1970's
1970 [no losses] National Championship for Nebraska
1971 [no losses] National Championship for Nebraska, OU # 2, CU # 3
1972 at #15 UCLA
1972 #2 Oklahoma
1973 at #17 Missouri
1973 at #3 Oklahoma
1974 at UR Wisconsin
1974 UR Missouri (lost to TWO unranked teams!)
1974 #1 Oklahoma (split national championship with USC)
1975 at #1 Oklahoma (we lost to MNC and runner-up!)
1975 #2 Arizona State (bowl in Tempe)
1976 UR Missouri
1976 at #19 Iowa State
1976 #5 Oklahoma (seven future Big XII teams in Top 20)
1977 UR Washington State
1977 UR Iowa State
1977 at #7 Oklahoma (lost to TWO unranked teams!)
1978 at #1 Alabama (split national championship with USC)
1978 #15 Missouri
1978 #3 Oklahoma II (Orange Bowl rematch)
1979 at #3 Oklahoma
1979 #5 Houston (in Cotton Bowl)1980's
1980 #5 Florida State (Bowden says this game made FSU)
1980 #3 Oklahoma
1981 #18 Iowa
1981 #3 Penn State
1981 #1 Clemson (consensus national champs)
1982 #1 Penn State (consensus national champs)
1983 #1 Miami (consensus national champs)
1984 UR Syracuse (early skunky loss on the road)
1984 #6 Oklahoma
1985 #15 Florida State
1985 #1 Oklahoma (consensus national champs)
1985 #2 Michigan
1986 UR Colorado (in Boulder)
1986 #3 Oklahoma
1987 #3 Oklahoma
1987 #2 Florida State
1988 #6 UCLA (in L.A.)
1988 #2 Miami
1989 #4 Colorado
1989 #3 Florida State
1990's
1990 #1 Colorado (split national champion)
1990 #17 Oklahoma (Switzer and Co.)
1990 #1 Georgia Tech (split national champion)
1991 #1 Washington (split national champion)
1991 #1 Miami (split national champion)
1992 #11 Washington (good defending champ team)
1992 UR Iowa State (first loss to UR team since 1977)
1992 #2 Florida State (great team, great program)
1993 #1 Florida State (consensus national champs)
1994 [no losses] National Championship for Nebraska
1995 [no losses] National Championship for Nebraska
1996 #4 Arizona State (Rose Bowl team had MNC shot)
1996 #23 Texas (shocked by talented undercoached team)
1997 [no losses] National Championship for Nebraska
1998 #11 Texas A&M (they don't lose at home)
1998 #15 Texas (Ricky Williams Heisman year, Applewhite)
1998 #10 KSU (Bishop's revenge)
1998 #4 Arizona (great team with great athletes)
1999 #21 Texas (fumbled away in Austin)
2000's
2000 at # 1 Oklahoma (consensus national champs)
2000 at # 9 Kansas State
2001 at # 3 Colorado
2001 #1 Miami (consensus national champs)
2002 at # 16 Penn State (ranked as high as # 10 during season)
2002 at UR Iowa State (ranked as high as # 9 during season)
2002 at UR Oklahoma State (unranked all season)
2002 # 6 Texas (ranked as high as # 2 during season)
2002 at # 7 Kansas State (ranked as high as # 6 during season)
2002 # 20 Colorado (ranked as high as # 7 during season)
2002 UR Ole Miss (ranked as high as # 21 during season)
2003 at UR Missouri (ranked as high as # 22 during season)
2003 at # 12 Texas (ranked as high as # 5 during season)
2003 # 13 Kansas State (ranked as high as # 6 during season)
SUMMARY
The Huskers have lost 70 games since the 1970 season. Of those losses, 29
(41%) were to teams ranked in the top three in the final AP poll. A full 42 of those
losses (60%) were to teams ranked in the Top 10 in the final AP poll. Only
11 losses were
to unranked teams, and only five occurred within the last 20 years [Iowa State (1992),
Iowa State (2002), Oklahoma State (2002), Ole Miss (2002), Missouri (2003)]. The 2002 season saw the
end of several impressive streaks that were ongoing NCAA records.
NOTE: The AP Poll only published a Top 20 list
through the 1994 season.
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