DAILY DEBATE: Which Decade was best?

[hesskilla]

The 1980’s

Overall Record: 99 - 20
National Championships: ‘83, ‘87, ‘89
Best Year: 1987 (12-0)
Best Win: Nebraska 1984 Orange Bowl 31-30
Coaches: Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson

Worst Year: 1984 (8-5)
Worst Loss: Tie - PSU 1987 Fiesta Bowl 14-10, Notre Dame 1988 South Bend 31-30
Most Embarrassing Loss: None - Only lost to unranked team twice - 1984 Maryland (9-3) & 1980 Mississippi State (9-3)

Heisman Winner: Testaverde 1986
NFL Hall of Fame: Jim Kelly 2002, Michael Irvin 2007, Cortez Kennedy 2012
Other Awards: Testaverde - Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien, & Sammy Baugh Bennie Blades - Jim Thorpe
Jimmy Johnson - Walter Camp
Howard Schnellenberger - Eddie Robinson
Steve Walsh - Sammy Baugh
All Americans:

1990’s

Overall Record: 92 - 27
National Championships: ‘91
Best Year: ‘91 (12-0)
Best Win: Texas 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic 46-3
Coaches: Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis (DA GAWD)

Worst Year: 1997 (5-6)
Worst Loss: Tie - Alabama 1993 Sugar Bowl 34-13, Nebraska 1995 Orange Bowl 24-17
Most Embarrassing Loss: Tie - East Carolina 1999 Raleigh 23-27, East Carolina 1996 Miami Gardens 31-6

Heisman Winner: Gino Torretta 1992
NFL Hall of Fame: Warren Sapp 2013, Ray Lewis 2018, Edgerrin James 2020
Other Awards: Gino Torretta - Maxwell, Walter Camp, Chic Harley, Davey O’Brien, Johnny Unitas
Warren Sapp - Bronco Nagurski
Craig Erickson - Johnny Unitas
Russell Maryland - Outland
All Americans:

2000’s

Overall Record: 92-33
National Championships: 2001
Best Year: 2001 (12-0)
Best Win: Florida State 2000 Miami Gardens 27-24
Coaches: Larry Coker, Randy Shannon

Worst Year: 2007 (5-7)
Worst Loss: Tie - Ohio State 2003 Fiesta Bowl 31-24, Washington 2000 Seattle 29-34
Most Embarrassing Loss: LSU 2006 Peach Bowl 40-3

Heisman Winner: None
NFL Hall of Fame: Ed Reed 2019, Andre Johnson 2024, Devin Hester 2024
Other Awards: Ken Dorsey - Maxwell, Archie Griffin, Chic Harley
Dan Morgan - Bednarik, Bronco Nagurski, **** Butkus
Kellen Winslow - John Mackey
Bryant McKinney - Outland
Brett Romberg - Dave Rimington
Larry Coker - Bear Bryant
Randy Shannon - Broyles
All Americans:

Discuss…

 

[423Hurricane]

The 3 NC’s in the 80’s trumps just about anything not to mention all the accolades, the W-L record and the 2 HC’s. I don’t think we’ll ever see another run like that.

 

[hesskilla]

The 3 NC’s in the 80’s trumps just about anything not to mention all the accolades, the W-L record and the 2 HC’s. I don’t think we’ll ever see another run like that.

Did the 80’s teams have an unfair advantage being independent? They were always guaranteed to play the best team in a bowl if they were ranked in the top 5 due to lack of bowl/conference affiliation.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

Did the 80’s teams have an unfair advantage being independent? They were always guaranteed to play the best team in a bowl if they were ranked in the top 5 due to lack of bowl/conference affiliation.

The ONLY reason this worked out was because you so rarely had a 1-2 combo of Big 10/Pac 10 teams at that time.

Otherwise, the Rose Bowl could have been the de facto National Championship game.

 

[hesskilla]

The ONLY reason this worked out was because you so rarely had a 1-2 combo of Big 10/Pac 10 teams at that time.

Otherwise, the Rose Bowl could have been the de facto National Championship game.

I remember the Sugar Bowl having an SEC tie in and the Big 8 having a Cotton Bowl tie in. How about the Fiesta Bowl? Do you remember?

 

[Home Slice]

Did the 80’s teams have an unfair advantage being independent? They were always guaranteed to play the best team in a bowl if they were ranked in the top 5 due to lack of bowl/conference affiliation.

IDC. We still won those 3 Nattys. Case closed.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

I remember the Sugar Bowl having an SEC tie in and the Big 8 having a Cotton Bowl tie in. How about the Fiesta Bowl? Do you remember?

Fiesta was nobody, which is why they could invite UM and Pedo State (both independent at the time).

I believe SWC was Cotton and Big 8 was Orange.

