Factoid 253 - College Football in 1975

In 1975 there were 137 teams in Division 1, there were 11 bowl games played, Archie Griffin (running back for The Ohio State University) won the Heisman, Oklahoma was the AP preseason number one as well as the Consensus National Champion at the end of the season. Three other teams laid claims to the National Championship that year through one selector or another: Alabama; Arizona State; and Ohio State.

Archie Griffin won his second Heisman in 1975, the only player ever to do so, and the 11-0 Buckeyes were on a roll heading into the Rose Bowl vs. UCLA. All they had to do was beat UCLA, a team they beat earlier that year by a score of 41-20 in Los Angeles. Rumors were that Woody Hayes would retire that year, but it was not to be. The Bruins pulled a huge upset and won 23-10.

The Sooners coached by Barry Switzer would beat Michigan in the Orange Bowl by a score of 14-6. This would win the Sooners the Consensus National Championship. Arizona State may not have been too happy about this, as they went 12-0. This was definitely one of those years where a playoff format would have helped determine the true National Champion.

National Champions

• Alabama 11–1 Bear Bryant (MGR) *
• Arizona State 12–0 Frank Kush (NCF, SN) *
• Ohio State 11–1 Woody Hayes (B(QPRS), HAF, MGR, PS, R(FACT)) *
• Oklahoma 11–1 Barry Switzer (AP, BR, CFRA, DeS, DuS, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, R(FACT), SR, UPI) */**

• Altair 8800 was released, which sparked the microcomputer revolution.
• Wheel of Fortune premiered on NBC.
• In Detroit, Michigan former Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa was reported missing.