Draft:Bussin' Bowl

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The Bussin' Bowl
Michigan Wolverines
Nebraska Cornhuskers
First meetingOctober 21, 1905
Michigan, 31–0
Latest meetingSeptember 20, 2025
Michigan, 30-27
Next meeting2028
TrophyThe Bus
Statistics
Meetings total14
All-time recordMichigan leads, 9–4–1[1]
Trophy seriesMichigan leads, 3–0
Largest victorySeptember 22, 2018
Michigan, 56–10
Longest win streakMichigan 5, (2018–present)
Current win streakMichigan 5, (2018–present)

The Bussin' Bowl is the informal name and trophy-game concept applied to the college football meetings between the Michigan Wolverines and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The phrase and the associated trophy (nicknamed The Bus) were popularized in the early 2020s by former NFL players and podcasters Taylor Lewan (a Michigan alumnus) and Will Compton (a Nebraska alumnus), who promoted a trophy game between the two programs on their show Bussin’ With The Boys. The term has since entered social and media discussion of Michigan–Nebraska matchups.

History

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Pre-Big Ten meetings

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Before Nebraska officially joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011, Michigan and Nebraska met six times on the football field. The first game came on October 21, 1905, in Ann Arbor, where Michigan shut out Nebraska 31–0 in a lopsided contest.[2]

Six years later, on November 25, 1911, the two teams met again in Lincoln. That matchup ended in a 6–6 tie, with both sides scoring touchdowns in the third quarter before defensive stands preserved the deadlock.[3]

The next meeting came on October 27, 1917, again in Ann Arbor. Michigan controlled the game throughout and blanked Nebraska 20–0, led by the efforts of fullback Tad Wieman in difficult, muddy conditions.[4]

After that, the series went dormant for nearly half a century until September 29, 1962, when Nebraska returned to Ann Arbor and defeated Michigan 25–13. That victory marked the Cornhuskers’ first in the series.

The two programs would not play again until January 1, 1986, when they met in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The two teams were led by their programs’ most successful coaches: Bo Schembechler at Michigan and Tom Osborne at Nebraska. Nebraska led 14–3 at halftime, but Michigan stormed back behind the running of Jamie Morris and a stout second-half defense to win 27–23.[5]

Nearly twenty years later, on December 28, 2005, the schools clashed once more in the 2005 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Nebraska rallied in the fourth quarter to secure a 32–28 victory in a game remembered for its dramatic finish.[6] This was the final pre-Big Ten meeting, which stood at 3-2-1 in favor of Michigan.

Nebraska joins the Big Ten

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After Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011, the Cornhuskers were placed in the Legends Division alongside Michigan. In their first meeting as Big Ten opponents, the 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines faced Nebraska in Ann Arbor. Michigan, under head coach Brady Hoke, was in the midst of a resurgent season, and they dominated the Cornhuskers with a convincing 45-17 victory.[7] Nebraska rebounded in the next two seasons, securing the first consecutive wins in the series. In 2012, Nebraska upset Michigan, 23–9, in Lincoln. Michigan’s offense was hampered, including Denard Robinson leaving the game injured.[8] In 2013, Nebraska again defeated Michigan, 17–13, in Ann Arbor in a close game.[9]

In 2014, the Big Ten realigned its divisions, placing Michigan in the East Division and Nebraska in the West, which meant that the two teams would no longer meet annually. In 2018, Michigan routed Nebraska 56–10 in Ann Arbor, dominating the game especially in the first half.[10]. In 2021, the two teams met in Lincoln, with Michigan ranked 9th and Nebraska enduring what would be described as the greatest 3-9 season ever. Michigan held off Nebraska to win a close one 32–29 in Lincoln.[11] In 2022, Michigan dominated Nebraska 34–3 in Ann Arbor.[12] The following year, in 2023, 2nd-ranked Michigan traveled to Lincoln and continued their dominance, winning 45-7.[13] In 2025, Michigan narrowly won 30-27 in Lincoln in a tightly contested game.[14]

Establishment of the trophy

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The idea of turning the Michigan–Nebraska series into a named trophy game originated outside of the two athletic departments and was instead spearheaded by the hosts of the popular podcast Bussin’ With The Boys. The show, founded by former NFL offensive linemen Taylor Lewan (a Michigan alumnus) and Will Compton (a Nebraska alumnus), began promoting the matchup as the "Bussin’ Bowl" in the early 2020s.[15]

Lewan and Compton, playing off their respective college allegiances, announced the creation of a symbolic trophy dubbed The Bus. The physical trophy has been displayed on the podcast and through the hosts’ social media channels. Although not sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference or either university, the concept quickly attracted media attention and became part of fan discourse surrounding the rivalry.[16]

The trophy has generally been received in a tongue-in-cheek manner, but some fans embraced it as an added storyline to the Michigan–Nebraska series, while others criticized it as a marketing stunt tied to the podcast rather than an organic rivalry tradition.[17]

Despite its unofficial status, the Bussin’ Bowl has been referenced by sports blogs, fan sites, and even national outlets in coverage of recent Michigan–Nebraska games, embedding the trophy concept into the cultural backdrop of the series.[18]

1997 split National Championship

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Although Michigan and Nebraska did not meet on the field in 1997, the two programs were at the center of one of the most notable shared national titles in college football history.

