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Ranking All 122 Bowl-Banned Teams In CF History

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They nailed that one. Everyone should have been fired if 1973 and 1974 Oklahoma didn't top the list. They were the only two teams that came immediately to mind but I assumed they would butcher it with a more recent nominee.

Those were two incredibly dominant Oklahoma teams that I enjoyed rooting for as a kid. I was fascinated by the Sooner version of the wishbone after it debuted against Texas in 1970. Texas was a plodding fullback based wishbone. Alabama was more well rounded but also more cautious. Oklahoma was wishbone swagger. They would crash the backfield with the Selmon brothers, and linebackers like Rod Shoate and Jimbo Elrod. Randy Hughes was a lanky assassin at strong safety. The quarterbacking in 1973/1974 wasn't nearly as flashy as 1971 with Jack Mildren, but Steve Davis was a smart confident player who made the correct read on the corner, and he had a truly great scatback in Joe Washington. Billy Brooks and Tinker Owens were special players at wideout.

The scrappy '73 Canes actually gave Oklahoma a major scare in Norman early in the season. It was one week after Oklahoma played to a frustrating 7-7 tie at the Coliseum against defending national champion USC. The Sooners basically pushed USC around the entire game, holding them to something like 120 yards total offense, but left with nothing but a tie. One week later Oklahoma was obviously flat and overconfident to begin the game. Miami took advantage in the first half but Oklahoma woke up and dominated the second half to pull it out, 24-20. Then the following week Oklahoma butchered Texas, 52-13 and never had another game closer than 17 points.

When Alabama and Notre Dame played for the national title that season, Las Vegas oddsmakers said Oklahoma would have been a touchdown favorite over either team on a neutral field.
 
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1957 Auburn still won the natty. Respect
 
Stylie said:
Lol. I’m here.
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80488
 
Awsi Dooger said:
They nailed that one. Everyone should have been fired if 1973 and 1974 Oklahoma didn't top the list. They were the only two teams that came immediately to mind but I assumed they would butcher it with a more recent nominee.

Those were two incredibly dominant Oklahoma teams that I enjoyed rooting for as a kid. I was fascinated by the Sooner version of the wishbone after it debuted against Texas in 1970. Texas was a plodding fullback based wishbone. Alabama was more well rounded but also more cautious. Oklahoma was wishbone swagger. They would crash the backfield with the Selmon brothers, and linebackers like Rod Shoate and Jimbo Elrod. Randy Hughes was a lanky assassin at strong safety. The quarterbacking in 1973/1974 wasn't nearly as flashy as 1971 with Jack Mildren, but Steve Davis was a smart confident player who made the correct read on the corner, and he had a truly great scatback in Joe Washington. Billy Brooks and Tinker Owens were special players at wideout.

The scrappy '73 Canes actually gave Oklahoma a major scare in Norman early in the season. It was one week after Oklahoma played to a frustrating 7-7 tie at the Coliseum against defending national champion USC. The Sooners basically pushed USC around the entire game, holding them to something like 120 yards total offense, but left with nothing but a tie. One week later Oklahoma was obviously flat and overconfident to begin the game. Miami took advantage in the first half but Oklahoma woke up and dominated the second half to pull it out, 24-20. Then the following week Oklahoma butchered Texas, 52-13 and never had another game closer than 17 points.
When Alabama and Notre Dame played for the national title that season, Las Vegas oddsmakers said Oklahoma would have been a touchdown favorite over either team on a neutral field.
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I remember that Miami v OU game. We had opened against and upset UT and then beat noles the first two games. We played murderous schedule that year with Bama and ND to close with gator between.

That season you could see that the Canes could be something one day but needed serious improve depth. We had nice first line talent but lacked the coaching and depth. Late in games and late in the season we had nothing left to put forward. Howard fixed that as seen by that photo of the QB room in Kelly’s senior year. JJ and Butch gave us rediculous depth through recruiting and player development.
 
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Our '81 team was very very good. Solid defense and Jimbo was showing why he would become a HOF QB. This team showed all the signs of what it takes to become a champion
 
atlantadan said:
Our '81 team was very very good. Solid defense and Jimbo was showing why he would become a HOF QB. This team showed all the signs of what it takes to become a champion
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Can u school a youngin as to what happened that made us bowl ineligible?
 
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It was a mild form of probation. We were given a bowl ban right after/a couple days after we beat a highly ranked Penn State team in the OB. Went from a high to a low in 2 days time, smh (fyi, in that Ped State game, highlight was Kelly to Larry Brodsky for a 80 yd TD).

