#1 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Missouri Tigers - 1997 - Football

Scott Frost leads Nebraska to a comeback win featuring the famous catch by Matt Davidson. Mizzou quarterback Corby Jones nearly completes an incredible upset, but falls short in overtime.

[@b7grams]

I still remember watching this game as a 9-year-old like it was last week. Also, this is perhaps the first time since then that I've watched this game in its entirety and it's amazing how much extra time was run off the clock on Missouri's final few plays of offense before giving it back to Nebraska for the eventual tying TD. Nebraska had all three timeouts so obviously was calling one immediately after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down, but after first down about 2-3 seconds ticked off that shouldn't have, 2nd down about 4-5 seconds, and 3rd down was a second or two. That's an extra 7-10 seconds that should've been on the clock and probably wouldn't have made the 3rd down play that resulted in the Flea Kicker or whatever you want to call it as do-or-die as it was. I know it's a moot point, but an interesting observation about the little things people will do to help their team win. If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying I guess. Finally, Larry Smith's wry smile after Davison caught the ball will forever be burned into my brain as one of the most iconic images in college football history. I don't know why, but you could tell he knew what was coming and still couldn't believe it after it happened. That's what college football is all about and moment after moment like that in the 90s is what made it such a great decade to grow up as a kid watching the sport, especially a kid in the state of Nebraska.

[@tedrowland8672]

As a Missouri fan I remember watching this game. This was when Nebraska was still Nebraska. Awesome game either way.

[@lindseysummers5351]

From a Big Red girl, the Tigers were a lot better this season than anyone gave them credit for. Your guys wanted this win, and showed a ton of heart and guts. It took every bit of our championship mettle to win this one. Good game!!

[@akumawani]

the game nobody deserved to lose...

[@3jarone]

I remember this I was at my dorm. Pissed thinking my Huskers loss but that Mr Davidson came through for us. Go BIIIIIIIIG Reed! Go Big Red!

[@GeorgeFlippin]

Did you see how Frost sought out Corby Jones when the game was over? Frost saw a fellow QB play a helluva game and let him know it.

[@solrosenberg3803]

That's because Frost was looking to congratulate Jones for the win. Frost knew they should've lost, and that's why they were runners up to Michigan for the National Championship that year.

[@DamonNomad82]

@@solrosenberg3803 You seem to be terribly jealous of Frost. Did he steal your girlfriend or something?

[@sorney98]

@@solrosenberg3803 haha you wish, Michigan would of been killed with that average offense lol

[@rooh5825]

@@solrosenberg3803 1997 Nebraska 42, 1997 Michigan 17

[@tkreuchi]

I remember listening to this game on the raido it wasn't on TV in our area. My mom was sick with cancer and we were going crazy huddled around a little transistor radio listening to the call it was the most exciting game since the Game of the Century. It became an instant classic on ESPN so I did get to watch it later. My mom passed a couple of days after the Orange Bowl that year it's funny how much Nebraska Football has been a part of our lives something we always had in common. GBR!

[@taitrief]

Top 5 memorable sports viewing events of my life!!

[@Cropdster]

Thanks for leaving in the ABC updates and theme music.... it REALLY enhances the viewing experience!

[@abcd123861]

im an ohio state fan but i will say the '94, '95, and '97 Huskers were practically pros such a blast to watch!

[@b7grams]

99 was a solid team as well. Kind of got hosed in their only loss of the season against Texas in Austin, but they got redemption in the conference championship game against the Horns (essentially another road game for Nebraska as the game was literally down the road from Austin in San Antonio) and beat the previous season's national champions Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl. In all honesty that was Nebraska's last truly great team. 2000 and 2001 were solid seasons, and there were a few good teams scattered in there over the past 20 years, but Nebraska was damn good for the last time in 1999. It's a shame that the 99 Huskers didn't get a chance to play Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. It would have been a fitting end to the decade to have its two most dominant programs - FSU and Nebraska - go head-to-head to determine the decade's final national champion. Ironically neither program has been quite the same since that season.

[@nateemond197]

As a kid this made me a college football fan for life. I remember rooting for Mizzou cuz they were the underdog,but I was blown away by that catch at the end of the 4th. Then college overtime was great!

