If the 1977 team was in an 8 team playoff that year, would they win it all?

[Ben]

How far do you think they would get?

The likely matchups being:

Texas vs Penn St
Notre Dame vs Michigan

Alabama vs Arkansas
Oklahoma vs Kentucky

[Pig in the Pokey]

How far do you think they would get?

The likely matchups being:

Texas vs Penn St
Notre Dame vs Michigan

Alabama vs Arkansas
Oklahoma vs Kentucky

nobody remembers , Pops 

[welchog]

Think you mean the 77 team that played in the 78 Orange Bowl.   Answer:  Probably not.   However we were voted as NCs by one service that year.

[MultipleScoreGasms]

How far do you think they would get?

The likely matchups being:

Texas vs Penn St
Notre Dame vs Michigan

Alabama vs Arkansas
Oklahoma vs Kentucky

I was very young, but remember watching those bowls.  I don't think we would have made it past that Alabama team.  However, if we had, I think we would have beaten the winner of the OK/KY game to likely face ND.  If so, I think Montana and the Irish would have been too much.  All speculation though.

[DLUXHOG]

Yep, they'd have won it all!

[DeltaBoy]

It would have been able to see those matchups.

[hogcard1964]

How far do you think they would get?

The likely matchups being:

Texas vs Penn St
Notre Dame vs Michigan

Alabama vs Arkansas
Oklahoma vs Kentucky

I forgot how good Kentucky was that year but they were on probation and wouldn't have been able to compete in a postseason game.  I think Washington would have taken their slot.

[Hogs33]

Notre Dame was voted National Champs after losing to a nobody that year. Arkansas lost to a very good and ranked Texas team.......We have needed a playoff for a long time.

[code red]

Depends......is Cowins & Bobo off suspension?

[greenie]

Depends......is Cowins & Bobo off suspension?

... and Michael Forrest.

With or without them, I think it would have been almost impossible for us to roll through Alabama, ND, Oklahoma, et al.  We caught lightening in a bottle at that Orange Bowl...unlikely that we would have been able to repeat that a week later. 

[Hogarusa]

Since its a hypothetical from the 70s, i'm gonna go with yes.  Hang the banner!

[Torqued pork]

I don't remember any team being more loaded than OU that year. Switzer was killing it recruiting in Texas at the time.

The Hogs would've had as good of a chance as anyone imo.

[Tusks]

That hogs D was tremendous.  I would of taken them against any of those offenses.

The real question is could they beat that ND team, which I think they could.

[WizardofhOgZ]

How far do you think they would get?

The likely matchups being:

Texas vs Penn St
Notre Dame vs Michigan

Alabama vs Arkansas
Oklahoma vs Kentucky

I'll only say this; IMO, Arkansas would have had as good a chance as any of the other teams.  Leave aside the smashing of OU in the Orange Bowl.  The Hogs validated their ability even as they lost a heartbreaking 13-9 game to Texas.  OU also lost to Texas by a very similar score (13 to 6) so that shows that all 3 of those teams were pretty much on the same level.  Texas was ranked #1 virtually the entire season, until they lost to one-loss Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.

So, such an 8 team playoff would have been a wide-open event, IMO, and we'd have had a good shot.  But no one would have been much of a favorite, either.

(And, yes, it was 1977, not 1978)

[Overtheroadtruckdriver]

It would have been able to see those matchups.

Nice post, Delta.  I like it when one post clears everything up in a thread and boy did this one do that.

[1highhog]

The 77 team would perhaps win it all, the 78 team wouldn't go that far.

[Overtheroadtruckdriver]

And one more thing...we might not beat all those teams in a football game but I'll guarantee you we could have beat them in a fight.

[1highhog]

... and Michael Forrest.

With or without them, I think it would have been almost impossible for us to roll through Alabama, ND, Oklahoma, et al.  We caught lightening in a bottle at that Orange Bowl...unlikely that we would have been able to repeat that a week later. 

If it was a playoff we wouldn't have played them all, just depends on how the team would have been ranked and who played who.

[lumphog]

HAIL YEA......IF you don't believe, watch the Orange Bowl. That D was GREAT!!!

[LSUFan]

There wasn't much coverage of the Hogs in S. La back then so I can't adequately address the question, but I will add this; I was 8 and I remember the old geezers sitting around talking about how bad ass that team was and that they would probably handle Alabama.

[Hogs-n-Roses]

HAIL YEA......IF you don't believe, watch the Orange Bowl. That D was GREAT!!!

That was an awesome D. And since todays press,fans....think you can't recruit to Fayetteville, those were the greatest 2 n 3 stars in history. Every one of those down linemen and linebackers would have been a 4 or 5 star.

[Pig in the Pokey]

That was an awesome D. And since todays press,fans....think you can't recruit to Fayetteville, those were the greatest 2 n 3 stars in history. Every one of those down linemen and linebackers would have been a 4 or 5 star.

i agree that there were several 5 stars on that team, probably at least 3 on defense. The Man had to be the #1 DL recruit in, what , 75?

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

Notre Dame was voted National Champs after losing to a nobody that year. Arkansas lost to a very good and ranked Texas team.......We have needed a playoff for a long time.

To accomplish what?

I've wondered this all along.
Darn near anything can happen in a single game.

Heck, even on Mike & Mike, they were talking about the NBA playoffs and how according to statistics the best of 7 format creates the most  (but not absolute) consistency with the better team winning.

They talked about how in college b-ball and in college and pro football, the rate of consistency with the better team winning becomes very iffy.

One game playoffs are exciting and fun, but there's a reason the expression "Any given Sunday" exists.

[Hogimus Prime]

Wouldn't matter Bama would still claim the Narional Title. As I was typing this they claimed the 1763 National Title

[MuskogeeHog]

Man, how things have changed. 6 of those 8 are irrelevant now in the big picture of college football.

Hogs need to get better.

[Hogs33]

To accomplish what?

I've wondered this all along.
Darn near anything can happen in a single game.

Heck, even on Mike & Mike, they were talking about the NBA playoffs and how according to statistics the best of 7 format creates the most  (but not absolute) consistency with the better team winning.

They talked about how in college b-ball and in college and pro football, the rate of consistency with the better team winning becomes very iffy.

One game playoffs are exciting and fun, but there's a reason the expression "Any given Sunday" exists.

Very true, anything could have happened. However, you have to admit, having a playoff would be better than voting who is the national champ ( due to obvious bias and name recognition.)