The 1997 National Championship was split between Michigan and Nebraska after the teams went 12-0 and 13-0 respectively. I bring it up because it still irks me the way the split was handled.
The two teams were very close in terms of their schedules and their records. Homerism aside - both deserved the title and since they couldn't settle it on the field a split was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it was portrayed by the sports media that the coaches awarded Osborne a 'gift' of a title since it was his final season.
Osborne had announced his retirement on December 10th, 1997. Coming into the final game of the season, Michigan held the number one position in both the coaches poll and the AP (writers) poll.
Michigan had moved to the number one spot on a weekend in which they thrashed number two-ranked Penn State 34-8 while Nebraska had won in overtime 45-38 over Missouri. (The Missouri game featured Matt Davison's flying touchdown catch on the final play of regulation after a Scott Frost pass was deflected up into the air by a fellow Husker receiver - certainly a case of divine intervention yet I never see the argument that the title was a gift from God.)
As season’s end approached Nebraska beat Texas A&M 54-15 in the Big 12 Title game and in the last game of Osborne’s career destroyed number three-ranked Tennessee, 42-17, in the Orange Bowl.
Michigan ended their season hanging on to beat a Washington State squad in the Rose Bowl, 21-16. Washington State got the ball back at their own seven yard line with 29 seconds left. They drove to the nine yard line with two seconds left when officials ruled that time had run off the clock, thus ending the game. Had Michigan beaten the Cougars more soundly things might have been different.
So what irks me so much about it?* The argument can be taken both ways.
If the '97 National Title was a gift to Osborne from the coaches, couldn’t one take the position that Michigan's title was given to them by the sports media since they hadn't won a title since 1948? Nebraska won titles in 1994, 1995 and was on a 60-3 run over five years - no doubt the writers were getting fed up with Nebraska's dominance and desired some new story lines (as well as an excuse to sell loads of National Championship paraphernalia to starving Michigan fans).
Perhaps the writers had revenge in mind Nebraska - payback for the ‘94 season title when they were voted number one in both polls while Penn State had also gone undefeated - something that Penn State fans haven’t forgotten after all these years.
The ‘97 National Title to Osborne as a gift from his fellow coaches? No. He got it the old-fashioned way. He earned it.
--JJ--
Did you just post the blog post from another butt hurt delusional Nebraska fan as proof or evidence ?? 
stop it, you're killing me..
No, but seriously, stop it.
Well you'll have to excuse me for not being a professional writer. I thought this read summed up my thoughts pretty well. He puts it together better than I could.
If you're looking for buddies here to back you up they will. Just out of their sheer hatred of all things NU and their envy.
Here is another article from scripps howard. That will point out how absurd your thought process is. By the way IF your MU defense was so great STATISTICALLY ( Best ever
) why don't they show up on so many polls and articles. Show some proof of this fantaticness or STFU.
With one more win, Nebraska deserves national title
(c) 1998 Copyright Nando.net
1998 Scripps Howard
MIAMI (Jan 2, 1998 - 05:12 EST) -- If Nebraska beats Tennessee in the Orange Bowl by the margin the odds makers say it should, then the Cornhuskers should win the national championship. They wont, but they should.
Too many voters are too reluctant to drop a winning team. And that's unfortunate for Nebraska.
In voting unbeaten Michigan over unbeaten Nebraska for the last third of the season, I based that first-place vote, in part, on Michigan's tougher schedule. The bowl games have changed my perspective.
The Big Ten was overrated. That became more evident with every bowl game: Michigan State lost to Washington 51-23. Iowa lost to Arizona State 17-7. Wisconsin lost to Georgia 33-6. Penn State lost to Florida 21-6. Ohio State lost to Florida State 31-14. Purdue, which Michigan didn't play, was the only other Big Ten winner (33-20 over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl).
Michigan's opponents, five Big Ten teams and Notre Dame, went 0-6 in the bowls.
Nebraska's opponents went 2-2 in the bowls. Washington and Kansas State won; Missouri and Texas A&M lost.
Here's what I jotted down on a notepad after Michigan's 21-16 Rose Bowl victory over Washington State: Records: If Nebraska beats UT in the Orange Bowl, it will be 13-0. Michigan is 12-0.
Opponents: If Nebraska beats UT, its opponents record will be 76-74; Michigan's opponents are 74-67.
Dominance: Nebraska outscored its opponents by 30.7 points per game; Michigan outscored its opponents by 17 points per game.
More dominance: Nebraska outscored its opponents with winning records by 23.6. Michigan outscored its opponents with winning records by 10.8 points.
It's too easy to say Michigan was No. 1 and won its game, so it should stay No. 1. That's not the way the system is supposed to work. Our archaic method of choosing a college football champion is based on style points. Nebraska lost style points because it beat Missouri in overtime and beat Colorado by three after leading by 17 late in the game.
However, against good teams, Nebraska, not Michigan, has been more stylish. The Cornhuskers beat 11-1 Kansas State by 30 points. They beat Washington by 13. They beat Texas A&M by 39 points just three weeks ago.
In Thursday's Cotton Bowl, those same Aggies almost upset a UCLA team that had won nine consecutive games. Don't forget that Michigan only beat Notre Dame by seven points, Iowa by four and Wisconsin by 10. Its most-convincing victory was against Penn State, which for much of the year was the most-overrated team in the country.
Michigan deserves tremendous credit for an unbeaten season. But if Nebraska plays well in beating Tennessee, it deserves the national championship.
By JOHN ADAMS, Scripps Howard News Service
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In Addition
Michigan average score - 26.8 - 9.5 Nebraska average score - 46.7 - 16.5
Yeah, I agree there was a sympathy vote in the 1997 National Championship. Michigan had not won a NC since 1948 and a Big 10 team had not won one since 1968, so yes I think there was a sympathy vote for Michigan. Not for the coach who had just won 2 National Championships in the last 3 years, or a football program who had won 4 since the last time Michigan or a Big 10 team had won any. (AP & Coaches Polls). There was also another article that showed Michigan getting much more support in the AP poll from writers Big 10 areas than the rest of the country.
Michigan opponents ranked in final polls - 3 - at #s 9,12,16 (AP)
Nebraska opponents ranked in final polls - 5 - at #s 7, 8, 18, 20, 23 (AP)
