Nebraska throttles Vols, for share of national title

And that's how Osborne will be remembered, even though his Nebraska Cornhuskers had to share the national title with Michigan.

The Wolverines finished No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll released early Saturday, receiving 51 first-place votes to Nebraska's 18. But in the coaches' poll, the Cornhuskers received 32 first-place votes to Michigan's 30.

"It's just a real sense of relief, especially to do it for coach Osborne," All-America defensive tackle Jason Peter said. "We felt we established ourselves, and we felt we deserved it."

The Cornhuskers gave their retiring coach an emphatic sendoff Friday night by beating Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. Peter and teammate Grant Wistrom were in their hotel room watching television hours later when the poll results were announced at 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," Wistrom said.

Ahman Green rushed for an Orange Bowl-record 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cornhuskers past Tennessee. Peyton Manning - also in his last college game -- managed just 134 yards passing, while counterpart Scott Frost was 9-for-12 for 125 yards and scored on runs of one, 11 and 9 yards.

"I don't think there's anybody out there with a clear conscience who can say that Nebraska and that great man Tom Osborne doesn't deserve a national championship for this - at least a share," Frost said before the ballots were counted.

Osborne forgot to vote until he received a phone call reminding him. No. 3 Tennessee finished 11-2, while the Cornhuskers capped a 13-0 season.

"We can't do any more than win 13," said Osborne, his shirt soaked from an ice-bucket bath courtesy of his players. "We'll just let the chips fall where they may as far as the rest of it goes. "It's a great way to end 25 enjoyable years. It's been a lot of fun."

The Big Red's red-haired coach, who announced his retirement Dec. 10, finished a 25-year career with three national championships and a record of 255-49-3, including 60-3 in the past five years. Nebraska won the national title in 1994, capping a perfect season with an Orange Bowl victory, and again in 1995.

Unassuming to the end, Osborne spoke briefly at a postgame news conference before directing questions to his team.

"I don't mean to butt in ahead of the players," he said. "They're the guys who did it. I just stood there."

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