1997Alum

DING! We have a winner, folks. I hope that ding was'nt for the Switzer comment. Nope. But the rest was spot on... 1997Alum Writes: Why Nebraska was great: 1. The Big Red was a lot more intimidating when it had 90 to 100 players pour onto the field. Now our team looks like everybody else's. 2. Their starters were always great, but the backups played alot, and it gave the upperclassmen rest. Ask Warren Sapp. 3. Ball Control, Ball Control, Ball Control. The running game ate up alot of clock, shortening games. 3 passes and out burns up less than :45 of game clock - I'm sure Nebraska's D-Linemen loved that. 4. The offense used to be fun to watch. It was difficult to tell if the fullback had it on a dive, or the QB, etc. The West Coast Offense killed Ty Willingham at Notre Dame, and it has killed Nebraska. Several years ago, someone asked Osborne why he didn't pass more. He replied something to the effect: "Have you ever tried to throw a football in Lincoln Nebraska in late November - it's always freezing cold, always windy and usually snowing?" Every time you pass, 3 things can happen, and only one of them is good. 6. The only reason Solich got fired was because Jamaal Lord (albeit, one of my favorite Huskers) was a lanky, inaccurate passer, and teams stacked the line; Crouch, Frazier and Gill could easily hit the tight end on middle post routes. His teams were all nearly as physical as Osborne's, but he didn't play as many backups (starters played most of the game). If Lord had any accuracy as a passer, Solich would still be Nebraska's coach, and Nebraska would still be fun to watch (Why didn't Pederson ask Osborne before he fired Fearless Frank?) Every Division I team has a killer instinct Every 18-21 year old that suits up is angry, fired up to play, and ready to hurt someone. To say this team needs to knock other teams down is obviously true, but the other team's players (who are just as big and just as angry) are trying to do the same thing--however, they will get worn down if they have to fight a fresh opponent, then another different fresh opponent (would you like to go one round with Muhammad Ali, and then one round with Joe Frazier, then one with Ali, then Frazier, etc.?) It was depth that punished opposing teams. It was ball control that won any game that ended up being close (except for 1993 FSU Championship game).