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The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: OrangeAfroMan on December 25, 2022, 11:31:43 PM

Title: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 25, 2022, 11:31:43 PM
Unexpected seasons, all.
WTF was going on in 1993?!?
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: bayareabadger on December 26, 2022, 12:33:23 AM
I'm listing Wisconsin No. 1. In part because I'm a probably homer and in part because the best thing you could say about the 20-58 record the previous seven years was that they were only 10-12 the previous two.

I'd put Maryland second, maybe K-State third. I don't know what to do with Wake. The ACC was kinda drek that year, and that team didn't play THAT well. They lost to two of the three highest quality teams in the league, but held off BC despite miserable possession stats and then got that 9-6 title game win. I guess I'm more surprised at team like that could win a league and a league was bad enough to let them do it. 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 26, 2022, 07:03:44 AM
I sat and watched what Barry was doing and I knew he was on to something. Yes, he started out 1-10 (with like 30 players) and then 5-6 and 5-6. 1992, he was a Montgomery fumble away from a bowl game, but he also beat OSU that season.

1993 comes, and Joe Panos says, "Why not Wisconsin?".

Yep, saw it coming.

(https://i.imgur.com/MW1KLIu.png)

I went with 2007 Kansas. I didn't see that one coming at all.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: FearlessF on December 26, 2022, 11:02:03 AM
I didn't see 96 Jake the snake and the Devil defense coming after the Huskers put 77 on them in 95

certainly shocked by 3 safeties and a shutout of the Huskers early 96

watched the rerun of that rose bowl with Jake a day or so ago.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 26, 2022, 07:39:24 PM
I chose 2007 KU, too.  
Even as they had a great season, I think most people didn't think they'd have even beaten a down, .500 season-Nebraska team.  It was a case of "okay, okay, you had your fun, but KU can't beat Nebraska."  The Jayhawks broke through that mental obstacle by hanging 76 on the Huskers.  
Their only blemish was a 1-score game vs top-5 Mizzou.  
.
Their season broke my brain.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: FearlessF on December 26, 2022, 08:32:00 PM
a very low point for Nebraska football in my lifetime

I went to the bar to watch it cause it was on pay-per-view

the bar owner told me it was gonna cost $1200 to order it on Dish

I told him to just turn on the radio, I didn't seen to see it that bad.

and not even I and my two Husker buddies were gonna drink $1200 worth that day.

great call
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 06:25:28 AM
Pay per view? In 2007??
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: MrNubbz on December 27, 2022, 08:28:22 AM
Who ever arranged that deserved to lose their shirts.Hell regular advertisements on network would have covered that
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: Gigem on December 27, 2022, 08:28:45 AM
The TV package for the Big 12 was weird for a long time. I remember A&M had several early season games that were on pay per view. 

The $1200 must’ve been due to it being a bar. Most of our games were like $40-60. 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 08:41:21 AM
The TV package for the Big 12 was weird for a long time. I remember A&M had several early season games that were on pay per view.

The $1200 must’ve been due to it being a bar. Most of our games were like $40-60.
No question. I remember back in the early days of BTN not everyone carried it, so to the bar it was. He paid $750/week to carry it. And he made a ton of money as a result. Miss that old joint.


(https://i.imgur.com/UBRwWje.png)
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: bayareabadger on December 27, 2022, 09:26:29 AM
No question. I remember back in the early days of BTN not everyone carried it, so to the bar it was. He paid $750/week to carry it. And he made a ton of money as a result. Miss that old joint.


(https://i.imgur.com/UBRwWje.png)
I had an interesting moment this week on that front. Went to the suburbs for something. After I got out of something at one, a friend invited me to an early dinner out that way.

