Top Undefeated Teams of the Decade?

[P2K]

Quote: Originally Posted by six

Honorable Mention: The 02 Ohio State Luckeyes...I just can't put them on the list when the refs stole the national championship from Miami

Hehehe...good man.

And 04 Auburn = Louisiana Tech, UL Monroe and The Citadel

[OSUFan_88]

Quote: Originally Posted by six

Honorable Mention: The 02 Ohio State Luckeyes...I just can't put them on the list when the refs stole the national championship from Miami

Keep crying Miami fans, maybe one day you'll be relevant again...

[Maxattax3]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigDofBA

Didn't USC fly clear across the country and beat Va. Tech soundily the same year Auburn barely edged Va. Tech in SEC country? Didn't 2004 OU shutout 2004 Texas which was pretty much the same team as 2005 Texas? Despite that, 2005 Texas was extremely lucky to beat the 2005 version of USC. It took USC making stupid mistakes, see the Bush lateral, and uncharacteristically bad coaching calls, see Carroll going for it on 4th and 2. USC's had an off game and Vince Young played the best game of his life. Even with all the errors by USC and stupid coaching decisions, it still took Texas until the last seconds to pull out a victory. There is no way 2005 Texas could have beaten 2004 USC when 2004 USC was clicking. Heck, Texas barely beat 2005 USC when they were playing like crap. I'm sticking to my guns that 2001 Miami was the best team of the decade followed by 2004 USC. After those two 2005 Texas and 2004 Auburn are in the mix.

didnt texas fly across the country and walk into USC's backyard and beat them?

then didnt next year Texas' skinny fish QB named Colt beat "basically the same OU team"?

lol @ an OU fan sticking up for 05' usc team. usc had no excuse not to win that game. everything was in their favor.it was basically a home game ... they had 2 Heisman winners and "the best backfield in college football history"

lendale white was running rampant through Texas' defense. thats why they went for it on 4th and 2. but when it came down to crunch time Texas' D stepped up and USC's o-line/backfield didnt. i always thought thats what made teams great, was their ability to make plays when, exactly when, they are needed most. at least thats what the TV announcers say...

Vince Young didnt have the game of his life, at least not statistically (see Texas @ OkieSt same yr).didnt reggie bush have an amazing game? oh yea he did and it wasnt enough.

Texas didnt have the greatest game but pulled it out anyway. muffed punts, nagging injuries, and stupid play calls affected the Longhorns just as much as other errors affected the trojans. forget about the teams and players and that was still the greatest national championship game of the decade by far. most evenly matched and most exciting to watch imo. stop trying to cheapen it because Vince Young stomped your Sooners real bad that year, then went to the NC and beat USC like OU couldnt.

I give it to Texas for beating the odds and winning when the national media was overwhelmingly in support of the other team. i did make a whole heap of money off that game though... so maybe im biased in that way.

[BigDofBA]

Quote: Originally Posted by Maxattax3

didnt texas fly across the country and walk into USC's backyard and beat them? then didnt next year Texas' skinny fish QB named Colt beat "basically the same OU team"? lol @ an OU fan sticking up for 05' usc team. usc had no excuse not to win that game. everything was in their favor.it was basically a home game ... they had 2 Heisman winners and "the best backfield in college football history" lendale white was running rampant through Texas' defense. thats why they went for it on 4th and 2. but when it came down to crunch time Texas' D stepped up and USC's o-line/backfield didnt. i always thought thats what made teams great, was their ability to make plays when, exactly when, they are needed most. at least thats what the TV announcers say... Vince Young didnt have the game of his life, at least not statistically (see Texas @ OkieSt same yr).didnt reggie bush have an amazing game? oh yea he did and it wasnt enough. Texas didnt have the greatest game but pulled it out anyway. muffed punts, nagging injuries, and stupid play calls affected the Longhorns just as much as other errors affected the trojans. forget about the teams and players and that was still the greatest national championship game of the decade by far. most evenly matched and most exciting to watch imo. stop trying to cheapen it because Vince Young stomped your Sooners real bad that year, then went to the NC and beat USC like OU couldnt. I give it to Texas for beating the odds and winning when the national media was overwhelmingly in support of the other team. i did make a whole heap of money off that game though... so maybe im biased in that way.

