose, 21-17, to Texas in the Orange Bowl and finish 10-1 on the year. Arkansas remained the only undefeated team in the country at 11-0 with its victory over Nebraska. Two groups who waited until after the bowl games to name their champion - The Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation - named Frank Broyles' Razorbacks as national champs. Both the AP and UPI changed their procedure the next year, choosing to wait until after the bowls to announce their final polls. NationalChamps.net recognizes this tribute to the great Arkansas team of 1964. Razoback stadium has a banner hanging that says 1964 National Champions. I guess even before the BCS the whole system was a mess. One of the biggest travesties I have seen was when Auburn in 2004 did not get to play for the championship....or when Nebraska got to a few years earlier (can't remember the year but you will know what I am talking about).

[Dossenator]

Here is more information about what I just posted. Very interesting stuff. This very scenario is why they changed how the National Championship would be determined in 1965.

In 1964, seven entities named college football champions, due to the fact that there is no NCAA playoff for Division 1-A football. At the time, the two most notable polls, the Associated Press and United Press International, named national champions after the completion of the college football regular season, but before teams competed in Bowl Games. Due to this, both the Associated Press and United Press International named the University of Alabama as National Champions. However, the Crimson Tide lost to the University of Texas at Austin in the Orange Bowl, to finish the season with a 10-1 record.
The University of Arkansas completed a 10-0 regular season in 1964. Additionally, Arkansas defeated the University of Nebraska 10-7 in the Cotton Bowl, to go through both the regular season and the bowl game as the only undefeated team in Division I football (11-0). Two less notable groups than the Associated Press and United Press International waited until after the bowls were complete to name their own National Champions. By virtue of Alabama's bowl loss to Texas and Arkansas's win over Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl, the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation both named the University of Arkansas Razorbacks as 1964 National Champions. Notre Dame and Michigan were also named National Champions by even lesser known entities.
As a direct result of the 1964 season, the Associated Press changed its practice of naming National Champions after the regular season beginning with the 1965 college football season. United Press International changed their practice of doing so in 1974.
Both the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama claim National Championships for the year 1964. However, by the standards of today and by the standards adopted by the Associated Press for the 1965 season, the University of Arkansas would be recognized as National Champions. Further, the fact that Arkansas was the only undefeated team of the 1964 season has caused many to recognize the University of Arkansas as the 1964 National Champions, despite the fact that the most recognizable organizations did not award their National Championship designation to Arkansas for that year.
Notable members of the 1964 Arkansas National Championship team include Jerry Jones, billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL; Ken Hatfield, who went on to coach the University of Arkansas, Clemson University, and Rice University in football; Assistant Coach Johnny Majors, who went on to coach both the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Tennessee in football; Jimmy Johnson, who went on to coaching success at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and with the Dallas Cowboys; and Jim Lindsey, a well-known real estate developer and businessman in the state of Arkansas.

[Eric]

That experiment with Ken Hatfield and Rice was too bad for a coach like him. It was a downhill slide for the most part.

[colorado_loves_football]

That experiment with Ken Hatfield and Rice was too bad for a coach like him. It was a downhill slide for the most part.

Well, I don't know that much about his coaching tenure at Rice, but he did wonders for Air Force, putting them back 'on the map' after their having been absent for a signifcant length of time. In 1982, Air Force beat Brigham Young, in Provo, UT. It was significant, because it was the inaugural game of the Cougar Stadium (now known as La Vell Edwards stadium) and Air Force beat a 'respectable' BYU team (lost to Ohio St, 47-17 in the Holiday Bowl), but they were Qb'd by Steve Young.

As far as Arkansas is concerned, I'm impressed they beat Nebraska and certainly deserved NC honors, but there were several teams I think, end of the year that were likely pretty good. Florida St, it would appear was good enough (by virtue of their win over Oklahoma) to have claim on the title, although they did lose a game, and tied Houston a team that wasn't that good, in general.

But, it conjures up memories of 1984, when Oklahoma beat Nebraska (sound familiar) to win the Big Eight Conference. So, as much as I agree that Arkansas 'won' the national championship, I still think the debate wasn't resolved, altogether, although Arkansas assuredly was better than Texas (having beaten team already).

In 2001, Nebraska was selected to play Miami, FL in the Rose Bowl. Maybe it wasn't the 'best' thing, but those teams were likely the two best teams in the country, at the time. I'm backtracking somewhat on what I stated earlier, but Colorado had already lost two games, not one. And Nebraska, unless I'm mistaken had beaten Texas, so had Colorado, but Colorado lost to them, earlier. Given how Colorado played in the Fiesta Bowl, that year, I doubt putting them in, would have made the game closer.

As it turned out, Oregon and Miami, FL were the two best teams. If the Rose Bowl had simply followed 'tradition' Oregon and Illinois would have been paired together. Miami and Nebraska could have played in the Fiesta Bowl. It's a moot point, I suppose but I like traditional pairings.
After all the dust settled, Miami, FL still would have been crowned national champions.

[RazorHawk]

I was in school in Fayetteville in 1963 and instantly became a huge Razorback fan even though their record was 5-5.

Ironically, when the AP and UPI decided to make their final ranking after the bowl games, due to the events following the 1964 season, Arkansas went undefeated again in 1965 and would have claimed the Natl championship. However they lost to LSU in the Cotton Bowl.

Talk about bad luck.