Way Back Machine Goes Way Back to 1982.

by BSD on Jun 14, 2007 10:15 PM EDT in Football

Remember a week or so ago I responded to Corn Nation's post about the split national championship of 1997 by asking "what about 1994?" Well, Corn Nation calls it justice for 1982.

The 1982 out of bounds pass cost Nebraska a national title, so when 1994 rolled around Nebraskans figured that Penn State owed us one. That's why you won't ever hear a Husker fan admit that the 1994 national title should have been split with half given to Penn State.

Penn State in 1994 - darned good team. A great team. They got screwed in the polls, but like I said, they owed us one.

So let me get this straight. Now Penn State didn't deserve the 1982 National Championship either? And 1994 was payback for the 1982 injustice? So basically you're saying Penn State was the better team in 1994, but much like Nebraska in 1982, we got screwed.

Not that I'm willing to say Nebraska completely got screwed 1982 mind you. Yes, there was a bad call at the end of the game. Yes, it made a difference. But that's football. If it had happened in the first quarter nobody would remember it today. Human error is part of football and has been since the very first snap.

But let's not just dismiss the other accomplishments of the 1982 Penn State team. They played four teams ranked in the top five that year: #2 Nebraska, #4 Alabama, #5 Pitt, and #1 Georgia. They also played #13 Notre Dame. With the exception of Alabama, Penn State beat all of these teams. By contrast, Nebraska's best wins came against #20 Auburn, #11 Oklahoma, and #13 LSU. So not only did Penn State beat Nebraska in 1982, they played a much more difficult schedule.

No. I'm sorry. Penn State deserved the National Championship in 1982 just as they deserved a share of the title in 1994. Despite the out of bounds play in 1982, Husker fans have no claim on that title what-so-ever. If you don't like getting screwed at the end of the game, don't put yourself in a position to get screwed.

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How many countless times did Penn State get screwed by bad calls in the Big Ten? Hell, they put freakin' replay in because of it. Getting screwed by one bad call and getting screwed by all of the ASSociated Press are two completely different things.

by Galen on Jun 15, 2007 7:47 AM EDT reply actions

A favorite quote of mine

Former Penn State Wrestling coach, the late Bill Koll, arguable the greastest collegiate wrestler ever and father of the wrestler with the most victories in ACC history, once said to me: "Put yourself in a position where a bad call costs you a victory and you don't deserve to win." (It's not necessarily an exact quote, but to the best of my memory.)

by Elihu on Jun 15, 2007 9:22 AM EDT reply actions

Sooo...

I guess there's not much else to do in the Nebraska Off-Season but write about how PSU and UM didn't deserve their titles.

Watch out OSU, by this Nebraska fan's logic, you didn't deserve your 2002 NC because Miami was still psychologically damaged from losing to Nebraska in '94. Give'em a hand for that.

by Artiefufkin on Jun 15, 2007 1:09 PM EDT reply actions

Date of Indiana Game

That Cornhusker article reminded me of something that's long bothered me.

They write that Nebraska passed Penn State in the polls the day that Penn State beat IU 35-29 and Nebraska overpowered Colorado.

This is not true. The day that Nebraska beat Colorado 24-7, Penn State was busy destroying Ohio State 63-14, a game that could have been much worse (if I recall, it was 49-0) at half. That was not one of the finest Buckeye squads, but all things considered, Penn State's performance on October 29 was as impressive as Nebraska's, if not more so.

The following week, 11/5, yes, Penn State won at Indiana 35-29, with the Hoosiers getting two meaningless touchdowns late. Nebraska had a more impressive day, beating a lousy Kansas team 45-17, but I think it's important to remember the sequence of things correctly.

Nebraska fans would have people believe that their move in the polls was justified, because their finest outing (the win over Colorado) came on the same day as Penn State's worst outing.

Not so.

And if I recall (but I may be mistaken here), Penn State actually dropped behind Nebraska in one of the polls after having utterly demolished Ohio State, courtesy of Nebraska's CU win. The other poll followed suit the next week -- they must have been really impressed with how the Huskers handled those Jayhawks.

by T Town Tornado on Jun 15, 2007 1:36 PM EDT reply actions

Nebraska

Those of us old enough will recall that Nebraska was the media darling in 1994. Around mid season they started the "This is Osborne's Year" drum for Tom Osborne who had never won a NC. I think that was a huge factor that clouded the judgement of the voters. The same thing happened the year before when Florida State's Bobby Bowden was the media darling in getting his first title.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

Hail to the Lion!

by BSD on Jun 15, 2007 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Awesome Game........

The OSU game in 1994 was embarassingly, the last PSU game I attended......actually I am sorry.......the 2002 wiping of Nebraska was the last game I attended. That game also could have been much worse. Maybe I should go to more PSU games now that I think of it :)

Eric Watters Atlanta, Ga.

by ech2os on Jun 18, 2007 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions