I doubt this happens but it would be amazing if EA came back with a bang and included some of these teams in the New College Game.
Top 10
10. 1986 Oklahoma Sooners
Led by Barry Switzer in one of his finest seasons at the helm of Oklahoma’s football program, the Sooners posted an 11-1 record. Save for their lone loss to the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes early in the season, Switzer led Oklahoma to three top-10 wins and an Orange Bowl blowout over Arkansas.
Jamelle Holieway quarterbacked the team, throwing for 588 yards and four scores. It was on the ground, though, where he did the most damage, accumulating 807 yards and 10 more touchdowns. Two-time Consensus All-American Keith Jackson caught five touchdown passes that season, but the heart-and-soul of the roster lied within the defense.
Brian Bosworth, “The Boz” as he was often referred, was college football’s villain at the time. He patrolled Oklahoma’s defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the country at just 6.8. Can you imagine a defense putting up those types of numbers in today’s wide-open game?
9. 1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The 1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish also won the Orange Bowl, but would’ve played for the National Championship if it weren’t for late-season beatdown at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes. The Irish still had a tough team, though, and finished with a 12-1 record under head coach Lou Holtz.
Both the offense and defense finished in the top 11 for points per game, scoring 32.8 and allowing just 14.5. The offense was orchestrated beautifully by Tony Rice, who amassed just over 2,000 all-purpose yards, and Raghib Ismael was a matchup nightmare for opponents on offense and special teams. Ismael wouldn’t blossom into an all-around star until a year later, but this roster would provide plenty of versatility in a dynasty-type mode that included recruiting.
Todd Lyght led the team in interceptions with eight, while Pat Terrell added five and D’Juan Francisco had four. That’s a tough pass defense that would cause plenty of teams’ today fits. What would a matchup with Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence look like?
8. 2016 Clemson Tigers
The eighth team on our list is the most recent, but they’re also one of the most talented from top to bottom. This team unseated Alabama as the best in college football, and suffered just one loss on their way to a 14-1 record and College Football Playoff Championship.
Led by Dabo Swinney and quarterbacked by Deshaun Watson, the 2016 Tigers averaged 39.2 points per game and beat five ranked opponents. Their first CFP game was a 31-0 thrashing of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a team that included Ma’lik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Nick Bosa, among many others.
Clemson also deployed a strong attack, though, with the likes of Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Ben Boulware on the roster. Watson, like many of the other top players on this roster, had multiple years of eligibility left. And although Watson opted to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, there would certainly be a chance to talk him into staying if you were controlling the Tigers in a dynasty format.
7. 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Imagine being able to play out multiple years of Maurice Clarett in the Ohio State backfield. That’s what the 2002 Buckeyes would provide as a classic team if NCAA Football revived and included legendary teams. The freshman played just one season for OSU, but it was a memorable one.
The Buckeyes finished 14-0 and, according to some, beat the Miami Hurricanes in double overtime. I’m not here to re-hash the outcome, but we know that Clarett was an absolute stud as a freshman. Michael Jenkins and Chris Gamble shouldered some of the offensive load, as well, and Gamble even played both ways.
Mike Doss and A.J. Hawk were also terrorizing opposing offenses, picking off passes and racking up tackles like nobody’s business. Altogether, the Buckeyes surrendered the second-fewest points in all of college football that season with an average of 13.1 points allowed. Couple that defense with one of the best running backs in college football, and there’s no telling what the next couple years could have been.
Full Article
Make this Happen EA
Top 10
10. 1986 Oklahoma Sooners
Led by Barry Switzer in one of his finest seasons at the helm of Oklahoma’s football program, the Sooners posted an 11-1 record. Save for their lone loss to the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes early in the season, Switzer led Oklahoma to three top-10 wins and an Orange Bowl blowout over Arkansas.
Jamelle Holieway quarterbacked the team, throwing for 588 yards and four scores. It was on the ground, though, where he did the most damage, accumulating 807 yards and 10 more touchdowns. Two-time Consensus All-American Keith Jackson caught five touchdown passes that season, but the heart-and-soul of the roster lied within the defense.
Brian Bosworth, “The Boz” as he was often referred, was college football’s villain at the time. He patrolled Oklahoma’s defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the country at just 6.8. Can you imagine a defense putting up those types of numbers in today’s wide-open game?
9. 1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The 1989 Notre Dame Fighting Irish also won the Orange Bowl, but would’ve played for the National Championship if it weren’t for late-season beatdown at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes. The Irish still had a tough team, though, and finished with a 12-1 record under head coach Lou Holtz.
Both the offense and defense finished in the top 11 for points per game, scoring 32.8 and allowing just 14.5. The offense was orchestrated beautifully by Tony Rice, who amassed just over 2,000 all-purpose yards, and Raghib Ismael was a matchup nightmare for opponents on offense and special teams. Ismael wouldn’t blossom into an all-around star until a year later, but this roster would provide plenty of versatility in a dynasty-type mode that included recruiting.
Todd Lyght led the team in interceptions with eight, while Pat Terrell added five and D’Juan Francisco had four. That’s a tough pass defense that would cause plenty of teams’ today fits. What would a matchup with Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence look like?
8. 2016 Clemson Tigers
The eighth team on our list is the most recent, but they’re also one of the most talented from top to bottom. This team unseated Alabama as the best in college football, and suffered just one loss on their way to a 14-1 record and College Football Playoff Championship.
Led by Dabo Swinney and quarterbacked by Deshaun Watson, the 2016 Tigers averaged 39.2 points per game and beat five ranked opponents. Their first CFP game was a 31-0 thrashing of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a team that included Ma’lik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Nick Bosa, among many others.
Clemson also deployed a strong attack, though, with the likes of Mike Williams, Artavis Scott, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Ben Boulware on the roster. Watson, like many of the other top players on this roster, had multiple years of eligibility left. And although Watson opted to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, there would certainly be a chance to talk him into staying if you were controlling the Tigers in a dynasty format.
7. 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes
Imagine being able to play out multiple years of Maurice Clarett in the Ohio State backfield. That’s what the 2002 Buckeyes would provide as a classic team if NCAA Football revived and included legendary teams. The freshman played just one season for OSU, but it was a memorable one.
The Buckeyes finished 14-0 and, according to some, beat the Miami Hurricanes in double overtime. I’m not here to re-hash the outcome, but we know that Clarett was an absolute stud as a freshman. Michael Jenkins and Chris Gamble shouldered some of the offensive load, as well, and Gamble even played both ways.
Mike Doss and A.J. Hawk were also terrorizing opposing offenses, picking off passes and racking up tackles like nobody’s business. Altogether, the Buckeyes surrendered the second-fewest points in all of college football that season with an average of 13.1 points allowed. Couple that defense with one of the best running backs in college football, and there’s no telling what the next couple years could have been.
Full Article
Make this Happen EA
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