When talking about college football, many people tend to get into the conversation of who the greatest team of all-time was. There are many candidates out there with legitimate arguments. A lot of people point to the 2001 Miami Hurricanes as an argument for the title of all-time greatest. And those people have a legitimate argument. That team had a scary amount of NFL talent on its roster. It also very rarely came close to defeat and ended up dominating Nebraska in the national championship game.
While 2001 Miami is definitely a contender for the all-time title, I would like to submit to you another team. A team that a lot of college football fans in our generation do not remember. Most of us were seven or eight years old in 1995 and hardly followed football or any other sport. In that year the Nebraska Cornhuskers were fresh off a national championship and were looking to do it again. They returned the vast majority of their starters from the championship season of ’94, and also brought in some new talent such as running back sensation Ahman Green.
The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers are an anomaly in college football. What do I mean by anomaly? What I mean is that they weren’t necessarily the most talented team in college football like ’01 Miami and they didn’t run a flashy offense like ’96 Florida. They did not have the big name players and did not necessarily have the deepest team. All they did was win. They won by making few mistakes and executing the offensive and defensive plays to perfection. Their head coach, Tom Osborne, was all about the little things. And the ’95 Nebraska Cornhuskers did all the little things perfectly. They did not give up a single sack that year nor was the offensive line ever called for holding. Their punt return team allowed only 13 return yards on the season.
The level of domination that Nebraska displayed in 1995 was unprecedented in the history of the sport. They didn’t just defeat teams, they destroyed them. And they didn’t do it with trick plays or any sort of razzle-dazzle. They simply ran right at their opponent. They pounded inside until the opposing defense gave way. The flood gates usually opened in the second quarter, allowing Nebraska to rest its starters throughout the entirety of the second half. No such domination has been achieved since then and most likely never will.
The ’95 Nebraska Cornhuskers opened their season on August 31 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It was a Thursday night game and the Oklahoma State Cowboys presented a worthy challenge to the Huskers. The first quarter was a defensive struggle with Oklahoma State holding the powerful Nebraska offense in check. Though Nebraska did score a touchdown, they missed the extra point and led at the end of the quarter by the score of 6-0. The flood gates opened up in the second quarter, however, as Nebraska turned on the heat and ran away from the overmatched Cowboys. The score at the break was 36-7. In the second half, the Cornhuskers showed no mercy. They continued to pour it on, scoring over and over. At the end of the game the Cornhuskers walked triumphantly off the field, winning by the score of 64-21. Nebraska racked up 671 yards of total offense with 513 of those coming from the running game. Oklahoma State, in contrast, gained just 282 yards.
Nebraska traveled to East Lansing, Michigan the next week to take on the Michigan State Spartans. While Nebraska’s star quarterback Tommie Frazier was knocked out of the game in the second quarter due to a bruised thigh, it made very little difference. The Huskers dominated Michigan State, walking out of East Lansing with a 50-10 victory. Nebraska outrushed the Spartans 552 to 45 and gained 666 yards of total offense. Nebraska’s running back Lawrence Phillips stole the show with 22 carries for 206 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Nebraska next came home to Lincoln, Nebraska to play the Arizona State Sun Devils. It was the home opener and quarterback Tommie Frazier was back and ready to go. The home crowd watched with delight as their powerful Cornhusker offense ended the game in the first quarter of play. At the start of the second quarter, Nebraska had stormed off to a 35-7 lead. The lead would grow even larger in the second quarter as quarterback Tommie Frazier and running back Lawrence Phillips put on a show for the ages. When the teams walked into their respective locker rooms for halftime, Nebraska had a very comfortable 63-21 lead. In the first half alone, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had racked up 508 yards of total offense. In the second half, Nebraska would rest its starters and finish with a 77-28 home opening victory over ASU. The offense finished with 686 yards on the day.
Nebraska would return to Lincoln the very next week to play a creampuff opponent in the Pacific Tigers. Nebraska totaled 731 yards on offense, the fifth-highest total in school history, on its way to a 49-7 win. Meanwhile, the Husker defense held the Tigers to 197 total yards and forced 11 punts. Damon Benning rushed for 173 and three touchdowns on 10 carries before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. Ahman Green added 112 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. In all, seven Huskers rushed for at least 29 yards. Nebraska began substituting in the second quarter and eventually used 102 players. The Huskers had three drives stall inside the Pacific 30-yard line, including one that ended with Kris Brown missing a 30-yard field goal.