[@haroldpiersey5864]

Yeah that was an illegal catch, the ball went right through my hands #2... one of my best games

[@sorney98]

@@haroldpiersey5864 too bad not illegal, rule states if defender makes a play which he did, ball is free. Don't be sore by the loss

[@thyslop1737]

Scott Frost was a beast of a runner. Unreal. Unbelievable game. Coulda went either way. As close of a game you may ever see.

[@cgerken44]

I was only 11 when this game was played but I always remember hearing about "the kick" and I've seen videos of it. But getting to watch this whole game was amazing and even though I knew the final outcome, I couldn't help but to hope that Mizzou would win. Amazing game and proud to be a Tiger!!

[@timothymbess]

From a lifelong Husker, thanks for posting this. The games against Oklahoma will always be my favorites and Husker Nation misses playing you guys. Can't wait for 2020-2021, the 50th Anniversary of the Game of the Century! They don't make college football like that anymore.

[@robjohnson8861]

1) During the 60-3 run what was OU ranked each of the 5 years? 2) Can we consider your answer to 1) a validation of the greatness of the run, or does your answer raise more serious questions about how history will truly respect the 60-3 achievement.

[@sorney98]

@@robjohnson8861 1)What is your greatest achievement outside the house? 2)back to 1, when you actually leave the house let alone the basement, then your opinions can actually matter again liberal troll boy

[@rooh5825]

@@sorney98 Isn't it just unreal to find this autistic weirdo all over just about every nebraska video out there?

[@hskr44]

I am the bald headed fan high fiving fellow Husker fans about 3/4 up the screen wearing a white Huskers road jersey at the 26:16 mark after the first Nebraska TD. The most mentally exhausting game I have ever attended as a fan. Mizzou came to play that day, and Faurot Field was very loud. After the game, I went to the hotel and went straight to bed. I miss Nebraska being nationally relevant. Those were wonderful times with many miles on the road all over the Midwest.

[@xxphactor]

My brother was DB Shad Criss' roommate at Mizzou and was in the end zone that prematurely stormed the field. That was my worse experience as a homer until the Rams lost to the Pats. Ugh!

[@MrFdiddy1]

One of my favorite football games of all time, including NFL and NCAA

[@arenateam7302]

I'm a Oklahoma guy who loves his Sooners, but also loves college football.

[@chadshepard3449]

my mom about had a heart attack watching this game. my mom don't even like football. good memories thanks for the upload

[@DamonNomad82]

Scott Frost was always a class act. I got to meet him once at a youth function in Lincoln while he was the starting QB for the Huskers. I'm glad Nebraska hired him as Head Coach, and I hope he is as successful at that as he was as the QB.

[@solrosenberg3803]

How's that working out? Frost was nothing more than a sub par qb, big mouth claiming they were #1. Which they weren't, as this game has shown.

[@DamonNomad82]

@@solrosenberg3803 They were the best team by far in 1997. Michigan, the only other unbeaten team that year, squeaked by a team quarterbacked by "Cryin' Ryan" Leaf (one of the biggest busts in NFL history) by 5 points, while Nebraska crushed a team quarterbacked by Peyton Manning by 25 points. Frost was also an excellent QB. The fact that he ran the ball more than he passed it didn't make him "subpar", it made him the perfect fit for the Cornhuskers' power offense, and a nightmare for opposing defenses!

[@rooh5825]

@@solrosenberg3803 1997 Nebraska 42, 1997 Michigan 17

[@Husker68135]

Anybody else watching this because Frost is now the coach of Nebraska. :)

[@Kalel8241]

haha! Mizzou fan here and that's why I am here because our OC replaced Frost. Just hearing Frost's name always brings back memories of this epic game.

[@thomascoburn5481]

Yep

[@robjohnson8861]

@@Kalel8241 Epic game that went to overtime over an unranked opponent that finished with 5 losses. By the way, Missouri lost to every other team by more points than they did to Neb. Yeah, they rose up. BS! This game is one of the MANY REASONS the AP got it right. MI did not have to go to OT IN ANY GAME to decide their season.

