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Titans Clash - #12 - Princeton Tigers vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide

2/14/14-Author: Tali
This week’s Titans Clash is a bit different: which college football program has contributed more to the development of college football, the Princeton Tigers or the Alabama Crimson Tide?

In 1869, Princeton played in the first football game ever vs. Rutgers; that year they played Rutgers twice. Each team won one game. The Princeton Tigers have won 28 national championships in Division One, Princeton claims all these titles, of which 25 are retroactive selections. Princeton has no Consensus National Championships (Factoid 65). Twenty of these championships were won in the 19th century. Princeton no longer competes in Division One.

Princeton is considered one of the birthplaces of college football. Interestingly, they did not have a coach until the 1903 season. Art Hillebrand was their first coach and won a national championship in 1903; prior to that he had played at Princeton. Prior to Princeton he coached Navy and is in the College Football Hall of Fame. Another one of Princeton’s famous coaches is William Roper who won four national titles and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. Princeton has 26 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Halfback Dick Kazmaier is the lone Princeton player to win a Heisman Trophy. Princeton’s place in college football is in being the dominant in the 19th century, popularizing the sport, and morphing the game from rugby-like sport into the very familiar American football form by the end of the 19th century (the exception being the forward pass, the first of which was thrown in 1906.)

Alabama played its first football game in 1892 and won its first championship in 1925, its last one in 2012. The Crimson Tide has won 19 national championships in Division One and the Tide claims 15 of these titles. Five of the 19 titles are retroactive selections. The Tide has won ten Consensus National Championships (Factoid 68). In the 21st century they have won three championships and are considered a perennial contender for the National Championship every year.

Alabama has been a force in college football for over a century and continues to be to this day. Bear Bryant, who has the most national championships and is considered by some the greatest coach ever, coached Alabama from 1957 to 1983. In 2014 it can be argued that they have the best coach in the country, Nick Saban, who has won three championships for the Tide.

Running back Mark Ingram is the only player from the Tide to win the Heisman Trophy, although twelve Alabama players have finished in the top five for the Heisman Trophy voting. Ozzie Newsome, Bart Star, and Joe Namath all went to Alabama. The Tide can boast of 23 of their players and coaches being in the College Football Hall of Fame.

So there you have it: one school, Princeton, which was instrumental in building the sport of college football; a former powerhouse with more championships and more players in the College Football Hall of Fame than the Alabama Crimson Tide. On the other hand, Alabama is a present-day power, will continue to be, and has been for over 100 years. So which college football program has contributed more to the development of college football, the Princeton Tigers or the Alabama Crimson Tide? Please respond via the comment button below.
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