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In any given year, this isn't even a question. Of course the worst NFL team is still better than the best college team. Pro football rosters are made up of only the best college players, even the most pathetic of NFL teams would still run all over an NCAA champ. But what if we could take the worst NFL team EVER, and put them in a game against the best NCAA team in the 2000's? I say the 2000's because most of the college teams thought of as the "best ever" happened long ago, before NCAA teams had high dollar "pro style" coaches, trainers, scouts, and multi-million dollar athletic facilities (1971 Cornhuskers, 1945 Army, 1947 Wolverines).
The two teams I picked out, and this is also up for debate. Are the 76 Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the NFL, and the 2001 Miami Hurricanes from the NCAA. A good rumble in the Florida swamps.
76 Buccs- 0-14 record - Generally thought of as "The Worst Team in NFL History", and it would be very hard to argue against that theory. The debut season of the Tampa Creamsicles was pathetic at best. It took them three games to finally score their first points of the season, and four to get their first TD which was a fumble recovery. They were plagued by injuries the entire season on a roster that started out terrible, finishing the year with 17 players on IR. The 76 college draft is considered possibly the weakest draft in NFL history in large part due to the wish-bone style offenses that most NCAA teams were running in the 70's. The expansion draft that year was a joke as well, and most of the "starters" by the end of the season were rookies or close to it, from the CFL, or were pulled off the streets. The roster was full of no-names, except possibly QB Steve Spurrior who was injured during the season and replaced with Parnell Dickinson, and DT Lee Roy Selmon who was their 1st round rookie draft pick. They were blown out game after game, and the season even started off on a bad note when the Buccs almost had to forfeit their first game because they got lost in the Astrodome trying to make their way onto the field.
01 Canes- 12-0 record - In the discussion as "The Best College Football Team in History", and without question (imo) as the best in the 2000's. The Canes were filled with players who not only excelled in college, but became stars in the NFL as well. 17 players from the 01 Canes would eventually be drafted in the FIRST ROUND between 02-06. Some of the players from the team: QB Ken Dorsey, RB Clinton Portis, RB Willis McGahee, FB Najeh Davenport, RB Frank Gore, TE Jeremy Shockey, WR Andre Johnson, T Bryant McKinnie, DL Vince Wilfork, LB Jonathan Vilma, LB DJ Williams, S Ed Reed, CB Phillip Buchanon, TE Kellen Winslow II, S Antrel Rolle, and S Sean Taylor to name a few of the bigger stars. Their average margin of victory was in the 30's, and the defense allowed an average of less than 10 points a game. Miami not only won the National Championship, but blew #2 Nebaska out the door, by halftime the score was 34-0 and Miami never looked back.
We do have to keep in mind that this is before these players were actually in the NFL, so i'm sure they still had some improving to do. If that wasn't the case than this wouldn't be much of a question though. So who wins? Could the 01 Canes actually have beaten an NFL team? Personally I think that they might just of laid an ass whoopin on the Buccs. I thought about making this a little more recent NFL-wise with the 0-16 08 Detroit Lions. I don't know if the Canes would be quite up to that task though, as imo the 08 Lions would of outmatched the 76 Buccs pretty bad.
Anyone care to input on my theory?
The two teams I picked out, and this is also up for debate. Are the 76 Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the NFL, and the 2001 Miami Hurricanes from the NCAA. A good rumble in the Florida swamps.
76 Buccs- 0-14 record - Generally thought of as "The Worst Team in NFL History", and it would be very hard to argue against that theory. The debut season of the Tampa Creamsicles was pathetic at best. It took them three games to finally score their first points of the season, and four to get their first TD which was a fumble recovery. They were plagued by injuries the entire season on a roster that started out terrible, finishing the year with 17 players on IR. The 76 college draft is considered possibly the weakest draft in NFL history in large part due to the wish-bone style offenses that most NCAA teams were running in the 70's. The expansion draft that year was a joke as well, and most of the "starters" by the end of the season were rookies or close to it, from the CFL, or were pulled off the streets. The roster was full of no-names, except possibly QB Steve Spurrior who was injured during the season and replaced with Parnell Dickinson, and DT Lee Roy Selmon who was their 1st round rookie draft pick. They were blown out game after game, and the season even started off on a bad note when the Buccs almost had to forfeit their first game because they got lost in the Astrodome trying to make their way onto the field.
01 Canes- 12-0 record - In the discussion as "The Best College Football Team in History", and without question (imo) as the best in the 2000's. The Canes were filled with players who not only excelled in college, but became stars in the NFL as well. 17 players from the 01 Canes would eventually be drafted in the FIRST ROUND between 02-06. Some of the players from the team: QB Ken Dorsey, RB Clinton Portis, RB Willis McGahee, FB Najeh Davenport, RB Frank Gore, TE Jeremy Shockey, WR Andre Johnson, T Bryant McKinnie, DL Vince Wilfork, LB Jonathan Vilma, LB DJ Williams, S Ed Reed, CB Phillip Buchanon, TE Kellen Winslow II, S Antrel Rolle, and S Sean Taylor to name a few of the bigger stars. Their average margin of victory was in the 30's, and the defense allowed an average of less than 10 points a game. Miami not only won the National Championship, but blew #2 Nebaska out the door, by halftime the score was 34-0 and Miami never looked back.
We do have to keep in mind that this is before these players were actually in the NFL, so i'm sure they still had some improving to do. If that wasn't the case than this wouldn't be much of a question though. So who wins? Could the 01 Canes actually have beaten an NFL team? Personally I think that they might just of laid an ass whoopin on the Buccs. I thought about making this a little more recent NFL-wise with the 0-16 08 Detroit Lions. I don't know if the Canes would be quite up to that task though, as imo the 08 Lions would of outmatched the 76 Buccs pretty bad.
Anyone care to input on my theory?
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