Match-Up College Football Set 015 - Nixon's Champion - The Conundrum of '69

After watching the “Game of the Century” between Texas and Arkansas, President Richard Nixon awarded Texas a plaque proclaiming the Longhorns the “number-one college football team in college football’s one-hundredth year.” Rev. Billy Graham was Nixon’s guest at the game, but Henry Kissinger and George H.W. Bush were also in attendance. At kickoff, Texas (9-0) was #1 and Arkansas (9-0) was #2. In a come-from-behind win, Texas beat Arkansas 15-14. The problem was that Penn State was 10-0 and ranked #3 at the start of the day. Arkansas’ loss meant Penn State moved to #2, still undefeated. They finished 11-0. USC finished the season 9-0-1 at #5. In Texas’ defense, Penn State passed on a chance to play a game between the two undefeateds in the Cotton Bowl (sort of - the story is inside the set), opting instead to play Missouri in the Orange Bowl. Nixon tried to make good with Joe Paterno, inviting Penn State to the White House to present them with a #2 trophy. Paterno angrily responded, “You tell the president to take that trophy and shove it.” While Nixon’s statement was hardly an executive action, 74% of American televisions were tuned in to the game and it held great sway. At the end of the year, the AP poll agreed with the president. Here, we present to you that famous season, college football’s 100th. Welcome to 1969! 1969 Arkansas (Rodney Brand, Bill Montgomery, Bill Burnett, Rick Kersey, Chuck Dicus, Terry Stewart) 1969 Michigan (Jim Mandich, Dan Dierdorf, Bob Baumgartner, Tom Curtis, Don Moorhead, Glenn Doughty, Billy Taylor) 1969 Notre Dame (Joe Theismann, Mike McCoy, Denny Allan, Tom Gatewood, Larry DiNardo, Clarence Ellis) 1969 Ohio State (Rex Kern, Jim Otis, Jack Tatum, Jim Stillwagon, Mike Sensibaugh, John Brockington) 1969 Oklahoma (Heisman winner Steve Owens, Jack Mildren, Steve Zabel, Joe Killingsworth, ) 1969 Ole Miss (Archie Manning, Skip Jernigan, Hap Farber, Glenn Cannon) 1969 Penn State (Mike Reid, Dennis Onkotz, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, Lydell Mitchell, Charlie Pittman) 1969 Purdue (Mike Phipps, Randy Cooper, Ashley Bell, Paul DeNuccio, Walter Whitehead, Veno Paraskevas) 1969 Stanford (Jim Plunkett, Bubba Brown, Randy Vataha, John Sande, Pat Preston, Rich Keller) 1969 Texas (Bob McKay, James Street, Steve Worster, Jim Bertelsen, Freddie Joe Steinmark, Bill Atessis) 1969 USC (Clarence Davis, Jimmie Gunn, Al Cowlings, Charlie Weaver, Jim Jones)