Over the next few days, I'll be looking at each post-Bryant coach's performance against out of conference opponents. Please add your thoughts, opinions, memories of games in the comments section.
That jacket has "high school football coach" written all over it
Ray Perkins: (1983-1986): 18-6 (.750) vs. out of conference
Notable wins: Ohio State `86 - Notre Dame `86 - Southern Cal `85
Humiliating losses: Penn State `86
Opponents and records
Boston College (0-2)
Cincinnati (2-0)
Georgia Tech (1-1)
Memphis State (3-0)
Notre Dame (1-0)
Ohio State (1-0)
Penn State (1-3)
SMU (1-0)
Southern Cal (1-0)
Southern Miss (3-0)
SW Louisiana (1-0)
Temple (1-0)
Texas A&M (1-0)
Washington (1-0)
I don't remember much of the Ray Perkins era (I know many would consider that a blessing), so my ability to comment on these games is fairly limited. One thing I do know though is this: Ray Perkins beat Notre Dame in 1986. That monkey had been on our back for quite some time and it was nice to win in such a convincing fashion (28-10.) My mom was at that game and I'm incredibly jealous to this day. Unfortunately, we went back to our losing to Notre Dame ways in `87 under Bill Curry.
He also coached the team that handed USC a 24-3 beatdown in the `85 Aloha Bowl. The Tide and the Trojans haven't met in over 20 years now and I think it's high time we have a reunion.
The non-conference schedule in `86 was awesome and included Ohio State, Notre Dame and Penn State all in the regular season! Too bad we're not in a position to do that today.
Perkins couldn't seem to figure out Paterno though. He dropped 3 of 4 games to the Nittany Lions. Two losses to Boston College also find many Bama fans wanting another shot at them to this day. His only truly humiliating loss though was to Penn State in '86 by the score of 23-3. You just don't lose by three touchdowns at home, I don't care if it is Penn State.
The team did a lot of traveling under Perkins. We had away games at Boston College, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Penn State, Memphis State and a neutral site game at the Meadowlands against Ohio State. That's six trips in four years for non-conference opponents. I'd honestly like to see us do more of that even if it is traveling to Cincinnati or Memphis. That's one thing I begrudgingly respect about Notre Dame: they're willing to hit the road. I think it'd be fun for our fans to be able to travel more.
There's not a ton of YouTube action from the Perkins years, but I dug up what I could: