Absolutely No Way Alabama 1961 is the Best

by James
(Denmark)

Alabama '61 is not even close to the best team of all time. They are not even in the same ballpark as Army '44-'45 or Nebraska '71 & '95. You might as well be arguing that North Dakota State was better than LSU in 2007.

It isn't even the best Alabama team of all time. '61 had some great players, but check out the schedule and results of the Hutson-Howell team (AND Bear Bryant) that ruled the Rose Bowl. Heck, no one takes Alabama '71 very seriously, but if you accept that Nebraska '71 was the best team of all time (as most lists do), and ignore that Orange Bowl debacle, look at the rest of their schedule... that Tide team beat SIX AP rated opponents!

Alabama '61 played a weak schedule, and Arkansas was a weak opponent for a #1 team to be playing in their bowl game, and Bama only won 10-3. As for the defensive stats, they are impressive (Bama '61 was good, no doubt), but as I said, their schedule was weak (they did not play offensive powerhouses), and teams scored a LOT less in those days than they do now. Was that defense better than Bama '92? I don't think so. Both were great, but Bama '92 faced a MUCH tougher schedule and played in a MUCH higher-scoring era.