The 1976 college football season ended with a championship for the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh. Coached by Johnny Majors (voted the AFCA Coach of the Year), the Pitt Panthers brought a college football championship to the home of the defending pro football champions, the Steelers. Pitt also had the Heisman Trophy winner, Tony Dorsett. At the beginning of the season, the Panthers had been ranked #9 in the AP poll.
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press (AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International) (UPI). The AP poll consisted of the votes of as many as 62 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25 member board of coaches.
Read more about 1976 College Football Season: September, October, November, Rule Changes, Conference Standings, #1 and #2 Progress, Bowl Games, Other Champions, Heisman Trophy
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