Nebraska welcomed Washington State into Lincoln that next week for what would prove to be the Cornhuskers’ toughest game of the season. The Cougars came into the game ranked fourth in the nation in rushing defense, holding its opponents to just 69.7 yards on the ground per game. Washington State got on the board first and led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. But the over powering Nebraska offense could not be held in check for long. Quarterback Tommie Frazier led his team to 20 second quarter points to take a 20-7 lead into the locker room. While the offense moved the ball consistently well in the third quarter, Washington State’s stout defense kept Nebraska’s scoring low - allowing only a touchdown and a two point conversion. Both teams scored in the fourth quarter, with the Cougars scoring twice, and Nebraska walked out of Lincoln Memorial with a 35-21 victory. The Huskers racked up 527 yards of offense, including 428 rushing yards.
The Missouri Tigers came to town and offered less of a challenge than Nebraska’s previous opponent. Nebraska's Blackshirt defense forced five fumbles and recovered two of them, intercepted two passes, held Missouri to 122 total, and notched the Huskers' first shutout of the season in a 57-0 win over the Tigers. Missouri managed 39 rushing yards on 39 carries. Husker linebacker Terrell Farley blocked a punt that led to a Husker safety. Meanwhile, the Husker offense tallied 475 total yards, with quarterback Tommie Frazier accounting for 71 yards rushing (and three rushing touchdowns) and 133 passing (and two touchdown passes). Ahman Green, making his first start, rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Nebraska’s next big challenge came the very next week when #8 Kansas State came calling. Using a combination of stifling defense, surprising passing, and strong special teams, Nebraska jumped out to a 35-6 halftime lead over Kansas State en route to a 49-25 victory. After three quarters, Nebraska's defense had held Kansas State to minus-4-yards rushing and 128 yards total. Nebraska began substituting reserve players shortly thereafter, however, and the Wildcats rallied to put 19 fourth quarter points on the board and pulled within 42-25. Nebraska's starters re-emerged and drove for another touchdown to account for the game's final margin. Despite the rally, the Wildcats finished with just 256 total yards, minus-19 rushing yards, and the Nebraska defense recorded eight sacks and two interceptions. Frazier went 10 of 16 through the air for 148 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Ahman Green ran for 109 yards on 22 carries and had two touchdown receptions. Ultimately, Kansas State went on to finish second nationally in scoring defense; more than a third of the 145 points that the Wildcats allowed during the regular season were scored by the Huskers.
The Cornhuskers traveled for the first time in weeks to take on the #7 Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. After facing a top ten team the previous week in #8 Kansas State, many wondered whether or not the #2 Cornhuskers could keep the same level of intensity. Those questions were answered early on. Nebraska scored on a 57-yard run by Ahman Green on its first play from scrimmage, committed no turnovers or penalties, and never trailed in a 44-21 win over the Buffaloes. Quarterback Tommie Frazier threw for a career-high 241 yards on 14 of 23 passing attempts, with two touchdowns, and ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. After Nebraska took a 31-14 halftime lead, Colorado scored on a 49-yard pass on 4th and 2 to pull within 31-21 in the third quarter. But the Buffaloes came no closer, as two field goals and Frazier's touchdown run put the game away. Ahman Green finished the game with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. One of the game's most memorable plays came when Colorado defensive end Greg Jones hit Tommie Frazier in the backfield. Frazier, who was not sacked during the entire 1995 season, managed to absorb the blow and get off a 35-yard pass down the sideline to Ahman Green on a drive that ended in a Husker field goal. On the day, Nebraska out gained the Buffaloes 467 to 382 and out rushed them 226 to 106.
After their 24 point victory over #7 Colorado, the polls saw fit to move Nebraska up to the #1 position. They would prove worthy of such a ranking when they absolutely annihilated the Iowa State Cyclones inside Lincoln Memorial Stadium. Nebraska scored on its first ten possessions and posted 624 rushing yards and 776 total yards en route to a 73-14 win over the Cyclones. Freshman Ahman Green led the way with 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and added a touchdown reception. Nebraska's Blackshirt defense limited Iowa State to 254 total yards, which included 121 yards on 28 carries by Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Davis. The Blackshirts also recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles.
