It’s Official: Penn State Winds Up as No. 1 : Nittany Lions Win Title as They Had Hoped--on the Field

Penn State officially was awarded its second national championship in five years Saturday, after defeating Miami in the Fiesta Bowl game between the nation’s two top-ranked teams Friday night.

The Nittany Lions (12-0) received all 49 first-place votes cast in the United Press International poll of coaches and 54 of 57 first-place votes in the Associated Press poll of sportswriters and sportscasters.

Additionally, Penn State was awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy, symbolic of the national championship, by the Football Writers Assn. of America.

“It was a national championship won on the field,” Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said after his team intercepted five passes thrown by Heisman Trophy winners Vinny Testaverde in a 14-10 victory over Miami.

“I’m a great believer in self-fulfilled destiny. These guys literally made up their minds they were going to win a national championship. I don’t know how you do it, but I think (it happens) if enough people get together and say ‘we’re going to do it’ and make the kind of commitment they have made.

“I don’t know if this game is a significant step toward a college football playoff, but for Penn State it’s significant. I had three other teams (1968, 1969, 1973) I felt deserved a chance to prove they were national champions, and they didn’t get a chance. I’m sure we’d have been voted No. 2 and Miami No. 1 if this confrontation hadn’t taken place.”

The victory capped the fourth undefeated season in Paterno’s 21 years at Penn State, which became the 11th school to win the AP’s version of the national title more than once. Notre Dame and Oklahoma have won six apiece.

The Nittany Lions amassed 1,137 points in the AP poll, while Miami (11-1) wound up second with 1,064. The Hurricanes had been No. 1 since the fourth week of the season when they beat Oklahoma, 28-16.

“I think this game highlights how much the public wants (a playoff system),” Paterno said. “I can’t believe that this game wasn’t a great scene, great showcase for college football. Hey, 75 or 85 million people, or whatever, saw that game.

“Let’s look at it. Let’s act intelligent about it. Let’s see if we’re not being dinosaurs. Let’s see if we can’t devise a system compatible with the bowls and good for college football.”

Paterno said his belief in a playoff system dates to 1968, ’69 and ‘73, when he had unbeaten teams yet couldn’t win a national title.

His 11-0 squad of 1968 finished second to Ohio State, and, in ‘69, Penn State was runner-up to Texas, despite another 11-0 season. In 1973, Penn State went 12-0 and was fifth to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Alabama.

All three undefeated Penn State teams won in the Orange Bowl--over Kansas, Missouri and LSU, respectively.

Paterno recalled, in particular, 1969, when President Nixon, an avid football fan, declared Texas the best team in the country. An angry Paterno turned down an invitation to the White House and gave every member of his team a “No. 1”-inscribed ring.

“That game (against Miami) was the essence of competition, which is why I’ve always been for playoffs,” Paterno said. “You have no idea of the commitment, the discipline, the poise over a long period of time it takes to accomplish what we did (Friday) night.”

Defending national champion Oklahoma (11-1) was third in the AP poll with 1,045 points and won the other three first-place votes after a 42-8 rout of Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners were the preseason choice as No. 1.

Arizona State (10-1-1), which beat Michigan, 22-15, in the Rose Bowl, was fourth with 938 points, one point more than Nebraska (10-2), which defeated LSU, 30-15, in the Sugar Bowl. Arizona State jumped from seventh to fourth, while Nebraska improved two places from the final regular-season poll.

Auburn (10-2) wound up sixth with 791 points after beating USC, 16-7, in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Ohio State (10-3) was seventh with 762 points after turning back Texas A&M;, 28-12, in the Cotton Bowl, and Michigan (11-2) finished eighth with 758 points.

Alabama (10-3), which beat Washington, 28-6, in the Sun Bowl was ninth with 680 points, moving up from 13th, and LSU (9-3) rounded out the top 10 with 526 points.

Arizona (9-3) led the second 10 with 494 points, followed by Baylor (9-3), Texas A&M; (9-3), UCLA (8-3-1), Arkansas (9-3), Iowa (9-3), Clemson (8-2-2), Washington (8-3-1), Boston College (9-3) and Virginia Tech (9-2-1).

In the UPI poll, Penn State received 750 points and, in addition to the UPI trophy, will receive a $32,000 scholarship from the Gerrits Foundation for a 1987 freshman who is a non-athlete.

Miami finished second with 686 points, and Oklahoma was third with 674 points.

The rest of the UPI top 10 is Nebraska, Arizona State, Ohio State, Michigan, Auburn, Alabama and Arizona.

The second 10 lists LSU, Texas A&M;, Baylor, UCLA, Iowa, Arkansas, Washington, Boston College, Clemson and Florida State (7-4-1).

Lou Holtz of Notre Dame was the only coach of the 50 board members not to cast a ballot.

ASSOCIATED PRESS The top 20 teams in the Associated Press’ final sportswriter and sportscaster poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 1986 record, total points based on 20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and the ranking in final regular-season poll.

Rk Team Record Pts Pvs 1 Penn State (54) 12-0-0 1137 2 2 Miami, Fla. 11-1-0 1064 1 3 Oklahoma (3) 11-1-0 1045 3 4 Arizona State 10-1-1 938 7 5 Nebraska 10-2-0 937 6 6 Auburn 10-2-0 791 10 7 Ohio State 10-3-0 762 11 8 Michigan 11-2-0 758 4 9 Alabama 10-3-0 680 13 10 Louisiana State 9-3-0 526 5 11 Arizona 9-3-0 494 16 12 Baylor 9-3-0 491 14 13 Texas A&M; 9-3-0 458 8 14 UCLA 8-3-1 439 15 15 Arkansas 9-3-0 342 9 16 Iowa 9-3-0 247 19 17 Clemson 8-2-2 209 NR 18 Washington 8-3-1 206 1/2 12 19 Boston College 9-3-0 140 NR 20 Virginia Tech 9-2-1 107 1/2 NR

Others receiving votes: Florida State, San Jose State, North Carolina State, Georgia, Stanford, Mississippi, San Diego State, USC, Tennessee.

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL The top 20 teams in the United Press International’s final board of coaches poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 1986 record, total points based on 15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 and ranking in final regular-season poll. Florida, Texas Christian and Southern Methodist not eligible for consideration.

Rk Team Record Pts Pvs 1 Penn State (49) 12-0-0 750 2 2 Miami, Fla. 11-1-0 686 1 3 Oklahoma 11-1-0 674 3 4 Nebraska 10-2-0 648 5 5 Arizona State 10-1-1 584 8 6 Ohio State 10-3-0 448 12 7 Michigan 10-2-0 425 4 8 Auburn 10-2-0 411 9 9 Alabama 10-3-0 342 14 10 Arizona 9-3-0 195 13 11 Louisiana State 9-3-0 190 6 12 Texas A&M; 9-3-0 172 7 13 Baylor 9-3-0 164 16 14 UCLA 8-3-1 163 15 15 Iowa 9-3-0 72 NR 16 Arkansas 9-3-0 55 10 17 Washington 8-3-1 43 11 18 Boston College 9-3-0 39 NR 19 Clemson 8-2-2 31 18 20 Florida State 7-4-1 29 NR

Others receiving votes: North Carolina State, San Jose State, USC, Stanford, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.