I have a honest question:
From the day Joe Paterno became head football coach at PSU, how many seasons/years did it take for him to win his 1st or Penn State's first national championship?
Don't count any "well if Nixon this" or "We were the best team but voters didn't see it that way".
Actual, factual #1 voting only. No NY Times polls either.
So just how many years was it/did it take?
Thank you!
Obviously, Glove, you know the answer already. However, I don’t agree with the premise of your question. Here why ...
1. for NCAA FBS schools, the national championship has long been considered a “mythical” one. There is no legit playoff, not even the current system.
2. In 1968, 69, 73, and 94, Penn State played a national schedule, won every game, tied none including Bowl games versus conference champions.
3. Even today‘s system, granted a shift to more legitimacy than in the past, is still mostly a “beauty contest.” It is improbable, perhaps, but certainly plausible that we could have 5 conference champs be undefeated and untied, along with your favorite team Notre Dame making a 6th. Yet only 4 will be deemed “pretty enough” to make the playoff.
4. In Joe’s early career, Penn State was an Eastern “ugly duckling,” despite playing tougher schedules. Those unbeaten, untied squads really weren’t all that close in the voting for #1 primarily because of its location.
5. I equate what happened to PSU in those days to what happened to Ted Williams a few times. Ted hit .406 and finished 2nd for MVP. In 1942 and in 1947, Williams won the coveted Triple Crowns ... yet again finished #2 for MVP. To claim he wasn’t genuinely worthy of earning MVP in those 3 seasons is disingenuous.
6. Had PSU not been able to get a shot at Georgia in 1982 or Miami in 1986, the Nittany Lions would be without a “recognized “ national title. Georgia might have beaten a lesser team in 82 and Miami surely would have.
7. Thus, objective CFB fans — and especially Penn State fans — should readily acknowledge that PSU has every right to consider its 68, 69, 73, and 94 squads worthy of being ”mythical “ national champions.