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#TBT- 1960 Champs Ole Miss, Minnesota, or Washington?

Washington, Ole Miss, and Minnesota claim the national championship for 1960. And there isn't anything better than arguing over claimed national titles so let's do this!

By HipsterGopher
Trophies from 1960
Trophies from 1960
U of M

Yesterday's TDG article: Non-Con Wish List, has Ole Miss at #2, for all the obvious tailgating reasons, and Washington as the most desirable non conference opponent. Strangely all 3 teams have some claim on the 1960 national title.

While we wait for this to sort itself out on the gridiron, let's try and figure this out. First let's compare seasons:

Minnesota won some trophies in 1960...

Minnesota

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
09/24/1960 at #12 Nebraska* Memorial Stadium W 26-14 38,000
10/01/1960 Indiana #18 Memorial Stadium •Minneapolis, MN W 42-0 53,725
10/08/1960 Northwestern #14 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 7-0 57,096
10/15/1960 Illinois #10 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 21-10 63,641
10/22/1960 at Michigan #6 Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI W 10-0 69,352
10/29/1960 Kansas State* #6 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 48-7 43,568
11/05/1960 #1 Iowa #3 Memorial Stadium •Minneapolis, MN W 27-10 65,610
11/12/1960 Purdue #1 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 23-14 61,348
11/19/1960 Wisconsin #4 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, MN W 26-7 55,576
01/02/1961 vs. #6 Washington* #1 Rose Bowl •Pasadena, CA L 17-7 97,314
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

Ole Miss great Jake "dead eye" Gibbs showing a little wiggle.

Ole Miss

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result
September 17 at Houston* #2 Rice Stadium W 42-0
September 24 Kentucky #1 Crump Stadium •Memphis, TN W 21-6
October 1 at Memphis State* #1 Crump Stadium • Memphis, TN W 31-20
October 8 at Vanderbilt #2 Dudley Field • Nashville, TN (Rivalry) W 21-6
October 15 at Tulane #1 Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA W 26-13
October 22 at #11 Arkansas* #2 War Memorial Stadium •Little Rock, AR (Rivalry) W 10-7
October 29 LSU #2 Hemingway Stadium •Oxford, MS (Magnolia Bowl) T 6-6
November 5 Chattanooga #6 Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS W 45-0
November 12 at #14 Tennessee #4 Shields-Watkins Field •Knoxville, TN W 24-3
November 26 Mississippi State #3 Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS (Egg Bowl) W 35-9
January 2, 1961 vs. Rice* #2 Tulane Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) W 14-6
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Central Time.

Bob Schloredt on the cover of Sports Illustrated October 3, 1960.

Washington

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
September 17 College of Pacific* #3 Husky Stadium W 55-6 39,047
September 24 Idaho* #3 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA W 41-12 35,996
October 1 #17 Navy* #3 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA L 14-15 57,379
October 8 at Stanford #12 Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA W 29-10 24,032
October 15 #15 UCLA #13 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA W 10-8 54,152
October 22 vs. #18 Oregon State* #8 Multnomah Stadium • Portland, OR W 30-29 36,833
October 29 Oregon* #9 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA W 7-6 55,235
November 5 at USC #7 Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA W 34-0 43,475
November 12 California #6 Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA W 27-7 55,884
November 19 at Washington State* #5 Rogers Field • Pullman, WA (Apple Cup) W 8-7 28,750
January 2 vs. #1 Minnesota* #6 Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl) W 17-7 97,314
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll.

Ugh, damnit all 3 teams had strong seasons. Minnesota finished the regular season #1 in the Coaches Poll and the AP, while Ole Miss went undefeated and was crowned by the Football Writers Association of America, and the Huskies won the Rose Bowl over the top ranked Gophers. So, what now?

This guy, does a nice write up of the full 1960 season but he comes up with a pretty silly result (Iowa IS NOT the retroactive national champ). The crack squad at bleacher report rate Minnesota's 1960 title as #6 in its Top 20 Most Underserving National Champions (whatever that means), but fall short of suggesting who should be #1.

After thinking long and hard about this I have concluded that the only way to decide this is through COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ARBITRARY METHODS. But which odd ball means to use? Here are my front runners:

  • Some kind of mascot royal rumble (Colonel Reb, Goldy, and a dog in a ring?!?! SIGN ME UP)
  • Meanest player from each 1960 team? (I'd like to submit this photo of Bobby Bell as Minnesota's entry)
  • Most convincing argument for which team most desperately needs this 55 year old title to make itself feel better. (This could be either really funny or terribly depressing)
  • Or best tailgate either from then or now. (Minnesota can't win in this scenario but I want to visit the Grove and then go west for some sailgating)

I fully realize I have come up with no answers. As a Gopher fan I think obviously Minnesota is the rightful champion, but I can see both other schools as contenders and am happy to listen to reasonable and unreasonable arguments for the Huskies and Rebels (but I will not tolerate any of this "Iowa is actually the 1960 champion", that argument is 100 percent corn).

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