After their easy victory over Iowa State, Nebraska traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the #10 Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks were 8-1 entering the game against Nebraska. Kansas, unbeaten at home on the season and featuring its best team in decades, outplayed Nebraska for much of the first half as the Cornhuskers had their sloppiest performance of the season. By the end of the first half, Kansas had outgained Nebraska 199-110 in yards, had 10 more first downs and had run 23 more plays. Nonetheless, Nebraska still led 14-3 at intermission. Nebraska took over in the second half, winning by the score of 41-3. Tommie Frazier led all rushers with 99 yards on 10 carries; Kansas as a team ran for 72 yards on 32 total rushing attempts. The game marked Nebraska's third win over a top ten team in less than a month, with an average victory margin of 45-16. With the win, Nebraska clinched a fifth-straight Big 8 title.
Nebraska was now 10-0 on the season and ranked #1 in the land. Their final game of the regular season would be against their old rival, Oklahoma. The Sooners came into the game as a 30-point underdog, the largest point-spread in the history of the series. But the Sooners played tough defensively, as Nebraska failed to score a first-half offensive touchdown for the first time all season. The Huskers nonetheless led 13-0 at halftime, thanks to a pair of field goals and a 36-yard interception return for a score. A 57-yard fumble return pushed the score to 20-0 early in the third quarter. Frazier eventually threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jon Vedral. Frazier went 12 of 25 for 136 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception; the unspectacular performance factored heavily into his finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Still, the Huskers came out on top with a 37-0 victory. In all the Husker offense tallied 271 rushing yards and 407 yards total. The Husker defense, meanwhile, limited the Sooners to 241 total yards and forced three turnovers. The game marked the first shutout of Oklahoma by Nebraska since 1942.
The final game of the 1995 season would take place in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the national championship and the Huskers’ opponent would be the #2 (12-0) Florida Gators. Entering the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, some thought Nebraska to be an underdog. In the December 26, 1995, issue of Sports Illustrated, the magazine broke down why Florida was the superior team and why Nebraska would not be able to run on them. Many felt that Florida’s superior defensive speed would not allow the Huskers to run their power option offense. They also felt that Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ’n Gun” offense would prove to be too much for the Nebraska defense. On January 2, 1996, in front of a large television audience, the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers decimated the #2 Florida Gators. Nebraska racked up 524 rushing yards and 629 total yards en route to a 62-24 victory. Quarterback (and Heisman runner-up) Tommie Frazier finished the game with 199 yards rushing on just 16 carries. Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips ran the ball 25 times for 165 yards. Coming into the contest, the Gator offense was averaging 44 points and 534 yards per game. The Nebraska defense, trashed so vehemently by Sports Illustrated just days earlier, held the vaunted Gator offense to just 289 yards, including minus-28 yards rushing.
Due to their performance against Florida as well as beating 4 teams that finished in the top 10 by an average score of 49-18, their consistent dominance, their record setting offensive performance, and their statistically impressive defense throughout the season, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers should definitely be considered the greatest college football team of all-time. The team set Division 1-A records by averaging 7.0 yards per rushing attempt and also by allowing zero quarterback sacks on the season. Noted for its strong special teams play, the team also connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts, and it also tied an NCAA record by allowing only five punt returns (for a total of 13 yards) all season. The 1995 Huskers also averaged a victory margin of more than 38 points, the largest of any Division 1-A team since World War II, despite regularly resting their starters in the second halves of games. Averaging more than 53 points per game, the team also averaged 29.8 points per first half.
One could very easily proclaim either ‘95 Nebraska, ‘01 Miami, ‘04 USC, or any other dominant team as being the greatest of all-time. Each team listed above have legitimate arguments in their favor. The above argument that I have stated for ‘95 Nebraska speaks plainly and clearly. I believe the ‘95 Huskers to be the absolute greatest college football team to ever play the game. While ‘01 Miami and ‘04 USC were filled with future NFL stars, there is just something about the ‘95 Nebraska team that I like better. They were a blue collar team that just refused to back down from any challenge. They were a physical, aggressive team that put yardage and points on the board like no other team in college football history. For that, I believe they should take the crown as the absolute greatest college football team of all-time.
