01-02-2021, 04:34 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-02-2021, 04:35 PM by BostonCard.)
(01-02-2021, 04:26 PM)baymeadows3408 Wrote:(01-02-2021, 04:07 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Interesting fuel for the Willingham vs. Shaw comparisons... Willingham's top team (the 2001 Seattle Bowl) was ranked 20th; Shaw had six teams with better final ratings than Willingham's best. Shaw's worst (last year) was better than Willingham's 1998 team.
That being said, I don't think we were the 21st best team this year.
BC
I wish Sagarin had data going back to 1995 so we could compare Willingham's teams.
In a hypothetical match up, I would have taken our 2001 team against all of our teams except the 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015 teams. I do think our 2012 team was better than our 2001 team, but not by much. The 2001 team was very good and should have beaten WSU and Georgia Tech. Combining the 2001 offense and the 2012 defense would have given us an elite team.
I have had my quibbles with Shaw, but nobody as ever achieved the sustained success he has had. And when I do quibble with him, it's because I'm greedy and I want that success to continue to be in the national title hunt again.
2017 was a pretty good team too, probably at least as good as 2001.
Among Willingham’s teams, 1996 was pretty good, despite going 6-5 in the regular season. Still, I think 9 of Shaw’s teams would be better than Willingham’s 96 team.
My guess is that they would rank as follows:
2001
1999
1996
1995
2000
1997
1998
BC