https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35366896/deciding-college-football-true-champions-split-titles
1991: Washington (12-0) vs. Miami (12-0)
Poll rankings: Miami first (AP) and second (coaches), Washington first (coaches) and second (AP)
SP+ rankings: Miami first (24.7 rating), Washington second (24.2)
Avg. points scored: Washington 41.3, Miami 32.2
Avg. points allowed: Miami 8.3, Washington 9.6
Best wins: Miami def. Florida State (third in SP+) 17-16, def. Penn State (fourth) 26-20, def. Nebraska (10th) 22-0; Washington def. Nebraska (10th) 36-21, def. California (13th) 24-17, def. Michigan (14th) 34-14
Verdict: Miami. Honestly? This might be the most difficult decision on this list. Both Don James' Huskies and Dennis Erickson's Hurricanes were nearly perfect, and it's a damn shame that these two couldn't meet in a bowl game.
Washington was perfectly suited to hold up against one of the best Miami teams of the era. The Huskies were explosive on the edge and beyond sturdy in the trenches. Mario Bailey (17 touchdowns, 16.7 yards per catch) was one of the scariest receivers of the 1990s, and the defense was keyed by All-American Steve Emtman up front and ball hawk Walter Bailey (seven INTs, two touchdowns) in the back. The Huskies began the season by handling Nebraska in Lincoln and ended it by pummeling Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Only an excellent Cal could stay particularly close in between.
Since I'm forcing myself to choose, however, I'm going with The U, if only because of the résumé. Miami beat both the third- and fourth-best teams in the country and finished the season by pummeling Nebraska by a slightly larger margin. This would have been an absolute coin-flip matchup on the field, but Miami's schedule gives it the slightest of nods.[/b]
Game is won in the trenches, as they say ... but Bill Connelly decides it doesn't apply here because reasons.
Discuss.