Osborne: Huskers Best Team Ever

In other seasons, Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne might have waited for the polls to close before proclaiming his Cornhuskers the No. 1 team in college football.

In other season, Osborne might have brushed off the significance of Nebraska’s 62-24 victory over second-ranked Florida in Tuesday night’s Fiesta Bowl.

But not this season.

This was the inaugural season of the Bowl Alliance, the season of no debate. But there was plenty of controversy, with most of it swirling around Osborne and the Cornhuskers.

“It was a terrible year, and it was a great year,” Osborne said Wednesday. “I take my spirituality very seriously, and I found myself relying on my faith more than ever. I’d not be honest if I said it wasn’t taxing.

Nebraska’s off-the-field probably involving several players, I-back Lawrence Phillips in particular, might have taxed Osborne. But it helped focus his players, giving them a rally point and perhaps a bit of attitude.

The Cornhuskers overcame those potential distractions with sheer talent. Their demolition of the Gators, in which Nebraska scored 36 straight points after falling behind 10-6 in the first quarter, was merely an extension of a regular season filled with blowouts.