Best Husker Team to Not Win a National Title Game 2: 1999 Nebraska vs. 1996 Nebraska

[Cdog923]

It's time for Game 2 in the Best Husker Team to Not Win the National Title Tournament (or BHTtNWtNT, if you're into acronyms). Game 1 went as expected, with 1983 Nebraska getting 30 votes to 2009 Nebraska's 1 (bless you, @husker98). The bracket is updated at https://challonge.com/v1yter3q.

 

This week, we're going to run two games, as we're a week behind. Game 2 is going to be between the #4 seed '99 Nebraska and the #5 seed '96 Nebraska. Now the tale of the tape!

 

#4: 1999 Nebraska: 

• Record: 12-1

• Rank: 3rd (AP), 2nd (Coaches)

• Conference Record: 7-1

• Coach: Frank Solich (12-1)

• Points For: 442

• Points/G: 34.0 (12th of 114)

• Points Against: 171

• Opp Pts/G: 13.2 (4th of 114)

• SRS: 21.15 (2nd of 114)

• SOS: 5.15 (16th of 114)

• Bowl Game: Won Fiesta Bowl 31-21 versus Tennessee

• Notable Players: Eric Crouch, Mike Brown, Ralph Brown

• Notable Games: vs. #18 Texas (L, 24-20), vs #5 KSU (W, 41-15), vs. #12 Texas (W, 22-6), vs. #6 Tennessee (W, 31-21)

 

 

#5: 1996 Nebraska: 

• Record: 11-2

• Rank: 6th (AP), 6th (Coaches)

• Conference Record: 8-0

• Coach: Tom Osborne (11-2)

• Points For: 553

• Points/G: 42.5 (3rd of 111)

• Points Against: 174

• Opp Pts/G: 13.4 (4th of 111)

• SRS: 22.22 (3rd of 111)

• SOS: 6.53 (5th of 111)

• Bowl Game: Won Orange Bowl 41-21 versus Virginia Tech

• Notable Players: Grant Wistrom, Jason Peter, Ahman Green

• Notable Games: vs. Arizona State (L, 19-0), vs. #5 Colorado (W, 17-12), vs. Texas (L, 37-27)

 

Here in the 4-5 matchup, we have two teams with very similar profiles that had their fates ultimately decided in the same way: two heartbreaking losses to Texas. While the '99 team was able to avenge their loss, '96 might have just played for the title again had they covered the pass on 4th down (and had half the defense not had the "flu"). Statistically, this matchup is almost even; the '96 offense scored at a higher clip, while playing a tougher overall schedule, but the '99 team has better wins on paper, the higher ranking and possibly the most underrated defense in school history. 

 

(A note on statistics: all stats are taken from sports-reference.com. SRS refers to a Simple Rating System, described here: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/about/glossary.html#srs. SOS refers to Strength of Schedule, described here: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/about/glossary.html#sos)

[PasstheDamnBallGuy]

I was at that loss in 99. Refs were terrible. Idk who's fault it was but we had major issues getting the plays in. Seemed like every play we were on the verge of delay of game on offense. Home fans were absolutely horrible to top it off. That defense was so crazy to watch though. 

[husker98]

Omfg 2009 lost to 83?!?!?!  Nnnnnnooooooo

[OH HSKR FAN]

I’ll go with 96.   Better all around team.

[Apsu]

It was ESPiN showing Michael Vick doing a back flip into the end zone against hapless Akron (with no defenders around) approximately 15,000 times during the 1999 season that helped propel Virginia Tech to the #2 spot, despite not playing a top 25 team all season long.

[Landlord]

2 hours ago, Apsu said:

It was ESPiN showing Michael Vick doing a back flip into the end zone against hapless Akron (with no defenders around) approximately 15,000 times during the 1999 season that helped propel Virginia Tech to the #2 spot, despite not playing a top 25 team all season long.

 

 

VA Tech beat Virginia and Syracuse who were ranked at the time, and beat Miami (#19 at the time, #15 at the end of the season) the week they got to #2. They also played Boston College ranked #22 at the time. 

 

And they were undefeated. And we were never higher than #3 all season until after VT was #2 so I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at with your post.

[Hans Gruber]

Charlie McBride wins this game. 

 

Whoever scores wins. I'd expect the winner to come out on top like 6-0 or 10-7 or something like that.

 

I'd lean towards 1996, but if either team can score a touchdown on defense or special teams, they'll probably win. I think this game would look very similar to the 2011 LSU and Alabama game. (The first one.)

