There are a lot of different criteria that needs to be determined before someone can fairly choose what is the greatest team in the history of college football. Certain things constitute grounds for bumping them from consideration.
First and foremost, the team needs to have won the national championship unanimously. That eliminates the 2005 Auburn Tigers and USC Trojans. Sorry, folks, but if there is a question as to who the best team in one year is, neither of those teams are good enough to be considered the best ever.
Secondly, the team needs to have finished undefeated. There have been a lot of great teams, even dominant teams who have won national championships, but along the road lost focus and lost a game to someone they shouldn't have. You lose and you are out. There have been too many teams that finished undefeated.
Thirdly, when you get down to the undefeated national champions, you need to delve even further and look at dominance. This means yards allowed on defense, points scored on offense, and most importantly, average margin of victory. Nothing quantifies dominance like how badly you thrashed the teams you played.
Finally, if you are still struggling to pick the best, look at the talent level on the teams. How many All-Americans? How many future NFL players? How many future NFL stars?
Based on this criteria, the team you have to choose is the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. They weren't just good in every facet of the game; they were unstoppable. They crushed opponents on their way to an undefeated season and national championship.
When looking at the criteria here is how Miami stacks up.
In 2001, there was no question who was the best team in the country and national champion.
All season long people were anticipating a Nebraska and Miami showdown. Miami had switched between No. 1 and No. 2 in the polls all season, and the Cornhuskers, led by Heisman trophy winner Eric Crouch, were No. 1 for most of the second half of the season.
However, like every year with the BCS, the end of the season was marred by controversy.
The Huskers were 11-0 going into their final game of the regular season against Colorado, who was a great team but was not expected to beat the feared Huskers.
Unfortunately for the Huskers, Colorado stomped them 62-36, and set up controversy between Nebraska (11-1), Oregon (11-1), and Colorado (10-2). In the end, the Cornhuskers were able to hold the lead over Oregon by a slim margin and earn the right to play Miami.
Miami destroyed them 37-14, but it was 34-0 at the end of the first half. While some critics may say Miami didn't play the second best team that year, everyone thought Nebraska was the No. 1 team until they lost to Colorado, so it's safe to say that Oregon has no beef about who wins the national title in 2001.
In regards to being undefeated, the Hurricanes did indeed finish the season undefeated. They were only undefeated team in the country, so nobody will be able to fight that point.
The place where this Miami team stands out the most is in the last two categories. Their dominance in the 2001 season was unheard of in modern college football with the amount of talent that gets spread throughout the country.
Their offense was run professionally. A steady and balanced diet of run and pass, and why not: they had the talent to do both. Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez, the two All-American tackles, were road graders that led the best offensive line in the country and allowed Miami's talented backs to run free.
Their running game featured Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Jarrett Payton, Najeh Davenport, and Willis McGahee. McGahee and Payton received limited to no playing time, but Portis ran for well over 1,000 yards, and Gore averaged almost nine yards per carry (8.83).
The passing game was just as talented. Ken Dorsey was in his junior season at the University of Miami, and while he may not have had all the tools, he was without a doubt one of the best in the country, and his numbers supported it.
Dorsey finished the season completing nearly 60% of his passes for 3,029 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions.
It didn't hurt that he had All-Americans to throw the football to, either. Andre Johnson was without a doubt the best wide receiver in the entire country, and with Jeremy Shockey at tight end, Dorsey had plenty of options.
The offense as a whole averaged 42.6 points per game while racking up over 5000 total yards of offense.
Their defense was fast and full of play-makers, led by consensus All-American Ed Reed. The defensive unit led allowed only 9.4 points per game, the best in the country. They also led the country in pass defense and turnover margin, thanks in part to 46 takeaways, also good for tops in the country.
The defense scored eight touchdowns by themselves, and the return game had three touchdowns for a total of 11 non-offensive touchdowns. The defense of Miami allowed 13 offensive touchdowns by the opposition all season long.
Just 13.
They played two close games. The first came in Chestnut Hill; a game everyone remembers. Ed Reed and Mike Rumph crushed the hopes of BC fans everywhere when Rumph stuffed a screen pass off his knee, and Reed ripped the ball from Matt Walters' hands and took it all the way to the end zone for a 18-7 victory.
