1984 Orange Bowl--Miami 31, Nebraska 30.

[PhilSimms11]

They're re-airing this game on NBCSN. That takes me back. Pissed me off when Nebraska didn't get that 2-point conversion to take the lead late in the game. Keep in mind, there was no OT in college back then. Nebraska scored to make it 31-30 and Tom Osbourne elected to go for the win instead of the tie. It's my understanding if the game ended in a tie Nebraska would've been crowned National Champions, but Dr Tom said screw that. Much respect. The Cornhuskers were snake bitten when it came to the National Championship in those days. They'd come so close and come up short. They ended up winning 3 titles in the final 4 years of Osbourne's tenure. He was a bad ass coach.

Miami ended up champions because of a slew of fucked up bowl game results. People felt (3)Auburn got screwed over. Miami was moved up 4 spots to #1 and Auburn stayed at #3. Had the Orange Bowl ended in a tie could Auburn have been bumped up to #1?

Orange: (5)Miami 31, (1)Nebraska 30.
Cotton: (7)Georgia 10, (2)Texas 9.
Sugar: (3)Auburn 9, (8)Michigan 7.
Rose: UCLA 45, (4)Illinois 9.

Oh, if we only had an 8-team playoff back then.
(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Michigan (9-2)
(4)Illinois (10-1) vs (5)Miami (10-1)

(2)Texas (11-0) vs (7)Georgia (9-1-1)
(3)Auburn (10-1) vs (6)SMU (10-1)

 

[CJH9972]

Auburn should have won the title that year.

 

[PhilSimms11]

Auburn should have won the title that year.

(final ranking and record)
(1)Miami (11-1) lost to (6)Florida (9-2-1) 28-3 (Auburn beat Florida 28-21).
(2)Nebraska (12-1) lost to (1)Miami (11-1) 31-30
(3)Auburn (11-1) lost to (5)Texas (11-1) 20-7.
(4)Georgia (10-1-1) lost to (3)Auburn 13-7 and tied Clemson (9-1-1) 16-16.
(5)Texas (11-1) lost to (4)Georgia (10-1-1) 10-9.

Yeah, Auburn got screwed. This was the perfect scenario in which people screaming for a playoff would be justified. Hell, that could be said for just about any season. Look at 1984. BYU (13-0) was crowned champions. That season, they beat.......????? Had there been a playoff that season:

1984
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Oklahoma St (9-2)
(4)Nebraska (9-2) vs (5)Ohio St (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)Boston College (9-2)
(3)Washington (10-1) vs (6)South Carolina (10-1)

There's no way BYU wins 3 playoff games.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

They're re-airing this game on NBCSN. That takes me back. Pissed me off when Nebraska didn't get that 2-point conversion to take the lead late in the game. Keep in mind, there was no OT in college back then. Nebraska scored to make it 31-30 and Tom Osbourne elected to go for the win instead of the tie. It's my understanding if the game ended in a tie Nebraska would've been crowned National Champions, but Dr Tom said screw that. Much respect. The Cornhuskers were snake bitten when it came to the National Championship in those days. They'd come so close and come up short. They ended up winning 3 titles in the final 4 years of Osbourne's tenure. He was a bad ass coach.

Miami ended up champions because of a slew of fucked up bowl game results. People felt (3)Auburn got screwed over. Miami was moved up 4 spots to #1 and Auburn stayed at #3. Had the Orange Bowl ended in a tie could Auburn have been bumped up to #1?

Orange: (5)Miami 31, (1)Nebraska 30.
Cotton: (7)Georgia 10, (2)Texas 9.
Sugar: (3)Auburn 9, (8)Michigan 7.
Rose: UCLA 45, (4)Illinois 9.

Oh, if we only had an 8-team playoff back then.
(1)Nebraska (12-0) vs (8)Michigan (9-2)
(4)Illinois (10-1) vs (5)Miami (10-1)

(2)Texas (11-0) vs (7)Georgia (9-1-1)
(3)Auburn (10-1) vs (6)SMU (10-1)

Talking to people that lived it said that the news and ESPN were talking like Nebraska was unbeatable that year. If that is true, then that is probably the reason Miami was given the nod over Auburn. One of the greatest teams not to win a title, the 1983 Scoring Explosion Nebraska Cornhuskers. If we had a good defense that year, this team had a chance at being better than 95.

