A Nebraska record that (probably) won't fall

I was flipping through Christopher Walsh's new college football book Who's #1, a book devoted to the wacky way we choose a national champion (full review coming later), and was mildly surprised to read that Nebraska is the only school to have won 100+ games in consecutive decades.

Typically when reading a Husker history recap you see the same streaks mentioned: sellouts, bowls, 9-win seasons, consecutive weeks ranked, etc. Of course, all but the sellout streak is gone now so my first reaction when reading about the decade streak was not "Wow!" but rather I wonder if we're in danger of losing that one to.

The good news is Nebraska is about 99% safe to hang on to this title for the next 12 years. The bad news is that 1% but I'll get to that. Let's set the stage first.

Before the 1970s no team won more 100 games in a decade. Between 1970-1979 two schools accomplished the feat Alabama (103) and Oklahoma (102). Nebraska just missed at 98 (three straight 100-win decades, in my opinion, would've been untouchable).

On to the Gordon Gekko era. The Cornhuskers compiled the most wins in the 80s with 103 followed by BYU with 102. Miami fell two short at 98.

Now to the Internet age and the addition of conference championship games. Four schools actually cracked the century mark in the 90s: Florida (102), Nebraska (108), Florida State (109) and, if you want to include 1-AA wins, Marshall at 114.

Since we'll disregard the Herd and Nebraska obviously isn't making it to 100 in the current decade that leaves only the Seminoles and the Gators as possible challengers to join the exclusive Double Century Club. With FSU sitting at 69 wins through 2007 they're 31 wins short with two years to go. Unless the NCAA institutes a 32-team playoff next year Bobby's boys ain't making it.

That's one down but what about the Gators? Well, they're the 1-percenters. Florida needs 26 wins to reach 100 and that's within reach. At best the Gators could play 28 games over the next two seasons (12 season games, SEC title game, bowl game) at worst they could play 24 but it's not the low end that matters. It's the losses.

Not to get all '72 Dolphins about the whole thing but we need to root for three Florida losses over the next two years. Shouldn't be hard considering they're Florida and it seems like a pretty safe bet what with the SEC being the greatest coalition of competitive entities ever created. I wouldn't start icing the champagne just yet but you could need it as soon as November of 2008. By that time the Gators will have faced Miami, Tennessee, LSU and Georgia. Go all of those teams.

So who will make it to 100 in the current decade? Boise State looks like the best bet needing only 14 wins over the next two years against WAC competition. Texas could get there by going 8-4 in each of the next two seasons and Oklahoma and LSU will need nine wins a year to close out the decade. Ohio State, USC and Georgia all have a puncher's chance but it will require at least one season with 10 or more wins.

The fact that so many teams are in the hunt in this decade is a reflection of the ever lengthening college football season and it's nearly impossible to predict what the next 10 years will look like. Playoff? No playoff? Super super-conferences? Plus-1? Who knows? Personally I'm most concerned about Boise State but I guess we'll worry about that in 12 years.

Assuming the Patriots win on Sunday the sports world is going to need some new cork-popping assholes. Might as well be us.