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We’re back talking about the unclaimed national titles from the schools that don’t have ANY national championships but refuse to claim them for some reason. Remember our position is basically CLAIM IT, but this time it will be different.
The Unclaimed Graphic.
Up First, let’s look at Florida. They were named National Champions in 1984 and 1985 by a couple of NCAA approved selectors. These selections were pretty controversial at the time and there was a good bit of controversy for the Florida teams during this time.
1984 Florida - Finished 9–1–1 and won the SEC at 5–0–1******** (will get to those asterisks in a bit). The Gators lost the opening game of the season to hated rival Miami (FL) 32-20, and then the very next week they tied LSU, starting the season 0-1-1. Then they rattled off nine straight wins to finish the season, finishing the year with wins over, at the time of the game rankings, #11 Auburn, #8 Georgia, and #12 Florida State. The named national champion was 13-0 BYU, who only beat one ranked team that year in #3 at the time, Pitt, who finished 3-7-1. But hey, BYU was 13-0. Florida finished #3 in the AP Poll, the highest finish in program history up to that time, and was declared national champions by several selectors, including the New York Times computer poll (which ranked BYU 10th) and The Sporting News.
Now the crazy part of this year, Florida Head Coach Charley Pell was forced to resign three games into the season after the release of an NCAA report detailing numerous recruiting and other rules violations committed during his tenure at Florida. The Gators were 1-1-1 when he resigned. Offensive coordinator Galen Hall had been hired the previous summer and was not implicated in the scandal, so he was named interim head coach, and they went 8-0.
They had their SEC Championship retroactively stripped and were banned from a bowl game; 2nd Place LSU went to the Sugar Bowl in their place.
The Sporting News title award I am confused about. Washington was 11-1 and ranked #2 everywhere but the Sporting News. They put Florida #1, 10-2 Nebraska #2, Washington #3, and BYU #4. This felt like the origination of the THEY AIN’T PLAYED NOBODY for BYU.
VERDICT - I know Auburn claimed these strange ones previously, and it renewed the calls for Florida to claim this one. Also, this is one of Washington’s unclaimed championships. If you can get the Huskies to CLAIM IT, you can CLAIM IT too, Gators. No offense, BYU.
Sporting News Top 5
1985 Florida - Finished 9–1–1 and went 5–1 SEC. Unable to win the SEC due to the probation. Would have likely won the SEC as they beat 5-1 in conference Tennessee. The named national champions were Oklahoma 11–1 (7–0 Big 8) and only loss to 10-2 Miami (FL). Florida tied 2-8-1 Rutgers at home, in the Swamp. They Gators also lost to #17 Georgia 24-3. Sagarin Ratings (ELO-Chess), one of two NCAA recognized selectors created by Jeff Sagarin, an MIT math graduate and sports statistician, named Florida as the 1985 national champions.
VERDICT - Don’t claim this one Florida. You tied 2-8-1 Rutgers on your homefield. You blew a 28-7 lead to Rutgers. Leave it unclaimed.
Technically true Rutgers coach Dick Anderson
BACK TO THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED TO CLAIM IT OR NOT CLAIM IT
Let’s look at Wisconsin here. They don’t have any claimed National Championships but have TWO unclaimed.
1912 Wisconsin - Finished 7-0 and won the Western Conference at 5-0, the precursor to the Big Ten. The named national champions were Harvard at 9-0. Wisconsin outscored all of their opponents 246-29. The Badgers shut out 4 of 7 opponents. Harvard outscored their opponents 176 to 22 and shut out 5 of 9 opponents. Harvard was named the national champs by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, and Parke H. Davis, and as a co-national champion by the National Championship Foundation. The Billingsley Report also named the Badgers National Champions retroactively.
VERDICT - CLAIM IT BADGERS! YOU CAN’T LET THOSE HARVARD PEOPLE HAVE THIS BY THEMSELVES! CLAIM IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 4TH QUARTER RIGHT AS YOU PLAY JUMP AROUND AND HAVE THE CROWD GO INSANE FOR A BADGERS NATIONAL TITLE. REVEAL THE BANNER AT THE SAME TIME! DO THIS NOW!!
1942 Wisconsin - Finished 8–1–1 and 4–1 in the Big Ten. The named national champions were Georgia at 11-1 and Ohio State at 9-1 (5-1) in the Big Ten. Wisconsin tied Notre Dame 7-7, defeated Ohio State 17-7, but had that classic letdown game the very next week on the road at Iowa, losing 6-0. The Helms Athletic Foundation selected Wisconsin as 1942 national champions following the bowl games. It is noted on the Ohio State wiki, The Buckeyes' only loss was to #3 Wisconsin. Half of the Buckeye players contracted an intestinal disorder after drinking from an unsanitary drinking fountain on the train to Madison. This was Ohio State’s train, definitely not any fault of Wisconsin but they won. The loss to the Hawkeyes 6-0, was just one where they were outplayed and failed on the Iowa 2 yard line right before the first half ended.
VERDICT - Leave it unclaimed. It feels like you beat the champ but you then couldn’t maintain yourself after doing that. A classic college football let down.
WISCONSIN YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE CLAIMED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
You know looking at all these retroactively awarded national championships has me wondering why we can’t do this for our Sickos National Champions. I mean we’ve only awarded titles from 2020 - 2025. Hmm matter of fact, let’s do that…
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