Harvard Should Be the True National Champion

For years, college football has fallen prey to the “eye test”, using metrics like “best wins”, “strength of schedule” and “played Division I-A football” to choose the to best teams duke it out for the title. At the Back Page, we have routinely been setting the record straight using the only real qualification for the title—degrees of separation. Below, we show (not for the first time) that it is Harvard, not Alabama, that deserves to be the national champion.

Harvard beat Brown, 53-27 …

Brown beat Holy Cross, 25-24 …

Holy Cross beat Albany, 37-0 …

Albany beat Delaware, 17-6 …

Delaware beat William & Mary, 24-23 …

William & Mary beat Villanova, 38-16 …

Villanova beat Fordham, 14-7 …

Fordham beat Army, 37-35 …

Army beat Eastern Michigan, 58-36 …

Eastern Michigan beat Wyoming, 48-29 …

Wyoming beat UNLV, 35-28 …

UNLV beat Nevada, 23-17 …

Nevada beat Colorado State, 28-23 …

Colorado State beat New Mexico, 28-21 …

New Mexico beat Air Force, 45-37 …

Air Force beat Utah State, 35-28 …

Utah State beat Boise State, 52-26 …

Boise State beat Virginia, 56-14 …

Virginia beat Georgia Tech, 27-21 …

Georgia Tech beat Florida State, 22-16 …

Florida State beat Florida, 27-2 …

Florida beat Ole Miss, 38-10 …

Ole Miss beat Alabama, 43-37