'84 Huskies wouldn't have made this year's College Football Playoff

Hardcore_Husky

'84 Huskies wouldn't have made this year's College Football Playoff

Style points mean more than ever these days, in the inaugural College Football Playoff, writes Derek Johnson.

Read the full story here

Southerndawg

Why compare 2014 Baylor to 1984 BYU? 1984 UW would have beaten 1984 BYU rather easily, say 34 - 17?

Style points have always been a problem, but I agree with Derek, they're more a problem now than ever. That's why some programs notoriously run up scores. Meyer no doubt had that on his mind when he had his fighting acorns ass blasting Wisky in the B1GFS Title game.

Ironically, Ohio State got into and won a fairly recent national title by successfully defending poor style points on their part. No one gave them a chance to hang with Miami in the 2002 MNC game. It could be argued that the officials ultimately gifted them the game, but by hanging through 2 overtimes, they proved that they belonged in that game despite squeaking out a few close, low scoring wins against questionable competition.

Style points suck, especially when a team features great defense and opts to use leads in games as a means to get their younger players playing time rather than run up the score, but they're a reality.

Fire_Marshall_Bill

Mike_Hunt said:

As a kid born in the 206, ending up in the tri-shites due to divorce the 1984 team will always have a special place in my heart. My RS HS teammate (Kelly-John Lewis) was on that team and I truly became a lifelong fan watching the 85 Orange Bowl. My first game was in the late 70s sitting in the NE Bowl but it wasn't until the Orange Bowl game until I truly became a die hard.

So we are approaching my 30th year as a true fan. If not for Don James, I would have graduated from Georgetown and not UW. My first memories as a kid were listening to the RB while driving with the folks from our ski vacations each year from Sun Valley.

Don James is the main reason I went to UW and my first qtr was the fall of 1991 after returning from the Gulf War earlier in the year. Luckily when I was in Don and Jim's office after classes one day that fall setting up an official visit for a family member I wasn't too much of a distraction.

So now you're pretending to be Spooge? Are you going to post a report card?

Fire_Marshall_Bill

It's hard to say. The fact "we" were number one going into the Condom game we would have helped. Also, the tv contracts and agendas weren't what they are now. Certain conferences didn't get favoritism.

Southerndawg

Fire_Marshall_Bill said:

It's hard to say. The fact "we" were number one going into the Condom game we would have helped. Also, the tv contracts and agendas weren't what they are now. Certain conferences didn't get favoritism.

Disagree. Back then the B1GFS was a media favorite as were programs like Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma ... etc. Bias has always existed. That year, the PAC10 stuck in everyone's ass and broke it off. USC beat Ohio State, Washington beat Oklahoma, and UCLA beat Miami in major bowl games.

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Fire_Marshall_Bill said:

Mike_Hunt said:

As a kid born in the 206, ending up in the tri-shites due to divorce the 1984 team will always have a special place in my heart. My RS HS teammate (Kelly-John Lewis) was on that team and I truly became a lifelong fan watching the 85 Orange Bowl. My first game was in the late 70s sitting in the NE Bowl but it wasn't until the Orange Bowl game until I truly became a die hard.

So we are approaching my 30th year as a true fan. If not for Don James, I would have graduated from Georgetown and not UW. My first memories as a kid were listening to the RB while driving with the folks from our ski vacations each year from Sun Valley.

Don James is the main reason I went to UW and my first qtr was the fall of 1991 after returning from the Gulf War earlier in the year. Luckily when I was in Don and Jim's office after classes one day that fall setting up an official visit for a family member I wasn't too much of a distraction.

So now you're pretending to be Spooge? Are you going to post a report card?

Hopefully he also poasts pictures of his daughter.

AZDuck

It's interesting. Having the frustration of some recent near-misses WRT national championships for the Ducks, one thinks back to the old eras of split championships and such. For instance, Oregon probably would have gotten a share of a title in 2012 under the old way.

