a day ago
Auburn claims 1958 national title despite LSU football finishing No. 1 in the AP Poll
LSU football won the national championship in 1958. Under head coach Paul Dietzel, the Tigers went 11-0 and finished No. 1 in the AP Poll.
Now, Auburn is also claiming the 1958 championship. On Monday, Auburn announced its claim to seven more national championships: 1910, 1913, 1914, 1958, 1983, and 2004.
Before the introduction of a national title game, national champions were debated. Usually, the team to finish atop the polls was crowned the champ, but with no official way to determine, there was room for debate, with multiple schools often claiming national titles.
In 1958, Auburn finished No. 4 in the AP Poll, three spots behind LSU.
Despite Auburn's claim, LSU is the 1958 national champion. According to Sports Reference Ratings, LSU's 1958 power rating was 21.50, over a touchdown better than Auburn at 14.05. LSU and Auburn had four common opponents in 1958: Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi State, and Alabama. LSU wins the battle there, too, with a better scoring margin vs. that group.
Auburn's claim to a few of the newly minted national titles is fair, but 1958 belongs to Paul Dietzel and LSU.
