History does not rank it among the worst of Richard Nixon's abuses of the presidency, but Penn State fans might. It was the unprecedented executive decision Nixon made in 1969 when he declared that the winner of the Dec. 6 game between two undefeated teams, No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Arkansas, would be college football's national champion. A presidential plaque presented by Nixon after the game would make it official
One problem with this proposal, as irate Pennsylvanians were quick to point out when they flooded the White House with telegrams, was that No. 3 Penn State was also undefeated and had in fact won 21 straight games and had not lost in 29, the longest such streaks in the country.
Not insensitive to grumblings from the Eastern electorate, Nixon hurriedly promised to give Penn State a plaque to commemorate its unbeaten streak. Upon hearing this, a bristling Joe Paterno interrupted his preparations for an Orange Bowl matchup with 9-1 Missouri to fire off a press release that read, in part, "Before accepting such a plaque, I'd have to confer with my squad. I'm sure they would be disappointed at this time ...to receive anything other than a plaque for the No. 1 team. And the No. 1 team following the bowl games could be Penn State or Missouri.
"It would seem a waste of (Nixon's) time to present Penn State with a plaque for something we already have--the nation's longest winning and unbeaten streaks."
So no plaque was ever presented to Penn State. But Nixon continued to try to patch things up with the Nittany Lion faithful. At a Dec. 9 dinner, during which he received the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Gold Medal as "the outstanding American" associated with football, Nixon said, "I would like to say that now I think Penn State is among those who should be considered for the Number 1 spot."
Unfortunately, the First Pollster had already voted. On national TV, in the Texas locker room, he had presented his national-championship plaque to the Longhorns, who had beaten Arkansas 15-14. And the Nittany Lions had blown their chance at No. 1 when they decided to play in the Orange Bowl.
When the bids to the major bowls were doled out, Ohio State was No. 1. Since the bowl lineup prevented Penn State from meeting the Buckeyes, the Lions went to Miami for New Year's. Texas, which became No. 1 after Ohio State lost to Michigan, beat Notre Dame 21-17 in the Cotton Bowl. The Lions beat Missouri 10-3 in the Orange Bowl and ended up No. 2.
Paterno would wait 13 more years before winning a national title, but he was able to make one claim much sooner: "At least I was fighting with Nixon before it became fashionable."