The second close call was against Virginia Tech. The 'Canes led 20-3 at the half, and dominated the game all the way through, accumulating 160 more yards, 12 more first downs, and 10 more minutes of time of possession. Two late scores by the Hokies brought them close, but a failed two-point conversion to tie the game was the last chance Tech got, and the game ended 26-24.
The rest of the season Miami just breezed through.
They crushed their bitter rivals Florida State, with the final score standing at 49-27. The feared Seminole pass rush hadn't even put pressure on Ken Dorsey the entire game, allowing him to obliterate the man-to-man coverage the Seminoles were counting on.
The 'Canes started the season in Beaver Stadium against the Nittany Lions in what was supposed to be a good game. Well, ABC televised it, and the Hurricanes went into the half leading 30-0. After halftime, coach Larry Coker pulled his starters and the game ended 33-7, which was the worst loss ever suffered by Joe Paterno at home.
The real statement came when Miami played No. 14 Syracuse and No. 12 Washington in back to back weeks. A portion of the schedule pundits deemed as the true litmus test of their team.
Miami passed the test by beating Syracuse 59-0 and following that win up with another win, this time over Washington 65-7. The blowouts set the NCAA record for margin of victory over consecutive ranked teams (124-7), and cemented Miami as the No. 1 team in the country.
As for future NFL talent and the All-Americans, the 2001 Hurricanes are unrivaled. Phillip Buchanon, Bryant McKinnie, Joaquin Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey, and kicker Todd Sievers were all First Team All-Americans.
The NFL talent can only be described by doing a depth chart, so bear with me.
Offense
QB - Ken Dorsey (drafted in the 7th round, non-impact in NFL)
RB - Clinton Portis (2nd round draft pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance)
Najeh Davenport (4th round draft pick, good player but no Pro Bowls)
Frank Gore (3rd round pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance, 1 All-Pro selection)
Willis McGahee (1st round pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance)
WR - Andre Johnson (1st round pick, 2 Pro Bowl appearances, 1 All-Pro selection)
Roscoe Parrish (2nd round pick, no Pro Bowls but 2 returns for TDs)
TE - Jeremy Shockey (1st round pick, 4 Pro Bowl appearances, 1 All-Pro selection)
Kellen Winslow Jr. (1st round pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance)
OL - Bryant McKinnie (1st round pick, no Pro Bowls, has started since selection)
Joaquin Gonzalez (7th round pick, non-impact player)
Martin Bibla (4th round pick, non-impact player)
Vernon Carey (1st round pick, starter at tackle)
Defense
DL - Jerome McDougle (1st round pick, has been injured off and on, no impact)
William Joseph (1st round pick, starter but not much impact)
Vince Wilfork (1st round pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance, 1 All-Pro selection)
LB - John Vilma (1st round pick, 1 Pro Bowl appearance)
D.J. Williams (1st round pick, no Pro Bowls, second in NFL in tackles in 2007)
DB - Ed Reed (1st round pick, 4 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pros, former Def. Player of the Year)
Mike Rumph (1st round pick, non-impact)
Phillip Buchanon (1st round pick, starter in '07)
Sean Taylor (1st round pick, 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro)
Antrelle Rolle (1st round pick, occasional starter/nickelback)
I will do the math for you.
23 total players drafted
16 first round draft picks
18 combined Pro Bowls
9 combined All-Pros
With these criteria, it is fairly simple to show that Miami in 2001 was far and away the best team to ever grace the football field. In fact, I almost believe they could have beaten the worst NFL team.
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3 months ago
'95 Huskers were better. Closest game was a 14 point win in which Wash State scored a couple late TDs to make it respectable. The numbers show that they were the most dominating college football team ever. Doesn't matter how many NFL players came off that Miami team. It would have been a good battle, but Miami wouldn't have been able to withstand the physical pounding of that Nebraska squad. Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp's 'Canes couldn't do it at home against the '94 Huskers. The '01 Canes would have met a similar fate.
from 3 months ago
And show me the records and rankings of the cream puff schedule the '95 Huskers played.
Six different Hurricane Teams, '86, '87, '90, 2000, 2001, 2002 would be that '95 Husker team.
You Corn-Holers are so delusional. lol
The only reason that 1995 team was so good was because the U had spanked them for a decade and Osborne went to Coral Gables to learn from the Masters and FSU.
If you know anything about the Huskers you know that's exactly what they did.
