I was in school when Ok-Neb and Ok-Tx was must see FB. (1970’s)
OU claimed the 73 title and won it in 74 and 75. This was when the had players like Billy Sims and the Selman brothers.
Nebraska was ALWAYS in the hunt from 1970-2001 winning the NC in 70, 71, 94, 95 and 97
Texas had their name in the hat most years making the above list games “must see”.
I remember watching USC and John McKay “integrate” the sec in 1970, helping it become what it is today.
A lot of change and ups and downs for a lot of teams over the years. The sec hasn’t always been top dog. Up until the early 2000’s, when bowl games really meant something to players, the sec only had a 54% winning percentage. Hardly dominating. (In fairness the acc was 48%)
But through it all, over all these years, the one constant, the one never changing fact of football, the one thing you could count on, regardless what conference was “tops”
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uk has sucked 98% of the time. 👍🤷🏻♂️🏈
A lot of memories in there. And I can add a few more.
First off, I would like to address national media bias (or laziness). Many fans worry about who is ranked where in the pre-season polls. They are totally meaningless and largely consist of the same 5or 6 teams ranked in the top ten every year - Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas, USC and the most recent flavor of the day - regardless of losses to graduation or up and coming teams in their respective conferences. They were familiar names and those polled took the easy way out. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Michigan being a pre-season Top 10 team, only to struggle to be ranked by years' end.
Switzer's OU teams of the 70's were something to see. If you could. His best teams were when they were on probation and not on TV. Texas was a big deal until he turned the Wishbone loose on them. They had no answer for Joe Washington, Greg Pruiit, Billy Sims and the like.
The Thanksgiving Day game vs. Nebraska in 1970 or 71 remains one of the best games that I have ever seen. Period.
I remember Bear Bryant inviting John McKay and the Trojans to an early season game knowing full well the outcome in advance. Sam Cunningham and crew did the same thing to Bama that they had done to OSU in the previous year's Rose Bowl. That game did more to integrate the SEC than any other reason. The Bear now had cover to recruit black athletes, though it would be a few years b4 he could recruit a black QB.
The college scoreboard show had a distinct East Coast bias. Ivy League, ND, Syracuse and the Big Ten dominated the coverage. You had to break out the AM radio and tune into Tele-Score 84 to get info on SEC or Big 8 games. Is Sid Jenkins still around?
Somehow, I think this bias morphed its way into the SEC! SEC! SEC! chant. The national perception was they were hayseed states that still practiced Jim Crow. So what if they play good football? I think it played a part in both polls not awarding top ranking to an undefeated Bama team in 1966, despite Notre Dame having a tie with MSU on their record. There was no way the pollsters were going to give Bama the NC three years in a row with George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door.
Someone mentioned their weariness over Michigan/OSU in the Big Ten. When you grow up in Northern KY and work in the state of Ohio, you get tired of hearing the media and co-workers run down your hayseed state. So much so that you look to their biggest nemesis. It helped immensely when Michigan hired the coach from my short-lived college day! Bye, bye State, I'm now a Michigan fan now. And have been except for the RichRod era. Go Blue!
My experience with UK football began in 1965 or so when they beat top-ranked Ole Miss. They followed it up the next week by beating the new #1 Auburn. It's been downhill ever since! The Curci years were interesting, but they went on probation for those excesses. I finally gave up on them when they hired Claiborne i/o The Pipe. They now head up the Enemies List. Go Cards!
A bit of a ramble, but please indulge an old man.