[@robjohnson8861]

@Jeff salveto * Defense: MI #1, NEB #4 * SOS: MI# 38, NEB #45 (lower means stronger competition). NEB's offense benefitted by playing weaker teams. * Head to Head bigger margin of victory: MI 2, NEB 0 (Mi 27, CO 3: NEB 27, CO 24 and MI 38, Baylor 3: NEB 49, Bay 21) How many TDs did MI allow? How many did Neb allow? * Close calls against non ranked teams: MI 0, NEB: 2 Co by 3, Missouri by 3 in OT. In their biggest game of their career, how did Manning and Leaf do? *Manning 134 yds. Boom, Bang, Pow. The season avg against Neb was 189. Manning could not even cover the avg by a bunch of nobodies. The game before, A&M had 264, and the game before that, CO had 362 *Leaf had 330 yds. Was he the biggest name MI faced? Absolutely. Did he bring it better than the other QB's they faced. Absolutely. And The AP absolutely got it right .

[@robjohnson8861]

@Jeff salveto "Michigan, they did nothing in the 90’s" Neb didn't either. Look for my posts on many of the Neb threads. The 60-3 run was a farce. Ozzy beat 18 ranked teams. Boom, Bang, Pow! Look at 13 of those teams he beat, including FL, TN, VaTech and Miami whose coaches finished with a 35-38 bowl record. None were good bowl coaches. And blah, blah FL allowed more points than 9 (8 unranked teams) did that year. And blah, blah, Frazier's longest run of the year (31) came 4 mins into 2nd qtr of FL game and it wasn't the longest of the game and his career (75). FL really, really showed up. And on and on and on. The 60-3 run was a farce.

[@GeorgeFlippin]

Frost was the best at QB sneak for short yardage, never saw him get pushed back in that situation.

[@gynandroidhead]

I missed the ending to this game, because I had to finish playing in a poker tournament that night in Atlantic City. This was also the first year that ABC had the scoreboard on the screen all of the time. Nebraska actually dropped two spots with this win, but a Fred Taylor Gator team picked off FSU, and Nebraska got the #2 rankling back going into the Orange Bowl, of course splitting the NC in Osborne's last game.

[@jrino1979]

Man, Frost was sneaky quick. And this was one of the better games Ahman played, considering the amount of physical talent that he had

[@jre540i]

Thanks OU! Awesome post of the entire game. GBR!

[@TheAlfrulz]

Thank You very much for posting.

[@trauty47]

After this game was over, restaurants and bars across Nebraska set sales records that probably still stand to this day. It seemed like everybody, and I mean everybody, wanted to celebrate that win.

[@asimqalbani4624]

I can't believe I was at that game my cousin and I ran towards the field and we were stopped by the security and he told us that it was a touch down it was going over time man what amazing memory

[@arthurvandeliegh8681]

Wouldn't that be a terrible memory? You thought you won only to be told the game wasn't over, am I missing something?

[@rooh5825]

@@arthurvandeliegh8681 He's a good fan.

[@commenter6763]

I remember watching this live and how exciting this game was. The guy totally kicked the ball and I never understood how "the kick" stood as a legit play. Anyway, a classic game no matter which was you slice it.

[@fittergrady]

commenter The play stood because there is a valid rules distinction between a deliberate attempt to kick a live ball after, for instance, a fumble, and a player using his feet to keep a ball inn the air after a defender had made contact with a potential pass receiver. In this case, although Wiggins clearly intended to kick the ball, he wouldn't have been in a position to do so if it hadn't been for the safety making contact first. Basically, it was ruled a deflection in the same way it would have if it had struck any other part of the body. The Nebraska players didn't give up on the play. The Missouri players did (in the words of the Missouri players, "I let up because I thought the play was over"). Of course, the play was unlikely, or even lucky. But luck, as the saying goes, is the result of hard work meeting opportunity at the correct time.

[@grandadmiralthrawn5333]

@@fittergrady NEBRASKA SUCKS

[@NomanKhan-vf4fy]

@@grandadmiralthrawn5333 it was 22 years ago dude... let it go 😂

[@grandadmiralthrawn5333]

@@NomanKhan-vf4fy NEVER!

[@Deadsicle]

thanks for posting

[@mattbridgeford3322]

Go big red I said right before the miracle catch it’s all over and my cousin told me it ain’t over till it’s over I was 12 then and my whole family went bananas after that catch one of my greatest football memories

[@robjohnson8861]

And your cousin has never let a time go by where he doesn't refer back to his prognostication, right? Did he ever say, I knew that was gonna happen?

