Most ridiculous season: 2015 or 2021?

[9and4]

I present here arguments for both.
2015

• BYU Hail Mary beats Nebraska 33-28 on the last play of the game.
• Huskers overcome 23-point deficit in Miami to force OT, only to see Tommy throw a pick on the first play of OT in a 36-33 loss.
• Tommy inexplicably throws an incomplete pass instead of sliding, giving Illinois 51 seconds instead of 11 to drive 72 yards for the 14-13 win.
• Andy Janovich runs 55 yards to give Nebraska a 21-20 lead with 3 minutes left, only to see Wisconsin kick the game-winning 45-yard FG with four seconds left.
• We lose 30-28 to Northwestern after a two-point conversion fails with 4 minutes left, and NW runs out the clock on Banker's Blackshirts.
• Ryker Fyfe throws four picks and the Huskers lose two fumbles in a screechingly awful 55-45 loss at Purdue.
• Tommy Armstrong's four interceptions negate a 433-250 total yards advantage in a 28-20 loss to undefeated Iowa.

2021

• Huskers completely spit the bit against a horrible Illinois team, losing 30-22 in a spectacular mashup of special teams errors, defensive letdowns and offensive ineptitude.
• Nebraska's special teams errors contribute greatly to a 23-16 loss to No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman.
• A punt to the right actually goes to the left, leaving one of the nation's best punt returners uncovered, leading to the inevitable OT interception and a 23-20 Michigan State victory in East Lansing.
• A fumble not only ends what looked like a game-winning drive, but it gives Michigan the field position to kick a game-winning FG of its own in a 32-29 home loss.

True enough that a victory over OSU and/or Iowa could salve some of this year's disappointment, and that 39-38 victory at home against eventual Big Ten champions Michigan State (they beat Iowa in the title game) provided a good memory from 2015.

Beat the Gophers! Bring back the Chair!

 

[StoneTempleHusker]

Good stuff.

What would be your write up for the 1981 season?

 

[9and4]

Good stuff.

What would be your write up for the 1981 season?

I was there, so:
1981

• Five Husker turnovers allow Iowa to turn 197 total yards into 10 points in a shocking 10-7 loss in Iowa City to the eventual Big Ten Rose Bowl representatives. Mark Mauer and Nate Mason split the QB duties.
• After a 20-point home victory against Florida State, the Blackshirts give up 238 yards to Curt Warner in a 30-24 home loss to Penn State.
• Down 3-0 at halftime to Auburn, Tom Osborne inserts Turner Gill, who leads Nebraska to a 17-3 victory at home.
• Gill starts the next six games, all victories against Big Eight opponents, but injures his leg against Iowa State and is out for the season.
• Mauer helps the Huskers beat an outmanned Oklahoma team 37-14 in Norman.
• After a fast start, the Husker offense, led by Mauer, is overwhelmed by William Perry and the Clemson D in a 22-15 Orange Bowl loss, in a winner-takes-all national title game.

 

[StoneTempleHusker]

I was there, so:
1981

• Five Husker turnovers allow Iowa to turn 197 total yards into 10 points in a shocking 10-7 loss in Iowa City to the eventual Big Ten Rose Bowl representatives. Mark Mauer and Nate Mason split the QB duties.
• After a 20-point home victory against Florida State, the Blackshirts give up 238 yards to Curt Warner in a 30-24 home loss to Penn State.
• Down 3-0 at halftime to Auburn, Tom Osborne inserts Turner Gill, who leads Nebraska to a 17-3 victory at home.
• Gill starts the next six games, all victories against Big Eight opponents, but injures his leg against Iowa State and is out for the season.
• Mauer helps the Huskers beat an outmanned Oklahoma team 37-14 in Norman.
• After a fast start, the Husker offense, led by Mauer, is overwhelmed by William Perry and the Clemson D in a 22-15 Orange Bowl loss, in a winner-takes-all national title game.

Like it.

Almost crazy to think, but if Gill doesn't get injured we likely beat Clemson.

Fridge was just a Frosh for Clemson that year. I'll never forget the names of Homer Jordan and Perry Tuttle.

We were already great, but you really gotta wonder what happens to our program if TO wins that one.

 

[9and4]

Like it.

Almost crazy to think, but if Gill doesn't get injured we likely beat Clemson.

Fridge was just a Frosh for Clemson that year. I'll never forget the names of Homer Jordan and Perry Tuttle.

We were already great, but you really gotta wonder what happens to our program if TO wins that one.

Also, if TO starts Gill from Day One — he was a second-year sophomore, so not new to the team or the systems — we may enter that OB 11-0 and ranked No. 1, meaning we don't lose to Iowa (good, but not great) and PSU (who lost to unranked Miami and No. 6 Alabama that year).

 

[tro80]

I’d say the 1981 team was led by a sophomore QB who would led his teams to three conference championships a 20-0 league record and 28-2 overall record over three seasons as a starter. Winners win.

 

[Frozone]

I think I had mentally blocked out the 2015 season until now. Thanks for that.

