Historical "What Ifs" What if Tom didn't go for 2

[Scratchtown]

It's only fun to play the game if you get to change those moments in their own vacuum without a butterfly effect going down history. Especially in the 90's.

If the phantom clip doesn't happen, or if we make the field goal, we win the national championship in 1993.

Then another in 1994.

Then another in 1995.

If the team wasn't sick with the flu and we stop 'roll left' on Texas' 4th down, we go to play for another possible national championship.

Then we win another in 1997.

If Tom doesn't retire, it's fairly safe to say he would have won at least one more with Eric Crouch and a better managed/recruited roster than what Solich gave him.

Good lord. That's 5 in a row. And another in 1999, and maybe 2000 and 2001.

Which makes Nebraska the pinnacle of college football, and not alabama.

 

[huKSer]

The gate swings both ways - instead of reaching across the goal line with the football Tagge fumbles the ball and loses to LSU

Johnny the jet does not get the punt return against OU

The kick becomes the sing and a miss and we lose against MU

Warren Sapp stops running his mouth which gives him more energy in the 4th quarter to cover the full back trap (ok, reaching for this one)

I know it's the most well-known play in the Game of the Century (and you are just using it as an example), but the punt return happened in the 1st quarter of that game, so I don't consider that the key play of the game. Shoot, probably the biggest play that Rodgers made in that game was a big catch on 3rd down to keep the final NU drive alive, in which Kinney scored the winning TD.

I bow to your superior rememory​

LOL, I wasn't trying to be a big jerk. I was just trying to correct the misconception that Rodger's punt return was the winning play in the Game of the Century. Yes, it was a spectacular play by a great player, but there was a lot of game left after the punt return, and many other plays that decided the game.

No offense taken - I should have remembered - doh​

 

[Red Five]

We easily win in '99 if TO is still around. That team was a couple fluke plays in the Texas game away from winning it all. And the D that year was pretty salty as well.

 

[TGHusker]

It is amazing to think about how close we were to so many NC even in the 1980s besides the 90s. Could add the 78 loss to MO after beating OU

But to think of it, this is just down right pathetic

- we are so far removed from those days that we get braggadocios just thinking of our 'what could have been' moments. We can be thankful for the 5 NC

regardless.

Most schools wish for 1. We hope to get back into the discussion.

 

[TGHusker]

And think of the impact to Miami. If TO had kicked an extra point then Howard Schnellenberger would never have gotten that fat job offer from the USFL. And Jimmy Johnson would not have become the next Hurricane coach. This, in turn, would have delayed the U's era of dominance by several years. Most importantly, the 7th Floor Crew would not have recorded that goofy assed song 20 years later. LINK (<<NSFW lyrics!) Damnit Tom, why couldn't you just kick the ball!

 

[hskrfan4life]

What are we going to do when we win another National title or a conference championship?

We have to re-align EVERYTHING!

GOSH IT WILL BE SOOOOO EXPENSIVE!

 

[papersun87]

I remember very little about the Florida State team in 1996 that Nebraska would have played if not for the Texas loss. Looks like they played some crazy good defense until Florida ripped them to shreds in the Sugar Bowl. Would we have moved the ball on them? Tough to say. That NU offense put up some crazy high point totals (55, 65, 63, 73) but also had some bad games (Arizona State obviously, wasn't too sharp against Texas Tech or Colorado either).

Obviously TO would have had them ready and they would've beaten Florida State 41-3.

But I'm glad as heck we didn't have to play Florida and Run-It-Up Spurrier the year after 62-24. https://vine.co/v/M3JEUBLFLgd

Also, I maintain that the 1999 team would have beaten Florida State OR Virginia Tech by 10 points minimum. Stinking Dan Alexander fumble/Texas mental block.

 

[Saunders]

Also, I maintain that the 1999 team would have beaten Florida State OR Virginia Tech by 10 points minimum. Stinking Dan Alexander fumble/Texas mental block.

Bobby Bowden said he was glad he played VT and not NU that year.

 

[junior4949]

We easily win in '99 if TO is still around. That team was a couple fluke plays in the Texas game away from winning it all. And the D that year was pretty salty as well.

Gotta ask, what makes you think so? If memory serves me correctly, we went into the Big 12 Championship of the 96' season against a much worse Texas team than the 99' team. Guess what? We lost. In fact, isn't Solich the only head coach that actually beat Texas since being in the same conference with them?

