I too saw them both and were at the Bowl games for both and I have the exact opposite opinion. I’d take Turner. If the 82 and 83 teams would have had the 94 and 95 defenses…the 82 and 83 teams would be up there in the conversation about the greatest team of all time. 82 roster had Gill, Steinkuhler, Rimington, Fryar, Craig, Rozier but absolutely no defensive standouts. So they had the best college Center ever, another Outland/Lombardi winner lining up next to him, our most talented WR ever, and arguably are best rb ever (tough call between him and Phillips). On defense you had Ken Graeber and Stucky vs anyone named Peter, 210 pound Defensive ends like Straasberger vs Tomich, Dewayne Harris, Donta Jones and Wistrom, cornerbacks Neil Harris and Dave Burke Vs Tyrone Williams. Baron Miles and Michael Booker. Defensive talent in the mid 90s was so much better than 81-83. And yet, Neb played for a Natty in 81 against Clemson, got robbed of a Natty at State College in 82 and were an extra point away from a Natty in 83. It wasn’t Gill’s decision to go for two. Osborne made that call.
Gill was the best overall Qb. Tommie’s passing stats weren’t bad but when he threw it, receivers were often wide open given the fact that we ran the ball about 85 percent of the time on those mid 90s teams. If you had a defense that could stop our run (which were few and far between), Gill could have won games with his arm. Tommie couldn’t have done that.