🏈 Question for the old-timers: How many nattys would Bear Bryant have won if there had been a 4-team playoff back then?

[saturdaysarebetter]

A question for the old-timers in here: How many national championships would Bear Bryant have won if there had a 4-team playoff back then?

 

[OldPlayer]

IMO, they would have won in 77 since ND was ranked #5 going into the bowls and wouldn't be in the playoffs. Not sure of other years and who was ranked where.

 

[BAMAneck]

Well they would have had plenty of depth .....

When I was a kid them BAMA sidelines were packed with players ....

 

[252BAMA]

Probably no more or no less. Would have won some they didn't and vice versa. The CFP is not a sure road to the NC as Bama learned in 2014 and 2016. Winning two tough playoff games back to back is a tough row to hoe.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Probably would've lost some we have - and have at least '66 to add. '77 team did lose its bowl game, but what a juggernaut. They could've won it.

 

[PurlJam]

All of 'em. :devil:

 

[TUSKtimes]

Coach Bryant would have won more than his share in today's playoff culture. It certainly would have changed college football as we knew it. Even the BCS era would have changed all things. To have to go to a particular bowl game for no rhyme or reason other than we signed a contract, and then play whoever had the legal right to attend your bowl, based on their contract, was an insane way to decide the best teams. To call them Mythical NCs doesn't begin to tell that story.

Coach Bryant and all the rest of the coaching fraternity of that time were as blind and stubborn to the possibilities of a playoff as the school presidents and the NCAA. Somehow, everybody got what they deserved, but the fan.

 

[alabama mike]

Hard to say but I will venture to say 1 or 2 more. For those of us old enough to remember, we had a bad bowl streak in the early 70's, so getting to a 4 team playoff could have been a problem.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Some really outstanding teams would’ve had a chance
1962 was an outstanding team
1966 great team
1977. A contender
1972. A one freak loss team
Those 4 were really competitive for a championship
Obviously who you would draw and where
64 team loss orange bowl
73 and 74 were some of Bears best but lost to ND

 

[rick4bama]

But would his teams of 1969-70 gone to a bowl game?

 

[50+yeartidefan]

But would his teams of 1969-70 gone to a bowl game?

Those were not real good teams but yes they would have qualified since most every team with a winning record goes

 

[OldPlayer]

But would his teams of 1969-70 gone to a bowl game?

Those were not real good teams but yes they would have qualified since most every team with a winning record goes

But that's today. Back then there weren't as many bowls and fewer regular season games played. You didn't find many 5-5 or 6-5 teams in a bowl.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

But would his teams of 1969-70 gone to a bowl game?

Those were not real good teams but yes they would have qualified since most every team with a winning record goes

But that's today. Back then there weren't as many bowls and fewer regular season games played. You didn't find many 5-5 or 6-5 teams in a bowl.

And @rick4bama ...... rick said "would they have gone to a bowl...."
Actually they did go to a bowl....then....and yes...they would have gone to a bowl...now
I believe...

 

[SnakeFan]

Well they would have had plenty of depth .....

When I was a kid them BAMA sidelines were packed with players ....

and we were known to play almost all of them too!

 

[bamachine]

Yeah, Bryant was known to sign the best 15-20 QBs in the south, every year. Pick the best 2 or three to be the QB depth and then have the rest change position. As the QB of any team was usually the best overall athlete at each school, back then, you had a ridiculous;y athletic team.

 

[252BAMA]

Probably would've lost some we have - and have at least '66 to add. '77 team did lose its bowl game, but what a juggernaut. They could've won it.

Huh!? '77 team beat tOSU 35-6 in the Sugar Bowl. The only loss in '77 came at Nebraska on a 4th down fake FG TD pass. Bama DB went for INT instead of knocking the ball down.:eyeroll: Same day that ND lost to Ole Miss in Jackson. The same Ole Miss that Bama had beaten 34-13 the previous week!

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Probably would've lost some we have - and have at least '66 to add. '77 team did lose its bowl game, but what a juggernaut. They could've won it.

Huh!? '77 team beat tOSU 35-6 in the Sugar Bowl. The only loss in '77 came at Nebraska on a 4th down fake FG TD pass. Bama DB went for INT instead of knocking the ball down.:eyeroll: Same day that ND lost to Ole Miss in Jackson. The same Ole Miss that Bama had beaten 34-13 the previous week!

My bad, I believe I got the bowl loss mixed up with '75. Was that the second loss to ND that year?

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Hard to say but I will venture to say 1 or 2 more. For those of us old enough to remember, we had a bad bowl streak in the early 70's, so getting to a 4 team playoff could have been a problem.

Yes, but you don't play a bowl game before being chosen for the playoffs. You just have to finish in the top four.

 

[252BAMA]

Probably would've lost some we have - and have at least '66 to add. '77 team did lose its bowl game, but what a juggernaut. They could've won it.

Huh!? '77 team beat tOSU 35-6 in the Sugar Bowl. The only loss in '77 came at Nebraska on a 4th down fake FG TD pass. Bama DB went for INT instead of knocking the ball down.:eyeroll: Same day that ND lost to Ole Miss in Jackson. The same Ole Miss that Bama had beaten 34-13 the previous week!

My bad, I believe I got the bowl loss mixed up with '75. Was that the second loss to ND that year?

No, that was their only loss, which is why they won the NC when they smoked #1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Jumped from 5th to first. The fact that Bama had beaten the hell out of the team they lost to was long forgotten.