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ACC QUESTION of the WEEK : Which team would win a four-team playoff among these four?
1995 Nebraska
2001 Miami
2013 Florida State
2018 Clemson
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This is not an attempt to find why the three non-winning teams are weaker. This is an attempt to identify why the champion is stronger.
This is a highly debatable question, but making the case for 1995 Nebraska is not very complicated.
2001 Miami 26, 2001 Virginia Tech 24.
2013 Florida State 34, 2013 Auburn 31, an 18-point comeback.
2018 Clemson 28, 2018 Texas A&M 26.
2018 Clemson 27, 2018 Syracuse 23.
2001 Miami, 2013 Florida State, and 2018 Clemson were all in legitimate danger of losing games.
1995 Nebraska won every game by at least 14 points, only one by fewer than 23.
2001 Miami and 2013 Florida State had weird, uneven games at Boston College in which the Canes and Noles were unable to fully shake the Eagles.
You could argue that 2001 Miami had more NFL-level talent. It did.
You could argue that 2013 Florida State had the best offense of these four teams. It did.
You could argue that 2018 Clemson gave Nick Saban one of the most emphatic losses of his career. It did.
The other three teams have very convincing arguments. Yet, I find 1995 Nebraska’s argument to be the most convincing of all.
Nebraska’s evisceration of a great 1995 Florida team coached by Steve Spurrier and quarterbacked by the next year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Wuerffel, is every bit as impressive as 2018 Clemson’s destruction of Alabama.
Give me 1995 Nebraska’s defense over 2013 FSU or 2018 Clemson. (2001 Miami? The Canes win that one.)
Give me 1995 Nebraska’s offense over 2001 Miami, which cancels out the advantage the 2001 UM defense would have over the 1995 NU defense.
Give me Tom Osborne over Larry Coker and Jimbo Fisher. Dabo? Even-steven with Doctor Tom.
Give me Nebraska defensive coordinator Charlie McBride over Clemson’s Brent Venables.
You could make a compelling case for any of these teams, 2001 Miami in particular.
Nebraska’s case, however, is the best. That’s not a fact, but it’s the opinion I find most convincing.
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2 pings
Hokie Mark says:
August 10, 2019 at 8:07 pm (UTC -5)
That Miami team would’ve shut out Nebraska, IMO, and while Clemson and FSU might not have gotten the goose egg, they both would’ve hung 50 on the Huskers – whose defense was simply not prepared for that level of offense. I respect what Osborne accomplished at Nebraska, but those other three were NFL-quality teams – even if it took some time for them to gel.
My opinion and $2.50 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks…
Jfann says:
August 11, 2019 at 12:08 pm (UTC -5)
Just opinions, for my money I’ve never seen a more consistently dominant team that the 95 Cornhusker in the last 30 years.
The other teams may have an edge in NFL talent, but that Nebraska team mowed down everything in their path including a Florida team that some call Spurriers best team.