Nebraska Football - Number Five in All-Time Prestige

by Jon Johnston on Jan 23, 2009 11:10 AM CST in Nebraska Husker Football

I know you've been following ESPN's list of the most presitigous college football programs just like I have.

Monday ESPN released the ranking for programs finishing 21-119, Tuesday was 16-20, and on Wednesday were 11-15. Yesterday ESPN announced those programs that finished 6-10, and finally today they released the top five.

The Top Five are:

#5 - Nebraska

#4 - Notre Dame

#3 - Ohio State

#2 - USC

#1 - Oklahoma

ESPN based the rankings off a formula that seems pretty fair to me. You have to give credit to them for coming up with an interesting method of ranking the programs.

Some things stand out to me with regards to the rankings:

- The depression and World War II era were not kind to the state of Nebraska with regards to football. With no military bases to speak of, so many men were drafted and assigned to other parts of the nation that it took us years to recover.

Bob Devaney's hiring had a lot to do with us becoming a power, but it wasn't the only factor.

- Between Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan, we couldn't overtake Notre Dame when we should have the past few seasons. If that doesn't make you hate those two guys more than you already do, I don't know what to tell you.

- Oklahoma #1? Mom said cheaters never prosper. Was Mom wrong???? Arrrgh! The mind boggles about what else she might have lied about!!!!!

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Comments

Not a bad list to be part of

We haven’t been very good these last few years so it is nice to know we haven’t been forgotten. You could make a case for any of the top 7 to be #1.

by Huzkerfan on Jan 23, 2009 4:51 PM CST reply actions

I think it's a fair list

The formula is makes sense, and I understand the meaning behind the starting point. But adding or taking off years helps/hurts each team differently.

For example, how much do we go up if we just say “Top teams in the last 40 years”, i.e. since 1968. We’d only lose a few good years, but keep all of our National Championships. Notre Dame and Oklahoma would lose a number of good years and NC’s.

As for what else Mom lied about, your face won’t really stick like that.

by Wolvie on Jan 23, 2009 5:23 PM CST reply actions

good point!

"...don't TAZE me, bro..."

by zE bOp on Jan 24, 2009 6:47 AM CST reply actions

I wonder,

which team has had the best W/L record over a short span? Like OZ went 60-3 in that 5 yrs period or so in the mid 90’s, MIA had a similar thing in the ’80s, and OU as well in the 70s and maybe this century OU and USC have had some great runs. OU is like 60-1 at home w Stoops or something.

Anybody wanna look it up? :)

"...don't TAZE me, bro..."

by zE bOp on Jan 24, 2009 7:49 AM CST up reply actions

You have

Oklahoma with the longest winning streak in history under Bud Wilkinson from 1953 to 1957 (obviously because we hadn’t yet found our groove enough to stand in his way!). No one else has even come close. Amazingly, Wilkinson had a 31-game winning streak from 1948-1950.

Wilkinson’s Oklahoma teams went 107-8-2 from 1948 to 1958.

From 1947 to 1958, Oklahoma didn’t lose a single game in conference play until 1959, when Bill Jennings’ Nebraska team finally beat them.

What’s amazing about this is Bud Wilkinson’s name doesn’t come up much when people talk about coaching greats, probably because Wilkinson went on to broadcasting – he did the color commentary for 1971 “Game of the Century”. Also ran for Senate in 1964.

Bottom line – Bud Wilkinson was Oklahoma’s Bob Devaney.

Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!

by Jon Johnston on Jan 24, 2009 8:33 AM CST up reply actions

yep,

I’ve always thought that Wilkinson was maybe the greatest coach of all time because of those Sooner teams—didn’t he win about 4 of their NCs too?

That’s an amazing run.

"...don't TAZE me, bro..."

by zE bOp on Jan 24, 2009 10:38 AM CST up reply actions

We may be #5 now...

and that’s not too shabby, but here’s why, in the future, we will overpower the competition and sit atop the CFB world:

bO knOws!

Any questions? Fine, I rest my case! :)

"...don't TAZE me, bro..."

by zE bOp on Jan 24, 2009 7:40 AM CST reply actions

I want to......

see it on the field consistantly. All the coaching greats that are talked about have that in common they win year after year. Eddie Robinson, Wilkinson, Devaney, Osborne, Paterno, Bryant, Royal, and Bowden all come to my mind when I think of great college football coaches. They all won their share of titles, plus they won every year, year after year. I like what Bo has done so far and hope he keeps it up but lets wait to crown him the next Osborne. I think if Bob Stoops stays at Oklahoma for another ten years you can put him on that list as well, I don’t see him winning less than 9 or 10 games a year as long as he is at OU. About the program list, I knew OU had been in trouble in the past but I didn’t realize it had been SIX times punished by the NCAA. I personnally think that should drop them down. I don’t know how far but if you get caught CHEATING, not once or twice but SIX times I don’t think you are “The Most Presitigous Football Program”. Its like saying Barry Bonds is the true home run champion.

by Huzkerfan on Jan 25, 2009 4:28 PM CST up reply actions