3 months ago
What makes it hard to compare it that you really cannot use NFL talent as an indicator with you look a Nebraska pre 2003 because of the offensive scheme. For instance, run blocking full of pulling guard of tackles waaaayyy different than pass blocking. Fraiser as a option QB is probably the best college QB ever, but not a NFL QB because of this tools do not match the NFL. So really comparing draft pics are really irrelevant.
from 3 months ago
Sorry, with the exception of Tommie Frazier and maybe one or two offensive line positions, I am not buying that argument.
Its impossible to compare the quarterback position, but by that same measure the glories of Lawrence Phillips and Ahman Green were probably inflated, (see their NFL careers).
Defensively you can compare all you want the positions are all the same.
If the 2001 Hurricanes played the 1995 Huskers, the Canes would win
3 months ago
This is an assinine article. Isn't it pretty common knowledge that the 95 Nebraska team is the best of all time? The very criteria he lays out in this article point to the 95 Nebraska team being better than the 01 Miami. Nebraska had no close games that year, was dominant on both offense and defense, and thrashed the #2 team in the country in their bowl game. Miami had 2 close games and played their bowl game against a nebraska team that was coming off a horrible loss.
from 2 months ago
The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are the Greatest College Football Team of All-Time because;
UM All-Americans: 5, NU All-Americans: 3,
UM Ranked Opp: 5 (Top 15) , NU Ranked Opp: 4 (Top 10),
UM against ranked Opp: 236-72, NU against Ranked Opp: 196-73
UM 1st Rd Picks: 6, NU first Rd Picks: 1
UM beat NU who beat the defending National Champions
3 months ago
An argument can be made for the 2001 Canes as best ever, but this article is a poor excuse for one. Here's an article that compares '95 Nebraska with '01 Miami.
"How to calculate the greatest college football team ever."
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/691023/how_to_calculate_the_greatest_college.html?cat=14
from 3 months ago
I think my version may have been much broader and less in depth, but on a general level it touches on all the same criteria that the article you mentioned begin with.
Kudos to him for taking the time to come up with this elaborate formula, I just wanted to do it generally.
from about 1 month ago
Great article and a great example of an unbiased study. Blows Miami fans "theories" of tougher schedule, MY ASS and SO MUCH MORE NFL TALENT RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER! 01 Canes who had NFL careers 28, 95 Skers 27! and thats not counting two 95 Skers players who barring unfortunate circumstance go on to play in NFL. Frazier and Berringer
3 months ago
The 01 Canes team isn't even the second best college football team of all time, rofl.
Nebraska 95 would demolish them.
from 3 months ago
no explanation? nothing to back that up?
These reasons are maybe one of the only ways you can compare which team would win head-to-head, and it still isn't very good and objective, but take a look.
All Americans?
Miami had 6 and Nebraska had 3
All Conference Players?
Miami had 13, and Nebraska had 11
3 months ago
So the "greatest team of all time" would have two games decided in the closing minutes? This powerful offense only put up 18 on an 8-4 BC team? You can bring up your NFL talent all you want but your subject is indeed the greatest TEAM in history which statistically you cannot argue with NU95.
Their games were never in question after halftime. How about Miami's?
They put atleast 35 points up in every game. How about Miami?
They beat the crap out of (minimum 23 point differential) four end-of-season top 10 ranked teams. How many did Miami beat? Only one, NU which was beaten worse in the game it played previous.
They pounded an undefeated Florida team that still ended up #2 and was considered possibly one of the all-time greats before the title game as they too beat the tar out of every team they played (closest game 11 points, Auburn).
They didn't allow a sack. All season.
They beat Colorado 44-21 with perfection- no turnovers/penalties/sacks and balanced rushing/passing yards.
They were the total packages in offense (400yds/game rushing), defense and special teams (freakish stat: 12 yards in punt returns allowed all season).
They put up 63 points on Arizona State, which would be in the hunt for the national championship the following season - in the first half alone!
These are all nice things but the ones that stand alone are the facts that they never played in a game decided after halftime and they beat the snot out of the four top ten teams they did play.
from about 1 month ago
You are correct to point out the pitiful offensive performance that the 01 Canes crapped out agaisnt 01 BC. But, you actually gave their offense too much credit. In actuality the 01 Canes offense produced a WHOPPING one offensive td that day agasint BC. And, remind me. I don't think BC's defense that day field a two deep roster of defensive players that put 17-19 guys in NFL most careers as multiple year starters. ONE OFFENSIVE TD! OH My GoD! And I have brought that up to Miami fans before and have heard some of the lamest and ridiculous excuses. Lamest of which had to be, "It was windy!" ROFL
3 months ago
"All Americans?