[@sorney98]

@@robjohnson8861 kind like how we know you have no life and comment on any Husker video? Guarantee you'll be back commenting again because you get owned every time

[@DamonNomad82]

When this game was played, I was a high-school-age, non-Nebraska fan living in Lincoln (that's not as fun as it sounds). I wasn't watching the game, but my cousin, a lifelong Husker fan, was watching it in another room. I remember suddenly hearing him go absolutely berserk and rushed over to the TV just in time to catch the "flea kicker" on instant replay.

[@MrJohnbarkley1000]

hey thanks mizzou and nebraska should play again what a great rivalry now that we have the quarterbacks and u guys have the great defenses

[@thomascoburn5481]

Just here because Frost was one of my favorite Players ever, and I'm a Mizzou fan.

[@travisb2846]

1:34:41 100% nostalgia with the music and announcing the games for next week.

[@JESUS-SAVES_1975.]

Being a die hard Husker fan, I was ticked that I couldn't get this game on t.v. But as soon as it looked like Mizzou was gonna' upset my Huskers, ABC broke in to show the final two minutes. I was sweating bullets, to say the least. When Davidson caught that pass off the Wiggins kick, I about lost my mind! What a sweet way for Osborne to go out, NATIONAL CHAMPS !!!

[@exchequerguy4037]

I was living on the east coast so we got to see the Michigan - Penn State yawner.

[@ssadams2108]

If I wasn't a Canes fan I would be all on Nebraska band wagon. Scott Frost was the man.

[@MrPioneerlight2011]

Not quite sure what happened to Nebraska in this game.....BUT....great heart for coming back!

[@maniamadhouse]

Mizzou had a squad this year and the next lol then they died til Brad Smith came

[@Ballay05]

Hands down luckiest play I've ever seen, but good teams make their own luck. What a tough, tough loss for Missouri. But it all started when on 1st down Missouri gave up a huge pass. Next play Nebraska has ball at Missouri 40 with :55 seconds left.

[@gynandroidhead]

We got screwed dropping two spots to #3 after this game and remaining undefeated.

[@ej5626]

Frost going over and embracing Jones after the game was classy.

[@robjohnson8861]

Yeah, it's always classy for the winning QB to extend an olive branch. Shit!

[@sorney98]

@@robjohnson8861 right last person we need to ask about class is you since you don't have any lol

[@Theflyingbuttfloss]

I had to shower for work and missed the end of the game. Never turned a husker game off early again. (Last few years not withstanding)

[@AZCardCollector1]

What a great night that was

[@ndhunter]

I was at this game, and left when Missouri got their last first down with 2:00 left, thinking it was all over. I missed the catch at the end, and as a Husker fan was very upset at myself for leaving early. As the years have gone by, though, it's made for a more interesting story than if I had stayed. Besides, I had taped the game and watched what I missed when I got back home.

[@jew460]

You will regret it always my man. Were you trying to beat “traffic” in Columbia lol???

[@turtleflegel6816]

You're about to have a historic victory and the sprinklers go off. Only Mizzou.

[@exchequerguy4037]

Sometimes I wonder if the miracle play helped Nebraska win national title votes. It made for a good story line: a team keeps winning handily, then wins by the skin of its teeth, then resumes constantly winning handily. I've seen a number of national champions have season narratives like that.

[@bufu261]

love this game mizzou outplayed us but we champions get lucky now n then hats off to mizzou love it

[@HDN041959]

One of the Most Exciting Back and Forth Battles of all time...

[@thomascoburn5481]

It's Crazy that this commentator,who's name I forget, is still out here Grinding in college Football today. Or was last time I checked .

[@keirassecretalt1902]

2:21:05 miracle

[@Gorilla-qh4zc]

Nebraska will compete again big improvements on defense this past season just a lil more time

[@michaelleroy9281]

Nebraska found another way to win in this game.

[@mokamo23]

amazing game. nu had so many players who left their mark elsewhere: frost, green, wistrom, kelsay, rucker, warfield, etc, etc.

[@saxter1993]

1:17:46 he said deers...

[@gynandroidhead]

Twenty years ago

[@georgeschaefer648]

Love those old tear away jerseys!

[@tomkulla-abbott6517]

If the game was played in this era the TD would not count and I a a Husker Fan!

[@63utuber]

Missouri must have scored a TD earlier in the second quarter - wish it was here. Bad announcing - noting the obvious kick of the ball, but not mentioning that it is illegal.