But you have to think that a 10-1 Husky team whose only loss was close to USC would have had a pretty clear shot at the playoff. I think BC would have been left out at two losses.

puppylove_sugarsteel

Oh fuck yourself duck. Would you care to splain how in 2012? UW beat title favorite Oklahoma. Oregon beat who? UW had a legit claim

LaZoris

Was this the Associated Press Top 10 poll after all of the bowl games were played for the '84 season? It would be interesting to see the poll before the Bowls. I'm sure with rivalry games, last regular season games, etc they could have used that to determine some sort of conf winners or tiebreakers to get to the final four

creepycoug

Southerndawg said:

Why compare 2014 Baylor to 1984 BYU? 1984 UW would have beaten 1984 BYU rather easily, say 34 - 17?

Style points have always been a problem, but I agree with Derek, they're more a problem now than ever. That's why some programs notoriously run up scores. Meyer no doubt had that on his mind when he had his fighting acorns ass blasting Wisky in the B1GFS Title game.

Ironically, Ohio State got into and won a fairly recent national title by successfully defending poor style points on their part. No one gave them a chance to hang with Miami in the 2002 MNC game. It could be argued that the officials ultimately gifted them the game, but by hanging through 2 overtimes, they proved that they belonged in that game despite squeaking out a few close, low scoring wins against questionable competition.

Style points suck, especially when a team features great defense and opts to use leads in games as a means to get their younger players playing time rather than run up the score, but they're a reality.

Ohio State had a great D line and everyone knew it. They also had a great running back (not using the word "great" lightly like most do) and a smart, even if unspectacular, qb who protected possession, Chris Gamble, who was a great player (a South Florida kid who was supposed to sign with the Canes but punked out like a little girl at the 11th hour because he was afraid of their depth - wanted to play right away, which was hard to do at Miami at that time).

Ohio State in 2002 was no David and Goliath with Miami (as talented as Miami was in those days). They were more than capable.

I think their defensive front played very well that game (as they had all season). Just one of those games.

Southerndawg

creepycoug said:

Southerndawg said:

Why compare 2014 Baylor to 1984 BYU? 1984 UW would have beaten 1984 BYU rather easily, say 34 - 17?

Style points have always been a problem, but I agree with Derek, they're more a problem now than ever. That's why some programs notoriously run up scores. Meyer no doubt had that on his mind when he had his fighting acorns ass blasting Wisky in the B1GFS Title game.

Ironically, Ohio State got into and won a fairly recent national title by successfully defending poor style points on their part. No one gave them a chance to hang with Miami in the 2002 MNC game. It could be argued that the officials ultimately gifted them the game, but by hanging through 2 overtimes, they proved that they belonged in that game despite squeaking out a few close, low scoring wins against questionable competition.

Style points suck, especially when a team features great defense and opts to use leads in games as a means to get their younger players playing time rather than run up the score, but they're a reality.

Ohio State had a great D line and everyone knew it. They also had a great running back (not using the word "great" lightly like most do) and a smart, even if unspectacular, qb who protected possession, Chris Gamble, who was a great player (a South Florida kid who was supposed to sign with the Canes but punked out like a little girl at the 11th hour because he was afraid of their depth - wanted to play right away, which was hard to do at Miami at that time).

Ohio State in 2002 was no David and Goliath with Miami (as talented as Miami was in those days). They were more than capable.

I think their defensive front played very well that game (as they had all season). Just one of those games.

I totally agree with you that Ohio State had the talent to hang with Miami. They more than proved it on game day and later, in the NFL draft. Just pointing out that "style points", or rather the lack of them in this case, made Ohio State a controversial pick for the MNC and a huge underdog.

It may turn out that history repeats itself this year. FSU and Ohio State are probably better than their "style points" indicate. They could challenge the teams they're huge underdogs to. Both have "SEC levels" of talent, it will come down to how prepared they are.