What Texas did in 2005 was really impressive. They beat a good Ohio State team in the Shoe and they went to L.A. and beat USC for the national championship. That's why I ranked 2005 Texas as the third best team of the decade. 2004 Auburn didn't have win as good as either of those Texas wins in 2005.

As for Auburn, they have no one to blame but themselves. OU played Oregon, USC played Va. Tech, and Auburn played the Citadel. That was the difference. All three teams deserved to play for the title but it came down to the OOC schedules.

What was Auburn's best win that year? It wasn't as good as OU's best win which was a shutout of top 5 Texas. Likewise, OU played a strong OOC schedule as did USC. That's why OU and USC met in the title game. I'm not saying OU was better, I'm just pointing out why things happened as they did.

Auburn played in the SEC but they had about 8 games that were easy wins

-Ole Miss
-Miss St.
-Arkansas
-Bama
-Kentucky
-Louis-Monroe
-The Citadel
-La Tech

Then also had two wins against Tennessee who lost a home to a horrible Notre dame team. In Auburn's big wins they beat LSU by 1 and Va. Tech by 3. Their best game of the year was against Georgia which I'll admit was impressive but it wasn't as impressive as what USC did to OU

If Utah had played Auburn's schedule in 2004 I think Utah would probably went undefeated or lost one game to LSU or Georgia.

Auburn was really good in 2004, got screwed, and I think they were a top 5 team of the past decade. That being said, I can't see how anyone can make a claim for them over 2001 Miami, 2004 USC, or 2005 Texas.

[AuburnAlumni]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

To be honest though, that USC/UCLA game was never in question. Score was closer than the game was. USC vs. VT was in Fed Ex field, and it wa a home game for VT basically, and it was also 3 time zones away in the wrong direction for USC's home.

Actually, UCLA had the ball at the end with a chance to win. I know because myself and 1000 other Auburn folks around me were watching the game rooting for UCLA.

Regardless....the same crap that we got hammered for by the media after our "close" game against Bama (i.e. Corso and Co. saying we didn't really come to play, etc.) was the exact same crap that a week later that same group of boneheads are saying "Wow! look at how USC went into their rival's stadium, took their best shot, and through guts and fortitude, got the hard fought win. That's what champions are made of."

It's been hashed and rehashed for close to 5 years now....damn has it been that long...

That 04 AU squad would hang with any of the teams mentioned in this thread.

[AuburnAlumni]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigDofBA

As for Auburn, they have no one to blame but themselves. OU played Oregon, USC played Va. Tech, and Auburn played the Citadel. That was the difference. All three teams deserved to play for the title but it came down to the OOC schedules. What was Auburn's best win that year? It wasn't as good as OU's best win which was a shutout of top 5 Texas. Likewise, OU played a strong OOC schedule as did USC. That's why OU and USC met in the title game. Auburn played in the SEC but they had about 8 games that were easy wins -Ole Miss -Miss St. -Arkansas -Bama -Kentucky -Louis-Monroe -The Citadel -La Tech Then they had two wins against Tennessee who lost a home to a horrible Notre dame team. In Auburn's big wins they beat LSU by 1 and Va. Tech by 3. Their best game of the year was against Georgia. If Utah had played Auburn's schedule they would probably went undefeated or lost one game to LSU or Georgia. Auburn was really good in 2004, got screwed, and I think they were a top 5 team of the past decade. That being said, I can't see how anyone can make a claim for them over 2001 Miami, 2004 USC, or 2005 Texas.

Ah yes...the traditional copout response for screwing Auburn in 2004. The "Citadel" argument.

Nevermind the fact that LSU played Western Carolina in 2003. Nevermind the fact that UF also played Western Carolina in 2006. Both went on to win MNCs.

Blah blah blah..yadda yadda yadda. For the 1000th time...and this will always be the reason....Auburn got screwed because the preseason #1 and #2, both media darlings that year....never lost. That's it. Bottom line. Period.

AU preseason #19. USC preseason #1. OU preseason #2. That's it.

