CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1966 Nebraska

9–⁠2 (6–⁠1 Big Eight), coached by Bob Devaney, finished No. 6 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Nebraska in 1966, game by game: won vs. TCU 14–10; won vs. Utah State 28–7; won at Iowa State 12–6; won at Wisconsin 31–3; won vs. Kansas State 21–10; won at Colorado 21–19; won vs. Missouri 35–0; won at Kansas 24–13; won vs. Oklahoma State 21–6; lost at Oklahoma 9–10; lost vs. No. 3 Alabama 7–34+35−27Won 14–10 vs. TCU+4TCUWon 28–7 vs. Utah State+21Utah StateWon 12–6 at Iowa State+6Iowa StateWon 31–3 at Wisconsin+28WisconsinWon 21–10 vs. Kansas State+11Kansas StateWon 21–19 at Colorado+2ColoradoWon 35–0 vs. Missouri+35MissouriWon 24–13 at Kansas+11KansasWon 21–6 vs. Oklahoma State+15Oklahoma StateLost 9–10 at Oklahoma-1OklahomaLost 7–34 vs. No. 3 Alabama-27No. 3 Alabama
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 17vsTCUW 14–⁠1071%
Sep 24vsUtah StateW 28–⁠771%
Oct 1atIowa StateW 12–⁠675%
Oct 8atWisconsinW 31–⁠372%
Oct 15vsKansas StateW 21–⁠1094%
Oct 22atColoradoW 21–⁠1963%
Oct 29vsMissouriW 35–⁠066%
Nov 5atKansasW 24–⁠1383%
Nov 12vsOklahoma StateW 21–⁠689%
Nov 24atOklahomaL 9–⁠1069%
Jan 2Bowls & playoffvs3AlabamaSugar BowlL 7–⁠3442%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Alabama 34–⁠7 in the Sugar Bowl; No. 6 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 35th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 129 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 3
  2. Wk 2: 4
  3. Wk 3: 6
  4. Wk 4: 7
  5. Wk 5: 6
  6. Wk 6: 7
  7. Wk 7: 8
  8. Wk 8: 6
  9. Wk 9: 4
  10. Wk 10: 4
  11. Wk 11: 4
  12. Wk 12: 6
  13. Final: 6

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1966.

Big Eight champions6–⁠1 in the conference

2 consensus All-AmericansLaVerne Allers, OG; Wayne Meylan, LB

Record
9–⁠2
Conference
6–⁠1 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 6 peak No. 3
Points
223–⁠118
Coach
Bob Devaney
Elo
1699 +62 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
11.6 No. 21 of 119 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—

Drafted in 1967

The 1967 draft
Rd 3Harry Wilson RBPhiladelphia Eagles
Rd 4Carel Stith DTHouston Oilers

All-Big Eight

6 first team, 3 second team

First team

Second team

  • Dennis MorrisonEAP-2
  • Bob PickensOTAP-2
  • Lynn SenkbeilLBAP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1966 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1966 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Nebraska6–⁠19–⁠26
Colorado5–⁠27–⁠3
Missouri4–⁠2–⁠16–⁠3–⁠1
Oklahoma State4–⁠2–⁠14–⁠5–⁠1
Oklahoma4–⁠36–⁠4
Iowa State2–⁠3–⁠22–⁠6–⁠2
Kansas0–⁠6–⁠12–⁠7–⁠1
Kansas State0–⁠6–⁠10–⁠9–⁠1

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.