AFCA Blue Ribbon Commission Champion 1926

Teams named national champions by NCAA-designated selectors
(Underline: claimed title season; +: co-champion/split selection)

Other Possible Contenders

	Alabama	Brown	Lafayette	Michigan	Navy	SMU	Stanford	Utah
Overall Record	9-0-1	9-0-1	9-0	7-1 ^	9-0-1	8-0-1	10-0-1	7-0
Opponent Win %	0.516	0.406	0.500	0.690 ^	0.597	0.605	0.574	0.542
+.500 Opponents	5	2	5	5^	7	7	6	4
Average PF-PA	24.9-2.7	22.3-3.6	35.9-4.1	23.9-4.8	23.6-8.8	25.4-5.2	24.4-6.6	23.4-3.3
FBS Record	8-0-1	3-0-1	2-0	7-1^	5-0-1	5-0-1	4-0-1	5-0
FBS Opponent Win %	0.554	0.541	0.750	0.690	0.684	0.639	0.674	0.524
Average FBS PF-PA	22.0-3.0	12.0-2.5	16.5-8.5	23.9-4.8	18.7-10.2	15.8-6.7	23.8-9.4	26.8-4.6
Conference Record	8-0	Ind	Ind	5-0 ^	Ind	5-0	4-0	5-0
Non-Home games	4 #	3	3	3^$	2 $	2	4	3
SOS (S-R/BR)	15/9	79/64	N/A	1/1	25/16	39/22	55/48	87/54

Notre Dame probably would’ve been a shoo-in for national champion this season had it not been for 1 of college football’s biggest upsets. The Irish had played 1 of the nation’s toughest schedules, with 7 shutout wins and 6 wins by double digits. However, when the Irish traveled east to face Carnegie Tech, head coach Knute Rockne stayed behind to watch the Army-Navy Game in Chicago (Navy was being added onto the schedule in 1927 – Rockne claimed his attendance was to scout the new foe). The Tartans would proceed to win 19-0 in a game long-regarded as one of college football’s biggest upsets.

Unbeaten Brown had put together a very strong performance over the season, but their schedule was very weak. The Bears faced 5 non-FBS opponents (4 with losing records), played no intersectional games, and tied the only FBS team faced with a winning record or that would’ve been close to Top 25-caliber (Colgate). While their 3 of their 4 FBS-level games were on the road, those teams (Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale) had noticeable down years compared to what those schools had been capable of during this decade. Utah is in the same boat: although their schedule was deemed slightly better than Brown’s, the Utes’ only 2 games out of conference were against non-FBS teams and they lacked Top 25-caliber and significant intersectional games. Another longshot is Michigan, who received a NCAA-designated selection despite having a loss on the record. The Wolverines had wins over 4 Top 25-caliber opponents (Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin) and were the only contender that played an all-FBS schedule in 1926. However, their win over Ohio State and 2nd contest against Minnesota were close calls, decided by a missed PAT in both games. While they did record a nonconference win over MVIAA champ Oklahoma State, they dropped their most significant intersectional contest in a shutout loss to fellow contender Navy.

Up next, the Rose Bowl participants – Alabama and Stanford. Both teams claim as a title season as the result of perfect regular seasons and playing to a 7-7 deadlock in Pasadena. Stanford was crowned champion by the newly christened Dickinson System prior to the bowl game. However, this was largely due to the South being seen as a weaker region than the East, West, and Midwest – Alabama was only ranked 7th in Dickinson’s final ratings. However, Alabama played only 1 non-FBS team compared to Stanford’s 6 non-FBS games while also putting up better scoring numbers; hence, the Crimson Tide being favored better by retroactive ratings. Stanford did have an edge in Top 25-caliber opponents during the regular season, playing 2 (USC and Washington) to Alabama’s 1 (Vanderbilt). You can argue that Alabama was more dominant against their schedule, as only 1 team played them within single digits (albeit it was 2-6 Sewanee doing that). The Cardinal, on the other hand, had 2 close games (one against winless non-FBS Olympic Club, the other against 8-win USC). The Rose Bowl – the only intersectional game either team played – would’ve helped settle the debate, but only helped muddy the waters. Stanford had outgained Alabama in yardage by a roughly 3-1 average, but missed a field goal early in the contest and only led 7-0 following a 1st quarter touchdown. In the game’s waning moments, the Tide blocked a punt to set up their best field position of the day deep in Cardinal territory. Alabama would manage to score a touchdown and PAT to salvage a tie.

