25 years later, 1997 Tennessee, Michigan, and Nebraska….

[Husker In Oklahoma]

Interesting article on the Heisman, and national championship. Lots of Nebraska stuff in here, so I put it here. I’ll say it again, like I did back then, the only reason Michigan has even a piece of a NC, is because they didn’t have to play Nebraska. Nebraska would have gutted them, easier than they did Tennessee, who I personally thought was better than Michigan. Again, had the BIG, just got on board with the CFA agreement reached with all other conferences, except the BIG and PAC, Michigan and Nebraska would have played. The precious BS rose bowl was bigger for them. Nebraska rolls that team, badly.

The 'Heistman,' a split national title and 1997's dueling, enduring conspiracies

Why Tennessee fans think Charles Woodson stole the Heisman from Peyton Manning and why Michigan fans blame Tennessee for a shared title with Nebraska.

www.espn.com

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

If Michigan played Nebraska in 1997, they are still searching for that first NC since 1948.

 

[goodnterribles]

The only 2 people that didn't come off as bitter were TO and Peyton.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

The only 2 people that didn't come off as bitter were TO and Peyton.

Yeah, Lloyd Carr is butt hurt. He should know he’d have had his ass kicked, so without ever having to back it up, he blows smoke. Tennessee would have beaten that Michigan team.

 

[HUSKER HOT SAUCE]

If Michigan played Nebraska in 1997, they are still searching for that first NC since 1948.

Beyond any shadow of a doubt. We would have rolled Michigan in 1997 had we played them. This is not even my bias talking here, we would have kicked that asss, and it's truly not even debatable.

 

[Phillysker]

The Michigan Wazzu game was not over. In today's times Ryan Leaf had one more shot at the end zone. NU buzzsawed Tennessee

 

[Vinosker]

Carr is more upset because he knows everyone in the country - outside of Michigan- recognizes Nebraska as the national champion.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

The Michigan Wazzu game was not over. In today's times Ryan Leaf had one more shot at the end zone. NU buzzsawed Tennessee

WSU wasn’t even that good.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

NU buzzsawed Tennessee

More like, utterly ran over them, repeatedly. It was a thorough beating.

 

[Elwood von Kiowa]

I had forgotten about the Heisman injustice. That and the UM NC were Disney mafia doings. All season long, ESPN and ABC were trying to build up the Big 10 and deemphasize Nebraska, because they had the rights to the Rose Bowl, while NBC had the Bowl Coalition NC game (Orange Bowl). UM played PSU (both undefeated) on the same day NU played Mizzou. NU went into that game #1 but after the OT win, while UM crushed PSU, AP put UM #1 over us. And at that time they started pushing Woodson for the Heisman, to keep the focusnon the teams for which ABC / ESPN had the rights.

 

[Brew City Husker]

Whenever I meet Michigan fans they always say, “You stole half our National Championship”, and they seem to have tremendous resentment about the whole thing. Further discussion usually leads to the fact that they didn’t even see Nebraska play that season. The Big 10 then (and now) was so insular. Fans here in traditional Big 10 country (I’m in Wisconsin) don’t really care that much about teams from other conferences. One Wisconsin fan asked my daughter, “What was Nebraska doing when we were winning Rose Bowls.” She coolly answered, “Winning National Championships.”

I asked one Michigan fan what player on their roster would have given Nebraska any sort of problems on offense or defense and he said, “Charles Woodson”. I laughed. Woodson was a great player, but Nebraska’s power running offense basically rendered cornerbacks irrelevant.

I pointed out that Nebraska had over 30 NFL players (either drafted or FA) on that roster including Grant Wistrom (Lombardi Award Winner, College Football Hall of Fame,1st Round Draft Choice), Jason Peter (Outland and Bronco Nagurski finalist, 1st Round Draft Choice), Aaron Taylor (Outland Trophy Winner, College Football Hall of Fame), Ahman Green (Green Bay Packer all time leading rusher and Hall of Fame, 5 time Pro-Bowl selection), Mike Rucker (2nd Round draft pick 1999) and many others including NFL players Mike Brown, Ralph Brown, Chad Kelsay and numerous others. Nebraska had great players.

He replied, “Yeah, well you stole half our National Championship.”

Make no mistake, Michigan had a great season and they were a great team. I just don’t think they could have handled Nebraska’s players in the trenches.

