Question for Longhorn historians

[utisdabomb12]

Let me first say that I'm completely against retroactively claiming national titles. 

Why did Texas never claim 1914 as a national championship? They went undefeated with a perfect 8-0 record and were awarded the title by several publications. That team might have been our most dominant in history, as they outscored opponents 358-21. My only understanding is that we didn't claim it because it came before the pre-poll era. However, I know several schools like Alabama that claim multiple titles before 1936. 

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Based on most historians, UT has five unclaimed national titles.  I guess we could claim 1914 retroactively, but who really cares?  Do we really wanna be like aggie and Auburn?

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/1/31/5364846/unclaimed-college-football-national-championships

 

[streettopeschel]

Look up college football data warehouse sometime. They list UT with 14 NCs but only 4 'claimed'. Years like 41, 50, 77, 83 and others where some service had us on top.

If we had been like bama and claimed them all along, fine I guess. But retroactively claiming them smells to aggy for me.

 

[Duke C #11]

Any titles before the polling era (35-36) were bought and paid for.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Based on most historians, UT has five unclaimed national titles.  I guess we could claim 1914 retroactively, but who really cares?  Do we really wanna be like aggie and Auburn?

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/1/31/5364846/unclaimed-college-football-national-championships

I agree. I don't want us to retroactively claim 1914. I was just reading an article about the 1914 team and I found it interesting why we hadn't claimed a title for that year. Ketch over at OB actually wrote a book on Longhorn football history, and it was a pretty good read on the 1914 team. IMO that may have been our most dominant team in Longhorn history so it's weird that we never claimed a title for that year. 

 

[Duke C #11]

Until the Longhorns went into South Bend and became the first team ever to beat Notre Dame in an Irish home opener in the 1930s, UT was never looked at as a national power.