Welcome back to our look at where Nebraska would have been if the 12-team College Football Playoff had existed for the last 85+ years.
For more information on the series, and a look at Nebraska’s first hypothetical playoff teams, click here. Brackets from the Bob Devaney era, Tom Osborne’s 1970s teams and Dr. Tom’s 1980s teams are available as well.
We’ve reached the 1990s, a decade of change and controversy. Three times, the mythical national championship was split because the two best teams could not be paired in a bowl game.
For Nebraska, it would be their greatest era … even if they needed a year or two to get the pieces together.
Nebraska: 9-2-0 (records are regular season only), third place in the Big Eight
Nebraska was #19 in the final regular season AP poll. Even with #9 Houston and #11 Florida ineligible due to NCAA probation, the Huskers were still a long way out for the playoff.
Team that won the National Championship: Aided by the infamous “Fifth Down” play, Colorado ended up #1 in the AP poll. Georgia Tech was voted #1 in the UPI Coaches poll*. Only one team played both schools: Nebraska. The Huskers lost 27-12 to Colorado, and 45-21 to the Yellow Jackets in the Citrus Bowl.
*Georgia Tech beat Colorado by one point in the final UPI poll (847-846), the closest vote ever. There has long been speculation from Colorado fans that Tom Osborne changed his vote from Colorado to Georgia Tech, creating the split title. But since Coaches’ Poll ballots were not released, this has never been confirmed.
Nebraska: 9-1-1, first place in the Big Eight (tied)
Conference champion automatic qualifiers (and their AP ranking at the end of the regular season)
At-large teams
First two out
The Big East added football in 1991 but did not crown a champion until 1993. Therefore, Miami’s bye would go to Southwest Conference champ Texas A&M and create an interesting quarterfinals matchup between the two teams.
Nebraska and Colorado tied atop the Big Eight standings. They tied on the field too. The Huskers were ranked higher and got the fifth automatic bid. The 11 seed Huskers would travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State. Whoever came out on top would face Michigan.
Team that won the National Championship: For the second straight year, there was a split national championship. And for the second straight year, Nebraska was a common opponent between the two champions. Washington, the Coaches Poll champions, scored 30 points in the second half to beat Nebraska 36-21. In the Orange Bowl, Miami earned the AP poll title with a 22-0 destruction of the Huskers.
Nebraska: 9-2, first place in the Big Eight
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First two out
The Big East still did not name a champion, which kept Miami or Syracuse from a first-round bye. Florida State – in its first season as a member of the ACC – did win the league title.
Despite some big wins in the regular season (notably, a 52-7 blowout of Colorado) the Huskers were never ranked higher than 7th during the season. An upset loss at Iowa State had the Huskers near the bubble. As the 11 seed, NU would travel to Notre Dame, with the winner to play Texas A&M. Florida State, who beat NU 27-14 in the Orange Bowl, would be a likely semifinal opponent.
Team that won the National Championship: In the first year of the Bowl Coalition, #1 Miami played #2 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide convincingly won the game and the national championship.
Nebraska: 11-0, first place in the Big Eight
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First teams out
Auburn and their 11-0 record were ineligible due to NCAA probation. This allowed Penn State (in its first Big Ten season) to snag the 12 seed.
The Huskers were launching into their mid-’90s dynasty behind sophomore QB Tommie Frazier and a dominating defense, winning the Big Eight and earning a 2 seed. NU would await the winner of Ohio State at Florida. West Virginia (also 11-0 in the regular season) would be the likely opponent in the semifinals.
Team that won the National Championship: Despite being 17½-point favorites, playing in their home state, with Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward under center, Florida State still needed help to keep the Huskers from winning the 1994 Orange Bowl. And the Seminoles got that help – a phantom clip negated a punt return and William Floyd likely fumbled before he crossed the goal line. With one second left, Nebraska had a 45-yard field goal attempt that would have won the title. It went wide left.
Nebraska: 12-0, first place in the Big Eight
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First teams out
During the regular season, Nebraska beat Kansas State and Colorado, despite not having quarterback Tommie Frazier in the lineup. The Colorado win vaulted NU to the #1 spot, which means NU would get the winner of K-State and Colorado State. Oregon, Tennessee, or Florida State would be standing between NU and the championship game.
