Did ESPN Miss One on Its ‘Unbreakable Records’ College Football List?

ESPN recently put together a comprehensive list of college football’s most unbreakable records. ESPN listed its top 10 and 12 honorable mentions.

Maybe the list wasn’t comprehensive enough.

The “worldwide leader” might have missed one.

Nebraska football made the honorable mention list with its truly amazing, consecutive home sellout streak of 403 games. You could make a strong case the streak should have been included in the top 10, instead of honorable mention. Below in this article, I’ll show which of ESPN’s top 10 could be replaced.

Anyway … 

We offer another Nebraska accomplishment that easily would have fit into ESPN’s narrative.

The Cornhuskers’ record from 1993-97 was an incredible 60-3 and included a co-national championship (with Michigan) in 1997, plus the AP national titles in 1994 and 1995.

Nebraska accomplished this streak under coach Tom Osborne, who retired after the 1997 season. It was one of the greatest runs in college football history. The Huskers won 26 consecutive games.

The 1993 team finished third in the final AP poll. The Huskers were 11-1 and led by quarterback Tommie Frazier, who rushed for 704 yards and nine touchdowns, and passed for 1,159 yards.

Calvin Jones ran for 1,043 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Huskers scored 421 points (fourth in the nation) and allowed 176 points.

Nebraska’s only loss was in the Orange Bowl to eventual national champion Florida State, 18-16. A victory might have given the Huskers the national title.

In 1994, Nebraska won the AP national championship after a 13-0 season, capped off with a 24-17 win over Miami in the Orange Bowl. The Huskers scored 435 points (sixth-best in the country) and allowed 145.

Brook Berringer completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns, and Lawrence Phillips ran for 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns. Frazier only played four games after suffering recurring blood clots in his right leg.

The Huskers’ only close game was a 13-3 win at Oklahoma.

The 1995 team also finished first in the final AP poll after a 12-0 season. The Huskers scored 576 points, No. 1 in the nation. They allowed 150 points.

Frazier was back working his magic in ’95. He passed for 17 touchdowns, and rushed for 14 touchdowns. Ahman Green ran for 1,086 yards and 13 touchdowns. Phillips was suspended after being arrested for striking his ex-girlfriend and only played five games. He never played for the Huskers again.

Nebraska was ranked No. 2 from preseason until late October, when it moved to No. 1 and stayed there. The Huskers put an exclamation point on the season with a 62-24 win over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska finally lost a game in 1996, falling at Arizona State, 19-0, in its second game. The Huskers then ran off nine consecutive victories before losing to Texas, 37-27, in the Big 12 title game.

In 1997, Nebraska won all 13 of its games. It defeated Peyton Manning and Tennessee, 42-17, in the Orange Bowl.

Two of the Top 10 I would have bumped

Two of ESPN’s top-10 unbreakable records choices could easily be dropped into the honorable mention category. I would have replaced either one with Nebraska’s home sellout streak — or its 60-3 run.

1. The University of Florida’s John Reaves’ nine interceptions vs. Auburn in 1966. ESPN ranked this unbreakable record at No. 5. I hesitated on this choice, only because I can’t imagine a modern-day college coach leaving a quarterback in a game when he already had coughed up the ball eight times.

There can be some gruesome quarterback play, at times, in college football. Players and teams are overwhelmed by talent and scheme. But leaving in a future quarterback long enough to throw nine interceptions seems like cruel and unusual punishment. Run the ball!

Reaves threw 66 passes in the Gators’ 38-12 loss, the only loss in a 9-1-1 season for Florida.

2. Alabama linebacker Derrick Thomas’ 27 sacks in 1988. ESPN ranked Thomas’ feat No. 6. The NCAA didn’t recognize sack statistics until 2000. So, technically, Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs had 24 sacks in 2002 and holds the official record.

Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil had 20 sacks in 2005. Thirteen players have had at least 16.5 sacks since 2005.

It’s a big leap to get from 20-ish to 27, but it doesn’t strike me as “unbreakable.” Difficult, sure. But not unbreakable.

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