In the middle of an unprecedented decade of blueblood dominance, Pitt not only won a national title but totally deserved it.
Pitt pulled off only its second top-15 finish in 18 years in 1975, and while the Panthers had Tony Dorsett and were getting ready to unleash six top-10 finishes in seven years, this was still relatively out of nowhere.
Unlike a lot of up-and-comers, though, the Panthers' title wasn't based on close wins or a particular upset. Pitt was just really really good. Johnny Majors' team started the year with a 31-10 win over No. 11 Notre Dame and finished it with a 24-7 win over No. 16 Penn State and a 27-3 win over No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Granted, the schedule was relatively easy in between, but only one opponent stayed within single digits. Pitt handled its business.
Granted, Pitt also benefited from a less-than-elite title pack. Michigan was the only team that crossed the 98th percentile, and in the middle of total dominance, Bo Schembechler's Wolverines figured out a way to lose to Purdue. Meanwhile, most of the rest of the ruling class suffered through at least partial down years (or at least down weeks). USC was awesome but lost to Missouri. Ohio State was awesome but lost to Missouri and got stomped by Michigan. Oklahoma lost twice. Notre Dame was mostly strong but lost three road games of varying quality.
Part of the reason it's so hard to join college football's oligarchy is that you have to not only figure out a way to be good, you also have to have good timing. Pitt did both. And even though the Panthers lost Majors to Tennessee after this championship year, they kept the train rolling under Jackie Sherrill and Foge Fazio for a while.
Meanwhile ... Michigan. Oh, Michigan. The 1970s were an incredible run of dominance and heartbreak. The Wolverines beat Ohio State to finish the regular season undefeated but lost to Stanford by one in the Rose Bowl. They started 10-0 in 1972 and lost to Ohio State by three. They started 10-0 in 1973, tied Ohio State, and lost a famous Rose Bowl vote. They started 1974 10-0 and lost to Ohio State by two. And in 1976, they easily cleared the Ohio State hurdle, but it didn't matter from a national title perspective because they had already lost to Purdue (and they went on to lose to USC in the Rose Bowl, too). They just couldn't quite ever get the timing right. Bo Schembechler won a million conference titles and no national titles.
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 1 | Michigan | 10-2 | 21.5 | 98.53% | 32.7 | 2 | 11.3 | 10 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 12-0 | 19.9 | 97.81% | 31.4 | 4 | 11.5 | 11 |
| 3 | Georgia | 10-2 | 19.6 | 97.66% | 29.5 | 13 | 9.9 | 5 |
| 4 | USC | 11-1 | 18.8 | 97.16% | 31.3 | 5 | 12.5 | 15 |
| 5 | Alabama | 9-3 | 18.5 | 97.00% | 28.7 | 16 | 10.2 | 6 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 9-2-1 | 18.4 | 96.90% | 28.1 | 18 | 9.7 | 4 |
| 7 | UCLA | 9-2-1 | 16.3 | 95.14% | 31.7 | 3 | 15.4 | 36 |