 

[Home Slice]

The 1980’s
View attachment 292063
Overall Record: 99 - 20
National Championships: ‘83, ‘87, ‘89
Best Year: 1987 (12-0)
Best Win: Oklahoma 1984 Orange Bowl 31-30
Coaches: Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson
View attachment 292064
Worst Year: 1984 (8-5)
Worst Loss: Tie - PSU 1987 Fiesta Bowl 14-10, Notre Dame 1988 South Bend 31-30
Most Embarrassing Loss: None - Only lost to unranked team twice - 1984 Maryland (9-3) & 1980 Mississippi State (9-3)
View attachment 292065

Heisman Winner: Testaverde 1986
NFL Hall of Fame: Jim Kelly 2002, Michael Irvin 2007, Cortez Kennedy 2012
Other Awards: Testaverde - Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien, & Sammy Baugh Bennie Blades - Jim Thorpe
Jimmy Johnson - Walter Camp
Howard Schnellenberger - Eddie Robinson
Steve Walsh - Sammy Baugh
All Americans:
View attachment 292103
View attachment 292104
1990’s
View attachment 292066
Overall Record: 92 - 27
National Championships: ‘91
Best Year: ‘91 (12-0)
Best Win: Texas 1991 Cotton Bowl Classic 46-3
Coaches: Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis (DA GAWD)
View attachment 292067

Worst Year: 1997 (5-6)
Worst Loss: Tie - Alabama 1993 Sugar Bowl 34-13, Nebraska 1995 Orange Bowl 24-17
Most Embarrassing Loss: Tie - East Carolina 1999 Raleigh 23-27, East Carolina 1996 Miami Gardens 31-6
View attachment 292068
Heisman Winner: Gino Torretta 1992
NFL Hall of Fame: Warren Sapp 2013, Ray Lewis 2018, Edgerrin James 2020
Other Awards: Gino Torretta - Maxwell, Walter Camp, Chic Harley, Davey O’Brien, Johnny Unitas
Warren Sapp - Bronco Nagurski
Craig Erickson - Johnny Unitas
Russell Maryland - Outland
All Americans:
View attachment 292098
View attachment 292099
2000’s
View attachment 292105
Overall Record: 92-33
National Championships: 2001
Best Year: 2001 (12-0)
Best Win: Florida State 2000 Miami Gardens 27-24
Coaches: Larry Coker, Randy Shannon
View attachment 292106
Worst Year: 2007 (5-7)
Worst Loss: Tie - Ohio State 2003 Fiesta Bowl 31-24, Washington 2000 Seattle 29-34
Most Embarrassing Loss: LSU 2006 Peach Bowl 40-3
View attachment 292107
Heisman Winner: None
NFL Hall of Fame: Ed Reed 2019, Andre Johnson 2024, Devin Hester 2024
Other Awards: Ken Dorsey - Maxwell, Archie Griffin, Chic Harley
Dan Morgan - Bednarik, Bronco Nagurski, **** Butkus
Kellen Winslow - John Mackey
Bryant McKinney - Outland
Brett Romberg - Dave Rimington
Larry Coker - Bear Bryant
Randy Shannon - Broyles
All Americans:
View attachment 292110
View attachment 292111

Discuss…

Good work laying it out like you did

 

[hesskilla]

IDC. We still won those 3 Nattys. Case closed.

One could argue we were robbed of a chance with the best team in 2000 and had a NC taken away from us in 2002. That would make 3.

 

[Home Slice]

One could argue we were robbed of a chance with the best team in 2000 and had a NC taken away from us in 2002. That would make 3.

Agree with what you're saying. I was referring to the FACT that we deserved those 3 in the 80s.

 

[hesskilla]

Agree with what you're saying. I was referring to the FACT that we deserved those 3 in the 80s.

I’m 80’s all the way, but these young bucks may feel differently.

 

[Zombie-Cane]

The 80's paved the way and set up Miami for what it is today, therefore they gotta get the nod, but I do agree we were ****ed out of a 3peat for 2000-2002,

 

[423Hurricane]

Did the 80’s teams have an unfair advantage being independent? They were always guaranteed to play the best team in a bowl if they were ranked in the top 5 due to lack of bowl/conference affiliation.

Obviously, WAYYYYY different back then compared to today but being independent probably had some disadvantages as well. Still gotta win the games no matter who’s on the schedule.

To this day, I believe Howard caught the CFB world by surprise and no one had an answer for many years.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

Obviously, WAYYYYY different back then compared to today but being independent probably had some disadvantages as well. Still gotta win the games no matter who’s on the schedule.

To this day, I believe Howard caught the CFB world by surprise and no one had an answer for many years.

Even as an Independent, the majority of yrs we were playing ND, FSU, UF and Penn St regularly....Weak schedule my ***.

 

[rccollins]

Uggh. This isn’t a serious debate. Next

 

[TheOriginalCane]

One could argue we were robbed of a chance with the best team in 2000 and had a NC taken away from us in 2002. That would make 3.

One could also argue that we were robbed of a chance in 1988.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

One could also argue that we were robbed of a chance in 1988.

Argue my ***....we were. It should've been a ND vs UM rematch.

 

[404Usernamenotfound]

I’m going with 2010s easy

 

[Home Slice]

I’m going with 2010s easy

How about the 2020s then? There is still time. Go Canes

 

[3FW]

80’s. Worst loss though was TN in the Sugar Bowl. Toughest losses were PSU and Notre Dame.