UPDATE..Bogus National Title claims: Alabama claims 18 but most are questionable

Let me preface this by saying that the BCS, started in 1998, was the best thing that happened to college football. It forced the top 2 teams to play each other in their final game of the season. Prior to that, the conference bowl alliances most often kept fans of the sport from seeing the top 2 teams play each other in the final game. As a matter of fact, from 1936 to 1997, the AP No. 1 and 2 teams only faced off in bowl games 11 times. This is where the phrase Mythical National Champion comes from.

Therefore, I contend that, prior to the first BCS Title game in 1998, if the top 2 teams at the end of the regular season did not face off in a bowl game, then we will never know if the team that was arbitrarily awarded the title that season was really the best team. For the purposes of my argument, I will use the AP rankings from 1936 to 1997, and the BCS rankings from 1998 to 2013. Of course, the winner of the CFB playoff, started in 2014, is a legit title winner.

Alabama, which is a great program and arguably the greatest of all time, claims 18 national titles. But only 8 came in seasons in which they finished the regular season No. 1 or 2 and played the No. 1 or 2 team in their final game of the season. Alabama's legit titles came in 1978, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

Granted, Alabama had good teams in those other years in which they claim questionable titles, but there was always at least one other school that could make the claim as the best team. And since they didn't decide it on the field, title claims in those years lack legitimacy.

Following my sound logic, Notre Dame, which claims 11 national titles, has no legit titles. Southern Cal also claims 11 titles, but only 2 are legit. Oklahoma claims 7 titles but only one is legit. Ohio State claims 8 but only 3 are legit. There are lots more examples of this.

In conclusion, next time you see Alabama fans (or even Notre Dame fans) popping off about their national titles, just laugh at them and reference this write up. Both the BCS and the current playoff system will render many of those title claims silly (or in Notre Dame's case, all of them).

School (# of Legit Titles)...Title Seasons
Alabama (8): 1978, 1992, 2009**, 2011*, 2012***, 2015, 2017*, 2020****
Ohio State (4): 1968, 2002, 2014, 2024
LSU (3): 2003, 2007, 2019
Florida St (3): 1993, 1999, 2013
Clemson (2): 2016, 2018
Nebraska (2): 1971, 1995
Penn State (2): 1982, 1986
USC (2): 1962, 2004
Miami (FL) (2): 1987, 2001
Florida (2): 2006, 2008
Texas (2): 1963, 2005
Georgia (2): 2021, 2022
Auburn (1): 2010
Oklahoma (1): 2000
Tennessee (1): 1998
Michigan (1): 2023

Legit Titles By Coach:
Nick Saban (7): 2003, 2009**, 2011*, 2012***, 2015, 2017*, 2020****
Urban Meyer (3): 2006, 2008, 2014
Dabo Swinney (2): 2016, 2018
Bobby Bowden (2): 1993, 1999
Joe Paterno (2): 1982, 1986
Kirby Smart (2): 2021, 2022
Ed Orgeron (1): 2019
Les Miles (1): 2007
Phil Fulmer (1): 1998
Gene Chizik (1): 2010
Tom Osborne (1): 1995
Jim Tressel (1): 2002
Woody Hayes (1): 1968
John McKay (1): 1962
Bob Devaney (1): 1971
Jimmy Johnson (1): 1987
Larry Coker (1): 2001
Pete Carroll (1): 2004
Jim Harbaugh (1): 2023
Ryan Day (1): 2024
Jimbo Fisher (1): 2013
Bob Stoops (1): 2000
Darrell Royal (1): 1963
Mack Brown (1): 2005
Gene Stallings (1): 1992
Bear Bryant (1): 1978

* Did not win division
** Texas QB Colt McCoy left game in 1st quarter of BCS title game
*** Diminished title due to undefeated Ohio State's postseason ban
**** Diminished title due to COVID