| 8 | Oklahoma State | 9-3 | 16.2 | 94.99% | 30.8 | 6 | 14.6 | 28 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 9-2-1 | 16.2 | 94.97% | 29.7 | 12 | 13.5 | 22 |
| 10 | Maryland | 11-1 | 15.8 | 94.55% | 24.9 | 28 | 9.1 | 2 |
| 11 | Colorado | 8-4 | 15.7 | 94.46% | 30.0 | 10 | 14.3 | 25 |
| 12 | Missouri | 6-5 | 15.5 | 94.19% | 29.9 | 11 | 14.4 | 26 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 10-2 | 14.4 | 92.84% | 28.2 | 17 | 13.8 | 23 |
| 14 | East Carolina | 9-2 | 14.4 | 92.81% | 24.8 | 29 | 10.4 | 8 |
| 15 | Houston | 10-2 | 14.3 | 92.62% | 29.3 | 14 | 15.0 | 32 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 9-3 | 14.2 | 92.54% | 25.9 | 25 | 11.7 | 13 |
| 17 | Nebraska | 9-3-1 | 14.1 | 92.32% | 30.0 | 8 | 16.0 | 38 |
| 18 | Texas Tech | 10-2 | 13.1 | 90.78% | 29.2 | 15 | 16.1 | 42 |
| 19 | Iowa State | 8-3 | 12.5 | 89.85% | 32.9 | 1 | 20.4 | 76 |
| 20 | Mississippi State | 9-2 | 12.5 | 89.73% | 26.7 | 22 | 14.2 | 24 |
| 21 | Cincinnati | 8-3 | 11.4 | 87.60% | 20.1 | 62 | 8.7 | 1 |
| 22 | Kentucky | 8-4 | 10.4 | 85.56% | 20.2 | 61 | 9.7 | 3 |
| 23 | Yale | 8-1 | 9.9 | 84.21% | 20.4 | 58 | 10.5 | 9 |
| 24 | Richmond | 5-6 | 9.2 | 82.58% | 19.5 | 74 | 10.3 | 7 |
| 25 | Florida | 8-4 | 9.2 | 82.37% | 30.5 | 7 | 21.3 | 84 |
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 26 | William & Mary | 7-4 | 8.5 | 80.58% | 20.8 | 53 | 12.3 | 14 |
| 27 | Penn State | 7-5 | 7.9 | 78.96% | 21.2 | 50 | 13.2 | 19 |
| 28 | UL-Lafayette | 9-2 | 7.4 | 77.31% | 22.3 | 39 | 14.9 | 30 |
| 29 | UT-Chattanooga | 4-3-1 | 7.1 | 76.49% | 26.5 | 23 | 19.4 | 61 |
| 30 | California | 5-6 | 7.0 | 76.16% | 24.2 | 30 | 17.2 | 49 |
| 31 | Appalachian State | 6-4-1 | 7.0 | 76.08% | 22.0 | 42 | 15.1 | 33 |
| 32 | Kansas | 6-5 | 7.0 | 76.05% | 26.8 | 21 | 19.8 | 64 |
| 33 | Louisiana Tech | 6-5 | 6.8 | 75.52% | 30.0 | 9 | 23.2 | 100 |
| 34 | Dartmouth | 6-3 | 6.7 | 75.05% | 22.7 | 36 | 16.0 | 39 |
| 35 | Rutgers | 11-0 | 6.5 | 74.38% | 19.2 | 80 | 12.7 | 16 |
| 36 | Furman | 6-4-1 | 5.9 | 72.65% | 17.5 | 95 | 11.5 | 12 |
| 37 | Miami-FL | 3-8 | 5.6 | 71.57% | 21.9 | 44 | 16.3 | 43 |
| 38 | South Carolina | 6-5 | 4.9 | 69.10% | 17.8 | 92 | 12.8 | 17 |
| 39 | Texas | 5-5-1 | 4.7 | 68.51% | 19.7 | 69 | 15.0 | 31 |
| 40 | Stanford | 6-5 | 4.7 | 68.21% | 26.2 | 24 | 21.5 | 85 |
| 41 | LSU | 6-4-1 | 4.6 | 68.00% | 20.6 | 56 | 16.0 | 40 |
| 42 | Brown | 8-1 | 4.6 | 67.94% | 19.1 | 81 | 14.5 | 27 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 5-6 | 4.6 | 67.92% | 19.8 | 68 | 15.2 | 35 |
| 44 | Tulsa | 7-4-1 | 4.4 | 67.30% | 21.4 | 49 | 17.0 | 48 |
| 45 | North Texas | 6-5 | 4.2 | 66.69% | 19.4 | 76 | 15.1 | 34 |
| 46 | Virginia Tech | 6-5 | 4.1 | 66.27% | 20.2 | 60 | 16.0 | 41 |
| 47 | Ball State | 8-3 | 3.9 | 65.39% | 20.8 | 52 | 16.9 | 46 |
| 48 | Ole Miss | 5-6 | 3.6 | 64.20% | 16.9 | 97 | 13.3 | 20 |
| 49 | BYU | 9-3 | 3.6 | 64.13% | 27.0 | 19 | 23.4 | 102 |
| 50 | San Jose State | 7-4 | 3.2 | 62.93% | 26.8 | 20 | 23.5 | 103 |
