How can 6 teams claim the 1981 national championship?

calvinpeete · Jan 12, 2011

I just noticed that in 1981 - six different teams claim to have won the national championship. Nebraska has THREE losses. They also claimed it in 1980 (along with 4 others) with two losses when Georgia went undefeated. How did this happen? Could anyone just claim the title back then?

1981
Clemson12–0
Nebraska9–3
Penn State10–2
Pittsburgh11–1
SMU10–1
Texas10–1–1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_football_national_championships_in_NCAA_Division_I_FBS

quantumleap · Jan 12, 2011

Several different selecting criteria:
I tried posting it but it's all at the web site you linked to.

calvinpeete · Jan 12, 2011

It just adds to the joke that is the NCAA.

Princeton and Yale have shared the title 9 times including in 1872 when they both went...... 1 and 0. They both played really tough schedules though.

ChiTownHustler · Jan 12, 2011

NCAA does not crown a CFB Champion, they are only in charge of enforcing rules.

calvinpeete · Jan 12, 2011

But they have the ultimate control. Could put an end to this nonsense if they wanted to.

ChiTownHustler · Jan 12, 2011

calvinpeete said:
But they have the ultimate control. Could put an end to this nonsense if they wanted to.

Actually they do not. That is why private equity firms are trying to entice teams to compete in a playoff. College football could be catagorized as a club sport with scholorships. The teams that participate in BCS keep the money between themselves, it isn't split among every football team at the FBS level (NCAA). Thats why conference affiliation is so important, they split the money.

soonerdawg1 · Jan 12, 2011

looks like the whole wikipedia article was written by a source biased against the current system

the BCS system is fine.....you won't see no 7-9 team playing for a title.....the NFL should adopt a similar system

calvinpeete · Jan 12, 2011

ChiTown Hustler said:
Actually they do not. That is why private equity firms are trying to entice teams to compete in a playoff. College football could be catagorized as a club sport with scholorships. The teams that participate in BCS keep the money between themselves, it isn't split among every football team at the FBS level (NCAA). Thats why conference affiliation is so important, they split the money.

I'm talking about the national championships. They recognize every one of the one's I've listed.