 

[AlaskaGuy]

(final ranking and record)
(1)Miami (11-1) lost to (6)Florida (9-2-1) 28-3 (Auburn beat Florida 28-21).
(2)Nebraska (12-1) lost to (1)Miami (11-1) 31-30
(3)Auburn (11-1) lost to (5)Texas (11-1) 20-7.
(4)Georgia (10-1-1) lost to (3)Auburn 13-7 and tied Clemson (9-1-1) 16-16.
(5)Texas (11-1) lost to (4)Georgia (10-1-1) 10-9.

Yeah, Auburn got screwed. This was the perfect scenario in which people screaming for a playoff would be justified. Hell, that could be said for just about any season. Look at 1984. BYU (13-0) was crowned champions. That season, they beat.......????? Had there been a playoff that season:

1984
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Oklahoma St (9-2)
(4)Nebraska (9-2) vs (5)Ohio St (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)Boston College (9-2)
(3)Washington (10-1) vs (6)South Carolina (10-1)

There's no way BYU wins 3 playoff games.

There's no way BYU wins one playoff game .. at least vs Washington or Oklahoma. BYU was the only team ever to win a natty without defeating a team that finished in the top 25.

 

[78Cyclones]

That was a great game! I had a $25 straight up bet with a buddy - even though Nebraska was a huge favorite in that game, but Miami matched up well against them. Great defense that slowed down NU, and a balanced offense to move the ball on them.

That being said, I think Nebraska was the best team in the country that year. Every team is beatable, as all of the contenders proved that year. I would have liked Miami over any of the other contenders @ the Orange Bowl, and I don't Miami would have won @ Nebraska.

'Twould have been a fantastic year for a Playoff! FWIW, Nebraska vs. Texas would have been the BCS Championship, and a 4 team Playoff would have been #3 Auburn vs. #2 Texas in one semi-final and #4 Illinois vs. #1 Nebraska in the other.

I think Nebraska wins the theoretical BCS Championship match-up AND the theoretical CFB Playoff match-ups. Just ran into the perfect storm vs. that bad ass Miami team @ Miami in the Orange Bowl that night.

The game was so good, ESPN ran a replay of it on Feb. 1st as a special event. Sounds like nothing for today, but back then, that was a big deal and promoted as an encore presentation.

One thing that is lost is that if Osborne would have gone for the tie Or made the 2 pointer, Miami still had time to move down the field and kick a game winning FG. They had the offense to move in big chunks and would not have been out of the question.

The good old days!

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

That was a great game! I had a $25 straight up bet with a buddy - even though Nebraska was a huge favorite in that game, but Miami matched up well against them. Great defense that slowed down NU, and a balanced offense to move the ball on them.

That being said, I think Nebraska was the best team in the country that year. Every team is beatable, as all of the contenders proved that year. I would have liked Miami over any of the other contenders @ the Orange Bowl, and I don't Miami would have won @ Nebraska.

'Twould have been a fantastic year for a Playoff! FWIW, Nebraska vs. Texas would have been the BCS Championship, and a 4 team Playoff would have been #3 Auburn vs. #2 Texas in one semi-final and #4 Illinois vs. #1 Nebraska in the other.

I think Nebraska wins the theoretical BCS Championship match-up AND the theoretical CFB Playoff match-ups. Just ran into the perfect storm vs. that bad ass Miami team @ Miami in the Orange Bowl that night.

The game was so good, ESPN ran a replay of it on Feb. 1st as a special event. Sounds like nothing for today, but back then, that was a big deal and promoted as an encore presentation.

One thing that is lost is that if Osborne would have gone for the tie Or made the 2 pointer, Miami still had time to move down the field and kick a game winning FG. They had the offense to move in big chunks and would not have been out of the question.

The good old days!

We played Miami so many times in the post season in the Orange bowl. Totally not fair lol, but what can you do.

 

[78Cyclones]

We played Miami so many times in the post season in the Orange bowl. Totally not fair lol, but what can you do.

Beat 'em like NU did in the Jan. 1995 game! Watched that the other night, and Nebraska hammered poor old Costa all night long. Funny how teams are. I saw the Cornhuskers play in person 3 times that season, and they were not nasty in those 3 games (Oklahoma State, @ Iowa State and @ Oklahoma) like they were in that game! I had forgotten what a nasty old beat down Nebraska's defense put on Miami that night. Costa looked like he had been in a 15 round fight with Mike Tyson.

 

[PhilSimms11]

Talking to people that lived it said that the news and ESPN were talking like Nebraska was unbeatable that year. If that is true, then that is probably the reason Miami was given the nod over Auburn. One of the greatest teams not to win a title, the 1983 Scoring Explosion Nebraska Cornhuskers. If we had a good defense that year, this team had a chance at being better than 95.