Miami had 6 and Nebraska had 3
All Conference Players?
Miami had 13, and Nebraska had 11 "
As I recall we are debating the best "team" and thus although miami has more stars, their team stats fall short. Note: These stats do not include the bowl games, which only benefits Miami.
Neb Total Offense Avg. in yards Per Game 556.3
Miami Offense Average in yards Per Game 454.8
Neb Total Points 421... Average per game 52.4
Miami Total Points 475... Average per game 43.2
Neb Total First Downs 298
Miami Total First Downs 242
Neb wins over top ten teams (season) 3 (bowls included) 4
Miami wins over top ten teams (season) 0 bowls 1
from 3 months ago
ok so you only did offensive categories and you are going to try and tell me that No. 14 Florida State, No. 10 Washington, and No. 12 syracuse weren't ranked.
Nebraska played a very tough schedule, but Miami's wasnt really that easy
3 months ago
Who can really say what team is the best of all time, really? The 71 Huskers won the national title and beat the teams that were ranked 2nd (Oklahoma), 3rd (Colorado), and 4th (Alabama). No other team can make that claim. I would say the 71 Huskers deserve mention in this argument. The thing that sticks with me regarding the 95 Huskers is that they totally dominated a team in Florida that won the National Championship the following year. Two years later, the 97 Huskers dominated a Tennessee team (with the great Payton Manning) in the Orange Bowl and the Vols won the National Championship the following year as well. Football is a team sport and the number of all americans, all conference players, and (especially) NFL players doesn't justify this argument. The 2001 Canes are one of the best ever, I agree. But I have one question: Who did they play?
3 months ago
http://www.huskersnside.com//pdf3/40184.pdf?SPSID=1&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100
3 months ago
What does being a high NFL draft pick have to do with anything? There are a ton of high draft picks who were complete busts (or "non-impact" as your list above shows.) In fact, 7 of the 23 drafted had "no impact". It's almost a self refuting argument.
To wit, you need to follow your own suggestion: in your last comment you state, "no explanation? nothing to back that up?", while previously admitting "I think my version may have been much broader and less in depth". At least the linked article with the formula puts actual numbers and logic behind the assumption. And the numbers don't lie: 1995 Nebraska is the best of all time. Period.
3 months ago
You guys are nuts. I was at the Rose Bowl when Miami won the "ship". The absolute skill that team had at every position was ridiculous. I remember just before the half Nebraska was trying to show some signs of life, they got a post play for about 14 yards, than ran a cross route up the middle. Their receiver took a hit from Vilma that was heard all the way across the field and in the nosebleeds where I was sitting. That was the end of any life for them. Every time Nebraska tried something, Miami had an answer for them. At the end of the game I had at least 3 Nebraska fans say to me "That was an awesome display of speed, congrats". Have to give it them, their fans were nicer than ours. LOL.
The (2) close games Miami had that year were against quality teams (VaTech) likely could have beat any of the West Coast pretenders that year. Additionally, those games were after Miami thrashed FSU, Washington, and Syracuse. They were tired from back to back thrashings. The '95 Nebraska team was obviously good. But no way they could size up to the speed and talent of the '01 Canes. It is absurd to even comtemplate that. Good job Micheal.
from 3 months ago
haha thanks Rob, I was getting killed in this one.
The more and more i read about '95 Nebraska the more impressive they are.
But, I stand by my argument
3 months ago
Maybe Nebraska had a good team but that was in 95 how much talent in the NFL came from the draft of '95? I cant really name any big names maybe Ahman Green thats it the UM Hurricanes were stacked with talent if the 2 teams were to play I would have to say UM would have beat NU95 21-14 It is a good discussion but how many teams back them were stacked with talent in 95 the class of 01 was stacked so arguably Miami would have played a lot better teams.