[brophog]

Two teams that are way better than they are remembered. However, there is just no way a team that loses 19-0 can win this contest.

[Sker fer life]

42 minutes ago, brophog said:

Two teams that are way better than they are remembered. However, there is just no way a team that loses 19-0 can win this contest.

That game was brutal.  I watched this one at a bar in Seaside Oregon surrounded by duck fans, ( They were enjoying it ),  first time I'd seen my Skers get shutout.  

[Xmas32]

7 hours ago, Sker fer life said:

That game was brutal.  I watched this one at a bar in Seaside Oregon surrounded by duck fans, ( They were enjoying it ),  first time I'd seen my Skers get shutout.  

 

I remember watching it at a buddies house.  It was the late Pac 10 game on and everyone thought NU would roll because they were favored by 21 or something which was obviously crazy in retrospect.  The game was on...I want to say it would've been Prime Sports back then?  Nebraska looked like they were stuck in mud and ASU was just flying around....obviously Tillman was a stud but they also had a LB Von der something that seemed like a made every single tackle on defense.  Oh, and the crowd...the crowd was just going nuts throughout the whole game...ASU was out for blood, especially after NU absolutely pasted them the year before when they hung 77. 

[knapplc]

Lots of rumors about that 1996 ASU game. The O Line didn't like Frost so they let the ASU defense clobber him. The team had the brown bottle flu. The team had food poisoning. Not sure what happened, but that game was definitely an anomaly.  Look at our first five games:

 

Michigan State - won 55-14

Arizona State - lost 0-19

Colorado State - won 65-9

Kansas State - won 39-3

Baylor - won 49-0

 

Arizona State was ranked 17th when we played them, went on to an undefeated regular season and lost the Rose Bowl by a field goal to Ohio State. They finished 4th, two spots ahead of Nebraska. They were not a bad team, and that was not as shocking of a loss as we all remember - at least not by the numbers.

 

1999 Nebraska was a really good team. But guys like Frost, Wistrom, Ahman Green all outshine their counterparts on 1999.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

This was a hard choice, but I went with the '96 team.  Yeah, the ASU loss was a terrible showing, but the team had rebounded to roll through the rest of the regular season until playing Texas.  The Texas game was so weird.  It was the first Big 12 title game.  It was an 11 AM kickoff in a sterile dome in St. Louis.  A lot of the team was suffering from the flu, and the was scrambling to replace Terrell Farley (Tony Veland ended up playing an undersized OLB).

 

The 99 team was great, especially the D, but it had flaws.  The RB's were good, but not great.  The team had serious issues with fumbles (costing the Texas game) and NU really should have lost to Colorado at the end of the regular season (they missed a chip shot FG at the end of regulation).

 

Overall, I think the '96 team was better, and while that's not really what this poll is, I am going with that way on my vote.

[Landlord]

13 hours ago, brophog said:

Two teams that are way better than they are remembered. However, there is just no way a team that loses 19-0 can win this contest.

 

 

Presumably this would be a contest in the postseason of a magical time vaccuum where both teams existed in the same year, or non-year, so that team that lost 19-0 wouldn't be playing.

 

That team existed in week 2. That team didn't exist in week 13.

 

I'd go with '96, mostly because I think the defense was nastier than the '99 counterpart, and I think Frost was nastier than Crouch. And Osborne over Solich, naturally. 

[knapplc]

3 minutes ago, Landlord said:

 

 

Presumably this would be a contest in the postseason of a magical time vaccuum where both teams existed in the same year, or non-year, so that team that lost 19-0 wouldn't be playing. 

 

That team existed in week 2. That team didn't exist in week 13.

 

I'd go with '96, mostly because I think the defense was nastier than the '99 counterpart, and I think Frost was nastier than Crouch. And Osborne over Solich, naturally. 

 

 

That team really only existed in week 2.  Say what you will about the Texas game, but I think they just outplayed us. They had our number like we have Michigan State's. All the bounces went their way when we played.

 

But the rest of the games? Holy moly.  We won 8 games by 35 or more points. Only one win (#5 Colorado) was by less than 20 points. And we demolished #16 Kansas State and #10 VA Tech. 

 

 

[Hans Gruber]

It's worth pointing out that the 1999 team struggled to beat a good but nothing special Southern Miss team in Lincoln 20-13. If Nebraska doesn't get two defensive touchdowns from a linebacker they maybe don't win that game.