Coach: Tom Osborne
Best Player: : Mike Rozier

For 11 seasons Tom Osborne had coached in the shadow of his predecessor and mentor Bob Devaney, fielding top-notch Nebraska teams that nonetheless failed to take home any national championships. '83 appeared to be the year he'd bring home a chip, as he took a powerhouse undefeated no. 1 'Huskers squad into the Orange Bowl against an upstart Miami team, only to fall behind 17-0 in the first half. Nebraska dominated the second stanza though, and scored a touchdown with less than a minute remaining to pull to 31-30. An extra point and tie would have secured the title for Nebraska (Miami was no. 5 and the 2-4 teams had all lost earlier), but Osborne went for the 2-point conversion, only to fail. Failure usually isn't badass, but when it involves a decision this gutty, it most certainly is.