from about 1 month ago
01 Miami played better teams.. What? Not one of the 5 ranked teams other than 01 NU, and their final ranking is questionable, that 01 UM played finished season any higher than every ranked team that 95 NU played. Big 8 in 95 accomplished a feat in 95 that had never been done before or matched since. Big 8 of 95 only conference EVER to have 4 teams finish season in top 10 of both major polls, have 10 win season and all win their respective bowl games. 95 Skers defeated each of these other 3 Big 8 by an AVG of 28 points! Closest in conference game was 23 point win over CU. Keep in mind NU played each of these games without the potential and likely Heisman winner L. Phillips. Osborne kept him out until bowl game because he didnt want anyone to say that he was coming back to help them win. If he plays agaisnt these teams could probably add a minimum of one more td to NU score.
from about 1 month ago
01 Miami played better teams.. What? Not one of the 5 ranked teams other than 01 NU, and their final ranking is questionable, that 01 UM played finished season any higher than every ranked team that 95 NU played. Big 8 in 95 accomplished a feat in 95 that had never been done before or matched since. Big 8 of 95 only conference EVER to have 4 teams finish season in top 10 of both major polls, have 10 win season and all win their respective bowl games. 95 Skers defeated each of these other 3 Big 8 by an AVG of 28 points! Closest in conference game was 23 point win over CU. Keep in mind NU played each of these games without the potential and likely Heisman winner L. Phillips. Osborne kept him out until bowl game because he didnt want anyone to say that he was coming back to help them win. If he plays agaisnt these teams could probably add a minimum of one more td to NU score.
from about 1 month ago
01 Miami played better teams.. What? Not one of the 5 ranked teams other than 01 NU, and their final ranking is questionable, that 01 UM played finished season any higher than every ranked team that 95 NU played. Big 8 in 95 accomplished a feat in 95 that had never been done before or matched since. Big 8 of 95 only conference EVER to have 4 teams finish season in top 10 of both major polls, have 10 win season and all win their respective bowl games. 95 Skers defeated each of these other 3 Big 8 by an AVG of 28 points! Closest in conference game was 23 point win over CU. Keep in mind NU played each of these games without the potential and likely Heisman winner L. Phillips. Osborne kept him out until bowl game because he didnt want anyone to say that he was coming back to help them win. If he plays agaisnt these teams could probably add a minimum of one more td to NU score.
3 months ago
Football is a team sport, but it takes talent to win. Every coach knows this. That's why ever college coach recruits. Yes, the '95 Nebraska team was good. One of the best ever. But if you're trying to compare two teams.. ultimately you have to compare the talent. Miami just had way more talent then Nebraska. Nebraska fans will try to negate this by saying football is a "team" sport or what does NFL production have anything to do with it. Well I would argue it has everything (when you compare two teams who never played each other). Great players... make great plays. When the game is tight, you want your studs to make the key hit, pass, interception, etc. Miami had so many of these guys. It was amazing.
from about 1 month ago
According to a blooger.writer who did in depth study of the greatest college football team of all time 01 Canes had 28 future NFL players, 95 Skers 27! That is not a talent gap! And that doesnt include Frazier and Berringer who both play in NFL barring unfirtunate set of circumstance
3 months ago
"when the game is tight, you want your studs..."
That's the point. With the '95 NU squad the game was never tight. And this, mind you, included four END-OF-SEASON top 10 teams.
There's no question on this one. Try to find ANY article outside of a UM fan site that puts the '01 Canes over the '95 Huskers. You won't find it. You can cling to your opinions obviously and use the NFL draft as your guide, but EVERY major publication that has ever done a "best team ever" article will show the '95 Huskers leading the pack.
3 months ago
Several components are missing from the comparison between 95 NU & 01 UM:
1. Overall opponents (W/L percentage) Records.
2. Offensive & Defensive Stats
3. Home vs Away games
1. Overall opponents (W/L percentage) Records:
The CANES overall opponents (W/L percentage) Records was 0.568% = 57%
NUs overall opponents (W/L percentage) Records was 0.547% = 55%
The CANES overall opponents (W/L percentage) Records are 2% percentage points better than NUs. Not significant in the shear numbers, yet illustrates that both teams played virtually equal talent.
