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1984 Orange Bowl

Dec 9, 2017
1,621
2,531
113
A defining moment in Husker history, and likely a moment that changed college football forever.

Our beloved coach Tom Osborne was destined to win his first ever National Title, and the Triplets of Turner Gill, Mike Rozier, and Irving Fryar were going to dominate an undermanned 17 point underdog Miami team.

Little did any Husker fan know about Howard Schnellenberger or true frosh QB Bernie Kosar, nor the rabid Miami fan base that would show up that fateful night.

Down 17-0 early in the game, our Huskers had to rally all throughout the game.

And it all came down to "The Decision". One that has been argued many times in Husker lore, as TO could have just kicked the extra point and likely won a Natty, but he had already made that decision before the game ever even kicked off.

 
I was sitting in a black vynil recliner facing north in my basement and after that last play I just got up and turned off the TV and actually had wet eyes as I walked around the basement in a fog...I won't ever forget.

As a little feller back then, I bawled my eyes out that night.

Had the Scoring Explosion poster on my bedroom wall and everything.

Still, to this day, I love the decision Tom made. You don't back into being a winner. You go get it.
 
wish he had gone for 2 down 31-23. then we could have gone for 2 again for the tie and the natty if we had missed the first one.
 
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wish he had gone for 2 down 31-23. then we could have gone for 2 again for the tie and the natty if we had missed the first one.

That would have been the correct decision. Would have given us two chances to be champions instead of one.
 
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What a lot of people forget is a ton of writers still voted NU #1 after that game cause the thought was an extra point would have earned us the title anyway and tbey respected the decision to go for it.

Not sure about a 'ton', but we still got 4 1/2 votes.

Probation Auburn got quite a few as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_rankings#:~:text=Two human polls comprised the 1983 National Collegiate,preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll .
 
we might have been the best team in 83, but we were outplayed in the orange bowl.

Outplayed?

Likely out-coached. I hate to say it, cause TO is obviously the greatest coach we have ever had and almost always out-coached the other sideline.

This was one the few times we were massively better than the other team we played in a big game, and we got out-coached.

That 17-0 outburst when we were on our heels and Miami throwing the ball all over the field caught us completely off-guard. They beat us to the punch, and it took us all game to catch up.
 
Opinions are like rear ends, everyone has one and they all stink. Here is mine. Kick the extra point.

You play the games to win. Win what? The national championship. Kick the extra point and you win the national championship. What is bigger the game or the trophy? My vote has always been the trophy. 99.9% of all people disagree with me but I don't care.
 
Opinions are like rear ends, everyone has one and they all stink. Here is mine. Kick the extra point.

You play the games to win. Win what? The national championship. Kick the extra point and you win the national championship. What is bigger the game or the trophy? My vote has always been the trophy. 99.9% of all people disagree with me but I don't care.

You play games to win, yet settle for a tie?
 
Let’s not forget that penalty’s played a big role in this game. Remington was called for holding numerous times.
 
Yes It does suck when you had the best record in the country but you have to play on the opponents home field. I wonder how Miami would have done playing in Memorial stadium in January.

Reminds me of the Minnesota Vikings when they played the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs and beat them at the old Met, then went out and were beaten in the Rose bowl by Oakland. Sometimes the home field is worth quite a bit more than 3.5 points.
 
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The worst part about this loss is we basically created the Miami monster of the 80’s. If we win that game, Howard Schnellenberger doesn’t bolt for the USFL and Miami doesn’t getJimmy Johnson. I just don’t think the U would have been anywhere near the same without Jimmy.
 
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The worst part about this loss is we basically created the Miami monster of the 80’s. If we win that game, Howard Schnellenberger doesn’t bolt for the USFL and Miami doesn’t getJimmy Johnson. I just don’t think the U would have been anywhere near the same without Jimmy.

Yes.

TO scheduling Florida State in the early 80s was massive for that program and Bobby Bowden. And yes, that win spring boarded the Miami program to huge relevance.

Florida State and Miami changed college football, and the NFL, forever in the late 80s and early 90s. Speed. Speed. Speed.

Hell they changed our program with TO when we moved to the 4-3 and moved Safeties to LBs. We don't win 3 Natty's without the ass-kickings we got from Miami and Florida State in the late 80s and early 90s when we simply couldn't compete with their speed. We had to adjust, or keep getting our dicks kicked in.
 
As a little feller back then, I bawled my eyes out that night.

Had the Scoring Explosion poster on my bedroom wall and everything.

Still, to this day, I love the decision Tom made. You don't back into being a winner. You go get it.


Its funny how that works with the decision to go for 2. I will never be convinced that Dr Tom made the right decision by going for two.

I know Miami still had time to go and kick a CB. But that beats you either way. You win a national title with a tie. You take the tie imo.

The old saying " you can't see the forest for the trees". Going for the win was the "trees". Playing for the tie and the national championship was the " forest".

Lol...the debate will live forever in husker hearts!!


Holla
 
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Opinions are like rear ends, everyone has one and they all stink. Here is mine. Kick the extra point.

You play the games to win. Win what? The national championship. Kick the extra point and you win the national championship. What is bigger the game or the trophy? My vote has always been the trophy. 99.9% of all people disagree with me but I don't care.


I'm in that .1 who agrees with you buddy. Winning the game is and SHOULD always be secondary to winning the national Championship.

Id rather have a national title with a tie any day of the week over what going for 2 and missing ended up giving us.


Holla
 
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