Records against #1 teams

[ktffan]

The all-time record of teams against AP #1 teams:

Great Lakes Navy (IL) (1-0-0)--1.00000
Duquesne (1-0-0)--1.00000
Miami (FL) (9-7-0)--0.56250
Holy Cross (1-1-0)--0.50000
Carnegie Tech (1-1-0)--0.50000
Alabama (3-3-0)--0.50000
USC (7-10-0)--0.41176
Maryland (2-3-0)--0.40000
Purdue (7-11-0)--0.38889
Oklahoma (6-12-2)--0.35000
Notre Dame (8-16-1)--0.34000
Auburn (3-6-0)--0.33333
BYU (1-2-0)--0.33333
Penn St. (4-8-0)--0.33333
Arizona St. (1-2-0)--0.33333
Georgia (1-2-0)--0.33333
Ohio St. (4-8-0)--0.33333
Tennessee (2-4-0)--0.33333
Texas (4-9-0)--0.30769
UCLA (4-11-0)--0.26667
Rice (1-4-1)--0.25000
Arizona (2-6-0)--0.25000
Boston College (1-3-0)--0.25000
Georgia Tech (2-8-1)--0.22727
Michigan St. (3-12-1)--0.21875
Arkansas (3-11-0)--0.21429
Army (1-4-0)--0.20000
Mississippi St. (1-4-0)--0.20000
Florida St. (1-4-0)--0.20000
Kentucky (2-8-0)--0.20000
Stanford (1-6-1)--0.18750
Minnesota (3-14-0)--0.17647
Michigan (3-16-1)--0.17500
Wisconsin (3-15-0)--0.16667
LSU (1-7-1)--0.16667
Illinois (2-11-0)--0.15385
Washington (1-8-1)--0.15000
Florida (1-6-0)--0.14286
Washington St. (1-7-0)--0.12500
Oregon St. (1-7-0)--0.12500
Kansas St. (1-8-0)--0.11111
Syracuse (1-8-0)--0.11111
Texas A&M (1-9-0)--0.10000
Nebraska (1-10-0)--0.09091
Kansas (1-13-0)--0.07143
Northwestern (1-17-0)--0.05556
Iowa (0-9-1)--0.05000
Baylor (0-10-1)--0.04545
Pittsburgh (0-13-1)--0.03571
Duke (0-10-0)--0.00000
Hawaii (0-2-0)--0.00000
Virginia (0-4-0)--0.00000
East Caro. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Utah St. (0-2-0)--0.00000
Villanova (0-2-0)--0.00000
Colgate (0-1-0)--0.00000
Harvard (0-1-0)--0.00000
Fordham (0-1-0)--0.00000
Fresno St. (0-2-0)--0.00000
Vanderbilt (0-6-0)--0.00000
Tulsa (0-3-0)--0.00000
Florida A&M (0-2-0)--0.00000
Chattanooga (0-1-0)--0.00000
Wyoming (0-1-0)--0.00000
Western Mich. (0-1-0)--0.00000
West Virginia (0-9-0)--0.00000
Washington & Lee (0-1-0)--0.00000
Boston University (0-1-0)--0.00000
Wake Forest (0-6-0)--0.00000
California (0-10-0)--0.00000
Colorado St. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Central Fla. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Dartmouth (0-1-0)--0.00000
Cincinnati (0-1-0)--0.00000
Citadel (0-1-0)--0.00000
Clemson (0-4-0)--0.00000
Tulane (0-6-0)--0.00000
Columbia (0-2-0)--0.00000
Connecticut (0-1-0)--0.00000
Virginia Tech (0-7-0)--0.00000
Oregon (0-10-0)--0.00000
Iowa Pre-Flight (0-1-0)--0.00000
Navy (0-12-0)--0.00000
New Mexico (0-1-0)--0.00000
New Mexico St. (0-1-0)--0.00000
North Carolina (0-9-0)--0.00000
North Texas (0-3-0)--0.00000
Northern Ill. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Missouri (0-10-0)--0.00000
Oklahoma St. (0-9-0)--0.00000
Tennessee Tech (0-1-0)--0.00000
Pacific (0-1-0)--0.00000
Southern Miss. (0-2-0)--0.00000
Pennsylvania (0-4-0)--0.00000
South Carolina (0-3-0)--0.00000
SMU (0-9-0)--0.00000
Rutgers (0-4-0)--0.00000
San Diego St. (0-3-0)--0.00000
Temple (0-5-0)--0.00000
Toledo (0-1-0)--0.00000
Indiana (0-14-0)--0.00000
Middle Tenn. St. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Iowa St. (0-10-0)--0.00000
San Jose St. (0-1-0)--0.00000
Troy (0-1-0)--0.00000
Louisiana Tech (0-1-0)--0.00000
Louisville (0-3-0)--0.00000
N.C. State (0-3-0)--0.00000
Marshall (0-1-0)--0.00000
Houston (0-3-0)--0.00000
Melville PT Boats (0-1-0)--0.00000
Memphis (0-2-0)--0.00000
Mercer (0-1-0)--0.00000
Texas Tech (0-7-0)--0.00000
Air Force (0-1-0)--0.00000
Yale (0-1-0)--0.00000
Mississippi (0-5-0)--0.00000
Marquette (0-2-0)--0.00000

