<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "1977 1979 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first season of Division I-A football; Division I-A was created in 1978 when Division I was subdivided into Division I-A and I - AA for football only . The season came down to a rare #1 vs. #2 post-season meeting as #1 Penn State and #2 Alabama met in the New Year's Day Sugar Bowl . The game is most remembered for Alabama's goal line stand with four minutes left in the game . On fourth down and a foot, Alabama managed to keep Penn State out of the end zone and went on to win 14 - 7 . Keith Jackson, who did the play by play for ABC, called it the greatest game he'd ever seen . 76,824 people packed the Louisiana Superdome, which was tremendously loud . </P> <P> Alabama's only loss that year was 24 - 14 in Birmingham to Southern California . Both schools claim this year as a national title year . Alabama claimed the national title because it defeated top - ranked Penn State on the field . USC claimed the title because it defeated Alabama in the regular season and also finished with only one loss . The AP Poll and most other voting outlets (including the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation crowned Alabama as national champion, while the UPI Coaches' Poll selected USC . </P> <P> This season all seven teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference played in Division I - AA in the Southwestern Athletic Conference but all other Division I conference teams and independent teams from the previous season played in Division I-A . </P>

Who won the college football championship in 1978
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