While 2001 Miami is definitely a contender for the all-time title, I would like to submit to you another team. A team that a lot of college football fans in our generation do not remember. Most of us were seven or eight years old in 1995 and hardly followed football or any other sport. In that year the Nebraska Cornhuskers were fresh off a national championship and were looking to do it again. They returned the vast majority of their starters from the championship season of ’94, and also brought in some new talent such as running back sensation Ahman Green.
The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers are an anomaly in college football. What do I mean by anomaly? What I mean is that they weren’t necessarily the most talented team in college football like ’01 Miami and they didn’t run a flashy offense like ’96 Florida. They did not have the big name players and did not necessarily have the deepest team. All they did was win. They won by making few mistakes and executing the offensive and defensive plays to perfection. Their head coach, Tom Osborne, was all about the little things. And the ’95 Nebraska Cornhuskers did all the little things perfectly. They did not give up a single sack that year nor was the offensive line ever called for holding. Their punt return team allowed only 13 return yards on the season.
The level of domination that Nebraska displayed in 1995 was unprecedented in the history of the sport. They didn’t just defeat teams, they destroyed them. And they didn’t do it with trick plays or any sort of razzle-dazzle. They simply ran right at their opponent. They pounded inside until the opposing defense gave way. The flood gates usually opened in the second quarter, allowing Nebraska to rest its starters throughout the entirety of the second half. No such domination has been achieved since then and most likely never will.
The ’95 Nebraska Cornhuskers opened their season on August 31 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It was a Thursday night game and the Oklahoma State Cowboys presented a worthy challenge to the Huskers. The first quarter was a defensive struggle with Oklahoma State holding the powerful Nebraska offense in check. Though Nebraska did score a touchdown, they missed the extra point and led at the end of the quarter by the score of 6-0. The flood gates opened up in the second quarter, however, as Nebraska turned on the heat and ran away from the overmatched Cowboys. The score at the break was 36-7. In the second half, the Cornhuskers showed no mercy. They continued to pour it on, scoring over and over. At the end of the game the Cornhuskers walked triumphantly off the field, winning by the score of 64-21. Nebraska racked up 671 yards of total offense with 513 of those coming from the running game. Oklahoma State, in contrast, gained just 282 yards.
Nebraska traveled to East Lansing, Michigan the next week to take on the Michigan State Spartans. While Nebraska’s star quarterback Tommie Frazier was knocked out of the game in the second quarter due to a bruised thigh, it made very little difference. The Huskers dominated Michigan State, walking out of East Lansing with a 50-10 victory. Nebraska outrushed the Spartans 552 to 45 and gained 666 yards of total offense. Nebraska’s running back Lawrence Phillips stole the show with 22 carries for 206 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Nebraska next came home to Lincoln, Nebraska to play the Arizona State Sun Devils. It was the home opener and quarterback Tommie Frazier was back and ready to go. The home crowd watched with delight as their powerful Cornhusker offense ended the game in the first quarter of play. At the start of the second quarter, Nebraska had stormed off to a 35-7 lead. The lead would grow even larger in the second quarter as quarterback Tommie Frazier and running back Lawrence Phillips put on a show for the ages. When the teams walked into their respective locker rooms for halftime, Nebraska had a very comfortable 63-21 lead. In the first half alone, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had racked up 508 yards of total offense. In the second half, Nebraska would rest its starters and finish with a 77-28 home opening victory over ASU. The offense finished with 686 yards on the day.
Nebraska would return to Lincoln the very next week to play a creampuff opponent in the Pacific Tigers. Nebraska totaled 731 yards on offense, the fifth-highest total in school history, on its way to a 49-7 win. Meanwhile, the Husker defense held the Tigers to 197 total yards and forced 11 punts. Damon Benning rushed for 173 and three touchdowns on 10 carries before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. Ahman Green added 112 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. In all, seven Huskers rushed for at least 29 yards. Nebraska began substituting in the second quarter and eventually used 102 players. The Huskers had three drives stall inside the Pacific 30-yard line, including one that ended with Kris Brown missing a 30-yard field goal.