Howard decided to accept it and get it out of the way. Smart, as it created a real hunger and desire to further prove ourselves... and start of us against the world. So our "bowl" became the finale against a high ranked ND in the OB and it was no contest from the start. Our team dominawted and was jacked up. We ended up winning 37-15 I think, and highlight was at the end of the game , when Keith Griffin ran it aroud end in late 4thQ for a TD, and the OB erupted and truly shook. I never forget it.

We all knew that '81 team was so good and proof tht our program, as Howard promised "was on a collision course with a NC" . That '81 team is often forgotten but so very important to the rise of our program.
 
Awsi Dooger said:
They nailed that one. Everyone should have been fired if 1973 and 1974 Oklahoma didn't top the list. They were the only two teams that came immediately to mind but I assumed they would butcher it with a more recent nominee.

Those were two incredibly dominant Oklahoma teams that I enjoyed rooting for as a kid. I was fascinated by the Sooner version of the wishbone after it debuted against Texas in 1970. Texas was a plodding fullback based wishbone. Alabama was more well rounded but also more cautious. Oklahoma was wishbone swagger. They would crash the backfield with the Selmon brothers, and linebackers like Rod Shoate and Jimbo Elrod. Randy Hughes was a lanky assassin at strong safety. The quarterbacking in 1973/1974 wasn't nearly as flashy as 1971 with Jack Mildren, but Steve Davis was a smart confident player who made the correct read on the corner, and he had a truly great scatback in Joe Washington. Billy Brooks and Tinker Owens were special players at wideout.

The scrappy '73 Canes actually gave Oklahoma a major scare in Norman early in the season. It was one week after Oklahoma played to a frustrating 7-7 tie at the Coliseum against defending national champion USC. The Sooners basically pushed USC around the entire game, holding them to something like 120 yards total offense, but left with nothing but a tie. One week later Oklahoma was obviously flat and overconfident to begin the game. Miami took advantage in the first half but Oklahoma woke up and dominated the second half to pull it out, 24-20. Then the following week Oklahoma butchered Texas, 52-13 and never had another game closer than 17 points.

When Alabama and Notre Dame played for the national title that season, Las Vegas oddsmakers said Oklahoma would have been a touchdown favorite over either team on a neutral field.
Click to expand...
You seem like a wishbone guru. Since most of my life I watched pro football, and only watched the Canes again in the '80's, since they we're almost never on national TV, I never saw much wishbone. I didn't watch national college games if the Canes weren't on--and they were never on in the '70's--so I never saw the wishbone.
My question is: do you remember the old Miami belly series, or drive series, of the mid-1950's? UM historical lore is that the old Miami drive series was the forerunner of the wishbone or option.

It's written in what might be called the official history of UM football.

In the mid-1950's, UM fullback Don Bosseler became a national star driving into the line on almost every play. He would either get the ball or it would be pulled out as the QB read the DE. I believe Bosseler is one of only six Cane players in the CFB HOF.

Two years after Bosseler's last year (1956), we had our first A-A QB when Fran Curci was named a second team AP A-A. I can't remember his play, but I know he was a very skilled option QB which was his forte. After Curci finished up in '59, I believe, a promising sophomore option QB named Eddie Johns took over. He was to be moved to halfback to make way for the great passer, George Mira who reached the varsity in '61. That was the switch from an option team to a passing team at Miami.

I've read various versions of how the wishbone started, including that it was conceived at a high school program in Texas, but I suspect that the idea of reading a DE and then giving it to a FB or keeping it was used a lot of places once teams went to a T-formation, maybe even before that with the single wing.

I do know Miami was kind of famous for Gus' offense in the '50's.

I wonder if DaytonaCane--if reading this and knows enough about the concepts since her late husband was a RB under Coach Gus in the late '50's. Probably took a lot of those pitchouts from Fran Curci. Was UM still running the belly or drive series with Curci?

Anybody who could discuss this history would be a welcome contributor.

Interestingly, Gus had quite a history as an offensive mind. He coached the great Army backfields of the 1940's under Earl "Red" Blaik. He coached one of the most legendary college backfields at Army: Arnold Tucker (QB, also played earlier at UM); Doc Blanchard (Mr. Inside); Glenn Davis (Mr. Outside).

I think Coach Gus later described Don Bosseler as great as any football player he coached (or that might have been George Mira, or maybe both).

Most probably don't realize that Coach Gus had a stint as head coach at Virginia Tech.

I believe Gus is in the CFB HOF as well.

Drive at Miami
 
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