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10 1994 13-0 |
The charmed group of Cornhuskers that give Dr. Tom his first title. Tommie Frazier is sidelined for seven games with a blood clot, but Brook Berringer picks up the slack and leads NU to the Big 8 crown. The Orange Bowl win over Miami is a microcosm of the season: Frazier starts, Berringer keeps the ship afloat, then Frazier returns to finish the job. Defense carries the team while injury-riddled offense comes together. Final rank (AP/UPI): 1/1 |
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9 1970 11-0-1 |
An early-season tie with No. 3 USC marks the only blemish on this groundbreaking group's record. Thumps ranked conference opponents Mizzou & K-State before slipping past No. 5 LSU on the field and No. 4 Notre Dame in the AP voters' eyes. Final rank: 1/3. |
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8 1972 9-2-1 |
Top-ranked to start the year, Huskers see 31-game unbeaten streak snapped against unranked UCLA. The Huskers go 2-1-1 against ranked teams, including a 40-6 annihilation of No. 12 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl in Bob Devaney's last game. Johnny Rodgers wins the Heisman. Defense pitches four straight shutouts during the season. Final rank: 4/9 |
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7 1993 11-1 |
If not for a missed field goal as time expired, Nebraska would have ended the 1993 season on top of the polls. Trev Alberts wins Butkus Award. The Cornhuskers twice escape games by one-point margins, but outplay No. 1 Florida State in the Orange Bowl and have a punt-return touchdown called back before bowing, 18-16. Final rank: 3/3. |
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6 1987 10-2 |
Ranked No. 2 to start the season, NU rumbles through a rugged nonconference schedule and blows out unbeaten Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 35-0. But a lackluster effort in the "Game of the Century II" followed by a last-second loss to Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl keeps this team from a date with history. Final rank: 6/6 |
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5 1983 12-1 |
One of the greatest offenses to ever play the game. If only they had half the defense to match. Mike Rozier wins the Heisman; Dean Steinkuhler the Outland and Lombardi; Irving Fryar an All-American. Much-maligned Blackshirts bend but don't break; still considered the top team of 1983 despite the now-legendary failed two-point pass that gives Miami the mythical national championship. Final rank: 2/2 |
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4 1997 13-0 |
An offensive juggernaut and a defensive force, the 1997 Cornhuskers roll to a share of the national title. But a nailbiting win against Missouri, which NU ties on the last play on a miracle catch and wins in overtime, prevent this group from going any higher. Aaron Taylor wins the Outland. NU roars past four ranked opponents, including No. 3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. Final Rank: 2/1 |
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3 1982 12-1 |
The best Cornhusker team without a national title. NU does everything it has to do in '82, but controversial call in the third week against eventual champ Penn State hands mighty Huskers their only loss. Dave Rimington wins Outland. Led by junior Mike Rozier and quarterback Turner Gill, NU recovers to win 10 straight, including dramatic win against Marcus Dupree and No. 11 Oklahoma in Lincoln. Final rank: 3/3. |
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2 1971 13-0 |
A team for the ages. Hardly challenged all season until the Game of the Century vs. OU, the Cornhuskers become the first major college team to finish 13-0. Destroyed No. 2 Alabama in the Orange Bowl to lay claim to second straight national title. Defense was nearly impenetrable, shutting out three teams and allowing opponents just 8 points a game. Final rank: 1/1. |
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1 1995 12-0 |
A powerhouse among powerhouses. NU '95 mixes speed, power and finesse into a devastating, overwhelming machine. No team comes within two touchdowns of this group. Following 38-point win over No. 2 Florida, poll voters recognize that this team was in a league of its own: The Gators don't drop a notch after the throttling. They're ranked by Sagarin as the greatest team in the history of the modern era -- and we agree. Final rank: 1/1. |
