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1971 Nebraska

13–⁠0 (7–⁠0 Big Eight), coached by Bob Devaney, finished No. 1 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Nebraska in 1971, game by game: won vs. Oregon 34–7; won vs. Minnesota 35–7; won vs. Texas A&M 34–7; won vs. Utah State 42–6; won at Missouri 36–0; won vs. Kansas 55–0; won at Oklahoma State 41–13; won vs. No. 9 Colorado 31–7; won vs. Iowa State 37–0; won at Kansas State 44–17; won at No. 2 Oklahoma 35–31; won at Hawai’i 45–3; won vs. No. 2 Alabama 38–6+55Won 34–7 vs. Oregon+27OregonWon 35–7 vs. Minnesota+28MinnesotaWon 34–7 vs. Texas A&M+27Texas A&MWon 42–6 vs. Utah State+36Utah StateWon 36–0 at Missouri+36MissouriWon 55–0 vs. Kansas+55KansasWon 41–13 at Oklahoma State+28Oklahoma StateWon 31–7 vs. No. 9 Colorado+24No. 9 ColoradoWon 37–0 vs. Iowa State+37Iowa StateWon 44–17 at Kansas State+27Kansas StateWon 35–31 at No. 2 Oklahoma+4No. 2 OklahomaWon 45–3 at Hawai’i+42Hawai’iWon 38–6 vs. No. 2 Alabama+32No. 2 Alabama
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 11vsOregonW 34–⁠781%
Sep 18vsMinnesotaW 35–⁠783%
Sep 25vsTexas A&MW 34–⁠789%
Oct 2vsUtah StateW 42–⁠683%
Oct 9atMissouriW 36–⁠076%
Oct 16vsKansasW 55–⁠086%
Oct 23atOklahoma StateW 41–⁠1372%
Oct 30vs9ColoradoW 31–⁠773%
Nov 6vsIowa StateW 37–⁠084%
Nov 13atKansas StateW 44–⁠1780%
Nov 25at2OklahomaW 35–⁠3151%
Dec 4atHawai’iW 45–⁠393%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs2AlabamaOrange BowlW 38–⁠655%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Alabama 38–⁠6 in the Orange Bowl; No. 1 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 3rd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 129 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 2
  2. Wk 2: 1
  3. Wk 3: 1
  4. Wk 4: 1
  5. Wk 5: 1
  6. Wk 6: 1
  7. Wk 7: 1
  8. Wk 8: 1
  9. Wk 9: 1
  10. Wk 10: 1
  11. Wk 11: 1
  12. Wk 12: 1
  13. Wk 13: 1
  14. Wk 14: 1
  15. Final: 1

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 1971.

National championsNo. 1 in the final AP poll, and a title the school claims

Big Eight champions7–⁠0 in the conference

Led the nationJerry Tagge: passer rating (150.9)

Outland TrophyLarry Jacobson, DT

3 consensus All-AmericansJohnny Rodgers, RB; Willie Harper, DE; Larry Jacobson, DT

Eddie Robinson Coach of the YearBob Devaney, coach; also the Walter Camp Coach

Record
13–⁠0
Conference
7–⁠0 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 1 peak No. 1
Points
507–⁠104
Coach
Bob Devaney
Elo
1871 +171 this season
SP+ rating
38.5 No. 1 of 120; offense No. 1, defense No. 3
SRS
37.9 No. 1 of 128 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Tom Osborne
Defensive coordinator
Monte Kiffin
Offense
I formation
Defense
5–⁠2

Drafted in 1972

The 1972 draft
Rd 1Jerry Tagge QBGreen Bay Packers
Rd 1Jeff Kinney RBKansas City Chiefs
Rd 1Larry Jacobson DTNew York Giants
Rd 5Carl Johnson OTNew Orleans Saints

All-Big Eight

9 first team, 4 second team

First team

Second team

  • Doug DemlerCAP-2
  • Dave MasonLBAP-2
  • Bob TerrioLBAP-2
  • Joe BlahakDBAP-2

From Wikipedia’s 1971 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1971 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Nebraska7–⁠013–⁠01
Oklahoma6–⁠111–⁠12
Colorado5–⁠210–⁠23
Iowa State4–⁠38–⁠4
Kansas State2–⁠55–⁠6
Oklahoma State2–⁠54–⁠6–⁠1
Kansas2–⁠54–⁠7
Missouri0–⁠71–⁠10

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