1972 college football season
Overview
 
The 1972 college football season saw the USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 Trojans, coached by John McKay
John McKay (football coach)
John Harvey McKay was an American football player and coach. He was served as the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1984. In 16 seasons with the USC Trojans, McKay compiled a record of 127–40–8 and...

, go undefeated and win the national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...

 as the unanimous choice of the fifty AP panelists. After being ranked eighth in the preseason, the Trojans were narrowly voted #1 in the first AP poll, and stayed out front for the rest of the year.

During the twentieth century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 teams that would later be described as "Division I-A".
Quotations

Since we are what we are, what shall we be But what we are? We are, we have Six feet and seventy years, to see The light, and then resign it for the grave.

"Spiritual Explorations" from Poems of Dedication (1947)

Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do.

As quoted in The New York Times (26 March 1961)

There is a certain justice in criticism. The critic is like a midwife — a tyrannical midwife.

Lecture at Brooklyn College, as quoted in The New York Times (20 November 1984)

I'm struggling at the end to get out of the valley of hectoring youth, journalistic middle age, imposture, moneymaking, public relations, bad writing, mental confusion.

On turning 70 in Journals 1939-83 (1986), as quoted by R Z Sheppard in TIMEmagazine (20 January 1986)

I say, stamping the words with emphasis, Drink from here energy and only energy

"Not Palaces" (l. 8–9).

Eye, gazelle, delicate wanderer, Drinker of horizon’s fluid line; Ear that suspends on a chord The spirit drinking timelessness; Touch, love, all senses...

"Not Palaces"(l. 12–16). . .

No one Shall hunger: Man shall spend equally. Our goal which we compel: Man shall be man.

"Not Palaces" (l. 23–25)

 
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