To show just how far-fetched the idea that the GOP could win the House in 1976 was, here from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections is a complete list of the Democrats in 1976 who defeated their Republican opponents by fifteen points or less:
01 AZ-03 Bob Stump (47.5-42.3)
02 CA-04 Robert Leggett (50.2-49.8)
03 CA-16 Leon Panetta (53.4-46.6)
04 CA-34 Mark Hannaford (50.7-49.3)
05 CA-35 James F. Lloyd (53.3-46.7)
06 CO-01 Pat Schroeder (53.2-46.2)
07 CO-02 Timothy Worth (50.5-49.5)
08 CO-03 Frank Evans (51.0-47.0)
09 CT-03 Robert Giaimo (54.4-43.7)
10 CT-06 Toby Moffett (56.6-43.0)
11 GA-06 Jack Flynt (51.7-48.3)
12 GA-07 Larry McDonald (55.1-44.9)
13 HA-01 Cecil Heftel (43.6-39.1)
14 IL-10 Abner Mikva (50.0-50.0)
15 1N-02 Floyd Fithian (54.7-44.5)
16 IN-03 John Brademas (56.9-43.1)
17 IN-06 David Evans (54.9-45.1)
18 IN-08 David Cornwell (50.5-49.5)
19 IA-02 Mike Blouin (50.3-49.1)
20 KS-02 Martha Keys (50.7-47.4)
21 KS-04 Dan Glickman (50.3-48.5)
22 LA-01 Richard Tonry (47.2-43.4)
23 LA-05 Jerry Huckaby (52.5-47.5)
24 MA-04 Robert Drinan (52.1-47.9)
25 MA-06 Michael J. Harrington (54.8-41.3)
26 MI-06 Robert Carr (52.7-46.5)
27 MI-12 David Bonior (52.4-47.2)
28 MO-02 Robert Young (51.1-48.9)
29 MO-04 Ike Skelton (55.9-44.1)
30 MO-09 Haroldd Volkmer (55.9-44.1)
31 NE-02 John Joseph Cavanaugh (54.6-45.4)
32 NJ-07 Andrew Maguire (56.5-43.5)
33 NJ-13 Helen Meyner (50.4-47.9)
34 NJ-14 Joseph LeFante (49.9-45.2)
35 NY-02 Thomas J. Downey (57.1-42.4)
36 NY-03 Jerome Ambro (52.0-46.8)
37 NY-24 Richard Ottinger (54.5-44.3)
38 NY-29 Edward W. Pattison (47.0-45.0)
39 NY-32 James M. Hanley (54.8-44.1)
40 NC-05 Steven L. Neal (54.5-45.6)
41 NC-11 V. Lamar Gudger (50.9-48.1)
42 OH-02 Thomas Luken (51.4-48.6)
43 OH-09 Thomas Ashley (54.2-44.0)
44 OH-19 Charles Carney (50.2-47.9)
45 OK-01 James R. Jones (54.0-45.1)
46 OK-02 Ted Risenhoover (54.0-46.0)
47 OR-04 Jim Weaver (50.0-35.1)
48 PA-07 Robert W. Edgar (54.1-45.9)
49 PA-08 Peter H. Kostmayer (49.5-48.8)
50 PA-17 Allen E. Ertel (50.7-48.5)
51 PA-22 Austin Murphy (55.3-43.9)
52 PA-23 Joseph S. Ammerman (56.5-43.5)
53 SC-05 Kenneth Holland (51.4-48.3)
54 SC-06 John Jenrette (5.5-44.0)
55 TX-05 Jim Mattox (54.0-444.6)
56 TX-11 William R. Poage (57.4-42.6)
57 TX-19 George H. Mahon (54.6-45.4)
58 TX-22 Robert Gaammage (50.1-49.9)
59 VA-08 Herbert Harris (51.6-42.6)
60 WA-02 Lloyd Meeds (49.3-49.0)
61 WI-08 Robert John Cornell (50.9-46.9)
62 WY AL Teno Roncalio (56.4-43.6)
If the Democrats had lost
every one of these sixty-two seats (which is pretty unlikely since they won many of them by ten points or more) they would still have 230 seats--twelve more than necessary for a majority!