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 51 | Illinois | 5-6 | 3.2 | 62.89% | 23.6 | 31 | 20.4 | 73 |
| 52 | Baylor | 7-3-1 | 2.9 | 61.61% | 19.2 | 79 | 16.3 | 44 |
| 53 | Arkansas | 5-5-1 | 2.8 | 61.13% | 20.7 | 54 | 17.9 | 52 |
| 54 | Duke | 5-5-1 | 2.8 | 61.11% | 23.2 | 35 | 20.4 | 75 |
| 55 | Harvard | 6-3 | 2.7 | 60.69% | 15.8 | 104 | 13.1 | 18 |
| 56 | San Diego State | 10-1 | 2.4 | 59.76% | 15.8 | 103 | 13.3 | 21 |
| 57 | Ohio | 7-4 | 2.4 | 59.57% | 20.8 | 51 | 18.5 | 55 |
| 58 | Fresno State | 5-6 | 2.3 | 59.31% | 19.8 | 67 | 17.5 | 51 |
| 59 | Tennessee | 6-5 | 2.3 | 59.28% | 19.3 | 78 | 17.0 | 47 |
| 60 | McNeese State | 10-2 | 1.9 | 57.61% | 21.8 | 46 | 19.9 | 67 |
| 61 | Bowling Green | 6-5 | 1.9 | 57.48% | 25.6 | 26 | 23.7 | 104 |
| 62 | Navy | 4-7 | 1.8 | 57.18% | 21.9 | 43 | 20.1 | 69 |
| 63 | Auburn | 3-8 | 1.2 | 54.70% | 21.5 | 47 | 20.4 | 74 |
| 64 | Kent | 8-4 | 0.8 | 53.05% | 20.6 | 57 | 19.9 | 66 |
| 65 | Western Michigan | 7-4 | 0.8 | 53.05% | 21.8 | 45 | 21.1 | 81 |
| 66 | Memphis | 7-4 | 0.7 | 52.90% | 19.6 | 73 | 18.9 | 57 |
| 67 | Purdue | 5-6 | 0.4 | 51.44% | 19.3 | 77 | 18.9 | 59 |
| 68 | The Citadel | 6-5 | 0.1 | 50.50% | 14.9 | 112 | 14.8 | 29 |
| 69 | Louisville | 4-7 | 0.0 | 49.97% | 19.4 | 75 | 19.4 | 62 |
| 70 | Arkansas State | 5-6 | 0.0 | 49.89% | 22.5 | 38 | 22.5 | 96 |
| 71 | Georgia Tech | 4-6-1 | -0.2 | 49.37% | 22.1 | 41 | 22.3 | 93 |
| 72 | Southern Miss | 2-9 | -0.2 | 49.07% | 19.9 | 66 | 20.2 | 70 |
| 73 | Minnesota | 6-5 | -0.3 | 48.68% | 18.5 | 84 | 18.9 | 58 |
| 74 | Washington | 5-6 | -0.3 | 48.68% | 20.0 | 63 | 20.3 | 72 |
| 75 | Villanova | 6-4-1 | -0.6 | 47.72% | 19.6 | 72 | 20.2 | 71 |
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 76 | Wisconsin | 5-6 | -0.9 | 46.46% | 25.1 | 27 | 26.0 | 118 |
| 77 | Clemson | 3-6-2 | -0.9 | 46.29% | 18.1 | 89 | 19.0 | 60 |
| 78 | North Carolina | 9-3 | -1.6 | 43.68% | 18.5 | 85 | 20.1 | 68 |
| 79 | NC State | 3-7-1 | -1.6 | 43.52% | 20.3 | 59 | 21.9 | 89 |
| 80 | Boston College | 8-3 | -1.9 | 42.23% | 15.4 | 106 | 17.4 | 50 |
| 81 | Wake Forest | 5-6 | -2.2 | 41.06% | 16.3 | 100 | 18.5 | 56 |
| 82 | New Mexico | 4-7 | -2.3 | 40.86% | 20.0 | 65 | 22.2 | 92 |
| 83 | Michigan State | 4-6-1 | -2.3 | 40.78% | 22.3 | 40 | 24.6 | 112 |
| 84 | Kansas State | 1-10 | -2.6 | 39.47% | 21.5 | 48 | 24.2 | 108 |
| 85 | Florida State | 5-6 | -2.8 | 38.66% | 19.6 | 70 | 22.5 | 95 |
| 86 | SMU | 3-8 | -2.9 | 38.51% | 23.2 | 34 | 26.1 | 120 |
| 87 | Miami-OH | 3-8 | -3.2 | 37.29% | 15.1 | 110 | 18.3 | 54 |
| 88 | Arizona | 5-6 | -3.5 | 35.94% | 23.6 | 32 | 27.1 | 124 |
| 89 | Arizona State | 4-7 | -4.1 | 33.77% | 19.0 | 82 | 23.2 | 99 |
| 90 | Temple | 4-6 | -4.1 | 33.68% | 18.0 | 91 | 22.1 | 91 |
| 91 | Cornell | 2-7 | -4.5 | 32.22% | 13.6 | 118 | 18.1 | 53 |
| 92 | UT-Arlington | 5-6 | -4.5 | 32.21% | 20.0 | 64 | 24.5 | 111 |
| 93 | VMI | 5-5 | -4.6 | 32.09% | 15.9 | 102 | 20.5 | 78 |
| 94 | Central Michigan | 7-4 | -5.3 | 29.39% | 16.7 | 98 | 22.1 | 90 |