[Derek]

Where do you find this stuff??

[ktffan]

Where do you find this stuff??

I calculate it myself.

[Spence]

That stat really says alot for Miami. I knew they have had some great teams, but playing 16 #1 teams and winning 9 is a statement about how good they actually were. Just curious, how many of those games were against Notre Dame?

[Derek]

By any chance is the 1 GA win, in 1986 against Florida where they won 20-3?? I believe Florida was ranked #1 when that happened??

[colorado_loves_football]

The all-time record of teams against AP #1 teams:

Along the same 'lines' as the last post you did, now do the same thing, but this time, apply the standard (national champion).
The reason I'm being so particular, is a team might finish the year ranked #1 (as Brigham Young did, 1984) but not be ranked #1 when say, Michigan played them.
It's the same principle, I suppose, but 'limited' to a team's final ranking (I'd be intersted in seeing what difference it makes, if any).

[ktffan]

By any chance is the 1 GA win, in 1986 against Florida where they won 20-3?? I believe Florida was ranked #1 when that happened??

Georgia's three games against a #1 team (only 3? That's hard to believe):

19770101 Pittsburgh 3-27
19851109 Florida 24-3
19961102 Florida 7-47

[colorado_loves_football]

That stat really says alot for Miami. I knew they have had some great teams, but playing 16 #1 teams and winning 9 is a statement about how good they actually were. Just curious, how many of those games were against Notre Dame?

Yeah, I agree, having a winning % against #1 ranked teams says a lot about how competitive you are.
Even so, i'ts ironic it's not Miami at the top of the list. Sure, we could go on and on about how if anyone played Miami's schedule they'd necessarily be worse, but numbers don't lie. I might even go so far as to say BYU's record compares 'favorably' with Miami's. I'ts one reason why I think we all need to be 'careful' when we make 'blanket' statements like 'the ACC is the best overall conference'. It depends on what criteria you are applying, for it to be true.

[billybud]

BYU's record favorable to Miami?

Maybe, but only in an alternate universe.... Mr. Mxysptlk in Superman, came from such an alternate universe and caused mischief. He could be sent back to his alternate universe by saying his name backwards...for non fans, Mr. Mxysptlk was made wacky because he was forced to watch hours of Three Stooges films by Superboy.

[Spence]

Miami played 15 or 16 conferencne championship teams. BYU played 3. How does that compare?

[Derek]

By any chance is the 1 GA win, in 1986 against Florida where they won 20-3?? I believe Florida was ranked #1 when that happened??

Georgia's three games against a #1 team (only 3? That's hard to believe):

19770101 Pittsburgh 3-27
19851109 Florida 24-3
19961102 Florida 7-47

Yeah, 3 is pretty low.

