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Iowa's "make believe" 1958 National Championship

HVHusker

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Sep 7, 2006
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I keep seeing iowegeans claiming to be the 1958 National Champions because some little known organization awarded them the FWAA title.

If we're going to use iowa fuzzy math then you'll be interested to hear that Nebraska has more than 5 National Titles, here are the others and the organizations that awarded them:

1915 Billingsley
1980 FACT, and Sagarin
1981 National Championship Foundation
1982 Berryman
1983 Berryman, DeVold, FACT, Litkenhous, Matthews, Poling, and Sagarin
1984 Litkenhous
1993 National Championship Foundation

Nebraska 12 time National Champion!
 
I keep seeing iowegeans claiming to be the 1958 National Champions because some little known organization awarded them the FWAA title.

If we're going to use iowa fuzzy math then you'll be interested to hear that Nebraska has more than 5 National Titles, here are the others and the organizations that awarded them:

1915 Billingsley
1980 FACT, and Sagarin
1981 National Championship Foundation
1982 Berryman
1983 Berryman, DeVold, FACT, Litkenhous, Matthews, Poling, and Sagarin
1984 Litkenhous
1993 National Championship Foundation

Nebraska 12 time National Champion!

The Football Writer's Association was a relevant and respected poll at the time. As the years have passed, their relevancy and existence went away.

Regardless, it's not "make believe" as you suggest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_college_football_season

"Louisiana State University (LSU), with a record of 10-0-0, was crowned the national champion at the end of the regular season by both major polls and would go on to win the Sugar Bowl. The Iowa Hawkeyes who won the Rose Bowl were crowned national champions by the Football Writers' Association of America after the bowl games were played."
 
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a little like Nebraska's "make believe" 1997 championship.......Michigan was actually the superior team in 1997.......and while we are at it, Penn State was much better than you in 1994......I actually lived in PA at the time...... So, really, your only legitimate title in the 1990's was 1995.......My point? There really has rarely been a true national champion since there has never been a playoff........It was all about opinions.....and my opinion in '94 and '97 was that Penn State and Michigan were better than Nebraska.........At least we have some semblance of a playoff now and can actually crown a "true" national champion........
One of the dumbest post's I have ever read
 
Maybe the most unbiased look at 1997 would be the computer polls. And they give it to Nebraska in 1997 in a landslide. Michigan actually finishes 3d by the computer analysis. Michigan had a chance to win an unshared title, but they squeaked out a win over a Washington State team when the clock operator somehow took a full 2 seconds off the clock on Ryan Leaf's last spike.

1994, the final polls weren't even close. For good reason.
 
Ohio St got one in 1970 then? I've heard Texas but don't think the Buckeyes even try to claim that one.
 
As a Husker fan,I don't see were this topic adds anything to the game today,My hats off to our neighbors and still being in the conversation for the "Brass Ring" this late in the season.
 
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Just another topic to piss and moan about. Let`s just play the damned game.

Agreed.If we're going to have a conversation let it be about current issues dealing with both schools. Other then that i can't wait till kickoff.
 
This week off did nothing but ramp up the crazies on both sides. It is comforting to know the vast majority of fans have an actual life thus preventing them from making asses of themselves over a bunch of teenagers. .I'm retired so as most folks my age know we are bored most of the time!
 
This week off did nothing but ramp up the crazies on both sides. It is comforting to know the vast majority of fans have an actual life thus preventing them from making asses of themselves over a bunch of teenagers. .I'm retired so as most folks my age know we are bored most of the time!
Agree. It's like the mini version of a bowl game, eventually you run out of things to talk about and just start flinging poop and reaching for ways to disparage the other side.
 
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If the AP and the Coach's poll would have taken their vote after the bowl games,Iowa would have not been national champs with a loss and a tie.

They beat a Cal team who ended up with 4 losses and LSU beat #12 ranked Clemson.
 
I keep seeing iowegeans claiming to be the 1958 National Champions because some little known organization awarded them the FWAA title.

If we're going to use iowa fuzzy math then you'll be interested to hear that Nebraska has more than 5 National Titles, here are the others and the organizations that awarded them:

1915 Billingsley
1980 FACT, and Sagarin
1981 National Championship Foundation
1982 Berryman
1983 Berryman, DeVold, FACT, Litkenhous, Matthews, Poling, and Sagarin
1984 Litkenhous
1993 National Championship Foundation

Nebraska 12 time National Champion!
Just an FYI the difference between LSU and Iowa that year and the reason they were both awarded the National Championship is LSU didn't allow blacks to play while Iowa did.
 
Even with the creampuff nonconference games that every school plays, Iowa has only won about 50 percent of its games all-time. That's pathetic, so let's allow them to bask in the glow of 1958 and 2015. They should win by at least two td's today against one of our worst teams in more than 50 years, if they are half as good as their fans say they are.
 
Even with the creampuff nonconference games that every school plays, Iowa has only won about 50 percent of its games all-time. That's pathetic, so let's allow them to bask in the glow of 1958 and 2015. They should win by at least two td's today against one of our worst teams in more than 50 years, if they are half as good as their fans say they are.

You'll never see a day where a 11-0 Nebraska team is favored by a couple of points on the road against a 5-6 Iowa team. It would be more like 2-3TDs.
 
Just an FYI the difference between LSU and Iowa that year and the reason they were both awarded the National Championship is LSU didn't allow blacks to play while Iowa did.

What does not allowing black players have to do with it.

Tell you what in 1966 Orange Bowl Nebraska played Alabama for the national title and Bama had zero black players on their team and we had plenty of black players on our team and lost 39-28.
 
Just an FYI the difference between LSU and Iowa (8-1-1) that year and the reason they were both awarded the National Championship is LSU didn't allow blacks to play while Iowa did.
Iowa was awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy in great part because it had played six and beaten four Final AP Top 20 teams (Wisconsin, #7, TCU #10, ND #17 and Cal # 16). Iowa tied Air Force (#6) and lost to Ohio State (#8). LSU played and beat three final AP Top 20 teams; #11 Ole Miss, #14 Florida and #12 Clemson. The AP/UPI champion (LSU) was announced before the bowl games; The Grantland Award was announced post-bowl games. LSU beat #12 Clemson 7-0 in New Orleans (Sugar Bowl). Iowa beat #16 Cal 38-12 in Pasadena (Rose Bowl). So, in today's terms, Iowa had a much better strength of schedule and a far more impressive final win, and the writer's in '58 awarded them accordingly.
 
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