2001 - CANES (12-0)
PF - 512
PA - 117
Opponents (W/L) Records – (79-60) = 0.568%
Home vs Away – (6 vs 5)
NR - PSU (5-6) - Away
NR - RU (2-9) - Home
NR - Pitt (7-5) - Away
NR - Troy (7-4) - Home
#16 - FSU (8-4) - Away
NR - WVU (3-8) - Home
NR - Temple (4-7) - Home
#25 - BC (8-4) - Away
#14 - SYR (10-3) - Home
#12 - WA (8-4) - Home
#14 - VT (8-4) - Away
#4 - NU (11-2)
1995 - NU (12-0)
PF - 638
PA – 174
Opponents (W/L) Records – (75-62-2) = 0.547%
Home vs Away – (8 vs 3)
NR - OSU (4-8) - Away
NR - MSt (6-5-1) - Away
NR - AzSt (6-5) - Home
NR - Pacific (CA) (3-8) – Home - [Discontinued their FB Program after 95 season]
NR - WashSt (3-8) – Home
NR - Mizzuo (3-8) – Home
#8 - KSt (10-2) – Home
#7 - Col (10-2) - Away
NR - IowaSt (3-8) – Home
#10 - Kansas (10-2) – Home
NR - OU (5-5-1) – Home
#2 - UF (12-1)
2. Offensive & Defensive Stats:
Also, there is virtually no mention nor comparison of defensive strength. The CANES D thoroughly beat down on its opponents defensively by allowing only 117 pts/gm all season for a 9.75 pt/gm avg. NU allowed 174 pts/gm for a 14.5 pt/gm avg. The CANES defensive unit also led the country in pass defense and turnover margin, thanks in part to 46 takeaways, also good for tops in the country. The CANES defense scored 8 TDs by themselves, and the return game had 3 TDs for a total of 11 non-offensive touchdowns. The defense allowed 13 offensive TDs by the opposition all season long.
Just 13.
The CANES were so much more well-balanced offensively and could score on the ground and through the air. NU was one-dimensional and relied heavily on its running game. This means head-to-head, 2001 Miami’s D would have caused 1995 NU to abandon its favorable running attack game-plan to a one-dimensional non-existent passing game. With the CANES offensive balance, NU’s average D, The CANES #1 Defense – Miami wins 27-13.
2001 CANES:
Rushing – 2,190 yds
Passing – 3,029 yds
1995 NU
Rushing –4,398 yds
Passing – 1,721 yds
3. Home vs Away:
2001 CANES - Home vs Away – (6 vs 5)
1995 NU - Home vs Away – (8 vs 3)
NU had home-field advantage 73% of the time whereas the CANES had it 55% of the time. You tell me who had the tougher road schedule???
Here’s an interesting fact:
95 NU’s offense was even more productive than that of the “Scoring Explosion’’ team in 1983. The Cornhuskers ranked No. 1 in the nation in both rushing (399.8) and scoring (52.4) and No. 2 in total offense (556.3). The 1983 team was slightly better rushing the ball, averaging a school-record 401.7 yards, but it averaged slightly fewer points (52.0) and total yards (546.7). #1 NU lost to #5 Miami National Championship game. Hmmmmmmmm – that #5 Miami team isn’t even ranked as one of the best and it still beat what was considered at that time, the greatest cfb team ever!
Face it, the 2001CANES are better and would defeat 95 NU – PERIOD! They did it in 83.
from 3 months ago
I always enjoy the help
from about 1 month ago
"2001 Miami's D would have caused 1995 NU to abandon its favorable running attack game-plan to a one-dimensional non existent passing game" Your direct qoute. LOL COUGH COUGH HEART ATTACK! Check my earlier post regarding 01 VT and the success they had in 01 running the ball on your 01 Canes D. Why is htis important? First off, VT runs the nearly identical power I formation pro set that NU has runn for decades. Out of this set they run the very same power running plays that NU would hit Um with. Stretch plays, counters, iso, traps, counter-traps, straight handoff to Rb, zone plays,toss plays, fb dive etc and Vt had success with NOTHING CLOSE to the lineman, rb or qb talent that 95 Nu had.
95 Nu was not one dimensional and Frazier was deadly with play action passes to TE, Se down the seam for big gains and TD. 95 Frazier 56 completion % 17td and 4 int! Oh and if they had wanted they could bring in Berringer and run a pro style passing offense if they had chosen. Cu tried to make 95 NU one dimensional, didnt work. NU ran for 250 plus and Frazier threw for 240!
from about 1 month ago
You might want to do some fact checking regarding Nebraska's schedule in 1995. You say in your post that Nebraska played Kansas at HOME, in Lincoln. That is incorrect. game was played in Lawrence in 1995. In fact, of the 4 top 10 teams Nebraska played that year only 1, KSU was a true HOME game.
