by selmaborntidefan
June 27, 2020
This information will piggyback on the previous post regarding whether P5 conferences NOWADAYS are one-team races sans the Big Ten and SEC. (In general, they are). Since I already compiled a lot of the data for Bo Schembechler and Paul Bryant on that thread, I will bring the data over here and add to it each day or so. If you have a P5 that you want me to run then let me know. I’ve already done the 1970s.
Some key points:
- I will be using the Associated Press poll during these years.
There are two reasons for this: 1) the AP poll was generally considered the more respected of the two. Yes, the UPI national championships counted, but prior to 1974, the UPI didn’t conduct a post-bowl game poll. This could change the results at least a bit since a team might be #17 in the final UPI poll and then get blown out in the bowl game by an unranked team that replaces them. - Important point: in 1989, the polls expanded to 25 teams.To ensure equity across the decade, I WILL NOT INCLUDE RANKED TEAMS from 21-25 in the 1989 season. I WILL include them in any view going forward, but it’s not as though beating a 4-loss team in 1989 should really be something to boast about (looking at Auburn’s 1989 win over eventual #24 Ohio State as an example).