Who was the best team in 1997/Nebraska or Michigan/Discuss

[huskers1217]

Michigan's Margin of Victory against their three opponents that ended up being ranked in the polls was 25-13. All three of those opponents lost their bowl games.

Michigan's three opponents that ended up being ranked (washington state, Ohio State, Penn State) their average margin of LOSS was 25-12 in their bowl game, 13 points per game was the loss.

Nebraska's margin of victory against the FIVE opponents that ended being ranked was 45-23. Two of Nebraska's opponents won their bowl game.

Nebraska's FIVE opponents that ended up being ranked (Kansas State, Tennessee, washington, Texas A&M, Missouri) their average margin of VICTORY was 30 - 29.4, 0.6 points per game was the victory.

with all due respect....we have moved on to 1902 meegechan vs 1902 nebraska. stay on topic please

 

[006]

It's a damn shame @popeyecv64 couldn't join this thread

 

[HuskerinBig10]

Yeah, except Michigan beat Baylor 38-3 which isnt 28 points and Michigan beat Colorado by 24 while Nebraska beat Colorado by 3.

Notice a trend here? Baylor and Colorado scored exactly 1 Field goal a piece on UM. Baylor and Colorado scored 21 and 24 on Nebraska.

Average score of common opponent games:
UM 32.5 - 3
Nebraska 38 - 22.5

It may just be me, but UM's 29.5 point differential in common opponent games is slightly more impressive than Nebraska's 15.5. Some would say 2 td's per game better.

The thread is named who was the best team. I'd guess common opponents would be the only way to compare the two teams as it is the only time the teams played the same opponent.

If UM beat Baylor by 31 and Nebraska beat Baylor by 28. Edge UM.

If UM beat Colorado by 24 and Nebraska beat Colorado by 3. Edge UM.

If one team didn't have to "leak" info about their coach retiring to gain sympathy votes. Edge UM

Defense wins championships. Edge UM.

Yeah. Why would common opponents matter when comparing teams? Let's talk about how they did against teams only one of them played?

I would run from common opponents too, as it goes against everything you are saying.

If u want to call Baylor a wash because UM beat them by 3 points more than Nebraska. Feel free.

Colorado wasn't even close for UM. They held Colorado to their lowest yard total in 100 games with 224 yards. Nebraska gave up 362 passing yards alone to Colorado. Hell -- Colorado had the ball with a minute left and a chance to beat Nebraska.

And if u want to actually compare schedules. UM had the 32nd ranked schedule. Nebraska had the 41st ranked schedule.

UM wasn't lucky enough to play a Big 12 schedule. If only there were a couple common opponents to compare the two teams? Oh wait, there is.

Continue with your excuses now.

So what happens if you hold the team in week 2 to 3 points and that team scores 3 touchdowns against Nebraska? Does that not count either?

Seems that UM holding Colorado to their lowest offensive output (224 total yards) in almost 10 years and only 3 points, while Nebraska gave up 360+ yards passing alone to Colorado and Colorado had the ball with a minute left and a chance to win doesn't count because.......oh yeah, common opponents don't shed a very good light on Nebraska.

Now let's get back to talking abouto how great Nebraska was against the teams UM didn't play and how that makes them the best.

What is so difficult to grasp? It isn't bragging -- it is pointing out the obvious. Nebraska and Michigan played TWO COMMON OPPONENTS. I couldn't care less about beating Big 12 cupcakes, but those are the two games we have where we can directly look at how each team fared against the same opponent.

You can scream about point differential on the year, but I couldn't care less if you are beating Iowa State and Oklahoma by 60 points. You can scream about how much better your offense was -- yet in two common opponents, UM averaged 32.5 and Nebraska 38. You can scream about your "top 5" defense, yet while Michigan completely shut down Colorado and Baylor -- While Nebraska....................did not.

So get back to the excuses, how Missouri was a road game (even though OSU buried them by 3 tds on the road) and how Colorado was a rivalry game and UM got to play them the first game of the week or whatever excuse.

You know the truth, but the excuses make you feel better, so carry on.

For not wanting to brag about Baylor that sure is a lot of posts about Michigan beating Baylor. How come there were not that many posts about barely beating Iowa in Ann Arbor?

Michigan played GREAT against the bad teams.

Nebraska played GREAT against the good teams.

 

[HuskerinBig10]

Michigan was behind in seven games, five games were played in Ann Arbor, two were road games.