44-6 Penn St (8-4-1)
56-20 Wyoming (7-5)
84-13 @Minnesota (1-10)
42-10 UCLA (7-4-1)
63-7 Syracuse (6-5)
14-10 @Oklahoma St (8-4)
34-13 @Missouri (7-5)
69-19 Colorado (4-7)
51-25 @Kansas St (3-8)
72-29 Iowa St (4-7)
67-13 Kansas (4-6-1)
28-21 Oklahoma (8-4)
----------
30-31 Miami (11-1)

 

[Rolltide94]

Talking to people that lived it said that the news and ESPN were talking like Nebraska was unbeatable that year. If that is true, then that is probably the reason Miami was given the nod over Auburn. One of the greatest teams not to win a title, the 1983 Scoring Explosion Nebraska Cornhuskers. If we had a good defense that year, this team had a chance at being better than 95.

That's truth. They were scoring in the 70's and 80's in a game that had not seen Andre Ware yet. This was the first bowl game I ever saw live, I was 14 and we were in Florida on vacation and I begged my Dad to take me, I did not know that he already had the tickets until Christmas. Was awesome, but I had become a Nebraska fan as a kid because I was a fullback, so it was a bit of a disappointment. People forget that Heisman winner Mike Rozier left the game in the 3rd, after rushing for 150. Jeff Smith was a serviceable but not great backup, but he did fumble on the 1 yard line after a 40 yard run in the 4th. I doubt Nebraska does that with Rozier. I thought Nebraska was the better team before the game, during the game and after the game, but I was biased and shit happens. Nebraska was pretty vulnerable to the pass, particularly deep and over the middle, something Kosar did well, plus it was Miami in the Orange Bowl.

As for comparisons to '95, as good on offense probably better, nowhere near on D. They started the year #1, but got a huge hype boost by demolishing defending champ Penn St. 44-6 in the kickoff classic, and blasted plenty of lesser teams, scoring 60+ a bunch of time and putting up 84 against Minnesota and 72 on Iowas State, but they struggled with the Oklahoma schools, Only putting up 14 vs #20 OSU, in a 14-10 game that ended with an end zone interception by the D, and needing a goal line stand at the end of the game to put away Oklahoma 28-21.

The 83 team had Heisman winner Rozier, #1 NFL pick Irving Fryar, and although he might not be the best option QB ever at Nebraska, Turner Gill is definitely a top 5 all-time anywhere and one of the better passing ones. Mark Schellen and Tom Rathman at FB, Outland and Lombardi winner Steinkuhler at G, Traynowicsz at Center. I'm not sure they had any mediocre players on offence, pretty stacked on that side of the ball. They had a lot of good players on D too, they just had some bad ones too.

This was also in an era with fewer televised games. I think I only saw Nebraska play 3 times that year and Alabama was only on twice, ESPN was in it's infancy, College Gameday is still 5 years away, so magazines like SI and the like held more sway. SI did an article towards November pretty much proclaiming them as the best offense that ever was, which held a lot may sway in the court of public opinion than you would get today. Not that it was undeserved, Rozier was averaging 7.8 yards a carry, for more than 2,000 yards and broke the NCAA record for td's in a season. As a team they had a ridiculous 66 rushing touchdowns. If you were a fan of running the football, 83 Nebraska is hard to beat. They aren't Alabama, but I still have a soft spot for those 80's Nebraska teams. I remember wanting a pair of those Nike high top astroturf shoes they wore so bad...probably good that I couldn't find them where I lived, since I didn't see a turf field until college.

 

[Texas Jefe]

oh good Gawd I cant watch this.

Listened to it on the radio driving home from Dallas after losing the 1984 Cotton Bowl. Texas was undefeated and the number 2 team in the country...had the best defense I've ever known at Texas. High school bud and fellow UT student was starting DE for Texas. We wondered over to his folks, in shock, in the stands. I remember looking down and seeing a half empty pint of Vodka, chugging it and throwing down the row.

Brutal

 

[Deathroll]

Gators 28 "national champions" 3.

Auburn beat UF in a very close hard fought game.

Auburn played the toughest schedule in America, had 1 loss and beat the team that absolutely humiliated miami. Yeah, Auburn clearly got screwed.

