Athlon's top 10 national champs

Sorry, but that 2001 team was better than any of those others. Debate all you want about who belongs in second, but first is beyond debate.
 
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Funny how our 91 nc team gets overlooked.bet they could beat a few teams on that list.even though it didn't have the high draft picks as the 01.but it did have a lot of draft picks who had decent nfl careers.
 
Wow.

I thought Yale’s 10-0 win over Princeton was a bit of a blemish, until I realized that Princeton was 11-0 and had outscored opponents 589-0 coming into that game.

The 1888 Princeton team is probably the second best team of all time.

Do you think the 2001 Canes are the 3rd best team of all time, or are they lower than that? Since you’re really old and have personally witnessed teams going back to 1869, you should be an expert on this.

88 Yale did not have Ed Reed. 01 Canes by 10
 
What if Ed Reed got injured? Then would Yale win?

Tie game 10-10 or so. Dorsey draws up a play based on inspiration from the Miami ladies soccer team he plowed through and comes up with a play to exploit Yale's rugby style D to punch one in at the end.
 
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Yeah, they had a good run. I was at the game in the OB when our streak ended.

As to the other thing, I’m not crying though I don’t agree with Washington or any team being better than our 01 team.

Quite simply posting anything but the 2001 Miami team is the greatest on a Cane message board is going to catch heat, especially if it’s something out of left field. Right or wrong, I don’t know how that would surprise you given the audience.

I look at three things when judging a team's relative greatness.

1. Head coach.
2. Defense.
3. Quarterback.

2001 Miami had it all except a decent head coach, which is why I rank them below our 1987 team. Do you honestly believe Larry Coker would out-coach Jimmy Johnson and his equally stacked 1987 team on a neutral field? I can't see it. 2001 Miami was fortunate in that regard. There were no other great teams that year to challenge them. I see them as a bit overrated compared to other great teams. Larry Coker is too big an Achilles' heel to overcome.
 
Yeah, they had a good run. I was at the game in the OB when our streak ended.

As to the other thing, I’m not crying though I don’t agree with Washington or any team being better than our 01 team.

Quite simply posting anything but the 2001 Miami team is the greatest on a Cane message board is going to catch heat, especially if it’s something out of left field. Right or wrong, I don’t know how that would surprise you given the audience.

I think that people are largely ****ed because he picked a team that shared the NC with the Canes, when most Canes fans feel we should have been the solo champs in 1991.

It does seem trollish, although not sure it’s worth banning him over.
 
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I look at three things when judging a team's relative greatness.

1. Head coach.
2. Defense.
3. Quarterback.

2001 Miami had it all except a decent head coach, which is why I rank them below our 1987 team. Do you honestly believe Larry Coker would out-coach Jimmy Johnson and his equally stacked 1987 team on a neutral field? I can't see it. 2001 Miami was fortunate in that regard. There were no other great teams that year to challenge them. I see them as a bit overrated compared to other great teams. Larry Coker is too big an Achilles' heel to overcome.
I’m just looking at the team. I think that was the greatest assemblage of talent ever. They won in spite of Coker.
 
Most complete and dominating team relative to their peers I've ever seen. Legendary coach, legendary defense, and an excellent quarterback.
That Washington team was down 21-9 to Nebraska in the 3rd quarter before they gathered steam and pulled away. The final score was deceiving.

While they were very good, they didn't face a defense anywhere near the 1991 Canes. Those blowout wins wouldn't have meant **** against Dennis and crew.
 
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That Washington team was down 21-9 to Nebraska in the 3rd quarter before they gathered steam and pulled away. The final score was deceiving.

While they were very good, they didn't face a defense anywhere near the 1991 Canes. Those blowout wins wouldn't have meant **** against Dennis and crew.

Yes, a night game at Nebraska against a solid 9th ranked Huskers team. Washington got down and then reversed the momentum against them and dominated Nebraska in the 4th quarter. Won by 15, and then famously had Nebraska fans giving them an ovation at the end of the game. Hardly an indictment against their pedigree.