So I had A few hours to kill. I tried to pick up a couple of random presents for friends, and I wanted to find a place where I could grab a little bite and watch some football. I ended up ducking into a Chili’s and realizing they had the whole NFL package, which I can’t imagine is cheap for a bar. but it’s also a Chili’s, and I can’t imagine you’re doing that good of business on a full NFL Sunday. I asked the bartender, who said that each individual restaurant decides whether or not to purchase it (so it’s not a companywide deal), and he wasn’t sure why they did it. Then I finished up my sliders and went to look at some garish home goods.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: FearlessF on December 27, 2022, 09:44:51 AM
part of not sharing media rights in the 12
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: ELA on December 27, 2022, 10:10:30 AM
1995 Northwestern is probably #1 for me
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: utee94 on December 27, 2022, 10:13:29 AM
part of not sharing media rights in the 12
Nebraska and Texas A&M actually made more money by NOT having those early-season cupcake games televised.  The PPV money was not shared with the conference.

So when Texas vs. Rice is picked by ABC, it's already covered in the B12 TV rights distribution and no extra money to Texas.  But when Nebraska vs. Akron was passed over by the B12 TV partners and "slips" to PPV, Nebraska makes an extra $1M off it.

That was one of those laughable quirks about all of the bitching about media rights in the B12 and blaming everything on Texas.  Until the LHN, Texas made less money in Tier3 rights every season, than did Nebraska, Texas A&M, OU, and Kansas.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: bayareabadger on December 27, 2022, 10:23:59 AM
1995 Northwestern is probably #1 for me
Ohhh, that’s a good one. 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: bayareabadger on December 27, 2022, 10:27:26 AM
I sat and watched what Barry was doing and I knew he was on to something. Yes, he started out 1-10 (with like 30 players) and then 5-6 and 5-6. 1992, he was a Montgomery fumble away from a bowl game, but he also beat OSU that season.

1993 comes, and Joe Panos says, "Why not Wisconsin?".

Yep, saw it coming.

(https://i.imgur.com/MW1KLIu.png)

I went with 2007 Kansas. I didn't see that one coming at all.
Kansas was interesting because it wasn’t like they were BAD before that. They were mediocre, and years removed from the last very nice run. (Like, leading up to it, they were not as bad as they’ve been of late)

They also caught some good breaks. Best team they beat in the regular season was 7-6, 4-4 in the conference.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 10:28:04 AM
1995 Northwestern is probably #1 for me
Not me. Being close by and paying attention to reports we could see it coming. Yeah, they took their lumps in 1994, but you could see they were developing very nicely under the snake.

And yeah, that early loss to Miami (OH) is so damn Northwestern it's not even funny.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 27, 2022, 10:31:43 AM
1995 Northwestern is probably #1 for me
That's a good one.  
I could have kept going with the list, but I didn't know where to stop.  Anything over 10 options just becomes silly.
.
Franklin's first 9-win Vandy season could be another good 'other.'  Because....that just doesn't happen.
1990 GT
Another 1993 leap:  Va Tech - Beamer's first good team, starring QB Maurice DeShazo!
The 1980 Florida team, that improved from 0-10-1 to 8-4.  Pell was probably cheating from the get-go, lol.
2011 Baylor....akin to the 07 KU team, you're just figuring, okay, you had your fun, but you're still going to fall off a cliff....but they kept winning.  Averaged almost 600 total yds on offense, and they needed to, because that defense was GROSS.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 27, 2022, 10:33:18 AM
Not me. Being close by and paying attention to reports we could see it coming. Yeah, they took their lumps in 1994, but you could see they were developing very nicely under the snake.

And yeah, that early loss to Miami (OH) is so damn Northwestern it's not even funny.
I guess 847 is Nostradamus over here....knew all of these huge turnarounds were coming.  I guess you made your money betting on them?
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 10:39:04 AM
I don't bet. I just pay attention. My dad went to NU (not graduated) and was a big fan.

It was also easy to see that Barnett (and Alvarez) could coach a little. 