Michigan finished the season 12–0, defeating Washington State in the Rose Bowl and earning the top spot in the final Associated Press (AP) poll. Meanwhile, Nebraska also finished undefeated at 13–0, capped by a victory over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. The Cornhuskers were ranked first in the final Coaches’ Poll (USA Today/ESPN). As a result, the two schools shared the national championship, with Michigan recognized by the AP and Nebraska by the Coaches’ Poll.[19][20]

The split championship fueled debates among fans and analysts, with many pointing to the lack of a postseason matchup between the two teams as a shortcoming of the Bowl Alliance system then in place. Nebraska’s win also served as a farewell for legendary head coach Tom Osborne, who retired after the season with a share of the national title.[21]

For Michigan, the 1997 season was its first national championship in nearly half a century, while for Nebraska it marked the program’s third title in four years. The shared crown is frequently cited in discussions of a potential Michigan–Nebraska rivalry and is often referenced in media coverage leading up to their later Big Ten matchups.[22]

The 1997 split national championship between Michigan and Nebraska became one of the most prominent examples cited in debates about the flaws of the Bowl Alliance system, which did not include the Big Ten or Pac-10 at the time.[23] The controversy over crowning two national champions fueled calls for a more unified postseason structure, directly influencing the creation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998.[24] In later years, the dispute was also referenced during discussions about expanding the BCS into the College Football Playoff (CFP), which was ultimately adopted in 2014 to provide a clearer path to an undisputed national champion.[25]

Accomplishments by the two rivals

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As of September 21, 2025[1]

Team Michigan Nebraska
National titles 12 5
CFP appearances 3 0
Bowl appearances 53 54
Postseason bowl record 24–29 27–27
Rose Bowl Game appearances 21 2
Rose Bowl Game wins 9 0
Big Ten divisional titles 3 1
Big Ten titles 45 0
Consensus All-Americans 89 54
Heisman Trophies 3 3
All-time program record 1,015–359–36 927–431–40
All-time win percentage .733 .677

Game results

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Michigan victoriesNebraska victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 October 21, 1905 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan 31–0
2 November 25, 1911 Lincoln, NE Tie6–6
3 October 27, 1917 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan 20–0
4 September 29, 1962 Ann Arbor, MI Nebraska 25–13
5 January 1, 1986 Tempe, AZ #5 Michigan 27–23
6 December 28, 2005 San Antonio, TX Nebraska 32–28
7 November 19, 2011 Ann Arbor, MI #20 Michigan 45–17
8 October 27, 2012 Lincoln, NE Nebraska 23–9
9 November 9, 2013 Ann Arbor, MI Nebraska 17–13
10 September 22, 2018 Ann Arbor, MI #19 Michigan 56–10
11 October 9, 2021 Lincoln, NE #9 Michigan 32–29
12 November 12, 2022 Ann Arbor, MI #3 Michigan 34–3
13 September 30, 2023 Lincoln, NE #2 Michigan 45–7
14 September 20, 2025 Lincoln, NE #21 Michigan 30–27
Series: Michigan leads 9–4–1[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Winsipedia - Michigan Wolverines vs Nebraska Cornhuskers football series history".
  2. ^ "First Big Ten tilt between traditional football powers Michigan, Nebraska will have high stakes". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Michigan 6–6 Nebraska (1911)". HuskerMax. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Michigan vs. Nebraska (series history)". HuskerMax. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ^ "1986 Fiesta Bowl". Bentley Historical Library. University of Michigan. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Michigan vs. Nebraska (series history)". HuskerMax. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Robinson, Michigan Blow Out Nebraska". BTN.com. November 19, 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Wolverines Lose for First Time in Conference Play at Nebraska". University of Michigan Athletics. October 27, 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Nebraska Edges Michigan, 17-13". ESPN. November 9, 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Michigan 56-10 Nebraska". ESPN. September 22, 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Michigan 32-29 Nebraska". ESPN. October 9, 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Michigan 34-3 Nebraska". ESPN. November 12, 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  13. ^ Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad. "Offense Gets Rolling Early, Defense Dominates in Michigan's Win at Nebraska". University of Michigan Athletics.
  14. ^ "Postgame Notes: #21 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27". University of Michigan Athletics. September 20, 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  15. ^ "How Taylor Lewan, Will Compton created the Bussin' Bowl, a trophy game between Michigan and Nebraska". On3.com. September 28, 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  16. ^ "New trophy game? Michigan claims first-ever Bussin' Bowl trophy after defeating Nebraska". Saturday Tradition. November 12, 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  17. ^ "The 'Bussin' Bowl' – Michigan vs. Nebraska rivalry gets a podcast trophy". Reddit (r/Huskers). October 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  18. ^ "The Bussin' Bowl is here to stay? Michigan vs. Nebraska gets unofficial trophy game". FanSided. September 30, 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  19. ^ "1997 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  20. ^ "1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Osborne rides off with national title". ESPN Classic. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Michigan, Nebraska and the split 1997 national championship". Detroit Free Press. September 20, 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  23. ^ "College football's split title in 1997 paved way for BCS". ESPN.com. December 29, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  24. ^ Schlabach, Mark (August 26, 2015). "How the BCS was born". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 21, 2025.
  25. ^ "The College Football Playoff explained". College Football Playoff. CFP. Retrieved September 21, 2025.

Category:College football rivalries in the United States Category:Michigan Wolverines football Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football Category:Big Ten Conference rivalries