A Friday Flashback to 1997: Two Plays From No BCS

Hey Nebraska and Michigan, maybe a baker’s dozen-plus-one years ago you make a few different plays and us college football fans aren’t forced to have the same stupid arguments every November and December. Maybe you drop a pass here, miss a tackle there, and folks like me are spared the inevitability of a computer printout turning otherwise rational men into frothy mouthed lunatics (and the never rational into even more ridiculous blowhards).

See, the newly minted Big Ten member from Lincoln is partially responsible for the Bowl Championship Series, albeit indirectly. As is the Huskers’ new conference mate in Ann Arbor. Those of you whom the BCS causes great consternation, there are two games that maybe, possibly, potentially could have altered the entire make-up of college football championships. Look upon the below outcomes with ire, for the Wolverines’ and Huskers’ split national championship in 1997 was the proverbial final straw needed to usher in change.

Nebraska’s Big 8-turned-12 rival was always Colorado — though based on his column this week, Rick Reilly would have you believe it was Oklahoma. Reilly also says CU is glad to “see [Nebraska] go [from the Big 12],” apparently forgetting the Buffaloes are now Pac-12 members. And Reilly…apologies, the topic is getting derailed. Just read this much needed takedown of Reilly’s piece at Hammers and Rails.

Where were we?

Of those who are actually still in the Big 12, Nebraska’s departure isn’t a fond farewell per se, but for Missouri it ends what has been a heartbreaking relationship. Mizzou wasn’t officially a rival in the classic sense. Nebraska boasted a run of 24 straight wins in the series from 1979 to 2002. Not since Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner was there such a lopsided “rivalry.”

On a November day in Columbia, Mo. the Tigers nearly erased two decades of frustration. A defense that had spent much of the Clinton presidency as the nation’s best was giving up points to the unranked Tigers in bunches — 38, in total.

MU electrified the nation in the fourth quarter, breaking a 31-31 stalemate in the waning moments on Corby Jones’ strike to Eddie Brooks.

But Nebraska reacquired the ball with less than 90 seconds remaining, no timeouts, and Scott Frost under center. The Huskers methodically marched down the field, into the Tiger red zone, but with just a few ticks remaining. That’s when IT happened:

Amazing. Breathtaking. Unreal. The “Flea Kicker” remains one of the most flabbergasting scores I have ever witnessed. It also secured an overtime, which Nebraska won to keep its unblemished record in tact all the way to New Year’s. Once again, Wile E.’s ACME product erupted in his face, and the Roadrunner beep-beep‘d away, unscathed.

The Huskers’ miracle came just a few weeks after eventual co-champion Michigan had a slightly less exasperating, but equally historic game-changer completion against Iowa.

The Hawkeyes jumped to a two-score advantage over the Wolverines, in the Big House. Iowa built its lead much differently than Mizzou had its edge over Nebraska. The Hawkeyes were stifled offensively, but capitalized on Michigan miscues. The Wolverines nearly had another on what was the deciding drive.

Quarterback Brian Griese brought Michigan to the red zone late, trailing 24-21, and was forced into a third down. Needing to cross the goal line with no more first downs left to acquire, Griese took the snap and bootlegged to the strong side. Still strafing, Griese fired a bullet through an impossibly narrow gap to Jerame Tuman in the end zone. Touchdown Wolverines. Fast forward to 7:40 in the below clip to see the play.

You’ll witness watching the scenario unfold that as the ball is in mid-flight and the camera captures Tuman, his is the only navy jersey. There are three Hawkeyes in plain view for the frame. This blog from 2006 summarizes the entire game beautifully, and describes the game-winner specifically as feeling like all 11 Iowa defenders are swarming Tuman.

If one white jersey gets an outstretched hand on that ball and forces a fourth down and Iowa gets another stop (not a ridiculous hypothetical), Michigan falls from the unbeaten and Nebraska-Tennessee becomes the de facto championship game.