Both of those guys won MNC's as coordinators at their final stops before becoming HC.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 27, 2022, 12:25:22 PM
Monday
Morning
Nostradamusing
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 12:41:10 PM
Yeah, well, it's Tuesday, so...
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: ELA on December 27, 2022, 02:22:46 PM
Yeah, well, it's Tuesday, so...
Is it?  I'm going to pitch a game show where people just have to say what day it is during the week between Christmas and New Years
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on December 27, 2022, 03:29:13 PM
I went with 1993 Wisconsin because I remember it and it was a HUMONGOUS surprise to me.  Some context:

I was a freshman at Ohio State that fall.  The Buckeyes were widely expected to compete for the title which was more unusual then than it has been of late.  At that point the Buckeyes hadn't won a title since 1986 and that one had been shared with the Wolverines and Michigan won the tie based on the H2H result so the Buckeyes hadn't been to the Rose Bowl since their outright League Title in the 1984 season.  

Additionally, 1992 for the Buckeyes was one of those seasons where the team seemed to improve pretty dramatically over the course of the year.  They took a couple early-season losses to mediocre teams then rattled off five straight wins.  Then it *SEEMED* at the time that Cooper had FINALLY gotten the Michigan monkey off of his back with a 13-13 tie in the final regular season game.  The Buckeyes did lose their bowl but it was a close loss to a very good Georgia team so Ohio State seemed to be hitting their stride and was expected to compete for the title.  

In the preseason polls the league had:

The internet was still in its infancy so I remember looking at the Ohio State schedule the old-school way, on a paper preseason magazine and thinking that the Big11Ten Championship would be determined either by:
There was no consideration whatsoever of the November 6 Wisconsin at Ohio State game.  


Despite what @847badgerfan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5) says, there were no apparent reasons to suspect that Wisconsin would compete for, let alone win the league title:

Even after the 1993 season got rolling it took a long time before Wisconsin looked like a threat to win the league.  They did start 6-0 but they only climbed to #15 in part because their three OOC games were against mediocre and bad teams and their first three league games were similarly against mediocre and bad teams.  Then they inexplicably lost to a bad Minnesota team on October 23 and dropped to #21.  At that point it looked like it was just an above average season for the Badgers.  

Even the following week when Wisconsin beat the Wolverines for the first time since 1981 and only the second time since 1962 it still didn't look like Wisconsin was a serious contender because they had that loss to Minnesota and because Michigan already had three losses BEFORE the loss to Wisconsin (ND, MSU, IL) so beating them wasn't THAT impressive.  

Instead, at the time it appeared that the big game on October 30 was Ohio State's home win over Penn State.  It was only the following week when Wisconsin tied Ohio State that it became clear that they were a contender but even then it still didn't look like they had much of a chance.  Ohio State had been #3 heading into their showdown with Penn State and solidified that with their win.  The only teams ahead of them in the polls were FSU and ND who were scheduled to meet later that year.  

Wisconsin's loss to Minnesota had already occurred so at that point it was just a waiting game for them, hoping that Ohio State would stumble.  If you had offered a rational fan a choice at that point to bet which would happen first, a Wisconsin loss or an Ohio State loss, any rational fan would have taken Wisconsin losing.  That Minnesota loss was BAD.  
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 03:36:50 PM
That Minnesota loss just may have cost them the MNC that year.

They would have been the only major school to finish unbeaten. 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 03:38:17 PM
That OSU game in 1992 was the one and only game I attended while a student. I really pissed off Alonzo Spellman when I threw a marshmallow and got him in the forehead. If looks could kill...
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on December 27, 2022, 04:19:47 PM
That Minnesota loss just may have cost them the MNC that year.

They would have been the only major school to finish unbeaten.
You are probably right.  

The loss cost the Badgers six spots in the poll from #15 before to #21 after.  They got those six spots back the next week by tying #3 Ohio State but they would have been a lot higher as an 8-0-1 team with a tie with then #3 than they were as a 7-1-1 team with a tie with then #3 and a loss to a terrible Minnesota team (4-5 as of 11/6).  

