Your assertions that, “Nebraska’s schedule included 3 really easy NC games a year …” and “There is no question that TO’s schedule in his 25 years were far less challenging than any Nebraska coach faces now. It’s not even close.”, are laughably ignorant.While we're talking about thinking like a child, consider that we're talking about the B10 NOW verses the B8 in the 70s and 80s. What the B10 was like in the 70s and 80s is irrelevant.
The 1,2,3 year was 1971, before Osborne. From the time I started college in 1978 to 1996 (the end of the B8), Osborne never had more than 2-3 of his 7 opponents in any year that even had a pulse.
Colorado - from 1978 to 1987, they won 40 games in 10 years, they got good after that until 1995. It's pretty astounding because during the time that they won 4 games a year, they could literally schedule 4 guaranteed wins in the NC season if they wanted to.
Oklahoma State - Probably the best team other than OU over the era, but had 12 losing seasons in the 25 years of TO.
Missouri - Had a couple decent years in the late 70s early 80s, but had 16 losing seasons and played in 6 bowl games during the TO Era.
Iowa State - 19 losing seasons and 2 bowl games in the 25 years of TO.
Kansas State - 18 losing seasons and 6 bowl games in the 25 years of TO. 6-one or zero win seasons. When Snyder took over in 1989, he had losing seasons for 3 of his first 4 years, but they started to win more games later with a combination of emphasizing JUCO transfers, gangster attitude, and scheduling 4 NC games that were guaranteed wins. He essentially forfeited one season by redshirting everyone who had not done so previously before that year.
Kansas - 18 losing seasons and 4 bowl games in the 25 years of TO.
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Nebraska's schedule also included 3 really easy NC games a year instead of just 2 now.
Every team now has a sophisticated nutrition and strength training program when for the most part we were one of the only ones back then. It allowed us to play on par with OU for most of the 25 years of TO despite the fact that from 1973 to the late 80s, OU usually had way more natural talent.
There is NO question that TOs schedules in his 25 years were far less challenging than any Nebraska coach faces now. It's not even close.
TO never scheduled or played a division II or FCS opponent. In his 25 year career, TO played 3 teams in the NC schedule that won the national championship (1978 Alabama, 1982 Penn State, 1991 Washington). In his 25 year career, TO played 7 BIG teams for a total of 22 games (MN-6, Wisc-2, Indiana-4, Iowa-5, NW-1, Illinois-2, MSU-2). He played 7 PAC-10 teams for a total of 23 games (UCLA-6, Arizona State-6, Washington-3, Wash St-2, Oregon-3, Oregon St- 2, Cal-1).
He played 4 SEC teams for a total of 8 games (Alabama-2, Auburn-2, LSU-2, S. Carolina-2).
In addition, TO played Independents Penn St 5 times and Fl St 4 times and Syracuse 2 times.
In the non conference schedule, TO coached against Hall of Fame coaches, Don James, Hayden Fry, Terry Donahue, Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Bear Bryant, Pat Dye, Lou Holtz and soon to be Hall of Famer Nick Saban.
The 1973 non conference schedule included #12 UCLA and #14 North Carolina St.
The 1977 non conference schedule included #2 Alabama
The 1981 non conference schedule included Big Ten champion, Iowa, Florida St, #3 Penn State and Auburn
The 1982 non conference schedule included Iowa, #1 Penn State and #14 Auburn.
To assert that 25 years of “easy” non conference schedules was important for TO to win at least 9 games every year is both non factual and demonstrably stupid.