Say what you will about advanced metrics in sports, but we have ESPN to settle a debate that has been floating around since the mid-1990s. Was Penn State the better team than Nebraska in 1994? The answer, of course, is yes.
At least, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, who ranked the top programs of each decade back to the 1920s overall and hashed out his top five best teams, offenses, and defenses throughout those various decades. While Penn State makes a few appearances throughout the list, it is the 1990s category that caught my eye upon reading through the explanations and rankings.
Overall, Penn State had a top-five program in the 1990s according to Connelly’s SP+ metrics. Florida State took the crown for the 1990s overall, followed by Nebraska, Florida, and Tennessee before getting to Penn State, the top-rated Big Ten program of the 1990s (Michigan and Ohio State followed in the next two slots). Sure, Nebraska may have the overall edge for the 1990s, and nobody would argue that, but it is the 1994 Penn State team that made Connelly’s top five teams cut.
The other top five teams of the 1990s according to Connelly included 1995 Nebraska, 1991 Washington, 1998 Ohio State, and 1998 Kansas State. Penn State’s 1994 offense, naturally, was included with the top five offenses of the 1990s (1994 Nebraska was absent, although 1995 Nebraska topped the list).
Of course, in 1994, there was no College Football Playoff or even a BCS to settle the debate on the field. With Penn State and Nebraska each running their respective tables, a true national championship game was blocked by Penn State’s contractual obligations as Big Ten champion to play in the Rose Bowl. Penn State took care of business to complete the undefeated season with a victory over Oregon a day after Nebraska did its part to hold on to the top ranking in the polls with a victory over Miami in the Orange Bowl.
So, there you have it. The debate is now settled once and for all.
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