Baylor was up 3-0, game played in Ann Arbor

Michigan was behind Notre Dame 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, and behind Notre Dame 14-7 at the end of the first half. Game played in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was behind Northwestern 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, game played in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was behind Iowa 21-7 at the end of the first half and behind 24-21 at the end of the third quarter, game played in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was behind Minnesota 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, game played in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was behind Michigan State 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Michgian was behind Washington State 7-0 after the first quarter and 13-7 in the third quarter.

Nebraska was only behind in two games. One game played in Lincoln, the other was a road game.

The only home game Nebraska was behind was against UCF 7-0 first quarter, 17-14 at the end of the half in Lincoln.

The away game Nebraska was behind was the Missouri game 24-21 at the end of the half, 31-28 at the end of the third quarter.

 

[outofyourmind]

Nobody was going to beat this team.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

9 pages of discussion. I'm going to guess all parties were fair, balanced, objective and that they listened honestly to the other side's arguments.


What was the answer?

 

[4down20]

9 pages of discussion. I'm going to guess all parties were fair, balanced, objective and that they listened honestly to the other side's arguments.


What was the answer?

Tulane was the true national champion of 1997.

 

[outofyourmind]

I couldn't say it any better myself.
This explains it all.

Did this ever get answered??

 

[Shanemansj13]

Is this real life....Nebraska and that is set in stone

 

[HuskerinBig10]

To allow the new and unbiased Michigan and Nebraska fans to express their opinion.

I will guess the new Nebraska posters will actually read the thread first, before replying, but the new Michigan Posters will just spout off.

 

[Across The Field]

To allow the new and unbiased Michigan and Nebraska fans to express their opinion.

I will guess the new Nebraska posters will actually read the thread first, before replying, but the new Michigan Posters will just spout off.

They'll bring up Jabril Peppers for some reason.

 

[travis2x]

Old thread I see. All I can say is that nobody obviously will ever know. I like the Big Red but I'm obviously a little biased.

However, I have been hearing Michigan fans complain about the 1997 Huskers for years. Why? It was not our fault that this game did not take place. Instead of getting at us, blame your conference. At the time, the B10 and PAC automatically tied their champion into the Rose Bowl no matter what. The rest of the conferences wanted an automatic 1vs2 game and they finally got their wish when the PAC/B10 joined their alliance to start the BCS in 1998. In 1997, Nebraska was able to play the highest ranked available opponent, which we did with No3 Tennessee, since you guys weren't available. Again, not our fault. We wanted this game to settle things with one undisputed champion. So blame your conference, not us, and be thankful we have a playoff system now which ends the days of split championships.

That's always been my opinion on the matter. Wish we could've played it :/

 

[8085sooner]

Epic fail

Bring this shit to the board on the 20th anniversary not the19th


Neb was the better team, not even close

 

[fishinabarrel]

Old thread I see. All I can say is that nobody obviously will ever know. I like the Big Red but I'm obviously a little biased.

However, I have been hearing Michigan fans complain about the 1997 Huskers for years. Why? It was not our fault that this game did not take place. Instead of getting at us, blame your conference. At the time, the B10 and PAC automatically tied their champion into the Rose Bowl no matter what. The rest of the conferences wanted an automatic 1vs2 game and they finally got their wish when the PAC/B10 joined their alliance to start the BCS in 1998. In 1997, Nebraska was able to play the highest ranked available opponent, which we did with No3 Tennessee, since you guys weren't available. Again, not our fault. We wanted this game to settle things with one undisputed champion. So blame your conference, not us, and be thankful we have a playoff system now which ends the days of split championships.

That's always been my opinion on the matter. Wish we could've played it :/

Deep down, Michigan knows they would have gotten killed, but it didn't get played so they continue to mouth off like the kid who got lucky the fight was broken up right before he got his ass beat.

 

[RobToxin]

The best team in 1997 was Boise State. Nebraska and Michigan were both just too scared to play them.

 

[Bama fan in Los Angeles]

I think Nebraska would have won, but it would have been a close, close game. That Wolverine team could play some defense! I just think the difference would be that O-Line Nebraska would keep pounding and win a close game

 

[NU_FTW]

huskerinbig10 already laid out the facts, it is quite obvious.

 

[AURadioman2006]

I think Nebraska was a good bit better than Michigan.

 

[navamind]

Fuck the BCS. Fuck the Bowl Alliance. Wish they could have played.

Michigan played a tougher schedule imo, but Nebraska absolutely manhandled Kansas State/Tennessee/Texas A&M. 13-point road win at Washington is pretty nice as well.

Close, but I'd go with Braska. As great as the Michigan defense was, the offense was kinda meh.

edit: derp, forgot the BCS formed after.

 

[Brasky]

I've already had one dipshit randomly accost me about 1997 since they migrated.