Oklahoma State Holds the College Football Belt

Oklahoma State might not be No. 1 in any poll, but it currently lays claim to the college belt. What is the college football belt? I’m glad you asked. Here’s the description by the folks who invented it.

Our logic was simple; we watch as much college football as anyone else so why can’t we name a champion?  We wanted the championship to have some history but we had to work within the scheduled games available since we could not create a match-up.  The big thing was we wanted the title to be decided on the field like a fight is decided in the ring; this is how The Belt was born.

The concept was easy, no one could claim The Belt without defeating the current title-holder on the field.  But where do we start?  Who would be the first Belt holder?  Some wanted to go back to the first college football games between Princeton & Rutgers while others felt we should start with the 1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers since they were the first team to be named National Champions by the Associated Press.  The decision was finally made to give the first Belt to the best college football team within our lifetime.  Most of us were born in the early 1960’s so there was really only one choice — the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers.  

On January 1, 1972, after a 38-6 victory in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, Nebraska was awarded The Belt.  The Cornhuskers stood with a 32-game winning streak & universal acclaim as “Greatest Team Ever”.  Since that game, each champion has defended The Belt every time they take the field.  The Belt is held with a win or tie while The Belt is claimed by the new champion only when the current title-holder is defeated on the field of play.  This is The College Football Belt Championship.

It has stayed in the Big 12 since West Virginia housed Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Texas Tech took it from WVU. Then K-State took it. Then Baylor had it for a year. Then OSU had it for a game. Then OU. Then TCU. Then Baylor. Then West Virginia. Then TCU had it for a a year. And now we have it again.

The longest anyone has had it is The U from 2000 to 2003 (and deservedly so). I’m fine if OSU defends it just five times. You can do whatever you want with it after that.

[Ben Mabra]