Top Ten Reasons Michigan Got Robbed

1. "Michigan had a tougher schedule." No, not really. Five of Nebraska's opponents ended up ranked (Washington, Missouri, Texas A&M, with Kansas State and Tennessee in the top ten). Each game, except Missouri, was a blowout by the Huskers, with only Kansas State played in Lincoln. Only three of Michigan opponents ended up ranked and the Big 10 teams got crushed in the bowls.
2. "Osborne got his sympathy votes." It is ridiculous to say coaches give out gold watches. Besides, most of the computer polls (see link) all have Nebraska overwhelmingly #1. Computers are incapable of emotions. Additionally, oddsmakers, whose livelihoods depend on accurate predictions, would have the Huskers as 7 to 10-point favorite in a game against Michigan.
3. "Tennessee was overrated." The polls, which picked Tennessee #3 and Washington State #8, are the same polls that had Michigan #1 before the bowls. So, are the polls right or wrong, Michigan? Tennessee had the hardest schedule and said Nebraska was by far the best team they played. Washington State players admitted that Arizona State was a better team than the Wolverines after the Rose Bowl (in the Michigan Daily student paper)
4. "CBS over-hyped Nebraska after their Orange Bowl." And what did ABC (and ESPN) do for Michigan (and the Big Ten)? At the end of the Rose Bowl, they showed Bob Griese getting emotional over his son winning the game. If that's not asking for sympathy votes, then what is? Only ABC could put a positive spin on Penn State 16, Minnesota 15 in order to get a then-#1 team in their Rose Bowl.
5. "Michigan did better against Colorado and Baylor than Nebraska did." First of all, I could never see the logic to "we beat the team that beat the team..." Nebraska admittedly didn't do great against Colorado, but the Huskers played them in Boulder, while Michigan had a home game. As far as Baylor goes, Nebraska was leading 42-6 at halftime. It is easy to guess what would've happened had Nebraska kept their starters in the second half
6. "Michigan's #1 defense would enable them to beat Nebraska." Kansas State had the #4 defense and Nebraska scored 56 points in that game. Would Michigan be able to keep Nebraska's #1 option offense out the end zone? On the other hand, Michigan's 42nd-ranked offense would go up against the Huskers' #5 defense. Michigan's defense may slow down the option, but would the Wolverine's offense outscore the Blackshirts? For the year, NU's average score was 47-16 (31 point margin), while Michigan was 27-10 (17 point margin).
7. "The Big Ten had the toughest conference." Let's see: Washington 51, Michigan State 23... Florida 21, Penn State 6... Arizona State 17, Iowa 7... Georgia 33, Wisconsin 6... Florida State 31, Ohio State 14. Michigan's most "impressive" win was over Penn State, which lost to Michigan State 49-14. Enough said (unless you want to add Wake Forest over Northwestern, Toledo over Purdue, Hawaii over Minnesota...).
8. "What about the fluke win over Missouri?" Luck plays a part in every season. Luck allowed Michigan to be #1 by beating a #8 team by 5 points in the Rose Bowl, while the Huskers had to beat #3 by 25. The "miracle catch" at Missouri only tied the game. Nebraska dominated in overtime when Missouri still had an equal chance to win.
9. "All the expert sportswriters picked Michigan, including the AP, FWAA, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News..." Aren't they based on opinion? Oddsmakers can't afford to have opinions and computer polls and simulations are incapable of opinions. It leads one to wonder who really got sympathy votes. Perhaps it was because Michigan was "someone new", rather than a team who won three of the last four and compiled a 60-3 record over the past five years.
10. "Then Nebraska owes Penn State for not splitting in 1994." Wrong. Nebraska had to beat #3 Miami (Fla) in the Orange Bowl, where the 'Canes lost only one game in 10 years at their home field. Miami went 10-1 and beat the 1993 champs Florida State. Penn State, on the other hand, merely had to play #11 Oregon on a neutral field. Oregon lost four games that year, including a home loss to Hawaii.

Final thoughts: The above is basically a counter to Michigan's arguments. Even though most indicators point to Nebraska being the better team, it does not necessarily say that Nebraska would beat Michigan in a game. If pre-game statistics won games, Nebraska would not have beaten then-#2 Washington in Seattle and Washington State could not have come within a controversial play of winning the Rose Bowl. With the upcoming Super Alliance, perhaps this is the last time college football will be enriched with such an intriguing debate.

The point is that neither team really lost. Even though Michigan may whine about having to share a national championship, no merchandise or memorabilia will say "Co-champions" in either Ann Arbor or Lincoln. Both teams can look at themselves as national champions independent of one another.