[@robjohnson8861]

Nope. Not illegal. 2 conflicting rules in place. Player cannot kick the ball and player can use any part of the body to secure the ball. player used his body to try and maintain possession vs a player kicking a fumble out of bounds so his team maintains possession.

[@BGD.2980]

Memories, Nebraska... You'll never live these days again.

[@arthurvandeliegh8681]

How do you know that? We won multiple NCs twice, we can get there again. They told the same thing to Alabama in the early 2000's. How did that turn out? Their current times are actually better than any of their "glory days" ever were. Who's your team anyway? You just go on different team's videos to downplay their success?

[@sauerkraut89]

GO BIG RED!

[@LordDirus007]

7 seconds left when "the catch" play started.

[@Monaayy29]

RIP Larry Smith

[@ssadams2108]

Frost moved backwards before that snap. Should have been false start no play on the final 7 seconds play in regulation.

[@jeremy10ization]

I think it was less to do with celebrating, and more about relieving stress

[@rooh5825]

It is kind of fun how Missouri fans (and Michigan fans) freak out about the flea kicker, but they don't want to talk about the pass interference on the play before. :) And one more key fact, even if the catch had not been made, Nebraska had 2 or 3 seconds on the clock for a 4th down play. The game wasn't over if that ball hit the ground, although the way the timers for Missouri were running time off the clock... who knows? They cheated Nebraska out of several minutes.

[@herbiep7165]

Gawd I luv brentburger

[@miked1355]

Who is Scott Frost? 2:30:11

[@snakebandit]

I love when they pooch it down to the 1 and we drive 99 yards down their throat :o)

[@Klopp619]

Forgive Frost? How about Rodgers who blew up Frost's offensive line the entire game? That game was NOT on Frost.

[@jaquiel5332]

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Missouri tigers 1997 Brent musburger dan fouts jack arute football

[@liamfenwicker]

I hope this hurts to watch you tiger fans. I hope this gives you nightmares and wakes you up in the middle of the night crying.

[@greyfox37]

Lol, that was the only time I ever rooted for ASU

[@robjohnson8861]

Nebraska faced Missouri and you rooted for ASU. Boy, I bet you were a hoot.

[@Trevor_Smith22]

Praise Coach Osborne

[@errose5967]

This is the game Larry Smith was periodically crying on the sideline because he thought he was going to win the game. Lol Sorry Larry, there is no crying until after you lose.

[@samsticka]

2:21:05 is the big moment.

[@charismatic9904]

@qukarlz no shit me 2! 20-3 loss for unc. 11-1 season for them though in mack browns last season.

[@nightwingaven69]

BRING BACK THE OPTION...BRING BACK THE GLORY OF NEBRASKA

[@c-record]

after this game i forgave Frost for the humiliating loss at Arizona St. in '96.

[@robjohnson8861]

What! ASU was ranked 17. TX was unranked and NEB lost to them. PSU beat TX 38-15 the next game.

[@lindseysummers5351]

@@robjohnson8861 That ASU loss was their only regular season loss between 1993-97. Not sure if you watched the game or not, but it was...bad, bad, bad. They got shut out and gave up three safeties. Nebraska was still a very good team in 1996, maybe even a top team. But they sure weren't on that night.

[@Klopp619]

I'm not a Husker fan and even I miss them running the option. Bo Pelini is just boring and sad. He's supposed to win the Big Ten, not try to play like the Big Ten.

[@Man-of-the-Century]

Both Nebraska and Scvott Frost in the Big 10 now? LOVE college football! ( But the Huskers shoulda lost this game, that kick up was illegal)

[@robjohnson8861]

No, it was not illegal. I'll try to find what I read about it. Something to the effect, 1) a player can use any part of his body to secure a ball and 2) kicking is illegal. It came down to 1) and the refs not knowing for sure he intended to kick it. When you fall backwards you better try to roll up in a ball, or it will hurt more. He fell, threw his legs up and boom kicked the ball.

[@robjohnson8861]

@Diane Newman "Not intentionally kicked GBR" You comment a lot. You think you would know that "After the game, Wiggins claimed to have kicked the ball intentionally to keep the play alive,"

[@robjohnson8861]

@Diane Newman who is ray?

[@sorney98]

@@robjohnson8861 yea Diane may comment a lot, but it takes a true troll to go through other teams videos try to prove his trollness. Time to delete you channel hypocrite

[@huskerpower4622]

GBR

[@ROMEYYOUROCK]

You use words for a living and you said ascared? 32:30 Great job Brent.

