In a football world shrouded by the ever-thickening cloud of controversy and confusion that is the BCS, it’s hard to remember a time when teams weren’t playing for poll rankings and style points.
The BCS has clouded our vision, and the landscape of college football is so foggy that, in some cases, a team’s name affects where it lands in the polls more than its performance on the field.
Nowadays, a team must win with style in order to be recognized in the polls.
Margin of victory, strength of schedule, and key wins and losses are dealt into the hand that decides postseason destiny.
The days when simply scoring more points than the opponent was enough are clearly a thing of the past.
There are, however, days (usually during a bye week) when the people of the pigskin can afford to take a deep breath, lean back in their La-Z-Boys, and reflect on their team’s past.
Troy University’s past is an alluring one, complete with a rich postseason history.
The most recent chapter in that history was written just two years ago when the Trojans annihilated the Rice Owls in the New Orleans Bowl.
There is more glory to reflect on, however.
So sit back, relax, and travel with me down the long road of Trojan lore, paved by the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, and the countless others who have worn the cardinal and black.
Travel back to a time before the BCS, before the Trojans were a part of the newly-named “Football Bowl Subdivision”.
The year is 1984, and the Troy State University Trojans are poised for a season of change under a certain Chan Gailey, who had taken over the program the previous season and led the Trojans to a 7-4 mark.
The ’84 campaign yielded the highest of rewards for the Trojans.
They ran through the regular season, compiling a 9-1 record. The only blemish was a 13-10 setback at the hands of the University of North Alabama.
Troy State advanced to the Division II National Championship, the Palm Bowl, played in McAllen, Texas, and played the North Dakota State University Bison.
Freshman quarterback Mike Turk, a preseason walk-on who was forced into the limelight early in the year due to a foot injury to starter Carey Christensen, remembers the Trojan mindset going into the title game.
“We lost one game that year, UNA beat us, and from that point on, we didn’t look back.”
We were excited,” Turk said. “We were focused and excited to be there, but we realized that if we didn’t win the game, it would be a disappointment.”
Senior offensive lineman Anthony “Buck” Hanson said the Trojans were ready for the challenge.
“We were very confident,” Hanson said. “We had a super coaching staff and a lot of hungry players that were willing to lay it all on the line.”
The game proved to be a nail-biter, and it went down to the final snap.
Troy State trailed 17-15 late in the contest and, with 1:30 remaining, Carey Christensen returned to lead the Trojans on one final drive for the title.
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