 

[Husker In Oklahoma]

Whenever I meet Michigan fans they always say, “You stole half our National Championship”, and they seem to have tremendous resentment about the whole thing. Further discussion usually leads to the fact that they didn’t even see Nebraska play that season. The Big 10 then (and now) was so insular. Fans here in traditional Big 10 country (I’m in Wisconsin) don’t really care that much about teams from other conferences. One Wisconsin fan asked my daughter, “What was Nebraska doing when we were winning Rose Bowls.” She coolly answered, “Winning National Championships.”

I asked one Michigan fan what player on their roster would have given Nebraska any sort of problems on offense or defense and he said, “Charles Woodson”. I laughed. Woodson was a great player, but Nebraska’s power running offense basically rendered cornerbacks irrelevant.

I pointed out that Nebraska had over 30 NFL players (either drafted or FA) on that roster including Grant Wistrom (Lombardi Award Winner, College Football Hall of Fame,1st Round Draft Choice), Jason Peter (Outland and Bronco Nagurski finalist, 1st Round Draft Choice), Aaron Taylor (Outland Trophy Winner, College Football Hall of Fame), Ahman Green (Green Bay Packer all time leading rusher and Hall of Fame, 5 time Pro-Bowl selection), Mike Rucker (2nd Round draft pick 1999) and many others including NFL players Mike Brown, Ralph Brown, Chad Kelsay and numerous others. Nebraska had great players.

He replied, “Yeah, well you stole half our National Championship.”

Make no mistake, Michigan had a great season and they were a great team. I just don’t think they could have handled Nebraska’s players in the trenches.

NU stole half of their NC? LMAO. Still angers me NU couldn’t play those punks. I don’t consider that team even great. They were the beneficiary of what was a weak Big 10, you know, the Big 10 everyone use to laugh at. I would have felt more confident playing that Michigan team than I did playing Tennessee. They had a strong running game, with a statue QB, who was a decent passer. Their defense, had not seen anything like what Nebraska could bring. Being honest here, this was a complete mismatch with Michigan, and it would have been ugly ugly. So yes, Nebraska fans should be pissed they had to share that with Michigan. If Michigan was so good, why was Las Vegas ready to make NU 10+ point favorites? Because everyone outside of Michigan knew, and most in Michigan knew, if, we could have the truth serum.

 

[goodnterribles]

NU stole half of their NC? LMAO. Still angers me NU couldn’t play those punks. I don’t consider that team even great. They were the beneficiary of what was a weak Big 10, you know, the Big 10 everyone use to laugh at. I would have felt more confident playing that Michigan team than I did playing Tennessee. They had a strong running game, with a statue QB, who was a decent passer. Their defense, had not seen anything like what Nebraska could bring. Being honest here, this was a complete mismatch with Michigan, and it would have been ugly ugly. So yes, Nebraska fans should be pissed they had to share that with Michigan. If Michigan was so good, why was Las Vegas ready to make NU 10+ point favorites? Because everyone outside of Michigan knew, and most in Michigan knew, if, we could have the truth serum.

I think it would be a fairly close game because make no mistake, their defense was the real deal. I just don't think their offense would do much of anything and eventually, the Huskers line would wear out their defense.
24-10 good guys

 

[Phillysker]

Yeah, Lloyd Carr is butt hurt. He should know he’d have had his ass kicked, so without ever having to back it up, he blows smoke. Tennessee would have beaten that Michigan team.

I was at the game at Joe Robbie or Pro Player or whatever it was called. I remember how much taller the WR for TN were. I remember commenting to my wife how do we stop them (I want to say our CB were Ralph Brown and another short CB). Then, the game started. It was a complete beatdown. The thing nobody talks about (well other than the TN fans who were great btw). That team was so focused on winning it for Oz. The TN fans to a person said "as soon as Osborne said he was retiring we knew we were done."

NU would have beaten the Vermin, easily. And the fact that Woodson won the Heisman is a joke. Just like the year Eddie George won it over Tommie. Jokes.

 

[HuskerInTexas]

The strength of Michigan's defense was the secondary… we would’ve gutted them with our rushing attack. I do think they would have kept it closer than maybe Tennessee did but I don’t know of any of my non-Nebraska friends who think Michigan would’ve beat us h2h that year.