[@AceProductions77]

if it was 3rd down, why was it so important that they scored on that play

[@DanielSong39]

***** The time ran out after that play.

[@robjohnson8861]

@@DanielSong39 Actually, the clock kept ticking. The score came at 3 seconds. There was time for 1 more play but the field is jinxed. A couple of yds from the 5th down play against CO.

[@DanielSong39]

@@robjohnson8861 Well at least this play was legit. Colorado was stopped on fifth down too, by the way

[@robjohnson8861]

@@DanielSong39 The kicks legality was gray as hell. Two rules conflicted each other. 1) A player can use any part of their body 2) A player cannot kick the ball. I think to get 12 out of 12 jurors to agree 1 took priority would be a slim chance in hell.

[@robjohnson8861]

@@DanielSong39 As far as CO being stopped. One ref standing right on top of it was frozen and could not make the call. The other ref on the goal line came running in and called it. Sure looks suspicious but from your vantage point as a fan, no way you can call it either way.

[@ralfigs]

Mushberger

[@63utuber]

@FreeLilWayneAndTI WRONG Even using your hands can be illegal, as in trying to bat a ball headed out-of-bounds back toward the field of play.

[@roljamas]

Rather shocked you put this up - you're more of an Oklahoma video guy, no?

[@Trevor_Smith22]

But let's rebuild Tampa.

[@ac4brett]

You can tell Musburger is pissed they won.

[@robjohnson8861]

1) During Neb's 60-3 run, what was OU ranked each of the 5 years? 2) Can we consider your answer to 1) a validation of the greatness of the run, or does your answer raise more serious questions about how history will truly respect the 60-3 achievement.

[@sorney98]

Rob Johnson I ask you to look at the ranked teams that Nebraska played during those years. Played 3 Florida teams, 2 in the state of Florida(basically in their back yard). Most teams good-great teams we played always were in the rankings. 1995 team had toughest schedule with 4 teams finishing in the Top 10 playing 3 away from home.

[@robjohnson8861]

@@sorney98 Keep looking at the Neb threads and you'll find my answer to the ranked teams he played. I will create a website one day in Osborne's dishonor. During the 60-3 run, the bowl coaches he faced were Bowden, Erickson, Spurrier, Beamer and Fulmer. We know how he f'ed up against Bowden but he beat the other 4 coaches. Cough, they were 36-38 in their bowl/playoff (Erickson coach Div 11-their playoff are their bowls) games. Beamer was behind Edwards, Osborne in most bowl losses (12).

[@sorney98]

Rob Johnson when it comes to your opinions of teams a coaches, why the hell should I even care what your opinion is?

[@robjohnson8861]

@@sorney98 nobody brings more stats and less opinion on the college threads than me. You can't argue greatness where it doesn't exist. In 95, * we didn't know how piss poor the 4 coaches above would turn out. * we didn't know that Snyder would have a horrendous record (5-36) against top 10 teams. 5 of Osborne's 18 ranked teams during the 60-3 run were against KSU. * we didn't know Spurrier beat 1 of the worst 2 teams (out of 58 so far) in the SEC game just prior to the Neb game. Ark finished with 5 losses and unranked. * we didn't know how bad the SEC would be in 95. Least amount of top 20 teams in the final poll in all of the 90s. I can go on and on. As time has gone on by, the mystique of 95 has definitely wavered.

[@robjohnson8861]

@@sorney98 If you know what synergy is, then you can understand negative synergy. When you combine all of the stats, Osborne's 60-3 spoke more to how sorry his competition was.

[@mcoltrane5]

The fact is that this being a close game was a total fluke. Missouri played out of their minds, especially Corby Jones, and Nebraska's defense didn't show up. Any other Saturday this season and it would have been 42-10 Nebraska or something like that. It should have never caused such controversy, but hey that's football.

[@robjohnson8861]

It wasn't a fluke, it was Osborne's inability to keep the team focused the entire season. Look up Osborne's 1973 season and his first major blunder. It would define him.

[@dannyhuskerjay]

Rob Johnson kept them focused enough to win the NC

[@robjohnson8861]

@@dannyhuskerjay Not the AP. Read which one has always been considered more esteemed.