That was the year when College Gameday started with the FSU at ND game.  That was on November 13 and heading into it the rankings were:

Clearly what is holding Wisconsin back here is that their loss is MUCH worse than the teams ahead of them.  

From there forward here is what those teams did:

I've always felt the same way about Ohio State's loss to Michigan that year.  Both our teams lost to their chief rival that year despite being clearly superior to them.  It happens in rivalries and it sucks.  Either of our teams would likely have been NC's that year at 11-0-1 but instead they were #6 and #11 at 10-1-1.  

Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 27, 2022, 04:36:39 PM
That Minnesota loss just may have cost them the MNC that year.

They would have been the only major school to finish unbeaten.
They'd have been 'stuck' playing the RB, plus WV was undefeated and ranked 3rd before the bowls, behind the 1-loss titans FSU and ND.
Hell, I bet an undefeated Wisconsin team would have been ranked behind undefeated, on-probation Auburn. 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: 847badgerfan on December 27, 2022, 04:50:02 PM
They'd have been 'stuck' playing the RB, plus WV was undefeated and ranked 3rd before the bowls, behind the 1-loss titans FSU and ND.
Hell, I bet an undefeated Wisconsin team would have been ranked behind undefeated, on-probation Auburn. 
Doubtful, but it wouldn't matter, would it?

It's still Tuesday.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: ELA on December 27, 2022, 04:50:10 PM
Yeah, the pollsters didn't love ties.  Ask 9-0-3 1992 Michigan 
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 27, 2022, 05:24:37 PM
Yeah, the pollsters didn't love ties.  Ask 9-0-3 1992 Michigan
Funny thing is, if you're the lower-ranked team in a tie, the pollsters move you right up.  Lose by 1 point?  They drop you down.  
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: MarqHusker on December 28, 2022, 12:31:01 AM
 Who could forget '90 when each end of the MNC sharing was full of ties.

I would have loved to see the teaser odds on CU for a  MNC that year, after starting the season 1-1-1, with a 5th down yet to come.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 28, 2022, 02:15:00 AM
Tennessee went 8-2-2 that same year.
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: Cincydawg on December 28, 2022, 05:12:31 PM
Oddly enough, the Clemson 1981 NC followed some mediocre to decent seasons slightly better than UGA did in 1980.





Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: FearlessF on December 28, 2022, 07:08:28 PM
I've had the discussion with a couple Huskers that played in that 82 Orange bowl vs Clemson.

they weren't impressed with Clemson

QB Turner Gill was injured and didn't play - backup QB had a tough night - 5 for 15 passing 38 yards

probably should have run Roger Craig & Mike Rozier a few more times

Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: MrNubbz on December 28, 2022, 08:47:17 PM
With that backfield - ya think
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: FearlessF on December 28, 2022, 11:31:31 PM
Rozier threw a TD pass in that game
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on December 29, 2022, 02:14:43 AM
That Clemson team was #1 in scoring defense.  They picked off a ton of passes, so if you didn't really pass much, that wasn't an issue.
Michael Dean Perry (Browns) and the Fridge made for a tough DL.  Jeff Davis was their team MVP at LB.
.
A good summary of that team was that they beat ho-hum Tulane 13-5.  The next week, they beat #4 UGA 13-3.  That was basically the bulk of their season:  only score some, allow even less. 
.
You could say they only played 2 ranked teams before the OB vs Nebraska, and only scored 23 points combined (both wins, obviously), and you'd be right.  Maybe Pitt would have whipped them.  Maybe SMU could have run on them.  Maybe Texas would have shut them out.
But their win over UGA was enough to check the box of 'could they beat an elite team?'.  The Dawgs wound up ranked 2nd before the bowls.  
Title: Re: Most Surprising 'Rogue Wave' Out-of-Nowhere Season?
Post by: Cincydawg on December 29, 2022, 07:37:12 AM
UGA had a bad day with fumbles that day.