In the course of college football, who were some of the best teams who missed out on earning the distinction of national champions?

1966 Michigan State

2005 USC. 2005 USC and 2005 Texas are 2 of the top-5 teams I've ever seen, so whoever lost that game would be near the top of this list.

1983 Nebraska

1989 and 1993 ND.

1941, 1968 and 2008 Texas.
1968 went 0-1-1 its first two games and so didn't deserve an MNC, but may have been the best team in the country by the end of the season when they finally figured out the wishbone that they implemented at the start of the season. Sagarin and a couple other NCAA acknowledged computer systems had them the highest rated.
1941 Texas was ranked #1 until they stumbled with a 7-7 tie with Baylor and 14-7 loss to TCU (following the infamous curse of being on the cover of a magazine). They were considered for the Rose Bowl, but the officials wanted them to cancel a game against Oregon who had given Pac champ Oregon St. fits. They were afraid Texas would lose. Texas won 71-7. That team was also highest rated in a couple computer systems.

Pains me to say as a Bama grad but 2004 Auburn. Within a few years it would be unthinkable that a 12-0 (13-0 after the Sugar Bowl) SEC champ could be frozen out of a national title game.

(06-20-2022 11:10 AM)Just Joe Wrote:  Pains me to say as a Bama grad but 2004 Auburn. Within a few years it would be unthinkable that a 12-0 (13-0 after the Sugar Bowl) SEC champ could be frozen out of a national title game.

1966 Bama, 2004 Auburn

TCU 2014

1994 Penn State (according to AP/Coaches)

2002 Miami Hurricanes

2014 Georgia Tech
2004 Auburn
1998 Georgia Tech
1991 Penn State
1988 Michigan
1982 Florida State
1975 Arkansas
1966 Purdue
1955 Georgia Tech
1950 Wyoming

(06-20-2022 04:02 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  2014 Georgia Tech
2004 Auburn
1998 Georgia Tech
1955 Georgia Tech
1953 Georgia Tech
1950 Wyoming

2014? A 3 loss team that lost at home to Duke and to a 6-7 UNC team? Really?

(06-20-2022 09:37 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  2005 USC. 2005 USC and 2005 Texas are 2 of the top-5 teams I've ever seen, so whoever lost that game would be near the top of this list.

While I agree 2005 USC is at the top of the list of great teams that didn't get a national championship, they at least had an opportunity to play for it. That can't be said for Auburn, TCU, and 1966 Michigan State (when Notre Dame played for the tie rather than risk a loss to the Spartans and were rewarded with a mythical natty).

(06-20-2022 04:09 PM)Just Joe Wrote:  

(06-20-2022 04:02 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  2014 Georgia Tech
2004 Auburn
1998 Georgia Tech
1991 Penn State
1988 Michigan
1982 Florida State
1975 Arkansas
1966 Purdue
1955 Georgia Tech
1950 Wyoming

2014? A 3 loss team that lost at home to Duke and to a 6-7 UNC team? Really?

I did not rank them in order, just listed my top 10, went by year. However in 2014, GT had three losses that year by a combined point total of 13! (Duke, UNC, FSU ACCCG). Yes, Duke was a loss, and I must point out that Duke was having their best three years in school history in 2013 thru 2015. You would have to go back to 1933 thru 1941 to see that type of success with DUKE Football. The 2014 Yellow Jackets beat SBC Champs (GA Southern), #19 Clemson, #9 Georgia, & #7 Miss State. To think they were picked to finish sixth in the division, with pundits wondering whether Paul Johnson's early magic had worn off and talk about how he should be fired. Coach Johnson & Georgia Tech proved the doubters wrong all season. Had they gotten into the 2014 CFP Playoffs, it would have be interesting to see what they could have done. So yea, I think they are one of the better teams not to win a Natty!

(06-20-2022 04:43 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  

(06-20-2022 04:09 PM)Just Joe Wrote:  

(06-20-2022 04:02 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  2014 Georgia Tech
2004 Auburn
1998 Georgia Tech
1991 Penn State
1988 Michigan
1982 Florida State
1975 Arkansas
1966 Purdue
1955 Georgia Tech
1950 Wyoming

2014? A 3 loss team that lost at home to Duke and to a 6-7 UNC team? Really?

I did not rank them in order, just listed my top 10, went be year. However in 2014, GT had three losses that year by a combined point total of 13! (Duke, UNC, FSU ACCCG). Yes, Duke was a loss, and I must point out that Duke was having their best three years in school history in 2013 thru 2015. You would have to go back to 1933 thru 1941 to see that type of success with DUKE Football. The 2014 Yellow Jackets beat SBC Champs (GA Southern), #19 Clemson, #9 Georgia, & #7 Miss State. To think they were picked to finish sixth in the division, with pundits wondering whether Paul Johnson's early magic had worn off and talk about how he should be fired. Coach Johnson & Georgia Tech proved the doubters wrong all season. Had they gotten into the 2014 CFP Playoffs, it would have be interesting to see what they could have done. So yea, I think they are one of the better teams not to win a Natty!

Why 75 Arkansas? They were 10-2 and in a 3 way tie for the SWC.

That USC 03' team won the AP poll but didn't finish in the top 2 with one loss (LSU vs OU). Beat up UM/Carr in the RB.

(06-20-2022 04:02 PM)GTFletch Wrote:  1966 Purdue

Purdue (9-2) lost to both Michigan State and Notre Dame that season. It finished #7 in the AP poll.

In no particular order .....

2005 USC

2002 Miami

2002 USC

1994 Penn State

1989 Notre Dame

1986 Miami

BTW, IMO none of these teams deserved to be champs, save for Penn State, which deserved a share of the title that year with Nebraska. All either lost their national title bowl game, lost to the team that did get the vote, or else (USC 2002) didn't merit being in that game.

OTOH, a team like 1993 Notre Dame deserved a share of the title, but wasn't IMO one of the best teams not to be named one.

Is that Wyoming team the guys who boycotted the BYU game?