 

[VA Husker Fan]

I came across a book in a used bookstore the other day that dealt wt historical what ifs - small changes in history that would have had a big impact - speaks to the 'little things matter' concept. It got me thinking last night as I laid in bed wt a migraine (love cheese but some give me an allergic reaction), what about some of NUs 'what ifs'

If Tom had not gone for 2, he would have won the NC wt a tie wt Miami (so the claim of conventional wisdom). How would that have change NU football in the 1980's or would it have remain the same.

1. It could have meant better recruits and we negate the Soon Magic and we win another NC or even 2 - the 1980s would be the decade we longed for again.

2. Tom retires sooner and the 1990s dynasty never occurs

3. Status quo changes nothing: we remain near the top of the rankings for most of the decade -except for a loss in the bowl game or to the Sooners. We still have very talented players - but a step behind in performance to the sooners and the bowl teams .

#3 is my view - what is yours?

Other little one play changes in history

1. 1982 PSU catch out of bounds ruled a catch

2. 1993 - FSU the phantom clip and the no call FSU fumble

3.1996 -NU foot poisoning - stomach sickness - CCG vs texas

4. 1999 - Alexander fumbles the ball going across the end zone vs texas

Change these 4 historical events plus the going for 2 in 1983, I think we could easily say NU would have 4-5 more championships. We were the best team in 1999, 96- we would have been a favorite although not as clear cut. 1982, 83, 93 no doubt those 3 plays cost us a NC.

So how would those 4-5 more NC reflected on NU now? Perhaps impossible to speculate - but I think we'd be in a better position than we are now.. A 1999 NC by Solich may have placed us on the different path & timetable.

1983, as another poster said, that game wasn't over with the 2 pt conversion, Miami might've taken it right back down for a FG

1. 1982 That only puts us in the championship game against Georgia and Herschel Walker.

2. Almost certainly we win if those calls go our way, but FSU plays the rest of the game differently if that happens.

3, 4. 1996, 1999, those only put us in the championship game vs Florida St. Also, in 1999 we got the ball right back on their 44 and scored. There's no guarantee we get that score if the game played out earlier with an Alexander TD and a kickoff, so maybe we still lose. Besides, Alexander was kind of fumble prone, wasn't he? That wasn't really a fluke. In 1996 we still have to play the game, just showing up healthy does not guarantee a win.

To say we could easily get another 4-5 is just wrong. We certainly had a shot at another 5. It's possible (unlikely, but possible) we come out with 0. I'd say the likely number is 3.

 

[NUinID]

The TO not retiring is a very interesting what if. From what I am gathering there is three basic reasons why he did retire.

1. I think he felt he owed it to his wife. But, as you can see his type A personality has never allowed him to sit still.

2. He promised Solich he would retire and is a man of his word. Personally when it really came time to do it I think he regretted it.

3. I truly think he thought his health was going to be failing when he made his decision to retire. Then it didn't get worse so he felt some remorse.

If he doesn't retire they probably have a good chance at winning it all in 1999, but you have to take into account that McBride still retires and I think FS would have been looking for a HC job, so the band doesn't stay completely in tact.

If he stayed another 5 years till he was 65, I think Gill most likely becomes HC.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

That 1999 team also led the NCAA in lost fumbles. So any single turnover wasn't a fluke.

Pretty impressive they got as close to the pinnacle as they did.

 

[Landlord]

We easily win in '99 if TO is still around. That team was a couple fluke plays in the Texas game away from winning it all. And the D that year was pretty salty as well.

Gotta ask, what makes you think so? If memory serves me correctly, we went into the Big 12 Championship of the 96' season against a much worse Texas team than the 99' team. Guess what? We lost. In fact, isn't Solich the only head coach that actually beat Texas since being in the same conference with them?

He was, but there's been a rumor with legs for years that the entire team had the flu for that game. No idea if it's actually reality.

 

[BigRedBuster]

We easily win in '99 if TO is still around. That team was a couple fluke plays in the Texas game away from winning it all. And the D that year was pretty salty as well.

Gotta ask, what makes you think so? If memory serves me correctly, we went into the Big 12 Championship of the 96' season against a much worse Texas team than the 99' team. Guess what? We lost. In fact, isn't Solich the only head coach that actually beat Texas since being in the same conference with them?

He was, but there's been a rumor with legs for years that the entire team had the flu for that game. No idea if it's actually reality.

Well, it probably wasn't the "entire team". But, it was a significant number on the team were sick and it was well publicized after the game.

 

[papersun87]

Alternative: if Miami beats Nebraska in that Orange Bowl do they get a share of the NC or does Penn State get it all?

If Miami beats Nebraska in that Orange Bowl does Nebraska beat everybody by 300 points in 1995?