Last time Bison were ranked #1.....

[SUfan23]

Today's Fargo Forum states that the last time a Bison team was ranked #1 was circa 1991. Why am I thinking we held the #1 ranking in 1996 (Rocky's last year) before an upstart Nebraska-Omaha program beat us in the Dome? Seems to me there was all sorts of talk about NDSU being #1 that week, in 1996....then we lose at home to Omaha, which had been the dormat of the Roger Thomas League/NCC. Omaha then goes on to win the conference or get a playoff birth and thus begins their climb to the top of the conference.

Can anybody back me up on this? Did I eat some bad Lucky Charms for breakfast?

[Hansel]

I think it was 96, because I beleive NDSU lost to Augie the following week
W
09-07-1996
20
Texas A&M-Kingsville
10
Fargo, ND


W
09-21-1996
34
Saint Cloud St. (MN)
0
Fargo, ND


L
09-28-1996
21
Nebraska-Omaha
24
Fargo, ND


L
10-05-1996
25
Augustana (SD)
34
Sioux Falls, SD


L
10-12-1996
36
Northern Colorado
38
Greeley, CO


W
10-19-1996
31
South Dakota St.
7
Fargo, ND


W
10-26-1996
48
Minnesota St.-Mankato
27
Fargo, ND


W
11-02-1996
59
South Dakota
20
Vermillion, SD


L
11-09-1996
19
North Dakota
33
Fargo, ND


W
11-16-1996
20
Morningside (IA)
6
Sioux City, IA

[99Bison]

I believe you guys are right. I remember it pretty vividly.

[bisonpride4ever]

yes it was 96 i went to that game and we got beat

[SUfan23]

Yes! I knew I wasn't crazy....I remember that team in 1996...I remember being at the game as well and watching in slow agony as we were outplayed and beat by Omaha. How is it the the Forum and gobison, which you think would have correct info, get it wrong and go on the record saying 1991 was the last time SU was rated #1?

[KTF]

I thought that NDSU was ranked #1 in 2000? If I recall correctly it would have been the week before the Omaha game. I wonder if D2football.com would have the archives.

[99Bison]

Yes! I knew I wasn't crazy....I remember that team in 1996...I remember being at the game as well and watching in slow agony as we were outplayed and beat by Omaha. How is it the the Forum and gobison, which you think would have correct info, get it wrong and go on the record saying 1991 was the last time SU was rated #1?

Didn't we pull the starters against Omaha in the 4th only to reinsert them and still lose?

[Bison bison]

which poll......

[KTF]

Didn't we pull the starters against Omaha in the 4th only to reinsert them and still lose?

I don't think we pulled the starters as the game was tied at 6. Aaron Peterson missed 2 or 3 field goals throughout the game. It was a huge defensive battle, the teams could move the ball up and down the field all day long but only get field goals.

As for which poll, I only recall seeing it on D2 football at the time as I was new to Bison football and didn't know where to look for poll rankings.