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Three Yards Away: The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers, College Football's Would-Be Champions

2026

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Synopsis

The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers may be the best team ever not to win a national championship. Declared the greatest team of all time during the regular season, they are best remembered for an offense that averaged 52 points and 546.7 yards per game. They maintained the number one ranking in the polls during the entire regular season, winning every game until Miami toppled them in the epic 1984 Orange Bowl.

This book is about more than just one play and one game--it is also a thorough review of the entire 1983 regular season and a character study of Coach Tom Osborne, highlighting his leadership through both triumph and adversity. Interviews with Osborne and 18 players give an inside view of a memorable season for the Huskers. The text also provides a broader historical overview of Nebraska football from its inception in 1890 to Osborne's final game on January 2, 1998.

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