Question

When was the last time a division champion had to play on the road in a conference championship game, even though it had in the regular season beaten the opponent and also finished with the same won-loss record? The two teams in question play again this week.

Answer

This occurred in December 1974. The Rams and Vikings both finished 10-4 in the regular season, and Los Angeles had beaten Minnesota in the regular season. But conference championship sites at that time were rotated (which is why, for example, the 11-4 Steelers hosted the 15-0 Dolphins two years earlier). Playing in frigid conditions at Metropolitan Stadium, the Vikings edged the Rams 14-10. At a warmer site, Los Angeles very likely would have prevailed (and gone on to play the Steelers in Super Bowl IX). Home-field advantages were altered in the offseason to prevent this from happening again.