There was no playoff, there were more teams in Division I football so how did the top teams schedule in 1975 compared to 2015.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

As someone commented on Twitter today, the top CFB teams are clearly not scheduling to try to attract a larger TV audience. They're scheduling as if they can take the TV money for granted (which they can, for now).

(01-15-2016 12:01 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  There was no playoff, there were more teams in Division I football so how did the top teams schedule in 1975 compared to 2015.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

To be fair UNC, Oregon, Miami, Mizzou, TCU, Southern Miss and Baylor were weak schools then.

(01-15-2016 06:28 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 12:01 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  There was no playoff, there were more teams in Division I football so how did the top teams schedule in 1975 compared to 2015.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

To be fair UNC, Oregon, Miami, Mizzou, TCU, Southern Miss and Baylor were weak schools then.

So was Stanford. The only powerful teams on the 1975 list were Penn State, Pitt, and to a certain extent, Clemson.

Retrospective history can be deceiving, that's for sure. It's why I no longer have the energy to explain little things like how this was not close to UH's best team ever and not even its most accomplished.

They were not national powers but they were in the power conferences. In 1975 that meant they were in the few conferences that had any guarantee of post-season.

(01-15-2016 09:02 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  They were not national powers but they were in the power conferences. In 1975 that meant they were in the few conferences that had any guarantee of post-season.

Well there were only about a dozen bowls back then.

We won 2 games in 3 years from 1974-1976 (UTA, Rice). We went through a 1-35 stretch at one point between 73 and 77.

(01-15-2016 07:10 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 06:28 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 12:01 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  There was no playoff, there were more teams in Division I football so how did the top teams schedule in 1975 compared to 2015.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

To be fair UNC, Oregon, Miami, Mizzou, TCU, Southern Miss and Baylor were weak schools then.

So was Stanford. The only powerful teams on the 1975 list were Penn State, Pitt, and to a certain extent, Clemson.

Clemson was 2-9 in 1975. Death Valley was only 43k.

(01-15-2016 09:02 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  They were not national powers but they were in the power conferences. In 1975 that meant they were in the few conferences that had any guarantee of post-season.

Some of those were not in major conferences. Miami was a minor independent like BYU. Penn State was emerging but wasn't clearly a major.

(01-15-2016 11:05 AM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  We won 2 games in 3 years from 1974-1976 (UTA, Rice). We went through a 1-35 stretch at one point between 73 and 77.

Yep, TCU, between the leather helmet era and now, did not emerge until Dennis Franchione.

(01-15-2016 01:58 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 09:02 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  They were not national powers but they were in the power conferences. In 1975 that meant they were in the few conferences that had any guarantee of post-season.

Some of those were not in major conferences. Miami was a minor independent like BYU. Penn Stat was emerging but wasn't clearly a major.

Miami wasn't Miami, but did have some good years in the 70s. Penn St. was very major. They were ranked 10 of 11 years from 1968-1978 (years around 75 that were convenient to check) with 8 of those years in the top 10.

Miami was considering dropping football in the 70's, good teams or not. Jim Kelly and the Berger changed that in short order in the 1980's.

(01-15-2016 02:03 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 11:05 AM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  We won 2 games in 3 years from 1974-1976 (UTA, Rice). We went through a 1-35 stretch at one point between 73 and 77.

Yep, TCU, between the leather helmet era and now, did not emerge until Dennis Franchione.

Pretty much, although the 50's were also strong decade for us with 4 SWC championships and cotton Bowl appearances.

Does it really matter that some of those schools were dogs in their conferences?

I don't recall Alabama or Clemson filling their slate this year with dogs from the other power five leagues.

Yes, it does matter. Teams that were highly reputable today weren't necessarily so reputable in the past.

(01-15-2016 01:58 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 09:02 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  They were not national powers but they were in the power conferences. In 1975 that meant they were in the few conferences that had any guarantee of post-season.

Some of those were not in major conferences. Miami was a minor independent like BYU. Penn State was emerging but wasn't clearly a major.

I hate the Kitty Cats, but Penn State went undefeated in 1968, 1969 and 1973. They were major.

(01-15-2016 11:53 AM)Kaplony Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 07:10 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 06:28 AM)firmbizzle Wrote:  

(01-15-2016 12:01 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  There was no playoff, there were more teams in Division I football so how did the top teams schedule in 1975 compared to 2015.

Going into the bowls:

1. Ohio State, non-conference schedule:Penn State, North Carolina, UCLA

2. Oklahoma non-conference schedule: Oregon, Pitt, Miami (FL), Texas

3. Alabama non-conference schedule: Mizzou, Clemson, Washington, TCU, Southern Miss

4. Michigan non-conference schedule: Stanford, Baylor, Mizzou

Top four in 2015

1. Clemson non-conference: Wofford, App State, Notre Dame, South Carolina

2. Alabama: Wisconsin, MTSU, ULM, Charleston Southern

3. Michigan State non-conference: Western Michigan, Oregon, Central Michigan, Air Force

4. Oklahoma non-conference: Akron, Tennessee, Tulsa

To be fair UNC, Oregon, Miami, Mizzou, TCU, Southern Miss and Baylor were weak schools then.

So was Stanford. The only powerful teams on the 1975 list were Penn State, Pitt, and to a certain extent, Clemson.

Clemson was 2-9 in 1975. Death Valley was only 43k.

You're right, my mistake.

(01-16-2016 12:17 AM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  I hate the Kitty Cats, but Penn State went undefeated in 1968, 1969 and 1973. They were major.

But they failed to win a national title in at least one of those seasons IIRC. They were emerging but not a major. BYU went undefeated in 1984 and won a title but has never been considered major, not even today.

(01-16-2016 07:27 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 12:17 AM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  Some of those were not in major conferences. Miami was a minor independent like BYU. Penn State was emerging but wasn't clearly a major.

I hate the Kitty Cats, but Penn State went undefeated in 1968, 1969 and 1973. They were major.

But they failed to win a national title in at least one of those seasons IIRC. They were emerging but not a major. BYU went undefeated in 1984 and won a title but has never been considered major, not even today.
[/quote]

They were still getting invited to big time bowl games and no one was beating out Texas in 1969 for the title after the Big Shootout.