Penn State fans will note that Joe Paterno’s undefeated team deserved a share of the championship. This playoff could have answered a lot of questions. Would Penn State have gotten by Miami (especially if that game was played in the Orange Bowl)? And how would Nebraska and Penn State match up in the title game?
Team that won the National Championship: The Big Ten preferred to have their champion play in the Rose Bowl instead of participating in the Bowl Coalition (which sought to match #1 vs #2 in a bowl game). As a result, undefeated Penn State missed out on the opportunity to earn it on the field. The Nitany Lions defeated Oregon, the 9-3 champion of the Pac-10.
But it didn’t matter, because… it had finally happened for Nebraska. In another marvelous and memorable contest at the Orange Bowl, they’ve finally done it.
Nebraska, national champs, 24-17.
Nebraska: 11-0, first place in the Big Eight
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First two out
The final year of the Big Eight was great, as half of the conference made the playoff field. Nebraska had little trouble with Kansas State, Colorado or Kansas, all of whom were ranked in the Top 10 when the Huskers faced them. Nebraska won those games by a combined score of 134-49.
As the #1 seed, the Huskers would have faced the winner of Texas at Colorado, before moving on to Florida State, Tennessee or Oregon. But let’s be honest: unless the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys were in the bracket, the greatest team in college football history was going to steamroll anybody in their path.
Team that won the National Championship: Ahead of the Fiesta Bowl against #2 Florida, the pundits were convinced that Nebraska could not keep up with Steve Spurrier’s “fun and gun” offense, and that the Huskers were incapable of playing on grass. Early in the second quarter, after NU went up 13-10, Huskers radio voice Kent Pavelka said, “I think Florida’s in trouble… they can’t tackle Nebraska.”
He was right. How many tackles can one man break?
The Huskers won their second straight championship 62-24 over the #2 Gators.
Nebraska: 10-2, first place in the Big XII North, lost conference championship game
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First two out
A stunning upset in the first Big XII Championship game by unranked Texas cost the Huskers a first-round bye. As the 6 seed, NU would welcome Northwestern to Lincoln. If the Huskers won, they would play Florida and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. A possible rematch with Arizona State (who beat Nebraska 19-0 in Tempe) could happen in the semifinals, or a game against 10 seed Virginia Tech. The Huskers beat the Hokies 41-21 in the Orange Bowl.
Team that won the National Championship: In year two of the Bowl Alliance, #3 Florida met #1 Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. The Big Ten and Pac-10 valued the Rose Bowl over participating in the Bowl Alliance, so #2 Arizona State needed an FSU loss to have a chance. The Gators beat Florida State, but #4 Ohio State beat the Sun Devils, making Florida the champion.
Nebraska: 12-0, won the Big XII championship game
Conference champion automatic qualifiers
At-large teams
First two out
The 1997 season is the main reason I did this entire exercise. Undefeated Nebraska and undefeated Michigan. A split championship because the Big Ten would rather watch the sun set over the San Gabriel mountains than join the Bowl Alliance. The debate has raged for over 25 years.
And thanks to the final regular season AP poll, the 12-team bracket turned out better than I could have hoped.
Michigan would face the winner of Ohio State at Washington State. The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes by six, and the Cougars by five. Assuming Michigan won their quarterfinal game, they’d need to beat Georgia, UCLA or Florida State to make the championship game.
The 2 seed Huskers would start with the winner of Kansas State at North Carolina. NU blew out K-State 56-26 earlier in the year. In the semifinals, Nebraska would likely face Peyton Manning and 3 seed Tennessee. The Huskers blew out the Vols 42-17 in the Orange Bowl.
On paper, we would get the Nebraska vs. Michigan winner-take-all game we always wanted.
Team that won the National Championship: Despite a less-than-convincing win over Wazzu and Ryan Leaf, Michigan won the AP title. After dominating Tennessee and Manning, Nebraska QB Scott Frost asked for “at least a share”.
His pleas were answered. The Huskers won the Coaches’ poll title and sent Tom Osborne into retirement with his third national championship in four years.
* * *
The 1998 Orange Bowl was Tom Osborne’s final game as Nebraska’s head coach. After 25 amazing seasons and three national championships, Tom Osborne retired. Osborne made the hypothetical playoffs in 23 of his 25 seasons.
He would be replaced by Frank Solich, a beloved NU alumnus and longtime loyal assistant. Could he keep the Nebraska dynasty alive? Or would one of the greatest eras in college football history be about to close?
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