Nebraska welcomed Washington State into Lincoln that next week for what would prove to be the Cornhuskers’ toughest game of the season. The Cougars came into the game ranked fourth in the nation in rushing defense, holding its opponents to just 69.7 yards on the ground per game. Washington State got on the board first and led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. But the over powering Nebraska offense could not be held in check for long. Quarterback Tommie Frazier led his team to 20 second quarter points to take a 20-7 lead into the locker room. While the offense moved the ball consistently well in the third quarter, Washington State’s stout defense kept Nebraska’s scoring low - allowing only a touchdown and a two point conversion. Both teams scored in the fourth quarter, with the Cougars scoring twice, and Nebraska walked out of Lincoln Memorial with a 35-21 victory. The Huskers racked up 527 yards of offense, including 428 rushing yards.
The Missouri Tigers came to town and offered less of a challenge than Nebraska’s previous opponent. Nebraska's Blackshirt defense forced five fumbles and recovered two of them, intercepted two passes, held Missouri to 122 total, and notched the Huskers' first shutout of the season in a 57-0 win over the Tigers. Missouri managed 39 rushing yards on 39 carries. Husker linebacker Terrell Farley blocked a punt that led to a Husker safety. Meanwhile, the Husker offense tallied 475 total yards, with quarterback Tommie Frazier accounting for 71 yards rushing (and three rushing touchdowns) and 133 passing (and two touchdown passes). Ahman Green, making his first start, rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Nebraska’s next big challenge came the very next week when #8 Kansas State came calling. Using a combination of stifling defense, surprising passing, and strong special teams, Nebraska jumped out to a 35-6 halftime lead over Kansas State en route to a 49-25 victory. After three quarters, Nebraska's defense had held Kansas State to minus-4-yards rushing and 128 yards total. Nebraska began substituting reserve players shortly thereafter, however, and the Wildcats rallied to put 19 fourth quarter points on the board and pulled within 42-25. Nebraska's starters re-emerged and drove for another touchdown to account for the game's final margin. Despite the rally, the Wildcats finished with just 256 total yards, minus-19 rushing yards, and the Nebraska defense recorded eight sacks and two interceptions. Frazier went 10 of 16 through the air for 148 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Ahman Green ran for 109 yards on 22 carries and had two touchdown receptions. Ultimately, Kansas State went on to finish second nationally in scoring defense; more than a third of the 145 points that the Wildcats allowed during the regular season were scored by the Huskers.
The Cornhuskers traveled for the first time in weeks to take on the #7 Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder. After facing a top ten team the previous week in #8 Kansas State, many wondered whether or not the #2 Cornhuskers could keep the same level of intensity. Those questions were answered early on. Nebraska scored on a 57-yard run by Ahman Green on its first play from scrimmage, committed no turnovers or penalties, and never trailed in a 44-21 win over the Buffaloes. Quarterback Tommie Frazier threw for a career-high 241 yards on 14 of 23 passing attempts, with two touchdowns, and ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. After Nebraska took a 31-14 halftime lead, Colorado scored on a 49-yard pass on 4th and 2 to pull within 31-21 in the third quarter. But the Buffaloes came no closer, as two field goals and Frazier's touchdown run put the game away. Ahman Green finished the game with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. One of the game's most memorable plays came when Colorado defensive end Greg Jones hit Tommie Frazier in the backfield. Frazier, who was not sacked during the entire 1995 season, managed to absorb the blow and get off a 35-yard pass down the sideline to Ahman Green on a drive that ended in a Husker field goal. On the day, Nebraska out gained the Buffaloes 467 to 382 and out rushed them 226 to 106.
After their 24 point victory over #7 Colorado, the polls saw fit to move Nebraska up to the #1 position. They would prove worthy of such a ranking when they absolutely annihilated the Iowa State Cyclones inside Lincoln Memorial Stadium. Nebraska scored on its first ten possessions and posted 624 rushing yards and 776 total yards en route to a 73-14 win over the Cyclones. Freshman Ahman Green led the way with 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and added a touchdown reception. Nebraska's Blackshirt defense limited Iowa State to 254 total yards, which included 121 yards on 28 carries by Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Davis. The Blackshirts also recorded two interceptions and forced two fumbles.