[@dannyhuskerjay]

Rob Johnson lol the coaches holds more respect tho . 97 huskers had a better O and a better coach then the 97 Michigan .

[@robjohnson8861]

@@dannyhuskerjay You're obviously young and have some interest in making Neb more than they were. So you really believe that a coach has the time, ability and databases to analyze every team in the country like the writers do? Silly clown. So the adage is, Offenses win championships??? Are you sure? In the writers mind, "defenses win championships" and guess who statistically had the better defense. MI was #1, Neb was #4. Better coach. So writers vote for coaches when deciding the polls? Really? That is a first.

[@ApoIIo95]

Back when college football was good. It has been ruined by the transfer portal and mega money conferences. Unwatchable now.

[@Klopp619]

We already have one, Michigan didn't need the luckiest play ever to beat any of their opponents. End of story.

[@arthurvandeliegh8681]

Nice try, but that argument makes no sense. First-its called awareness and making things happen, only championship teams make plays like that-just because its planned doesn't mean it doesn't take skill, but that aside. If having a really close win counts against us then how much more does your really close win against Wash St count against you considering we beat a much better Tenn team by way more? Anyway all we can do is make our arguments. If I were a Michigan fan I'd make my case for winning the NC because you went undefeated and the stupid system didn't let us play so what else can we do? You never know for sure until they play on the field.

[@robjohnson8861]

@@arthurvandeliegh8681 said "First-its called awareness and making things happen, " That has to be the biggest crock of shit I have ever read on these boards. Grow a goober and call it like everybody saw it. It was the luckiest play ever bec 1) he was able to kick it, 2) if was just inches from the missouri player's finger tips 3) the neb player was just able to scoop it before it hit the ground. But anyway, the AP (the more esteemed poll) got it right. That is all that matters.

[@mrknowitall7048]

Michigan needed a Rose Bowl game to end early to win it.

[@sorney98]

@@robjohnson8861 AP(media so no one cares about a piece of wood), while Nebraska got a beautiful crystal football. Take that anyday.

[@bradcahill7317]

Two decades ago Nebraska used to be pretty good. Todays players weren't even born back then and nobody wants to go play there anymore,..funny how times change. The school hasn't even won a conference championship in forever. Guess its good to remember the old days huh

[@bryanneideffer3969]

Always!

[@rooh5825]

Then you have Missouri, no one wanted to play there, EVER

[@SXI96]

Brad Cahill Too embarrassed to say what your team is? Is it Missouri(or as we say Misery)?

[@user-iw5us6bl2l]

Frost was an idiot long B4 he came to coach back at NU.

[@Trevor_Smith22]

Maybe Michigan woulda been the better

[@mokamo23]

@FreeLilWayneAndTI and let's not forget the pass interference by MU.

[@MizzouLife]

I'm the dislike. =|

[@solrosenberg3803]

Michigan > Nebraska.

[@DamonNomad82]

Michigan had the weakest offense of any top 25 team in 1997. Nebraska would have shut them out.

[@12106445]

If it wasn't for luck they would have lost 38-31.Michigan was the better team that year..

[@iantomlin3538]

Ok? Despite the fact that you barely squeaked out a victory vs Wash St and we beat the living hell out of Tennessee? Who was ranked #3. Also, if we ever played, you guys would get crushed because your only elite player was a cornerback. We rarely passed, and we rushed for well over 200 yards per game. Also, our margin of victory was about double of yours.

[@gynandroidhead]

+Ian The Clasher The oddsmakers had Nebraska as a sizable favorite against Michigan (around a TD) if the idiotic Bowl Alliance would have had the Big Ten as a part of it. To UM's credit, they would have been more than willing to settle it on the field - and I would have loved to see that game.

[@Todzilla98]

+Poop Face To be fair, Tennessee watched Michigan beat Washington State and knew they didn't have a chance at the championship so they went on to shit the bed against Nebraska. I think Nebraska was the better team, but to use that game as a measuring stick is a stretch.

[@dwighta8655]

Are you always this stupid? Tenn shit the bed because Nebraska made them.

[@arthurvandeliegh8681]

How is it a stretch to compare these two final games? Tennessee was the better team and Nebraska beat them way more convincingly than Michigan beat WSU. By the way, WSU didn't have a chance to win the NC either, and I'm pretty sure Tennessee had plenty of motivation anyway.