Up next, Navy, who claims this season as their only championship season. For comparison with them, I included SWC champion SMU, who was another team that went unbeaten on the year. Both teams seem to line up favorably with Alabama and Stanford. Their scoring numbers drop when focusing on their FBS opponents, but both teams also amassed 2 of the best opponent win percentages in FBS-only games. The Mustangs would play only 1 Top 25-caliber opponent (a tie at Missouri, their only intersectional game as well) and 1 team that would’ve been just outside of Top 25-consideration (TCU). They were also hurt by their conference mates in out of conference play. Texas lost intersectional games against Kansas State and Vanderbilt. Rice was tied by a non-FBS team, while Baylor lost to 2 non-FBS teams (one was undefeated Loyola, LA, FWIW). TCU had a couple close calls against non-FBS level teams and barely beat an Oklahoma State team that got soundly beat by every other non-MVIAA team faced. Navy, meanwhile, didn’t win by as impressive of margins, but definitely managed to accomplish more with their schedule. The Midshipmen played 2 legitimate Top 25-caliber teams (Army, Michigan) and 3 more teams that would’ve been in consideration or just outside the cutoff (Colgate, Princeton, Purdue), coming away with a 4-0-1 record. The win over the Wolverines in Baltimore was arguably the best win of any team all season. In addition, Army was considered a better opponent than Missouri, making Navy’s tie on a neutral field a better result than the SMU-Mizzou tie. Navy’s win over non-FBS Georgetown was also a stronger win than SMU’s win over SIAA champ Centenary: the Hoyas went 7-2-1 (1-2-1 against a solid slate of FBS teams) and are considered Top 25-worthy by the couple of systems that rate them among FBS teams. The Midshipmen have a better case than the Mustangs based on body of work.

Finally, I wish to present the curious case of Lafayette, who was the only unbeaten and untied team to come out of the East in 1926. First thing you notice in the table above is that they steamrolled their opposition this season, winning by an average of almost 32 points/game. However, another thing you notice when looking at the Leopards’ body of work is that they played only 2 FBS-level opponents and didn’t even register SOS rankings from the 2 systems I looked at. Lafayette, by most sources and rating systems reliant on those sources, is considered a non-FBS team for this year. Parke Davis, the NCAA-designated selector that chose the Leopards, did so for most likely the following reasons: 1) Davis’ selections were very biased toward the East, and 2) Davis was a former coach for the school years prior. With Lafayette only playing a slate full of non-FBS teams and being considered one themselves, can they legitimately go before the BRC? That’s the ultimate question. Those 2 FBS wins are pretty significant, both in opponent quality and the fact they were 2 of the 3 non-home games played by Lafayette. Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson were both Top 25-caliber or close to in 1926. The win over W&J also gives a transitive chain to the Carnegie-Notre Dame upset, which – due to Army’s loss to ND and tie to Navy – produces a chain to Navy that favors the Leopards. As a result, the systems I found that did rate them among FBS teams rated Lafayette easily as a Top 10 team.

This is a very hard one to decide. Unbeaten Lafayette, who largely blew out a weak schedule and isn’t even considered FBS by most sources? Once-tied Navy who played the most nationally impactful schedule of the group but wasn’t as strong on the scoreboard? Alabama and Stanford teams that had the most favor from selectors and tied in the only postseason bowl game? This really depends on the committee and how they view Lafayette. If Lafayette is not viewed as a FBS team and a legitimate contender by the Blue Ribbon Commission, then I believe Navy would have the best case for retroactive Coaches Trophy. The Midshipmen had a more nationally impactful schedule, playing more teams that were in/near Top 25-caliber, and managed a win over a fellow contender. In addition, their 2 selections were closer to contemporary than most of the sources that chose Alabama or Stanford (with the exception of the Dickinson System). Alabama and Stanford would have the next best cases and possible co-champion contenders due to having more retroactive favor. If the BRC does consider Lafayette to be an FBS-caliber team for 1926, then I think the Leopards would most likely be the top team for the retroactive trophy due to their consistent performance and a transitive chain over Navy, with the Midshipmen being the next best case for at least co-champion honors and Alabama/Stanford being bumped down a tier further.

[1] – The Southern Conference didn’t officially recognize conference champions for the 1922-1932 seasons. Any team claiming an outright or shared SoCon title during that stretch is doing so by virtue of an unbeaten SoCon record that year.