The McMNC for 1990: Georgia Institute of Technology
McMisanthrope
1. Colorado: 11-1-1 -- W, Orange, 10-9
2. Georgia Tech: 11-0-1 -- W, Citrus, 45-21
3. Miami-FL: 10-2-0 -- W, Cotton, 46-3
4. Florida State: 10-2-0 -- W, Blockbuster, 24-17
5. Washington: 10-2-0 -- W, Rose, 46-34
6. Notre Dame: 9-3-0 -- L, Orange, 9-10
7. Michigan: 9-3-0 -- W, Gator, 35-3
8. Tennessee: 9-2-2 -- W, Sugar, 23-22
9. Clemson: 10-2-0 -- W, Hall of Fame, 30-0
10. Houston: 10-1-0 -- NONE (probation)
By the way, #14 Louisville went 10-1-1 with a 39% SOS. Weak!
This is an interesting poll year. I always felt the AP voters were
going all sympathetic on Bill McCartney and Colorado, based on the end
to 1989's season and the Sal Aunese affair. Throw in the Fifth Down
against Missouri and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqC_Br3cDJg, and
well ... something's rotten in Denmark.
However, the numbers won't lie, so let's start the crunch.
Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Florida State and Washington are all in
the fray here. But Washington lost at Colorado by six points on
September 29, so they're out. Florida State lost to Miami (of course,
they did!) by nine points in Miami on October 6, so they're gone, too.
Miami has two losses to go with their outstanding 60% SOS rating: they
lost on the road to AP #22 BYU (10-3) by seven points, and they went
down to #6 Notre Dame on the road by nine points. Good losses, to be
sure, but two of them? That hurts. The Hurricanes did beat unranked
7-4-1 California on the road by 28 points, AP #18 Iowa (8-4) at home
by 27 points, #4 Florida State at home by nine points, UPI #21
Syracuse (7-4-2) by 26 points at home, 6-5 San Diego State on the road
by two points, and AP #12 Texas (10-2) in the Cotton Bowl by 43
points. Overall, an impressive schedule featuring eight winning teams,
even with the two losses.
Georgia Tech has only a tie to mar their record: the 55% SOS is good,
and the tie was to 6-4-1 North Carolina on the road. Not an ugly
blemish, to be sure -- and it's only a partial blemish. The
Yellowjackets beat 7-5 North Carolina State at home by eight points,
6-5 South Carolina at home by 21 points, 6-5-1 Maryland on the road by
28 points, #9 Clemson at home by two points, AP #23 Virginia (8-4) on
the road by three points, UPI #25 Virginia Tech (6-5) by three points
at home, and AP #24 Nebraska (9-3) by 24 points in the Citrus Bowl.
They squeaked by three ranked teams and then blew out a fourth in a
bowl game. They played seven winning teams overall.
Colorado's SOS rating in 1990 was as good as Miami's rating: 60%. The
Buffaloes tied #8 Tennessee on the road to open the season, and they
lost to AP #25 Illinois on the road by a point in mid-September. But
they did beat #12 Texas by seven points on the road, #5 Washington at
home by six points, AP #17 Oklahoma (8-3) by nine points at home, #24
Nebraska by 15 points on the road, and #6 Notre Dame in the Orange
Bowl. They played seven ranked teams and went 5-1-1 against them.
First, we have to decide between Miami and Colorado: both have two
blemishes, and both have a 60% SOS rating. The Buffaloes get the edge,
because they played one more ranked team than Miami did, and they only
lost once, on the road by a point to a ranked team. Miami's two losses
were by bigger margins.
So, it's Colorado versus Georgia Tech. Colorado definitely played the
better schedule. When it comes to the blemishes, Tech's tie is worse
than Colorado's tie by a wide margin, and Colorado's loss isn't bad
enough to lose that wide margin. Call it even -- and both teams
pummeled Nebraska pretty good. Colorado has two better wins than
Georgia Tech's best win.
But there is the Fifth Down to consider. Colorado should have lost a
second game. The officials made a big mistake (http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ). In essence, Colorado was 10-2-1 in 1990, and
that doesn't cut it.
Don't even get me started on the Rocket Ismail call, either.
Georgia Tech wins the McMNC outright, because the Buffs really did
lose to Missouri, even if the record doesn't show it. Fair is fair.
McMNC Revisions
1. Georgia Tech
2. Colorado
3. Miami-FL
4. Washington
5. Florida State
RUNNING SCORECARD:
USC: -1962, =1967, +1969, =1972, +1978, +1979
Pittsburgh: +1936, -1937, =1976, +1980
Tennessee: +1938, +1942, +1950, -1951
Penn State: +1977, +1981, =1982, =1986
Georgia Tech: +1952, +1990
UCLA: +1965
Arkansas: +1964
Mississippi: +1962
Washington: +1960
Iowa: +1956
Illinois: +1951
Michigan: +1947, =1948
Purdue: +1943
Stanford: +1940
California: +1937
Nebraska: =1970, =1971
BYU: =1984
Syracuse: =1959
LSU: =1958
Texas A&M: =1939
Auburn: -1957, +1983
Georgia: +1946, -1980
Michigan State: -1952, +1953
Ohio State: -1942, +1944, =1954, =1968
Oklahoma: +1949, -1950, =1955, -1956, +1957, =1975, =1986
TCU: -1938
Maryland: -1953
Clemson: -1981
Colorado: -1990
Miami-FL: -1983, =1987, =1989
Texas: =1963, -1969
Army: -1944, -1945
Minnesota: -1936, -1940, =1941, -1960
Alabama: +1945, =1961, -1964, -1965, -1978, -1979
Notre Dame: -1943, -1946, -1947, -1949, =1966, =1973, -1977, =1988
McMahone
all. This is one of those things where you only hear from folks when
they think you're wrong, apparently.
I'm impressed considering you mentioned just the other day that you
went to CU.
Marty
the_andr...@yahoo.com
> AP Top 10: Final Record -- Key Bowl Results
>
> 1. Colorado: 11-1-1 -- W, Orange, 10-9
> 2. Georgia Tech: 11-0-1 -- W, Citrus, 45-21
> 3. Miami-FL: 10-2-0 -- W, Cotton, 46-3
> 4. Florida State: 10-2-0 -- W, Blockbuster, 24-17
> 5. Washington: 10-2-0 -- W, Rose, 46-34
> 6. Notre Dame: 9-3-0 -- L, Orange, 9-10
> 7. Michigan: 9-3-0 -- W, Gator, 35-3
> 8. Tennessee: 9-2-2 -- W, Sugar, 23-22
> 9. Clemson: 10-2-0 -- W, Hall of Fame, 30-0
> 10. Houston: 10-1-0 -- NONE (probation)
>
> By the way, #14 Louisville went 10-1-1 with a 39% SOS. Weak!
>
> This is an interesting poll year. I always felt the AP voters were
> going all sympathetic on Bill McCartney and Colorado, based on the end
> to 1989's season and the Sal Aunese affair. Throw in the Fifth Down
If only Ted Smith were here to correct this injustice.
a.