LINCOLN, Neb. — As they left the field Saturday night, a 36-21 victory over Nebraska theirs to savor, Washington’s players glanced toward the Memorial Stadium seats and saw the unthinkable. Assembled in front of them were thousands of applauding Cornhusker fans.
It wasn’t polite, obligatory applause. Instead, it was heartfelt, as if they had seen something special, perhaps witnessed greatness.


We had a good defense in 1991, but we also had Gino Torretta at quarterback, and you see what he looked like against an elite front 7 when we played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl the following season. And Washington's defense was even more dominating and aggressive than Alabama's. We dodged a bullet by not having to play Washington in 1991 while still getting a share of the title.
 
I’m just looking at the team. I think that was the greatest assemblage of talent ever. They won in spite of Coker.

I agree. Greatest collection of talent in the history of college football. But a team isn't just the players, more importantly, it's the head coach as well. Everything is about coaching. Our recent history illustrates this perfectly. And in all honesty, I would not favor the 2001 Hurricanes with Larry Coker as the head coach over 1991 Washington with Don James as the head coach, 1995 Nebraska with Tom Osborne as the head coach, or even our 1987 Hurricanes with Jimmy Johnson as the head coach. I just don't look at teams without their coaches.
 
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Yes, a night game at Nebraska against a solid 9th ranked Huskers team. Washington got down and then reversed the momentum against them and dominated Nebraska in the 4th quarter. Won by 15, and then famously had Nebraska fans giving them an ovation at the end of the game. Hardly an indictment against their pedigree.




We had a good defense in 1991, but we also had Gino Torretta at quarterback, and you see what he looked like against an elite front 7 when we played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl the following season. And Washington's defense was even more dominating and aggressive than Alabama's. We dodged a bullet by not having to play Washington in 1991 while still getting a share of the title.

That had more to do with arrogance and over confidence than Bama. Nobody thought bama had a chance including Miami players.
 
They got number 1 right, but I'd put the mid 2000 USC teams above FSU.

If Wake Forest had not taken so many ****** pills in the 4th quarter; FSU wouldn't even be on this list.

And if JJ had the 2001 team, we would probably still have several offensive scoring records. Coker often let off the gas by the 2nd/3rd quarter.

We would've beat Nebraska something like 76-0.
 
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They lost to Ole Miss at home in that paragraph long name of a stadium or field or whatever the **** its called.
Good team but not top 10...Next!!!!

Speaking to the level of the talent on the team, which is precisely why 2001 Miami tops every list.

Eking out an 18-12 win at Boston College or surviving a dropped two-point conversion against an average Virginia Tech team, 26-24—hardly the moves of a juggernaut.

That Florida squad had some talent and was superior to a team or two on that list.

All that to say, f 'em and leave 'em off the list.
 
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The 1986 Miami Hurricanes were a **** of a football team, as was 1988, 1990, 2002—and especially 2000—yet none won a title. (I mean, 2002 technically did, but I digress....)
No question about that. Most of our teams in 80's and early 90's only loss to themselves but unfortunately that counts. '86 was unbelievable college team but couldn't finish like a champ -- I blame JJ for not being good enough Bowl Game yet. For most of 25 year span, NOBODY wanted to face us.
 
'88 Irish belong no where near a list like that. Cleveland Gary didn't fumble.

I'd swap 2013 FSU and 2019 LSU. That was a **** impressive LSU team last year. Mid-2000's USC championship team also belongs on there somewhere, but they probably took them off because of the Reggie Bush bullsh!t. If you're gonna let Baga and Clemson and LSU and Jimbo-era FSU get away with the kind of crap they do, then USC certainly doesn't deserve any tarnish.
**** you made every point I was going to make.
 
Yes, a night game at Nebraska against a solid 9th ranked Huskers team. Washington got down and then reversed the momentum against them and dominated Nebraska in the 4th quarter. Won by 15, and then famously had Nebraska fans giving them an ovation at the end of the game. Hardly an indictment against their pedigree.




We had a good defense in 1991, but we also had Gino Torretta at quarterback, and you see what he looked like against an elite front 7 when we played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl the following season. And Washington's defense was even more dominating and aggressive than Alabama's. We dodged a bullet by not having to play Washington in 1991 while still getting a share of the title.
We are going to have to agree to disagree.
 
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