Overlooked Nebraska might have been true ‘90s dynasty

By Marc Hudgens  |   Sunday, July 13, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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When asked which college football team was the best of the 1990s, most fans probably say Florida State (1993 national champion, 1999 BCS champ), Florida (1996 national champion, the great Steve Spurrier era), or Miami (1991 national champion, 92-27 mark over the decade). OK, fine. Can’t argue with facts. But how is it that so few (aside from Nebraska fans, of course, and this writer) mention the Cornhuskers?

To put things into perspective, no team won more crystal footballs than the Huskers during that decade (1994, '95 and '97). Nebraska also won seven Big XII titles and three North Division championships, owning one of the toughest college football conferences ever. On the other hand, Florida State took eight ACC titles in a weak conference, Miami won five Big East championships and Florida collected honors five times in the SEC and five in the SEC East.

Perhaps the smash-mouth style the Huskers played is the reason they're often overlooked as a legendary dynasty from the '90s; unlike Nebraska, the Floridian schools were known for their exciting brand of play and Mach-1 speed. While everyone was drooling over the flash and pomp of Miami and FSU, though, Nebraska’s workmanlike approach was getting more, and better, results.

Sure, Nebraska lost to Miami in the 1992 Orange Bowl, then it fell in the next two to Florida State. Still, the Huskers took revenge on Miami in the ’95 Orange Bowl, 24-17, then manhandled an undefeated Florida team in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, 62-24, handing the Gators their only loss.

At the very least, the Huskers were right in the thick of things back then, and it’s rather odd that those great Tom Osborne teams are relegated to the shadows behind the Florida schools. When asked about dominant teams in the 1990s, let’s not forget about the squad that won more national titles than any other during that decade.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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