CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1981 Nebraska

9–⁠3 (7–⁠0 Big Eight), coached by Tom Osborne, finished No. 11 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Nebraska in 1981, game by game: lost at Iowa 7–10; won vs. No. 19 Florida State 34–14; lost vs. No. 3 Penn State 24–30; won vs. Auburn 17–3; won vs. Colorado 59–0; won at Kansas State 49–3; won at No. 19 Missouri 6–0; won vs. Kansas 31–15; won at Oklahoma State 54–7; won vs. Iowa State 31–7; won at Oklahoma 37–14; lost vs. No. 1 Clemson 15–22+59−7Lost 7–10 at Iowa-3IowaWon 34–14 vs. No. 19 Florida State+20No. 19 Florida StateLost 24–30 vs. No. 3 Penn State-6No. 3 Penn StateWon 17–3 vs. Auburn+14AuburnWon 59–0 vs. Colorado+59ColoradoWon 49–3 at Kansas State+46Kansas StateWon 6–0 at No. 19 Missouri+6No. 19 MissouriWon 31–15 vs. Kansas+16KansasWon 54–7 at Oklahoma State+47Oklahoma StateWon 31–7 vs. Iowa State+24Iowa StateWon 37–14 at Oklahoma+23OklahomaLost 15–22 vs. No. 1 Clemson-7No. 1 Clemson
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 12atIowaL 7–⁠1069%
Sep 19vs19Florida StateW 34–⁠1452%
Sep 26vs3Penn StateL 24–⁠3060%
Oct 3vsAuburnW 17–⁠377%
Oct 10vsColoradoW 59–⁠088%
Oct 17atKansas StateW 49–⁠380%
Oct 24at19MissouriW 6–⁠052%
Oct 31vsKansasW 31–⁠1583%
Nov 7atOklahoma StateW 54–⁠765%
Nov 14vsIowa StateW 31–⁠785%
Nov 21atOklahomaW 37–⁠1456%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs1ClemsonOrange BowlL 15–⁠2258%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Clemson 22–⁠15 in the Orange Bowl; No. 11 in the final AP poll; Big Eight champions.

In program history: The 16th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 129 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 6
  2. Wk 2: 7
  3. Wk 3: 17
  4. Wk 4: 15
  5. Wk 7: 19
  6. Wk 8: 15
  7. Wk 9: 12
  8. Wk 10: 11
  9. Wk 11: 7
  10. Wk 12: 5
  11. Wk 13: 5
  12. Wk 14: 4
  13. Final: 11

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 1981.

Big Eight champions7–⁠0 in the conference

Outland TrophyDave Rimington, C

Consensus All-AmericanDave Rimington, C

Record
9–⁠3
Conference
7–⁠0 first in Big Eight
AP final
No. 11 peak No. 4
Points
364–⁠125
Coach
Tom Osborne
Elo
1755 +82 this season
SP+ rating
28.2 No. 4 of 132; offense No. 5, defense No. 4
SRS
25.1 No. 4 of 137 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Defensive coordinator
Charlie McBride
Offense
I formation
Defense
5–⁠2

Drafted in 1982

The 1982 draft
Rd 1Jimmy Williams LBDetroit Lions
Rd 3Rodney Lewis DBNew Orleans Saints
Rd 7Henry Waechter DTChicago Bears
Rd 7Phil Bates RBDetroit Lions

All-Big Eight

7 first team, 9 second team

First team

Second team

  • Roger CraigRBAP-2; UPI-2
  • Phil BalesRBUPI-2
  • Mike MandelkoOGAP-2
  • Randy TheissOTAP-2
  • Tony FeliciDEUPI-2
  • Henry WaechterDTAP-2
  • Steve DamkrogerLBAP-2; UPI-2
  • Ric LindquistDBUPI-2
  • Grant CampbellPAP-2; UPI-2

From Wikipedia’s 1981 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1981 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Nebraska7–⁠09–⁠311
Oklahoma4–⁠2–⁠17–⁠4–⁠120
Kansas4–38–⁠4
Oklahoma State4–⁠37–⁠5
Missouri3–⁠48–⁠419
Iowa State2–⁠4–⁠15–⁠5–⁠1
Colorado2–⁠53–⁠8
Kansas State1–⁠62–⁠9

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