After their easy victory over Iowa State, Nebraska traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the #10 Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks were 8-1 entering the game against Nebraska. Kansas, unbeaten at home on the season and featuring its best team in decades, outplayed Nebraska for much of the first half as the Cornhuskers had their sloppiest performance of the season. By the end of the first half, Kansas had outgained Nebraska 199-110 in yards, had 10 more first downs and had run 23 more plays. Nonetheless, Nebraska still led 14-3 at intermission. Nebraska took over in the second half, winning by the score of 41-3. Tommie Frazier led all rushers with 99 yards on 10 carries; Kansas as a team ran for 72 yards on 32 total rushing attempts. The game marked Nebraska's third win over a top ten team in less than a month, with an average victory margin of 45-16. With the win, Nebraska clinched a fifth-straight Big 8 title.
Nebraska was now 10-0 on the season and ranked #1 in the land. Their final game of the regular season would be against their old rival, Oklahoma. The Sooners came into the game as a 30-point underdog, the largest point-spread in the history of the series. But the Sooners played tough defensively, as Nebraska failed to score a first-half offensive touchdown for the first time all season. The Huskers nonetheless led 13-0 at halftime, thanks to a pair of field goals and a 36-yard interception return for a score. A 57-yard fumble return pushed the score to 20-0 early in the third quarter. Frazier eventually threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jon Vedral. Frazier went 12 of 25 for 136 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception; the unspectacular performance factored heavily into his finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Still, the Huskers came out on top with a 37-0 victory. In all the Husker offense tallied 271 rushing yards and 407 yards total. The Husker defense, meanwhile, limited the Sooners to 241 total yards and forced three turnovers. The game marked the first shutout of Oklahoma by Nebraska since 1942.
The final game of the 1995 season would take place in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the national championship and the Huskers’ opponent would be the #2 (12-0) Florida Gators. Entering the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, some thought Nebraska to be an underdog. In the December 26, 1995, issue of Sports Illustrated, the magazine broke down why Florida was the superior team and why Nebraska would not be able to run on them. Many felt that Florida’s superior defensive speed would not allow the Huskers to run their power option offense. They also felt that Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ’n Gun” offense would prove to be too much for the Nebraska defense. On January 2, 1996, in front of a large television audience, the #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers decimated the #2 Florida Gators. Nebraska racked up 524 rushing yards and 629 total yards en route to a 62-24 victory. Quarterback (and Heisman runner-up) Tommie Frazier finished the game with 199 yards rushing on just 16 carries. Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips ran the ball 25 times for 165 yards. Coming into the contest, the Gator offense was averaging 44 points and 534 yards per game. The Nebraska defense, trashed so vehemently by Sports Illustrated just days earlier, held the vaunted Gator offense to just 289 yards, including minus-28 yards rushing.
Due to their performance against Florida as well as beating 4 teams that finished in the top 10 by an average score of 49-18, their consistent dominance, their record setting offensive performance, and their statistically impressive defense throughout the season, the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers should definitely be considered the greatest college football team of all-time. The team set Division 1-A records by averaging 7.0 yards per rushing attempt and also by allowing zero quarterback sacks on the season. Noted for its strong special teams play, the team also connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts, and it also tied an NCAA record by allowing only five punt returns (for a total of 13 yards) all season. The 1995 Huskers also averaged a victory margin of more than 38 points, the largest of any Division 1-A team since World War II, despite regularly resting their starters in the second halves of games. Averaging more than 53 points per game, the team also averaged 29.8 points per first half.
One could very easily proclaim either ‘95 Nebraska, ‘01 Miami, ‘04 USC, or any other dominant team as being the greatest of all-time. Each team listed above have legitimate arguments in their favor. The above argument that I have stated for ‘95 Nebraska speaks plainly and clearly. I believe the ‘95 Huskers to be the absolute greatest college football team to ever play the game. While ‘01 Miami and ‘04 USC were filled with future NFL stars, there is just something about the ‘95 Nebraska team that I like better. They were a blue collar team that just refused to back down from any challenge. They were a physical, aggressive team that put yardage and points on the board like no other team in college football history. For that, I believe they should take the crown as the absolute greatest college football team of all-time.