My memory is correct with the 1985 game, where we blew Florida out while they were #1. I'll never forget how even GA fans were so shocked at how that game went.

[colorado_loves_football]

Miami played 15 or 16 conferencne championship teams. BYU played 3. How does that compare?

I knew you'd bring that up, but you can't fault BYU (or any other team, for that matter) for games that are scheduled, OOC (or even within their conference).
No, I probably shouldn't have stated it 'favors' BYU, it doesn't, but be objective, please.
BYU, beat Miami, FL head-to-head. Now you understand?

[Spence]

Yes and that is all well and good, but your talking about one game and this topic is all-time. Miami has been in the top 2 teams in the nation the last 20 years or so. It is hard to compare anyone to them.

The games BYU schedules is directly their "fault". They have an AD who schedules games. Until recently when the MAC started taking on anyone, anywhere the top tier mid majors had stayed away from the really high profile games.

Credit to BYU for beating Miami in that game. It was a great victory for their program, but the reason why it was a great win is because of the overall historical greatness of the Canes the last 20 years.

[billybud]

The truth be told....BYU is exactly why I am so caustic about teams getting ranked based on a weak schedule.

Some posters are young and won't remember, but Spence, Mountainman, and I do...

In 1984, Brigham Young University was voted to be the #1 team by the polls. BYU was the only undefeated team that year, going into the bowls, although there were good teams with one loss which played much tougher schedules. BYU had won a few blowout and won several reasonably close games, yet they never played a top team. BYU could have silenced its critics by playing a top team in their bowl. In fact, in 1981, Clemson did just that. Clemson was deemed to be a questionable #1, but played highly-rated, and favored, Nebraska in its bowl and won, earning its ranking. But, no, BYU decided to play Michigan in its bowl (and, I think that they had a choice). It was a down year for U-M. Although the Wolverines were one of the best 6-5 teams, they still did have 5 losses going into the bowl, and were hardly the proper challenge for a team that wanted to claim a national title. BYU beat U-M 24-17, and the polls rewarded that great 7-point victory over a then-6-6 team with the #1 ranking.

BYU going to the Holiday Bowl to play a 6-5 team, was a travesty for an NC contender....BYU was awarded a title by pollsters who reward wins over all else...by beating the likes of Baylor,Tulsa, Hawaii, Colorado St., New Mexico, UTEP, San Diego St. and Utah...did anyone think they were the best team in college football? Absolutely freakin' not. But that didn't stop them from being voted #1.

I like the fact that the BCS assures that to be #1, you have to beat a Top ranked team.

[Spence]

I like the fact that the BCS assures that to be #1, you have to beat a Top ranked team.

I agree completely. Under the old system the voters could vote without consequences, but now they know if they vote a team in wrong, they are going to get criticized for it. That is why the AP got out of the voting. It wasn't because they had some moral high ground.

I know the BCS has their problems, but they cause most of them by changing things every time the numbers don't match the popular view. Still the BCS insures that the regular season counts. It rewards teams who play tough schedules over teams that duck the good teams. I upholds the bowl tradition. And most of all it keeps interest in the game for millions of fans.

It allows a 6-5 team and its fans to travel to a bowl game and end the season with a win. A feeling of championship football. They go into the recruiting season the sense of being a winner. I can tell you the teams that played in the 4 BCS bowls three years ago. I don't think many fans could name the elite eight in CBB from 2003 without looking. I bet most guys here could name at least 6 of 8 BCS teams from the 2003 BCS bowls. Also most of the fans of teams that won think that their home team could have won the championship. That creates controversy, which creates chatter, which creates interest. That is why CFB is the most popular college sport and it isn't even close. Why anyone would want to screw that up is beyond me.

That may mean that the "best" team may not be in the championship game. But really, is there any doubt from any one, that any team in the top 10 could beat any other team on any given Saturday. Ohio State likely wasn't the best team in 2003, they weren't the most talented team in the Fiesta bowl that year. They got to play in the game by playing a good regular season schedule and winning them all. They got a chance to prove in that game that sometimes heart (and a stud defense) trumps overall talent.