Fresh off a squeaker against Ohio State and a blow out over TCU, Georgia will have an opportunity to become the first team to win three consecutive AP National Championships next season. Eleven teams, won two in a row since the AP began its poll of sportswriters in 1936, but all 10 failed to threepeat. There were some close calls.
Minnesota was National Champion in 1940 and '41, but lost four games in '42. Another Big Ten team, Ohio State, was the AP National Champion.
Army came closest to three in a row. After celebrated teams led by Heisman winners Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard dominated college football as 1944 and '45 champion, the 1946 team entered the Navy game top ranked with a 8-0-1 record that included a scoreless tie with Notre Dame. But after a narrow 21-18 victory, the Cadets fell behind Notre Dame, a 28-0 winner over Navy, in the final poll.
Notre Dame made it two in a row in 1947, but finished behind Michigan in the final 1948 poll despite a 9-0 record. In 1947, when the final poll came before bowl games, Notre Dame edged out Michigan on the strength of a 38-7 season ending victory over Southern Cal. But when Michigan clobbered USC 49-0 in the Rose Bowl, an informal poll of voters showed that Michigan would have been National Champion if there had a been a post bowl game poll,
Oklahoma won National Championships in 1955 and '56 and was top ranked late in the 1957 season before a 7-0 loss to Notre Dame ended the Sooners' record 47-game winning streak. Oklahoma finished fourth behind Auburn, Ohio State and Michigan State.
Despite an Orange Bowl loss to Texas in 1964 and a loss and tie in '65, Alabama managed to win the AP poll both years. The 1966 team went 11-0, but finished third behind Notre Dame and Michigan State, which played a memorable 10-10 tie.
Nebraska was first in 1970 and ’71. The 1971 championship included a 35-31 Thanksgiving Day victory over Oklahoma in what was billed as “The Game of the Century” and 38-6 win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl, Bear Bryant’s worst loss as Tide coach. Nebraska was fourth in 1972 with a 9-2-1 record. One of the losses was 20-17 to UCLA in the season opener when a junior college transfer led a last minute TD drive for the Bruins. That quarterback was Mark Harmon, A.K.A. Leroy Jethro Tibbs.
Oklahoma was AP National Champion in 1974 and ’75, but finished eighth in 1976 with two losses and a tie.
Alabama was the AP National Champion in 1978 and ’79. A 6-3 loss to Mississippi State ended the Tide’s bid for three in a row in 1980. Georgia was top dog that year.
Quarterback Tommy Frazier led Nebraska to another repeat in 1994 and ’95. A missed field goal against Florida State on the final play of the Orange Bowl prevented the Cornhuskers from winning the 1993 National Championship and three in a row.
Southern Cal was the AP winner in 2003 and 2004, but lost a bid for three in a row when the sensational play of Vince Young led Texas to a 41-38 victory in the Rose Bowl for the 2005 National Championship.
Alabama again won two in a row in 2011 and ’12. The Tide was 11-0, top ranked in 2013, before a 109-yard return of a missed field goal by Chris Davis on the final play gave Auburn a 34-28. Alabama then lost to Oklahoma 45-31 in the Sugar Bowl to fall to seventh in the final poll.
