College football dates back to November 6th, 1869, when Rutgers faced Princeton (Chen 2014). Princeton won that first game with a score of six to four. Fast-forward 148 years and we now have an incredibly high number of college football teams all over the United States – 896.
College football is popular for many reasons: it is a time for fans to reunite, it is great entertainment, and it teaches student-athletes life skills. College football has been around for generations and over the last 100 years or so teams have come and gone but there are many that stand out in history.
Who Won the 2012 National Championship
Alabama Crimson Tide.
The National Championship game in 2012 was between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers. This game took place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 9th 2012 (NCAA Football). The final score of this nail biter was: Alabama: 21 and LSU: 0 (Chen 2014). Not only did the Alabama Crimson Tide win the 2012 National Championship, they are also reported to be one of the greatest teams in college football history (Cher 2014).
The Greatest NCAA Championship Game of All-time
The Greatest National Championship game of all-time was played on January 8th, 1973 between the University of Notre Dame and the University of Alabama (NCAA Football). This game was an epic battle that went into double overtime. The final score at the end of this historic game was: Notre Dame: 24 and Alabama: 23 (Chen 2014).
Finest Ranked College Football Teams of All Time
According to the NCAA, the top college football teams of all time are (Chen 2014):
1. University of Alabama Crimson Tide- Won 12 National Championships;
2. Michigan Wolverines- Won 11 National Championships;
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish- Won 8 National Championships;
4. Ohio State Buckeyes- Won 7 National Championships; and
5. Oklahoma Sooners- Won 7 National Championships.
5 Worst National Championship Game Performances in College Football History
1. Western Kentucky University- Lost 58 to No. 2 Michigan State Spartans 14 (1952);
2. Mississippi Valley State- Lost 59 to No. 3 Nebraska Cornhuskers 62 (1996);
3. Texas Tech- Lost 65 to No. 1 USC Trojans 47 (2005);
4. North Carolina A&T- Lost 35 to No. 2 Florida Gators 32 (2007); and
5. Ohio University- Lost 42 to No. 1 USC Trojans 17 (1974).
Fun Facts About the Teams that Played in the 2012 National Championship Game
-The Alabama Crimson Tide played in the 2012 National Championship Game with a 13 and 0 record (Chen 2014).
-When they won the national championship in 2012, it was their third consecutive national championship (NCAA Football).
-This is one of only three teams in college football history to accomplish this feat; Army and Nebraska are the other two (Chen 2014).
-This team is one of only four teams to win the national championship three times in a row; Army, Miami and Nebraska are the other three (NCAA Football).
-The Alabama Crimson Tide has won at least 10 games in every season since 2007 (Chen 2014).
-If you add up the scores of the games that Alabama played in 2012, it comes to 744 points for and only 42 points against (Chen 2014).
-This team led the nation in rushing defense during the 2012 season with an average of 68.9 yards against per game (Chen 2014).
Rivalry Games in College Football History
1. Harvard vs. Yale- Played since 1875;
2. Michigan vs. Ohio State- Played Since 1897;
3. Army vs. Navy- Played since 1890; and
4. Auburn vs. Alabama – Played since 1893 (NCAA Football).
Conclusion
College football is a great way to spend your fall. It brings family and friends together for a day of food, alcohol, and most importantly…The Game! College football history has been around since the 1800’s when they started playing against local teams in various states. Now college football has evolved into the sport that we know today with rabid fans from all over the country.
So, even though Alabama lost in the 2013 National Championship Game to No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 42 to 14, there is a bright future for The University of Alabama and its football team. And as long as Coach Saban is at the helm, you can bet that Crimson Tide will be competing for a national championship every year until he decides to retire. And if the Alabama Crimson Tide can’t win it this year, there is always next year. ‘Roll Tide!’
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