1997 University of Nebraska National Championship Ring
The 1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers went 13–0, demolished #3 Tennessee 42–17 in the Orange Bowl, and won the Coaches Poll (USA Today/ESPN) national championship — the third title in four seasons for one of college football's greatest dynasties. It was also the final game for Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne, who retired after 25 seasons with a staggering 255–49–3 record. This is a genuine player-issued ring from that championship season, crafted in 10k gold with CZ stones.
The perfect sendoff — Tom Osborne's final game
Tom Osborne announced his retirement on December 10, 1997, with one game remaining. His players went to Miami on a mission — to send the greatest coach in program history out as a champion. What followed in the Orange Bowl was a masterclass. Nebraska led Tennessee 14–3 at halftime after forcing two early turnovers, then scored touchdowns on all three of their third-quarter possessions. Ahman Green rushed for 206 yards — an Orange Bowl and Nebraska bowl record — and was named co-MVP of the game. When the final whistle blew, Osborne's players poured onto the field knowing they had delivered. A pajama-clad Osborne learned he had won the Coaches Poll championship via ESPN in his hotel room in the early morning hours of January 3. He called it one of the most gratifying moments of his career.
The 1997 Cornhuskers were loaded with elite talent. Outland Trophy winner Aaron Taylor and Lombardi Award winner Grant Wistrom anchored the lines. Ahman Green was a second-team All-American at running back. Quarterback Scott Frost — later a head coach in his own right — directed an offense that led the nation in total offense (513.7 yards per game), rushing offense (392.6 yards per game), and scoring (47.1 points per game). The defense was equally dominant, holding opponents to an average of just 14.2 points per game all season.
Crafted in 10k gold with CZ stones, this ring was issued to one of the players who delivered Tom Osborne his final — and most emotionally resonant — championship. The third title in four years. The perfect sendoff to the greatest coach Nebraska has ever known.
| Year | 1997 |
| School | University of Nebraska — Cornhuskers |
| Championship | NCAA Division I-A National Championship (Coaches Poll) |
| Material | 10k Gold with CZ stones |
| Type | Player-issued |
| Head coach | Tom Osborne — final game (College Football Hall of Fame) |
| Season record | 13–0 · Big 12 Champions |
| Championship game | Orange Bowl — Nebraska def. #3 Tennessee, 42–17 |
1997 Nebraska Cornhuskers — Quick Facts
- Nebraska's third national championship in four seasons (1994, 1995, 1997) — one of the most dominant four-year runs in the history of college football, a feat not matched before or since in the modern era
- Tom Osborne's final game as head coach — he retired with a 255–49–3 record over 25 seasons, a winning percentage of .836, and three national championships; he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999
- Ahman Green rushed for 206 yards in the Orange Bowl — an Orange Bowl record and a Nebraska bowl record — on his way to co-MVP honors; he went on to a standout NFL career with the Green Bay Packers
- The 1997 Cornhuskers had two major award winners on the same roster — Aaron Taylor (Outland Trophy, best interior lineman) and Grant Wistrom (Lombardi Award, best lineman/linebacker) — a remarkable concentration of elite talent
- Nebraska led the nation in total offense (513.7 ypg), rushing offense (392.6 ypg), and scoring offense (47.1 ppg) while holding opponents to just 14.2 points per game — dominant on both sides of the ball throughout the entire season
- The Cornhuskers were the only team to play in and win the designated national championship bowl game that season; Michigan, the AP Poll champion, played in the Rose Bowl against Washington State in fulfillment of a conference obligation
- Nebraska's 13 wins in 1997 against Michigan's 12 wins, combined with a 25-point championship game victory margin, remains the strongest statistical argument for Nebraska as the true sole champion of that season