 

[Deathroll]

(final ranking and record)
(1)Miami (11-1) lost to (6)Florida (9-2-1) 28-3 (Auburn beat Florida 28-21).
(2)Nebraska (12-1) lost to (1)Miami (11-1) 31-30
(3)Auburn (11-1) lost to (5)Texas (11-1) 20-7.
(4)Georgia (10-1-1) lost to (3)Auburn 13-7 and tied Clemson (9-1-1) 16-16.
(5)Texas (11-1) lost to (4)Georgia (10-1-1) 10-9.

Yeah, Auburn got screwed. This was the perfect scenario in which people screaming for a playoff would be justified. Hell, that could be said for just about any season. Look at 1984. BYU (13-0) was crowned champions. That season, they beat.......????? Had there been a playoff that season:

1984
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Oklahoma St (9-2)
(4)Nebraska (9-2) vs (5)Ohio St (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)Boston College (9-2)
(3)Washington (10-1) vs (6)South Carolina (10-1)

There's no way BYU wins 3 playoff games.

UF was the REAL national champ for 1984. UF played FIVE opponents that finished in the top 20 and went 3-1-1.

BYU did not play a single ranked opponent.

Washington played two and went 1-1 against them.

 

[Deathroll]

There's no way BYU wins one playoff game .. at least vs Washington or Oklahoma. BYU was the only team ever to win a natty without defeating a team that finished in the top 25.

I think UF had a better claim than Washington but I could at least live with y'all being named. You did at least beat SOMEBODY. BYU sure as hell did not. That was a complete joke and I remember tons and tons of people saying what a joke it was at the time that the media pushed to give a title to BYU while completely ignoring their powder puff schedule.

 

[PhilSimms11]

UF was the REAL national champ for 1984. UF played FIVE opponents that finished in the top 20 and went 3-1-1.

BYU did not play a single ranked opponent.

Washington played two and went 1-1 against them.

Had Florida not been ineligible for the 1984 postseason the playoffs would have looked like this:
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Boston College (9-2)
(4)Washington (10-1) vs (5)Nebraska (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)South Carolina (10-1)
(3)Florida (9-1-1) vs (6)Ohio St (9-2)

Oklahoma was 3-0-1 vs top-20 teams in the regular season.

 

[AlaskaGuy]

Had Florida not been ineligible for the 1984 postseason the playoffs would have looked like this:
(1)BYU (12-0) vs (8)Boston College (9-2)
(4)Washington (10-1) vs (5)Nebraska (9-2)

(2)Oklahoma (9-1-1) vs (7)South Carolina (10-1)
(3)Florida (9-1-1) vs (6)Ohio St (9-2)

Oklahoma was 3-0-1 vs top-20 teams in the regular season.

1985 Orange Bowl - Wikipedia

 

[AlaskaGuy]

1985 Orange Bowl - Wikipedia

btw former UW HC Don James was 1 - 0 vs Barry Switzer and 2 - 0 vs Tom Osborne. He owned the Big 8 like a cheap $20 truck stop crack h0.

 

[PhilSimms11]

btw former UW HC Don James was 1 - 0 vs Barry Switzer and 2 - 0 vs Tom Osborne. He owned the Big 8 like a cheap $20 truck stop crack h0.

1976--L Colorado 21-7
1978--W Kansas 31-2
1980--W Oklahoma St 24-18
1981--W Kansas St 20-3
1984--W Oklahoma 28-17
1985--L Oklahoma St 31-17
1985--W Colorado 20-17
1989--L Colorado 45-28
1990--L Colorado 20-14
1991--W Nebraska 36-21
1991--W Kansas St 56-3
1992--W Nebraska 29-14

8-4 vs the Big 8. Not bad.

One comparison that is apt are the coaches that followed Don James, Barry Switzer, and Tom Osbourne. Jim Lambright succeeded Don James and went 44-25-1 (1-3 in bowl games). Gary Gibbs followed Barry Switzer and had a 44-23-2 record (2-1 in bowl games). Frank Solich was after Tom Osbourne and went 58-19 (2-3 in bowl games). All 3 coaches resigned or got fired after 6 seasons. Difficult to replace a legend.

Oh, that 1991 season. Who's #1? Miami or Washington? Washington or Miami? IF ONLY THEY PLAYED IT OFF. They couldn't meet because they were contractually obligated to separate bowl games. Could you imagine that happening today? Anyway, if they had a playoff in 1991...oh, this would have been kick ass...

(1)Miami (11-0) vs (8)Alabama (10-1)
(4)Michigan (10-1) vs (5)Florida St (10-2)

(2)Washington (11-0) vs (7)Iowa (10-1)
(3)Florida (10-1) vs (6)Penn St (10-2)