Web posted January 4, 1998

 Vegas: Make it Huskers over Michigan
 Happy Michigan fans share crown

The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) -- Tom Osborne quit trying to figure out the polls long before he decided to retire. He was just glad the final one ranked his team No. 1.

The Nebraska coach got a fitting farewell from his peers Saturday when the Cornhuskers won the national championship in the coaches' poll. That gave him a satisfying split, with Michigan finishing atop The Associated Press poll.

``It certainly is very gratifying,'' Osborne said, less than 10 hours after Friday night's 42-17 romp over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

``From our standpoint, it couldn't have worked out any better,'' he said. ``I'm really pleased for the University of Michigan, strangely enough. They very much deserve to be national champions. I thought we did, too.''

Did Nebraska get sentimental votes because of Osborne's departure? Did Michigan benefit because it had gone 50 years without a title? How to choose between the Huskers (13-0) and Wolverines (12-0)?

Osborne, who holds master's and doctorate degrees in psychology, said he had no idea what factors were most influential.

``Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Who knows why people vote the way they do?'' he said.

``You hope someone doesn't vote for someone because one team hasn't won the national championship for a while or because another team's coach is retiring,'' he said. ``Who knows what changes people's minds?''

There is one change Osborne would like to see.

``I have respect for both polls. It's just sad we're still dealing with polls,'' he said. ``You wish there was just one, or a playoff.''

Osborne is eager to see how next season's bowl alliance -- one that includes every team -- will work. He also would support a computer ranking system that picks teams for a playoff format.

Osborne, true to his nature, showed hardly any emotion in the last hours of his 25-year career.

The 60-year-old coach calmly watched his Huskers close out their third perfect season in four years, giving him a 255-49-3 record. He accepted congratulations in the locker room from Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning and his dad, Archie, and left the stadium for the last time as a coach.

Osborne already had won two national championships, but was not sure whether Nebraska would be able to sway enough votes for a third title.

``I thought it was 50-50,'' he said.

He was in his hotel room a little later when the phone rang. Seemed he had forgotten to call in his ballot for the coaches' poll.

Earlier in the season, Osborne admitted, he'd listed his team around No. 6 or No. 7. But now he'd been ranking the Cornhuskers on top for a while, and he put them No. 1 in the final poll and Michigan at No. 2.

``The funny story is that -- this might be interesting -- is that he got his vote in by three minutes,'' said his son, Mike.

``It almost mattered a whole lot,'' he said. ``He called it in just before 1 a.m. They called and reminded him.''

By virtue of his vote, the Cornhuskers won the national championship in the coaches' poll -- they finished with 32 first-place votes to Michigan's 30.

The results of the coaches' poll came out about 3 a.m.

``We were so loud when we saw it, the hotel security had to come up to tell us to be quiet,'' defensive end Grant Wistrom said.

Osborne was not among those cheering or crying, however.

``I think by that time I was fairly wrung out,'' he said. ``There wasn't much emotion left.''

Instead, dressed in pajamas and packing his suitcases, he quietly celebrated with his family. A few of his players stopped by to offer congratulations, too.

``It's a great feeling to have it end this way,'' he said.