The 1997 National Championship Discussion Thread

[ZRod]

Other things to mention:

 

We played 1 additional game.

 

Our average margin of victory was 30.23 points. Michigan's was 17.33.

*honorable mention* The catch happened on 3rd down. Even if it was flagged we still would have had a 4th down attempt, albeit much longer.

[B.B. Hemingway]

Best way too decide this, since it can't actually be decided:

 

Nebraska------>Peyton Manning------>42-17

 

Michigan------>Ryan Leaf-------------->21-16

 

Peyton "Greatest Ever" Manning ---- or ----- Ryan "failure" Leaf

 

End of debate....

[kornhusker]

We did have a "close" game at Colorado too. CU was fighting for bowl eligibility, and the game really never was as close as the score. They did get the ball back with seconds left down only 3. Of course we all know about the Missouri game and what happened there. Central Florida had Daunte Culpepper as qb, and we trailed 17-14 at half, but dominated the second half. That game never felt in question. The game at Washington we pretty much dominated. IIRC, Wash got it to 21-14 at one time, but a couple 4th quarter field goal sealed the deal. Washington also got lucky on a couple deep TD's anyway. It was Scott Frost's coming out party. Other than that, we pretty much manhandled everyone.

 

Winning 5 games by a touchdown or less isn't considered manhandling.

[beanman]

We did have a "close" game at Colorado too. CU was fighting for bowl eligibility, and the game really never was as close as the score. They did get the ball back with seconds left down only 3. Of course we all know about the Missouri game and what happened there. Central Florida had Daunte Culpepper as qb, and we trailed 17-14 at half, but dominated the second half. That game never felt in question. The game at Washington we pretty much dominated. IIRC, Wash got it to 21-14 at one time, but a couple 4th quarter field goal sealed the deal. Washington also got lucky on a couple deep TD's anyway. It was Scott Frost's coming out party. Other than that, we pretty much manhandled everyone.

 

Winning 5 games by a touchdown or less isn't considered manhandling.

?? Beanman confused.

[kornhusker]

We did have a "close" game at Colorado too. CU was fighting for bowl eligibility, and the game really never was as close as the score. They did get the ball back with seconds left down only 3. Of course we all know about the Missouri game and what happened there. Central Florida had Daunte Culpepper as qb, and we trailed 17-14 at half, but dominated the second half. That game never felt in question. The game at Washington we pretty much dominated. IIRC, Wash got it to 21-14 at one time, but a couple 4th quarter field goal sealed the deal. Washington also got lucky on a couple deep TD's anyway. It was Scott Frost's coming out party. Other than that, we pretty much manhandled everyone.

 

Winning 5 games by a touchdown or less isn't considered manhandling.

?? Beanman confused

 

Sorry I'm being a dumbass, to many drinks already

[southernoregonhusker]

Nobody has touched on the most important part....there are still 8 seconds left in that Rose Bowl game.

[NUpolo8]

It's also a Deadspin article. Pretty important not to take anything from there too seriously.

[Notre Dame Joe]

I recall Michigan hanging on for dear life against Bob Davie's first team that went 8-5. Specifically we thought we should have got a measurement when the clock ran out.

[ShawnWatson]

It's pretty simple. Nebraska played the #3 team in the country, Tennessee, with Peyton Manning, Peerless Price, and a host of future NFL stars on their roster. We destroyed them.

 

Michigan ducked out of the national championship game - not entirely their fault, but they contributed to the decision - because the Big Ten and Pac-10 felt the Rose Bowl was more important than joining the Bowl Alliance. In their little Rose Bowl game with everything on the line, they barely beat Ryan Leaf and.... nobody else. No other star or even decent player was on that Wash. State roster. And they eked out a win, and they claim their title was "better?"

 

They can keep their little 11th-grade shop class wooden plaque that says "National Champions" on it. It's a bone we can throw a team that hasn't won anything of significance in 70 years.

 

We'll take the giant crystal trophy, though. That's the real trophy, the trophy the real champ gets, and it's sitting in our trophy case as I type this. I'll go down to the stadium and take a picture of it if this writer wants to see what a real trophy looks like.

 

/thread

[walksalone]

That was painful to go through..

 

I was stationed at West Point with a bunch of those wolverine loving douchebags...

[lo country]

To paraphrase Scott Frost after the game. "if the national championship is on the line, who would you rather play? Us or them? If the answer in Michigan, then vote for NU as the NC."

[Count 'Bility]

He's got a point. Michigan rolled through their schedule and never had to squeak by anyone. We've been living a 15 year myth folks. Show's over

http://michigansport...otball-schedule

 

Looks to me like Michigan had a couple squeakers that year. They barely beat Washintgon St. definitely a weaker team than Tennessee. Nebraska beat them handily.

Don't be discouraged by this accountability. The rest of us enjoy your style.

I'm not. He spends more time here, he'll quickly understand that I dont use these

 

I like to leave people to wonder "what the hell's wrong with that guy?".

[KJ.]

It's pretty simple. Nebraska played the #3 team in the country, Tennessee, with Peyton Manning, Peerless Price, and a host of future NFL stars on their roster. We destroyed them.

 

Michigan ducked out of the national championship game - not entirely their fault, but they contributed to the decision - because the Big Ten and Pac-10 felt the Rose Bowl was more important than joining the Bowl Alliance. In their little Rose Bowl game with everything on the line, they barely beat Ryan Leaf and.... nobody else. No other star or even decent player was on that Wash. State roster. And they eked out a win, and they claim their title was "better?"

 

They can keep their little 11th-grade shop class wooden plaque that says "National Champions" on it. It's a bone we can throw a team that hasn't won anything of significance in 70 years.

 

We'll take the giant crystal trophy, though. That's the real trophy, the trophy the real champ gets, and it's sitting in our trophy case as I type this. I'll go down to the stadium and take a picture of it if this writer wants to see what a real trophy looks like.

Yeah do it! That'll show 'em!

[mbhusker13]

They almost lost to a team led by Ryan Leaf.....enough said.

[mnhusker]

It's pretty simple. Nebraska played the #3 team in the country, Tennessee, with Peyton Manning, Peerless Price, and a host of future NFL stars on their roster. We destroyed them.

 

Michigan ducked out of the national championship game - not entirely their fault, but they contributed to the decision - because the Big Ten and Pac-10 felt the Rose Bowl was more important than joining the Bowl Alliance. In their little Rose Bowl game with everything on the line, they barely beat Ryan Leaf and.... nobody else. No other star or even decent player was on that Wash. State roster. And they eked out a win, and they claim their title was "better?"

 

They can keep their little 11th-grade shop class wooden plaque that says "National Champions" on it. It's a bone we can throw a team that hasn't won anything of significance in 70 years.

 

We'll take the giant crystal trophy, though. That's the real trophy, the trophy the real champ gets, and it's sitting in our trophy case as I type this. I'll go down to the stadium and take a picture of it if this writer wants to see what a real trophy looks like.

 

 

Well said, I still remember that game and when it was over it was clear who the #1 team in the country was at the end of the season.