Kansas Away
Colorado Away
Kansas St Home
Florida neutral Bowl
3 months ago
First of all, the game played against Kansas was an away game, one of three top-10 teams NU did not play at home. Secondly 1983's team was considered the greatest up until that point in time. Even they had a couple squeaker games (OK-ST and OKla). Like the '94 Penn State team the defense was sub-par and overshadowed by the offensive firepower.
The '95 team had everything and shut down everything that was thrown at them. At halftime, the average score was 31-7 (none within 11) and 43-10 after 3 quarters which meant that coach Osborne was going to play a lot of backups the rest of the game. I'm sure all those teams looked at NU and said, "all they do is run the ball, that means we'll stuff the run and they will abandon their favorable running attack game-plan and turn them into a one-dimensional non-existing passing game" which worked about NEVER. Colorado (#4/#5 final) slowed it down somewhat to the point that they were pounded through the air (226 rushing/ 241 passing). Or what about K-st (#7/#6 final) where they never even scored on the ground but still won 49-25? How is it they play the sloppiest games of the year against Oklahoma and Kansas (#9/#10 final) and still beat them 37-0 and 41-3 respectively?? How did they dismantle that florida team that had won every game they played that season by atleast 11 points (including #3/#2 final Tennessee, #4/#5 FSU). UM's big win was against NU 2001?? That team got totally steamrolled worse in its previous game and probably didn't belong in the final top 10. UM averaged 10 penalties for 86 yards a game vs NU's 4 for 39. You can't also overlook the coaching and discipline.
To compare the greatest teams you have to look at the results and not dwell so much on individuals. Would the 83 huskers have lost to UM if you looked only at the rosters? Would UM have lost to OSU in the championship game in '02? Would NU had any business losing by only 2 points in the '93 championship game?
2 months ago
you husker fans need to realize that you are yesterdays news...you have 80,000 people showing up to the spring game to see a BUCH OF LOSERS have a spring game...its going to take alot more than Tom Osborne joining the program to turn you around...if want to live in the past and say the 1995 husker team was better than the 2001 Miami team-LOL-then fine...but you damn well know that john vlima and DJ williams and Ed Reed and Vince Wilfork were on that "D" they would have had tommy frazier for breakfast..and if we would have had a god damn QB in 94 other than Frank costa then we would have beaten you then as well as kicked your ass in 2001,1983,1988,and 1991
THE -U- OWNS N-U
GO CANES
8-28-2008...A new era begins in south florida..
1983,1987,1989,1991,2001 National Champions
2 months ago
Matt, you are the reason 90% of this country hates Miami. You're as arrogant as your players. And yet, where does this arrogance come from, considering your team has been as mediocre as Nebraska for the past several years, despite playing in a much lousier conference? If anybody is "yesterday's news", it's "the U".
Just once, it would have been nice for Miami to come play NU in Lincoln in January. Instead, your boys always seemed to get us at home (aside from the '01 Rose). It would have been interesting to see your warm weather boys play in sub-zero temps in front of a hostile Husker crowd.
That said, your Canes defense with Sapp and Ray Lewis, 2 future NFL HOFers, still couldn't withstand the punishment of Husker Power. And the '95 Husker squad that destroyed Florida (and everyone else) was even better. To make comparisons across eras, the only fair way to do it is to compare each team to its peers. In '95, the Huskers had no peers.
P.S. Matt, when you talk about that "new era", are you talking about the Bulls? Last I checked, your Canes were running about 4th in your state.
from 2 months ago
but we aren't talking about how Miami is now, that has literally no bearing on who was better team the 2001 Canes or the 1995 Huskers....literally none.
"To make comparisons across eras, the only fair way to do it is to compare each team to its peers. In '95, the Huskers had no peers."
Frankly, there is no way to make a comparison across eras, its too difficult and has way too many ifs. But to say that the fairest way is to compare it to their peers??? I can't think of a worse way to compare two teams from different eras than to determine who was better based on who they play that year. That is without a doubt the worst way to compare them.
2 months ago
Wow...Nebraska fans really are true to their Huskers. So true they can not see the light. This and every other sport is about evolution. Evolution of sport and evolution of Man. Show my a person who says that the 95 Husker option could put up as many points as a high powered 3, 4, or 5 wide offense can, and I'll show you a Husker fan. With evolution of the sport and it's athletes, deffense became faster an so did players.