| 95 | Vanderbilt | 2-9 | -5.6 | 28.45% | 16.0 | 101 | 21.6 | 86 |
| 96 | Iowa | 5-6 | -5.7 | 28.11% | 15.1 | 111 | 20.8 | 80 |
| 97 | Indiana | 5-6 | -6.2 | 26.59% | 14.3 | 114 | 20.5 | 79 |
| 98 | Wyoming | 8-4 | -6.3 | 26.12% | 18.4 | 87 | 24.7 | 113 |
| 99 | Toledo | 3-8 | -6.3 | 26.06% | 15.6 | 105 | 21.9 | 88 |
| 100 | Long Beach State | 8-3 | -6.6 | 24.98% | 13.8 | 117 | 20.4 | 77 |
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 101 | West Texas A&M | 4-5-2 | -6.8 | 24.41% | 18.0 | 90 | 24.8 | 114 |
| 102 | Washington State | 3-8 | -6.9 | 24.33% | 22.7 | 37 | 29.5 | 127 |
| 103 | Columbia | 3-6 | -6.9 | 24.25% | 16.4 | 99 | 23.3 | 101 |
| 104 | Oregon | 4-7 | -7.1 | 23.67% | 15.3 | 107 | 22.4 | 94 |
| 105 | Northwestern State | 5-5 | -7.4 | 22.49% | 13.8 | 116 | 21.3 | 83 |
| 106 | Southern Illinois | 7-4 | -7.5 | 22.26% | 17.5 | 94 | 25.0 | 115 |
| 107 | Pennsylvania | 3-6 | -7.8 | 21.40% | 8.6 | 133 | 16.4 | 45 |
| 108 | Princeton | 2-7 | -7.8 | 21.39% | 8.1 | 134 | 15.9 | 37 |
| 109 | Tulane | 2-9 | -8.2 | 20.40% | 13.0 | 120 | 21.2 | 82 |
| 110 | Syracuse | 3-8 | -8.3 | 20.01% | 14.8 | 113 | 23.1 | 97 |
| 111 | Colorado State | 6-5 | -8.7 | 18.90% | 12.9 | 121 | 21.6 | 87 |
| 112 | Colgate | 8-2 | -9.3 | 17.32% | 10.6 | 130 | 19.9 | 65 |
| 113 | Eastern Michigan | 2-9 | -9.8 | 15.91% | 18.3 | 88 | 28.1 | 126 |
| 114 | Army | 5-6 | -10.6 | 14.17% | 17.0 | 96 | 27.6 | 125 |
| 115 | Air Force | 4-7 | -10.9 | 13.40% | 15.1 | 108 | 26.1 | 119 |
| 116 | Dayton | 4-7 | -11.0 | 13.13% | 12.9 | 122 | 23.9 | 105 |
| 117 | Oregon State | 2-10 | -11.8 | 11.54% | 15.1 | 109 | 26.9 | 123 |
| 118 | Indiana State | 3-7 | -12.0 | 11.18% | 12.0 | 128 | 24.0 | 106 |
| 119 | Wichita State | 4-7 | -12.0 | 11.12% | 12.5 | 123 | 24.5 | 110 |
| 120 | Northwestern | 1-10 | -12.2 | 10.82% | 14.1 | 115 | 26.3 | 122 |
| 121 | Rice | 3-8 | -12.7 | 9.90% | 23.5 | 33 | 36.2 | 136 |
| 122 | Marshall | 4-7 | -12.8 | 9.69% | 12.2 | 127 | 25.0 | 116 |
| 123 | New Mexico State | 4-6-1 | -13.1 | 9.15% | 11.1 | 129 | 24.2 | 109 |
| 124 | Illinois State | 5-6 | -13.1 | 9.13% | 6.3 | 137 | 19.5 | 63 |
| 125 | Virginia | 2-9 | -13.2 | 9.00% | 9.9 | 131 | 23.1 | 98 |
| S&P+ Rk | Team | Record | Est S&P+ | Percentile | Off. S&P+ | Rk | Def. S&P+ | Rk |
| 126 | Holy Cross | 3-8 | -13.3 | 8.83% | 18.9 | 83 | 32.2 | 132 |
| 127 | UL-Monroe | 2-9 | -13.5 | 8.56% | 18.5 | 86 | 32.0 | 131 |
| 128 | Utah State | 3-8 | -13.8 | 8.10% | 12.5 | 124 | 26.2 | 121 |
| 129 | TCU | 0-11 | -15.4 | 5.95% | 17.8 | 93 | 33.1 | 133 |
| 130 | Lamar | 2-9 | -15.5 | 5.80% | 8.6 | 132 | 24.1 | 107 |
| 131 | Drake | 1-10 | -15.6 | 5.61% | 20.7 | 55 | 36.3 | 137 |
| 132 | Utah | 3-8 | -16.1 | 5.16% | 19.6 | 71 | 35.7 | 135 |
| 133 | Pacific | 2-9 | -17.7 | 3.59% | 12.3 | 126 | 30.0 | 128 |
| 134 | Fullerton State | 3-7-1 | -17.9 | 3.50% | 7.5 | 136 | 25.4 | 117 |
| 135 | UTEP | 1-11 | -17.9 | 3.44% | 13.1 | 119 | 31.0 | 130 |
| 136 | Hawaii | 3-8 | -21.7 | 1.38% | 12.4 | 125 | 34.1 | 134 |
