Huskers Make Statement 42-17 Rout Sends Osborne Out A Winner, Hoping For National Title
When Tom Osborne’s final game ended, he trotted off the field and checked the scoreboard one last time without expression. However, when presented with the Orange Bowl trophy minutes later, he broke into the grin of a winner.
That’s how Osborne will be remembered, regardless of what the final polls may say.
Osborne’s Nebraska Cornhuskers, needing a lopsided victory to have any hope of overtaking Michigan in the rankings, gave their retiring coach an emphatic sendoff Friday night by beating Tennessee 42-17.
“If all the pollsters honestly think after watching the Rose Bowl and watching the Orange Bowl that Michigan could beat Nebraska, go ahead and vote for Michigan by all means,” Cornhuskers quarterback Scott Frost said.
“I don’t think there’s anybody out there with a clear conscience who can say that Nebraska and that great man Tom Osborne doesn’t deserve a national championship for this - at least a share.”
Ahman Green rushed for an Orange Bowl-record 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead the secondranked Cornhuskers, who limited Peyton Manning - also in his last college game - to 134 yards passing. Frost was 9-for-12 for 125 yards and scored on runs of 1, 11 and 9 yards.
Third-ranked Tennessee finished 11-2, while the Cornhuskers capped a 13-0 season. No. 1 Michigan (12-0) beat Washington State 21-16 Thursday in the Rose Bowl, and every top-ranked team in The Associated Press poll that won its bowl game has been crowned the national champion.
“We can’t do any more than win 13,” said Osborne. “We’ll just let the chips fall where they may as far as the rest of it goes.
“It’s a great way to end 25 enjoyable years. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The Big Red’s red-haired coach, who announced his retirement Dec. 10, finished a 25-year career with a record of 255-49-3, including 60-3 the past five years. Nebraska was undefeated during its back-to-back national championship season of 1994 and 1995.
The first half, Frost was 7 of 10 for 109 yards, before Nebraska’s vaunted running game buried the Volunteers in the second half.
The Cornhuskers’ pass rush, meanwhile, forced Manning to hurry his throws. The All-American completed 21 of 31 passes, but with a long gain of 20 yards, and he was replaced by Tee Martin with 4 minutes remaining.
“As a senior, it’s disappointing to go out on this note,” Manning said. “But it can’t overshadow the great things we’ve done this year.”
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