If you put each team against the Top 10 Deffenses and Offenses in college football today, the Canes would have more success on both sides of the ball. I'm not saying by any means that the 95 huskers would not have a stat or 2 better then the U. But come on, put that crap option on the feild today and see what happens. Yes they were good in their day, but that has come and past.
Miami was clearly the more balanced and dominant team. The NFL is the measuring stick for all college programs of today. The only difference in the games is that most college athletes can not perform at that level yet. Miami was the only team I ever heard of being debated on if they could beat some of the worst NFL teams.
This is the nail in the coffin for you Husker fans. The NFL teams are the best, they are the measuring stick we use when judging and comparing teams in college. The closer you resemble a true, balanced NFL team the closer you are to perfection. The 2001 Hurricanes are the closet thing to come out of college football to resemble a true NFL team. Not just a NFL team but a good NFL team. I think that is the final determining factor for who is the best. Since you can not compare stats from year to year. They were both great teams in their time, but head to head The Canes have the edge in all time greatness....
Oh and for the joker who said about the U being done. I think it was Nebraska that I saw this past year get laughed out their own stadium by 40 or 50 points. Sorry I could not resist.
from about 1 month ago
So, tell me.. How does a supposed college team that is as you say, "Not just a NFL team but a good NFL team" how is it that they almost lose to two very ordinary avg 4 loss COLLEGE teams? Vt abd BC ring a bell?
about 1 month ago
It only takes an inside look at one game of 2001 Miami's schedule to determine what happens if they play the 95 Skers. 01 VT runs a very similar style of I pro set offense with some of the very same power running plays that 95 NU ran and NU has ran FOR YEARS!. I won't even bring up the point that this game was a 2 point win for Miami. Looking at some of the numbers inside the game, i.e VT ran for 4+ yds a carry on 39 for 167. Fr K. Jones ran 24 for 156. RUNNING THE VERY SAME I PRO SET POWER RUNNING PLAYS THAT NU HAS!
And they did it with far LESS superior atheltes in the o line and rbs. 01 VT 3-4 O line drafted in NFL yet, only one had any real success, J. Grove mosttly as a back up. 3 rbs drafted and one with any real success. K. Jones. L. Suggs 5 yrs and 1200 yds not a succesful career. Also had a TE and FB drafted that never made teams.
95 NU O lineman C A Graham 5-7 yr starter fro Cards and Titans, G. C. Dishman 4 yr starter with Cards, C. A Treu 5-7 yr starter at tackle and C for Raiders. Started SB agaisnt Bucs, C. A Taylor 4-5 yrs with Raiders. FB J. Mackovicka 4 yr starter with Cards, RB. L. Phillips we all know his story, RB A. Green 10 yr starter in NFL, and two QB's who would have been NFL players if not for unusual circumstance Frazier injuries and Berringer's death RIP. So, that being said that 8-10 95 Skers offensive players who actually had success in NFL.
01 VT ran same offense, smae power running plays and had success with atheletes not even close to 95 Skers. GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK! 95 NU would run it down UM throats! And than they hit you with the option. Fr K. Jones runs for 156! L. Phillips, Green and co dismantle that D!
about 1 month ago
I love the Fact the "90% of the country hates Miami"....People hate what they wish they could be...They wish they could be Like the University of Miami...A small University with 13,000 enrollment in the middle of 6 Million people..A football team still able to win 5 NATIONAL TITLES since 1983...And with this Recruiting class thet Canes' have this year and with Randy shannon....give us 2 years and were winning NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AGAIN!! and NU will still be 2'nd best ALWAYS!! ......ITS A CANES THING....YOU..JUST...D-O-N-T...UNDERSTAND!!!! --GO CANES
about 1 month ago
95 NU would destroy and dismantle 01 Canes! The Blackshirts of the Mid 90's, especially the 95 edition ate pocket QB's with no ability to avoid the rush or move in the pocket like K. Dorsey for LUNCH! And trust me they will get to him. Can try and block that d line man up, might work sometimes, but mostly not. And UM isnt going to double team each of those guys on that d line so playing them straight up one of those AA on D line Wistrom, Tomich, or Peter or All Big 12 guy like Rucker will get there. Someone is going to get loose in backfiled on Dorsey, or bring numerous LB's that all run 10.2 hundred meters. Ask guys like T. Banks MSU, J. Plummer ASU, F. Costa UM!!
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