An Election Day poll from Sam M.

Which is the Best Nebraska Team that DIDN'T Win the National Championship?

  • Total voters
    52
1999 was good, but I don't know how someone could vote them ahead of 1983. If you weren't alive then and didn't watch any of the 1983 games, I guess.

The argument for 1999 has to hinge on the defense. Objectively, the 1999 defense was better than 1983, if for no other reason than it had a blend of strength & speed, while in 1983 Osborne was still relying on strength alone.  Miami's speed beat that 1983 team, but in Osborne's defense, building a team around speed, speed, speed was a new concept in 1983, not the norm, and even then he damned near beat them. 

Going for two on the final play was the gutsiest call. Several minor publications still voted Nebraska #1 after that game based on that. 

 
knapplc said:
1999 was good, but I don't know how someone could vote them ahead of 1983. If you weren't alive then and didn't watch any of the 1983 games, I guess.
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I think it's hard to trust the integrity of this poll for two reasons: 1) recency bias and 2) Sam just tweeted out three 'unpopular sports opinions' on May 11 and said the 1999 team would've won a national title if TO was still the coach. I think it's influencing a lot of his followers to vote for '99. In fact, I almost voted for it myself (because I had remembered seeing his tweet) but then I thought about it and said wait... no... 1983 has to be it.

Here's the tweet:


 
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knapplc said:
1999 was good, but I don't know how someone could vote them ahead of 1983. If you weren't alive then and didn't watch any of the 1983 games, I guess.

The argument for 1999 has to hinge on the defense. Objectively, the 1999 defense was better than 1983, if for no other reason than it had a blend of strength & speed, while in 1983 Osborne was still relying on strength alone.  Miami's speed beat that 1983 team, but in Osborne's defense, building a team around speed, speed, speed was a new concept in 1983, not the norm, and even then he damned near beat them. 

Going for two on the final play was the gutsiest call. Several minor publications still voted Nebraska #1 after that game based on that. 
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I was born in 1984, so that checks out. I'm also of the mind that the '99 defense is, at least, top 3 in school history. 

 
Enhance said:
I think it's hard to trust the integrity of this poll for two reasons: 1) recency bias and 2) Sam just tweeted out three 'unpopular sports opinions' on May 11 and said the 1999 team would've won a national title if TO was still the coach. I think it's influencing a lot of his followers to vote for '99. In fact, I almost voted for it myself (because I had remembered seeing his tweet) but then I thought about it and said wait... no... 1983 has to be it.

Here's the tweet:
Click to expand...


TO wasn't needed; just get better gloves for the Texas game, and that's another Sear's Trophy. 

 
Enhance said:
I think it's hard to trust the integrity of this poll for two reasons: 1) recency bias and 2) Sam just tweeted out three 'unpopular sports opinions' on May 11 and said the 1999 team would've won a national title if TO was still the coach. I think it's influencing a lot of his followers to vote for '99. In fact, I almost voted for it myself (because I had remembered seeing his tweet) but then I thought about it and said wait... no... 1983 has to be it.

Here's the tweet:
Click to expand...


I think he's right about all three of those opinions. 

1999 was the best team in the nation. It was undercoached, and even then only had one stumble. 

1997 Nebraska beats 1997 Michigan by at least two touchdowns. If the circumstances were the same (playing for a national championship & Osborne's last game) there's zero doubt in my mind it would have been far more than two touchdowns.  1997 Michigan wasn't nearly as talented as 1997 Tennessee.  Manning was worlds better than Griese, Tennessee had better skill players overall, and for certain better receivers.  Nebraska would have shut down Michigan's running game and made Griese try to beat them through the air, and it would have been a disaster. 

1994 Penn State was better than 1997 Michigan.  They got jobbed out of a shot at the Championship, but then, I don't think they'd have beaten either 1994 Nebraska or 1994 Miami.  That 1994 Nebraska team with the Unfinished Business motto wasn't going to take no for an answer, whether the opponent was Miami or Penn State.  I think we'd have had an easier time with Penn State. Miami's defense was insane (for 80% of that game).

 
I agree with his opinions as well. I just think a lot of people are voting for '99 over '83 because of his recent tweet and some of the ensuing conversations he had about it.

 
Coach Osborne put 82’ and 93’ ahead of the 83’ teams because those two teams were good on both sides of the ball where 83’ was explosive on offense BUT the defense wasn’t very good

End thread

 
I think the 1983 Nebraska team might be considered the best team in ALL college football not to win a national championship. Up until their last play of the season, they were making their case for the best college football team of all time. An unprecedented juggernaut that was making news throughout the sporting world and even broke into the cover of Time magazine when that still meant something. 

Sometimes that 1999 team gets overlooked, but compared to 83 it's not even close.

 
Dewiz said:
Coach Osborne put 82’ and 93’ ahead of the 83’ teams because those two teams were good on both sides of the ball where 83’ was explosive on offense BUT the defense wasn’t very good

End thread
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Uhm....

1982

NU Offense  41 pppg

NU Defense 12 ppg

1983 

NU Offense 52 ppg

NU Defense 15 ppg

1993

NU Offense 38 ppg

NU Defense 16 ppg

That 1983 team scored more than 60 points five time, more than 70 points once, more than 80 points once. When you're up by six or seven touchdowns and playing second and third stringers most of the second half the average might dip a bit. And that 15 ppg defense in 83 was still in the mix, and better than '93. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Uhm....

1982

NU Offense  41 pppg

NU Defense 12 ppg

1983 

NU Offense 52 ppg

NU Defense 15 ppg

1993

NU Offense 38 ppg

NU Defense 16 ppg

That 1983 team scored more than 60 points five time, more than 70 points once, more than 80 points once. When you're up by six or seven touchdowns and playing second and third stringers most of the second half the average might dip a bit. And that 15 ppg defense in 83 was still in the mix, and better than '93. 
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Hey don’t shoot the messenger 

Coach Osborne was on The Bottom line today from 11:45-12:20 and he was asked about this poll and according to Tom, the 93’ and 82’ teams were better. 

Severe and I both thought that Tom was leaning more toward the 93’ team better the better bunch between the three teams from the way he talked more about that team and other stuff he mentioned. He didn’t comment on the 99’ teams though. 

 
Dewiz said:
Hey don’t shoot the messenger 

Coach Osborne was on The Bottom line today from 11:45-12:20 and he was asked about this poll and according to Tom, the 93’ and 82’ teams were better. 

Severe and I both thought that Tom was leaning more toward the 93’ team better the better bunch between the three teams from the way he talked more about that team and other stuff he mentioned. He didn’t comment on the 99’ teams though. 
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Tough for Osborne to give a lot of reflection on the '99 team as he wasn't the head coach, and he wouldn't have wanted to say "Boy, they really blew it that year" because that would have been throwing Solich under the bus.

 
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