JaWarrenJaHooker

How about the 2000 Washington team. Would they make the 4 team playoff? Beat Miami, went 10-1 regular season, only loss to Oregon. 7 of those 10 wins were by a touchdown or less (Idaho, Cal, and WSU the only double digit victories. And the Cal win came via a furious 4th quarter comeback. People forget that).

After the regular season concluded, the AP poll looked like this:

1. Oklahoma (12-0)
2. Miami (10-1)
3. FSU (11-1)
4. Washington (10-1)
5. Oregon State (10-1)
6. Virginia Tech (10-1)

Interesting that Miami got the benefit of head to head vs FSU. However, UW doesn't get the benefit of head to head vs Miami. I think the Huskies get into the playoff here, but why not as a 2 seed? STYLE POINTS, BABY. Not Scoreboard.

AtomicPiss

Based on the Coach's Poll, the 1991 Playoffs would have probably looked like this:

#1 Washington vs. #4 Florida State
#2 Miami vs. #3 Penn State

Southerndawg

DerekJohnson said:

Based on the Coach's Poll, the 1991 Playoffs would have probably looked like this:

#1 Washington vs. #4 Florida State
#2 Miami vs. #3 Penn State

Based on the AP Poll the playoff would have had the same players, just different seeding

#1 Miami vs #4 Florida State
#2 Washington vs #3 Penn State

That would have been an outstanding playoff either way.

RavennaDawg

Disagree.

I do not think FSU is being penalized because of "style points". I think it is because people simply do not feel they are as good as Alabama or Oregon. RJ Bell at pregame.com said FSU would be an underdog to Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State, Baylor, TCU, Mississippi State, and Michigan State. Sagarin has them ranked 15th.

Had Marshall gone undefeated and not made the playoff, I do not think people would have blamed "style points"; I think the consensus would have been that Marshall simply was not that good.

In 1984 1 loss UW would not have been passed over by 2 loss Nebraska AND Oklahoma State AND Boston College. We had been ranked #1, and our only loss was on the road to the Pac 10 champ (technically co-champ). We had a solid non conference win over SWC Champ/Cotton Bowl bound Houston as well.

If anyone remembers the short-lived sports newspaper The National, they ran a mock playoff after the 1990 season. I remember picking one up in LA after the Rose Bowl. They had fake box scores and fake interviews. Had a "quote" from James after our semi-final "win" saying "It was crazy they used to send the Big 10 out here every year." I think they had us losing to FSU in their title game.

Southerndawg

RavennaDawg said:

Disagree.

I do not think FSU is being penalized because of "style points". I think it is because people simply do not feel they are as good as Alabama or Oregon. RJ Bell at pregame.com said FSU would be an underdog to Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State, Baylor, TCU, Mississippi State, and Michigan State. Sagarin has them ranked 15th.

................

You don't think "style points" plays a role in that thinking? I'd argue that it does. We'll see how they do against Oregon, that will be a real test.

FWIW, I remember when Oregon played Ohio State in the Rose Bowl a few years back. Ohio State got little respect despite having superior athletes at most positions. Oregon's style points bought them a lot of respect, while Ohio State's lack of style points hurt their image. Prior to the game, people thought Oregon was better than Ohio State, but Ohio State beat Oregon in that game and did it by being the better, more talented team.

The same thing happened when Florida played Ohio State in a MNC game some years back. Michigan and Ohio State built reputations on style points that year. Some tried to make the case that they should be playing a second game for the MNC. Ohio State was favored in their game, I can't recall if Michigan was or not, but both got annihilated by much better Florida and USC teams. Florida vs USC that year would have been a fantastic match up. Too bad it didn't happen.

Bottom line, style points suck. Who you play and whether or not you win is what ultimately matters.

TierbsHsotBoobs

The mythical four team playoff for the 1984 season if it happened today:

Oklahoma (Big 8 champs), Florida (SEC champs), BC (top independent, Doug Flutie over Miami, would be ACC champs now), BYU (only undefeated team).

Ohio State probably would have been next in line. UW's lack of a conference championship would hurt.

Florida would have never been punished today like they were back then.