BoFan

October 26th, 2016 at 8:34 PM ^

One of Bo's best teams. They lost to Iowa on a last second field goal, but they beat 5 ranked teams that year including 3 in the first three non conference games. Finished #2. Probably Bo's highest ranking. Coach Mo was the DC.

ottomatic

October 26th, 2016 at 9:10 PM ^

I watched that iowa game on tv with my grandfather while visiting him in Florida. He was a Bo hater and between his shit talking and that last second field goal I couldn't take it anymore. We exchanged a few unpleasant words and I went back to my hotel. The old man got off light - I should have smacked him. :)

Alton

October 26th, 2016 at 9:24 PM ^

Here were the AP standings at the end of the regular season:

1-Georgia (11-0), SEC Champion

2-Florida State (10-1) [L to Miami]

3-Pittsburgh (10-1) [L to FSU]

4-Oklahoma (9-2), Big 8 Champion [L to Stanford & Texas]

5-Michigan (9-2), Big 10 Champion [L to ND & SC]

6-Baylor (10-1), SWC Champion [L to SJSU]

7-Notre Dame (9-1-1) [L to USC, T Ga Tech]

8-Nebraska (9-2) [L to Oklahoma & FSU]

9-Alabama (9-2) [L to Miss St & ND]

10-Penn State (9-2) [L to Neb & Pitt]

Georgia was the obvious #1; Florida State was the obvious #2. 

The other two are arguable.  Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, Michigan, Baylor and Notre Dame all deserved consideration for the third and fourth bids.  I suspect the decision might have gone against Michigan, whose biggest win was against #11 Ohio State.

But yes, Michigan was possibly the best team in the nation at the end of the 1980 season; too bad that awful pass interference call had to go against them in the Notre Dame game.  That plus an ill-advised fake punt against South Carolina are all that stood between Michigan and the #1 rating.

Chitown Kev

October 26th, 2016 at 9:35 PM ^

That was the year of that super-hyped late season ND-Alabama game then ND tied GT and Miss. State beat Alabama 6-3 the week prior to that game...when ND beat Alabama, both polls floated ND back up to #2 then an on probation USC team stomped on ND in Los Angeles...and the Sugar Bowl was stuck with ND.

Florida State was actually not highly thought of at that point in time and could have well been left out of a playoff scenario (Pitt was probably the more marketable independent).

Georgia, Pitt, Oklahoma, Michigan is your final 4 there.

Alton

October 26th, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^

I agree they weren't highly thought of, but they clearly deserved the #2 seed that year.  Florida State beat Pittsburgh, 38-22, in October, the week after they won at then-#3 Nebraska.  You can't give Pitt the "Independent bid" over Florida State--they have the same record, FSU arguably played a tougher schedule, and FSU won the head-to-head matchup.

Georgia, Florida State, Oklahoma and (ugh) Notre Dame get the 4 bids.  I'm giving it to ND because of the h2h win over Michigan, combined with the slightly better record.

Chitown Kev

October 27th, 2016 at 1:32 AM ^

But why Oklahoma over Michigan? And I think that I take Pitt that year over Oklahoma or Michigan... and that late season ND loss in Los Angeles was awful. That ND-Alabama game in 1980 received Game of the Century treatment fot most of the year and wound up being such a dud (you can still find that game on youtube). The Sugar Bowl really messed themselves up that year because they locked themselves into a Georgia-ND matchup after ND beat Alabama but before ND played USC...probably should have had a Georgia-Pitt matchup.

Baba Booey

October 26th, 2016 at 9:14 PM ^

The '85 team is still my favorite Michigan team and the defense was phenominal. They only gave up 5 touchdowns during the regular season and that Fiesta Bowl vs high-powered Nebraska is one of the all-time great MIchigan bowl wins. Three flippin points from perfection.

Ecky Pting

October 27th, 2016 at 10:14 AM ^

That's my favorite team as well - my sophomore year in school. What a relief it was from the previous year, going 6-6 after Harbaugh broke his arm in the MSU game. That defense was outrageous, and I can remember it being a disappointment watching the 10th game of the year, a night game at Minnesota in the Metrodome, when the team surrendered its first PAT of the season during late game garbage time.

Chaco

October 26th, 2016 at 10:58 PM ^

I worked in the dorm food service in school and cut my fingers in a tomato slicer during dinner during the game. At the hospital you could hear the radio broadcast of the game from somewhere; and I can still remember them sewing the stitches in my fingers as Iowa made that field goal. So to this day I carry the scars of that loss. That was a great defense; this year, 2006 and 1997 were all of the same ilk from my memory. Hopefully we don't experience a similar setback. Go Blue!

Roy G. Biv

October 26th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

I was in high school in 85, I remember being more excited to watch the defense than the offense because they were so good.  That was the first time I really got into watching defense, since my M heroes before that were Leach (local), AC (duh--AC), and Steve Smith (local).  Hammerstein, Messner, Cochran, and apologies for all the names I'm forgetting were beasts.

seksdesk

October 26th, 2016 at 10:22 PM ^

#66 a frat bro. What a beast in the trenches. He and Messner!
I like the p.a. announcer:
"Dr. Herbert Bush, Dr. Herbert, please call your answering service."
How things have changed since my freshman campaign!