| 137 | Northern Illinois | 1-10 | -23.0 | 0.99% | 7.7 | 135 | 30.6 | 129 |
Your hypothetical Playoff race
As always, we start with your end-of-regular-season AP poll. This would have been an interesting year to have a four-team playoff.
1. Pitt (11-0)
2. Michigan (10-1)
3. USC (10-1)
4. Maryland (11-0)
5. Georgia (10-1)
6. Houston (9-2)
7. UCLA (8-2-1)
8. Oklahoma (8-2-1)
9. Texas Tech (10-1)
The interesting part about this battle is the argument between an undefeated Maryland team and one-loss Georgia. The ACC wasn't of strong stature in the mid-1970s, coming off of a segregated time with no natural national powers. Maryland was unbeaten and PROBABLY would have gotten a Playoff bid here, but the Terps had beaten zero ranked teams, and the only opponents they had beaten with winning records were 8-4 Kentucky (Est. S&P+ No. 22), 8-3 Cincinnati (No. 21), and 6-4-1 Villanova (No. 75). That's two solid wins, but is that enough to get them past a one-loss SEC champion? Granted, the SEC ALSO didn't have the highest stature in the mid-1970s, but Georgia had beaten Alabama (Est. S&P+ No. 5), Cincinnati (No. 21), Florida (No. 25), and California (No. 30). Is that enough to offset a loss to Ole Miss?
I say no. Assuming Michigan and USC are likely in, and assuming Texas Tech's case isn't any better than Georgia's, I say we get 1 Pitt vs. 4 Maryland and 2 Michigan vs. 3 USC. Pitt-Maryland in a national semifinal. Naturally.
Maryland was solid, especially on defense, but Pitt was better. The Panthers play ... USC, I guess? Michigan graded out better, but USC won the real game. Regardless, Pitt was more than legitimate enough to have still won the Playoff.
M-I-Z...
I'm writing about the 1978 Missouri team in my book, with the hook being that the Tigers were the giant killers of the 1970s. (They beat defending champion Notre Dame to start 1978, then knocked Nebraska out of the national title race with a win in Lincoln to end it, losing to Oklahoma State and Colorado in between.) But I was tempted to do 1976 instead because this was the most Mizzou Mizzou season of the decade. (I'll be writing about it soon at Rock M Nation.)
The Tigers began the season not by beating No. 8 USC in the Coliseum, but by DESTROYING them, 46-25. They went from unranked to sixth in the country, then proceeded to lose at home to Illinois, 31-6. Unranked again, they went to Columbus and beat No. 2 Ohio State by last-minute touchdown and two-point conversion. Back to No. 12, they won a couple of games, then lost to unranked Iowa State at home. They beat No. 3 Nebraska in Lincoln, then lost to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma by a little, then finished 6-5 after a 41-14 loss, again at home, to Kansas.
That is one of the most absurd seasons of all-time. And I figure it justifies the Tigers ranking 12th despite going 6-5. They beat Est. S&P+ No. 4, 6, 11, and 17 ... and lost five games. Guh.
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