I often go back to that season and relive the frustration, as I have long felt this was quite possibly the best team we ever fielded, despite the fact it went 9-3. This team was, IMO, the "gold-standard" of what makes so many of our fans always wait for, "the other shoe to drop".

2 of the 3 losses were more than winnable, UF & Nebraska in the Sun Bowl. I don't remember the specifics of our 6-point loss at UF that year, but do recall those Gators were whipped by 2 teams we beat, LSU & Miami. I do remember coming out against NU gang-busters to start the game, stuffing them defensively and ramming it down their throats on O until a run of t/o's killed us and snow-balled. The other loss was our inexplicable meltdown versus USM, a team that just had our number in those days.

I have always felt we had a better team than all 3 of the teams that beat us that year. That close loss to UF cost us the Sugar Bowl.

Does anybody else think that may have possibly been our best team ever, fully capable of winning a NC had they not, "screwed-the-pooch"?