538 says 2016 'Bama is better than '95 Nebraska

[Cdog923]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-rate-alabama-the-strongest-team-in-college-football-history/

 

The stat geeks over at 538 threw together some numbers that come out and say that '16 Alabama is the best college football team of all time, right ahead of '95 Nebraska. Anyone who watches college football intently knows that this Alabama team (particularly the D) is impressive, and while they might come close, (top 5, right now), I don't think they're ahead of teams like '01 Miami, or '04 USC, let alone '95. Some other notables:

 

- Nebraska has 5 teams on the list: '95 at #2, '71 at #11, '97 at #13, '96 at #26 and '83 at #28.

- It has '14 Oregon ahead of '14 Ohio State.......

- Far too much love for modern-day Alabama.

- '01 Miami is at #27(?)

[hskerprid]

Tide has the best players that money can buy. So sure......

[Moiraine]

They're not geeks.

 

Hmph.

[hskerprid]

Tide has the best players that money can buy. So sure......

[Nebfanatic]

Realistically I think they need the title to claim that. If they win the title this year maybe this is true, but I would not put '15 Alabama at #3

[Saunders]

How many top 5, 10, or 15 wins does Bama have?

 

Oh, just one?

 

ok....

[Cdog923]

They're not geeks.

 

Hmph.

As a self-identifying geek, yes they are.

[Cdog923]

Realistically I think they need the title to claim that. If they win the title this year maybe this is true, but I would not put '15 Alabama at #3

 

Agreed. I know it's been good for awhile, but I think they overvalue the recent success of the SEC.

[knapplc]

Nate Silver's cred took a bit of a hit this year.

 

Hillary Clinton Will Win The 2016 Election By A Landslide

 

Looking at the popular vote, Silver sees Democrat Hillary Clinton getting 49.1 percent of the vote, Republican Donald Trump Getting 42.1 percent, and Libertarian Gary Johnson getting 7.5 percent. Silver’s forecasts do not include Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s impact on the election.

 

Of course, as your junior high school Civics teacher will tell you, the popular vote is irrelevant when it comes to electing presidents: it’s the electoral vote that matters. And in the electoral vote, Hillary Clinton has this election in the bag. Silver’s models predict Hillary Clinton winning the election with 347.5 electoral votes (far more than the 270 needed to guarantee the election); Donald Trump coming in second with 190.3 percent; and Gary Johnson coming in third with 0.2 percent of the electoral vote.

 

 

[RunMickeyRun02]

I should probably be bothered by this in some way but I'm not.

[Nebfanatic]

 

 

Realistically I think they need the title to claim that. If they win the title this year maybe this is true, but I would not put '15 Alabama at #3

Agreed. I know it's been good for awhile, but I think they overvalue the recent success of the SEC.

and what's sad is it is really at a low point this year. I'm not sure what to make of Bama...if they played USC again right now do they beat them down like they did in the opener? Maybe, maybe not and I think the answer to "are they the best" could be found in the result of that. Luckily they will get their chance against similarly talented opponents and we will see. If they dominate Washington and follow that with a convincing win (14+ points) in the title game, this team has every right to argue they are the best of all time

[BIG ERN]

Even though they will probably win the NC, they haven't yet so this argument is stupid at this point. I remember them thinking they had it in the bag a few years ago and Ohio St bent them over, hard. Their offense isn't on the same planet as ours was in 95'. Bama escaped a 5 pt win at Ole Miss who is 5-7

[mnhusker]

Even though they will probably win the NC, they haven't yet so this argument is stupid at this point. I remember them thinking they had it in the bag a few years ago and Ohio St bent them over, hard. Their offense isn't on the same planet as ours was in 95'. Bama escaped a 5 pt win at Ole Miss who is 5-7

You read my mind, a bit to early to even consider this.

[jaws]

I don't think I would get worked up over this. At times 538 has some interesting articles and stats but it isn't gospel. Could the 2016 'Bama team beat the 1995 Huskers...maybe...but a lot has changed in college football in the last 20 years. For its time the 95 Huskers were a juggernaut. I never understood comparing teams from different years like this. Lets also see how Alabama does in the Playoff. On a side note, it is crazy to think how many different national champions we would have if we always had a playoff system.

[Creed]

Their offense isn't on the same planet as ours was in 95'.

 

That is the point I was going to make. Their QB while athletic is not that good (yet) and they don't have the stud RB like past years.Different discussion but IMO they have been very fortunate during their run. They are talented and well coached for sure but winning titles is hard and you need some breaks along the way. They have gotten their fair share.

 

1. They have not had to face a tough SEC E team in the CCG. A loss in the SEC CCG would have dq'd them during the BCS days.
2. UT QB McCoy goes out of game on first series with injury.
3. Not having to play in SEC CCG then getting a rematch with offensively inept LSU.
4. Getting a way over-rated ND team that escaped their season undefeated.
5. Ark beating Ol Miss on a fluke play last year sending Bama to CCG.
6. Not having to face NFL-loaded OSU in playoffs last year and getting Michigan St instead who had some fluke wins.

If Washington's O-line can hold up I think they can give Bama a game. The only team Bama has played with a pulse on offense is Ol Miss.