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#1 vs #2 in the AP poll over history (regular season and bowls)

Here's the list, as far as the AP poll's #1 vs #2 in the regular season (it's happened 17 more times in Bowl games, including tOSU's 1969 Rose Bowl win over #2 USC and the 2003 Fiesta Bowl triumph over #1 Miami):

Regular season football games between AP #1 and AP #2 (edit - updated 01/09/07):

Nov. 18, 2006 - No. 1 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Michigan 39
Sep. 09, 2006 - No. 1 Ohio State 24, No. 2 Texas 7
Nov. 30, 1996 - No. 2 Florida State 24, No. 1 Florida 21
Nov. 13, 1993 - No. 2 Notre Dame 31, No. 1 Florida State 24
Nov. 16, 1991 - No. 2 Miami 17, No. 1 Florida State 16
Sep. 16, 1989 - No. 1 Notre Dame 24, No. 2 Michigan 19
Nov. 26, 1988 - No. 1 Notre Dame 27, No. 2 Southern California 10
Nov. 21, 1987 - No. 2 Oklahoma 17, No. 1 Nebraska 7
Sep. 27, 1986 - No. 2 Miami 28, No. 1 Oklahoma 16
Oct. 19, 1985 - No. 1 Iowa 12, No. 2 Michigan 10
Sep. 26, 1981 - No. 1 Southern California 28, No. 2 Oklahoma 24
Nov. 25, 1971 - No. 1 Nebraska 35, No. 2 Oklahoma 31
Dec. 06, 1969 - No. 1 Texas 15, No. 2 Arkansas 14
Sep. 28, 1968 - No. 1 Purdue 37, No. 2 Notre Dame 22
Nov. 19, 1966 - No. 1 Notre Dame 10, No. 2 Michigan State 10, tie
Oct. 12, 1963 - No. 2 Texas 28, No. 1 Oklahoma 7
Nov. 09, 1946 - No. 1 Army 0, No. 2 Notre Dame 0, tie
Dec. 01, 1945 - No. 1 Army 32, No. 2 Navy 13
Nov. 10, 1945 - No. 1 Army 48, No. 2 Notre Dame 0
Dec. 02, 1944 - No. 1 Army 23, No. 2 Navy 7
Nov. 20, 1943 - No. 1 Notre Dame 14, No. 2 Iowa Pre-Flight 13
Oct. 09, 1943 - No. 1 Notre Dame 35, No. 2 Michigan 12

Edit - Here are all of the Bowl games between AP #1 and AP #2:

Jan. 08, 2007 - No. 2 Florida 41, No. 1 Ohio St. 14 (BCS Championship)
Jan. 04, 2006 - No. 2 Texas 41, No. 1 Southern California 38 (Rose)
Jan. 04, 2005 - No. 1 Southern California 55, No. 2 Oklahoma 19 (Orange)
Jan. 03, 2003 - No. 2 Ohio St. 31, No. 1 Miami 24, 2OT (Fiesta)
Jan. 04, 2000 - No. 1 Florida St. 46, No. 2 Virginia Tech 29 (Sugar)
Jan. 04, 1999 - No. 1 Tennessee 23, No. 2 Florida St. 16 (Fiesta)
Jan. 02, 1996 - No. 1 Nebraska 62, No. 2 Florida 24 (Fiesta)
Jan. 01, 1994 - No. 1 Florida St. 18, No. 2 Nebraska 16 (Orange)
Jan. 01, 1993 - No. 2 Alabama 34, No. 1 Miami 13 (Sugar)
Jan. 01, 1988 - No. 2 Miami 20, No. 1 Oklahoma 14 (Orange)
Jan. 02, 1987 - No. 2 Penn St. 14, No. 1 Miami 10 (Fiesta)
Jan. 01, 1983 - No. 2 Penn St. 27, No. 1 Georgia 23 (Sugar)
Jan. 01, 1979 - No. 2 Alabama 14, No. 1 Penn St. 7 (Sugar)
Jan. 01, 1972 - No. 1 Nebraska 38, No. 2 Alabama 6 (Orange)
Jan. 01, 1969 - No. 1 Ohio State 27, No. 2 Southern California 16 (Rose)
Jan. 01, 1964 - No. 1 Texas 28, No. 2 Navy 6 (Cotton)
Jan. 01, 1963 - No. 1 Southern California 42, No. 2 Wisconsin 37 (Rose)

Note - there have been a few games between BCS #1 and BCS #2 teams that did not own the top two spots in the AP poll when they played.

In 2000 and 2001, Oklahoma and Nebraska met when they were #1 and #2 in the BCS (both times after the first week of the BCS rankings). They were #1 and #3 in the AP in 2000 (#3 Oklahoma won), and #2 and #3 (#3 Nebraska won) in the AP in 2001. Also, the BCS title games after the 2000, 2001, and 2003 seasons featured games between teams that were not 1-2 in the AP poll. After the 2000 season, AP #1 Oklahoma defeated AP #3 Florida State; after the 2001 season, AP #1 Miami defeated AP #4 Nebraska; and after the 2003 season, AP #2 LSU defeated AP #3 Oklahoma.
 
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Wow, they seem to be streaky there. 6 matcheups 1943-1946 then none from 1946 till 1963. 5 between 1963 and 1971 then none till 1981. 9 between 1981 and 1996 and then none in the last 10 years.
 
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Iow Pre-flight?!?!?!? Should that really count?

I hate historical data sometimes. Just like scUM has won 20 national titles, 18 of those when they were the only football school in the country! :roll2:
 
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Iow Pre-flight?!?!?!? Should that really count?

I hate historical data sometimes. Just like scUM has won 20 national titles, 18 of those when they were the only football school in the country! :roll2:

Iowa Pre-Flight should count. These war era "Schools" featured some of the best talent from rosters all over the region, including guys that had been at Ohio State but opted to go fight in WWII.

I believe Paul Brown even coached Iowa Pre-flight for a bit, maybe BB73 knows for sure.

Anyway, it sounds like it shouldn't count, but you better believe IPF had some talent....


Oh, and in line with you're historical champion stuff, I couldn't agree more. An embarassing chunk - all but 2 - of their titles were "awarded" by retroactive services.
 
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Iowa Pre-Flight should count. These war era "Schools" featured some of the best talent from rosters all over the region, including guys that had been at Ohio State but opted to go fight in WWII.

I believe Paul Brown even coached Iowa Pre-flight for a bit, maybe BB73 knows for sure.

Anyway, it sounds like it shouldn't count, but you better believe IPF had some talent....


Oh, and in line with you're historical champion stuff, I couldn't agree more. An embarassing chunk - all but 2 - of their titles were "awarded" by retroactive services.

Paul Brown coached at Great Lakes Naval Station during WW-II (1944-45), not Iowa Pre-Flight. In 1942, Iowa pre-flight was coached by Bernie Bierman, who had won four NC's with Minnesota over the previous 10 years. tOSU's victory over Iowa Pre-Flight at the end of 1942 (with Brown coaching against Bierman) sealed the school's first NC.

Those WW-II teams were very legitimate competition. In fact, some of their players had actually played football professionaly after completing their college careers. The normal eligibility rules were waived during wartime, and those wartime teams became football powers. The 1942 Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks included players that had previously played at tOSU, TSUN, ND, and Texas.

They played tough schedules as well. That 1942 Iowa Pre-Flight team played seven teams that had been ranked at the end of 1941, and they played 9 road games, including at defending champ Minnesota.
 
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Bumping for the information in post #3 of this thread.

It will be very relevant if Texas jumps to #2 in the AP poll this week.
 
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