CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1990 Nebraska

9–⁠3 (5–⁠2 Big Eight), coached by Tom Osborne, finished No. 24 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Nebraska in 1990, game by game: won vs. Baylor 13–0; won vs. Northern Illinois 60–14; won vs. Minnesota 56–0; won vs. Oregon State 31–7; won at Kansas State 45–8; won vs. Missouri 69–21; won vs. Oklahoma State 31–3; won at Iowa State 45–13; lost vs. No. 9 Colorado 12–27; won at Kansas 41–9; lost at Oklahoma 10–45; lost vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech 21–45+56−35Won 13–0 vs. Baylor+13BaylorWon 60–14 vs. Northern Illinois+46Northern Illino…Won 56–0 vs. Minnesota+56MinnesotaWon 31–7 vs. Oregon State+24Oregon StateWon 45–8 at Kansas State+37Kansas StateWon 69–21 vs. Missouri+48MissouriWon 31–3 vs. Oklahoma State+28Oklahoma StateWon 45–13 at Iowa State+32Iowa StateLost 12–27 vs. No. 9 Colorado-15No. 9 ColoradoWon 41–9 at Kansas+32KansasLost 10–45 at Oklahoma-35OklahomaLost 21–45 vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech-24No. 2 Georgia Tech
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 1vsBaylorW 13–⁠073%
Sep 8vsNorthern IllinoisW 60–⁠1475%
Sep 22vsMinnesotaW 56–⁠082%
Sep 29vsOregon StateW 31–⁠792%
Oct 6atKansas StateW 45–⁠883%
Oct 13vsMissouriW 69–⁠2187%
Oct 20vsOklahoma StateW 31–⁠388%
Oct 27atIowa StateW 45–⁠1374%
Nov 3vs9ColoradoL 12–⁠2761%
Nov 10atKansasW 41–⁠983%
Nov 23atOklahomaL 10–⁠4551%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs2Georgia TechCitrus BowlL 21–⁠4550%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Lost to Georgia Tech 45–⁠21 in the Citrus Bowl; No. 24 in the final AP poll; tied for 2nd in the Big Eight.

In program history: The 53rd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 129 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 7
  2. Wk 2: 10
  3. Wk 3: 8
  4. Wk 4: 8
  5. Wk 5: 8
  6. Wk 6: 8
  7. Wk 7: 7
  8. Wk 8: 4
  9. Wk 9: 4
  10. Wk 10: 3
  11. Wk 11: 13
  12. Wk 12: 11
  13. Wk 13: 10
  14. Wk 14: 19
  15. Wk 15: 19
  16. Final: 24

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 1990.

Record
9–⁠3
Conference
5–⁠2 tied for 2nd in Big Eight
AP final
No. 24 peak No. 3
Points
434–⁠192
Coach
Tom Osborne
Elo
1655 −1 this season
SP+ rating
20.2 No. 15 of 104; offense No. 17, defense No. 31
SRS
20.0 No. 9 of 107 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Defensive coordinator
Charlie McBride
Offense
I formation
Defense
3–⁠4

Drafted in 1991

The 1991 draft
Rd 1Bruce Pickens DBAtlanta Falcons
Rd 1Mike Croel LBDenver Broncos

All-Big Eight

6 first team, 5 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1990 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1990 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Colorado7–⁠011–⁠1–⁠11
Nebraska5–⁠29–⁠324
Oklahoma5–⁠28–⁠317
Iowa State2–⁠4–⁠14–⁠6–⁠1
Kansas2–⁠4–⁠13–⁠7–⁠1
Kansas State2–⁠55–⁠6
Oklahoma State2–⁠54–⁠7
Missouri2–⁠54–⁠7

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