IMO, this year is worse. The 2015 team never felt like it was close to being great.
.
BYU—a fluke loss that set the tone for the entire year.
Miami: dominated for most of the game, then frantic comeback effort comes up short.
Illinois—bad decision by Tommy, bad coaching to not run the clock out.
Purdue—atrocious game plan, atrocious coaching. Even 2014 NCAA Football kid on a PS4 would know that Fyfe airing it out on the road wasn’t the answer.

2015 just seemed like a mediocre team playing mediocre football. 2021 seems like a good team repeatedly losing in the most excruciating ways possible.

 

[redfanusa]

I was thinking 2021 reminded me of another season of close calls, but couldn't put my finger on it. I think years of therapy have helped me forget 2015.

 

[9and4]

I think I had mentally blocked out the 2015 season until now. Thanks for that.

I remember it well, but not as well as the five national title seasons.

 

[Bugeater]

Well, a list of good and bad but you have to admit, there has been some exciting games of late for Nebraska, mistakes here and there removed, they’d be sitting in the top ten.

Like Sean McDonough said at games end, Nebraska can’t seem to get out of their own way.

 

[NUSouth]

Like it.

Almost crazy to think, but if Gill doesn't get injured we likely beat Clemson.

Fridge was just a Frosh for Clemson that year. I'll never forget the names of Homer Jordan and Perry Tuttle.

We were already great, but you really gotta wonder what happens to our program if TO wins that one.

That was the game where Remington got his first 3 holding penalties of the year. Clemson coach admitted he baited the officials about Remington before the game.

 

[Wyldcard]

I was there, so:
1981

• Five Husker turnovers allow Iowa to turn 197 total yards into 10 points in a shocking 10-7 loss in Iowa City to the eventual Big Ten Rose Bowl representatives. Mark Mauer and Nate Mason split the QB duties.
• After a 20-point home victory against Florida State, the Blackshirts give up 238 yards to Curt Warner in a 30-24 home loss to Penn State.
• Down 3-0 at halftime to Auburn, Tom Osborne inserts Turner Gill, who leads Nebraska to a 17-3 victory at home.
• Gill starts the next six games, all victories against Big Eight opponents, but injures his leg against Iowa State and is out for the season.
• Mauer helps the Huskers beat an outmanned Oklahoma team 37-14 in Norman.
• After a fast start, the Husker offense, led by Mauer, is overwhelmed by William Perry and the Clemson D in a 22-15 Orange Bowl loss, in a winner-takes-all national title game.

It was Missouri and a cheap shot by a Ralston native and graduate by the name of Randy Jostes. It wasn't Iowa St that he got hurt and ended his season. Mark Mauer played very well the rest of the season. Had we had Gill in the OB against Clemson, I have no doubt we woulda won that game and a National Championship that year. That was my very 1st OB I attended. Misery had alway had the reputation of being cheap shot artists, for example in 79 it was a Mizzou cheapshot that put Redwine on the sidelines. It didn't help that we put him up on the line on an extra point try where he got hurt. I could see them doing those things to us because of their coach who thought he was gonna be the one given the keys to the DONU Ferrari which ultimately went to Osborne and from that day on Warren Powers hated our guts.

 

[itseasyas1-2-3]

Like it.

Almost crazy to think, but if Gill doesn't get injured we likely beat Clemson.

Fridge was just a Frosh for Clemson that year. I'll never forget the names of Homer Jordan and Perry Tuttle.

We were already great, but you really gotta wonder what happens to our program if TO wins that one.

Under the leadership of that filthy, rotten cheater Danny Ford. It wouldn't take long for Clemson to go on probation.

Took me 3-4 days to shake that game off. Now it takes about 3-4 minutes.

 

[NorthWillRiseAgain]

2015 wasn’t a good team. The losses Nebraska is having to top 10 teams was happening to every team. The BIG wasn’t even that decent that season, it’s the reason Iowa made it to 12-0.

 

[9and4]

It was Missouri and a cheap shot by a Ralston native and graduate by the name of Randy Jostes. It wasn't Iowa St that he got hurt and ended his season. Mark Mauer played very well the rest of the season. Had we had Gill in the OB against Clemson, I have no doubt we woulda won that game and a National Championship that year. That was my very 1st OB I attended. Misery had alway had the reputation of being cheap shot artists, for example in 79 it was a Mizzou cheapshot that put Redwine on the sidelines. It didn't help that we put him up on the line on an extra point try where he got hurt. I could see them doing those things to us because of their coach who thought he was gonna be the one given the keys to the DONU Ferrari which ultimately went to Osborne and from that day on Warren Powers hated our guts.

No. That was 1982 when Mizzou's Jostes hit Gill at Memorial Stadium. Gill was back the next week to play against Kansas. In 1981, we beat Mizzou 6-0 in Columbia.

Mark Mauer didn't play in 1982. His senior year was 1981.

I don't mean to be a pedant, but when I say "I was there," I mean literally there, writing about it. And I have an awesome memory.

Here's a link to refresh yours.

And the Mizzou 1982 game as well, detailing Gill's concussion and Bruce Mathison, who took over in that 1982 Mizzou game.