The media got their dream matchup they had been hyping all year..then Chokelahoma proceeded to crap all over themselves turning the ball over 5 or 6 times on their side of the 50.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

Actually, UCLA had the ball at the end with a chance to win. I know because myself and 1000 other Auburn folks around me were watching the game rooting for UCLA.

I know, but that game was never in doubt. It just wasn't. You know it as well as I do.

I don't care what the media or others say.. I am not so sure why you or any other Auburn fan does when it comes to that Iron Bowl.

Quote: Originally Posted by AuburnAlumni

That 04 AU squad would hang with any of the teams mentioned in this thread.

I think it was a good team, but I don't think it was a great team. I don't see how they were any better than 04 OU, or how they were any more deserving of the title game than 04 OU was or 04 USC was. Purely my opinion..

[BigDofBA]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

I think it was a good team, but I don't think it was a great team. I don't see how they were any better than 04 OU, or how they were any more deserving of the title game than 04 OU was or 04 USC was. Purely my opinion..

Pretty much how I see it.

USC beat a top 5 Cal team and Va. Tech OOC.
OU beat a top 5 Texas team and Oregon OOC.
Auburn beat a top 10 Georgia team and the Citadel OOC.

In their big games Auburn beat LSU by 1 and Va. Tech by 3. They then beat up on a bunch of unranked SEC teams and blasted Georgia. They doesn't make them the best team of the past decade.

I'm not denying they were a good team but I don't see them as a great team like 01 Miami or 2004 USC. And yeah, you better bet I would be pissed if I was in Auburn's shoes. Everyone on earth knows that go screwed. With that said, claiming to be the best team of the past decade is taking it a bit far.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigDofBA

Auburn played in the SEC but they had about 8 games that were easy wins -Ole Miss -Miss St. -Arkansas -Bama -Kentucky -Louis-Monroe -The Citadel -La Tech

So did Oklahoma and USC.

Oklahoma played:

Houston
Oregon
Kansas St
Kansas
Nebraska
Baylor
TAMU
Oklahoma St

USC played:

Colorado St
BYU
Stanford
Washington
Washington St
Arizona
Notre Dame
BYU

Quote:

USC beat a top 5 Cal team and Va. Tech OOC. OU beat a top 5 Texas team and Oregon OOC. Auburn beat a top 10 Georgia team and the Citadel OOC.

Georgia ended the season ranked higher than Cal and one spot below Texas.

During the regular season, each team played nearly identical schedules.

(margin of victory)
.504 opponent's winning % with wins over teams ranked 9 (6), 10 (11), and 19/20 (38)
.525opponent's winning % with wins over teams ranked 6/7 (18), 13/15 (24), 13/15 (10), and 16 (1)
.532opponent's winning % with wins over teams ranked 5/4 (12) and 18/17 (15)

Clearly Auburn played an inferior schedule

[AuburnAlumni]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigDofBA

Pretty much how I see it. USC beat a top 5 Cal team and Va. Tech OOC. OU beat a top 5 Texas team and Oregon OOC. Auburn beat a top 10 Georgia team and the Citadel OOC. In their big games Auburn beat LSU by 1 and Va. Tech by 3. They then beat up on a bunch of unranked SEC teams and blasted Georgia. They doesn't make them the best team of the past decade. I'm not denying they were a good team but I don't see them as a great team like 01 Miami or 2004 USC. And yeah, you better bet I would be pissed if I was in Auburn's shoes. Everyone on earth knows that go screwed. With that said, claiming to be the best team of the past decade is taking it a bit far.

I like how you conveniently left out that Auburn beat a Top 10 Tennessee team like a drum in Knoxville...then beat a Top 15 Tennessee team in the SEC Championship game.

On a side note...OU played a 6-6 Kansas State team who were the "champions" of their division in their title game.

So please..spare me how USC or OU had a tougher schedule than AU that year. AU played a defending NC in LSU, a preseason top 5 Georgia Squad, and twice beat a Top 10/15 Tennessee squad, then beat an ACC Champion Virginia in the Sugar Bowl.

The Auburn OOC "excuse" by the media and rival fans is and always shall be a copout. AU had just as much right at getting a shot at the title as OU or USC.