Best Win of the Pelini Era

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  • Poll closed .
If we had a best Pelini season poll, I think it would be 2009. It was a lot of fun and I was so full of hope. The first part of 2010 was great but the crash was horrible.

 
Beating OU in 2009 felt good and is what I voted for in the poll. Should have had them in the conference championship the next year as well. It was an ugly game and it showed if we had some semblance of an offense that we could have been dangerous down the stretch. Luckily, the defense gave us some great field position and almost scored off a pick. The crowd was roaring and Landry Jones got flustered toward the end. 

An overlooked game is this one. McNeese State, if he loses that game he might have been fired after it. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
Ohio State 2011 is an odd choice. 

It was the greatest comeback in Husker history, but it came against a .500 team that dominated a lifeless Nebraska in the first half, and tanked when they lost their star quarterback in the second half. Ohio State was still a brand name, but the game meant little that year. OSU lost to Purdue a couple weeks later.

And if it was the best win of the Bo Pelini era, Bo Pelini sure wasn't feeling it. That was the game that resulted in Tapegate #1, where Bo went off on the fans and said he wanted out of Nebraska. I really don't miss that douchebag. 
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A lot of good points for this argument. Add to it Nebraska was a 10-11 point favorite. I certainly agree there's a strong argument against this game being #1.

The counter argument:

Nebraska was ranked, we were worried heading into the Wisconsin game (one thread was titled "do we have a prayer") and sure enough Wisconsin basically rolled us the week before Ohio St. People were calling for Martinez to be benched. The first half of the Ohio St game felt like the season was unraveling, Martinez throws another bad pick before the end of the half that leads to free points. The fans are booing (which drew Bo's ire). 

That second half started out with a punt, and they scored. We punt again. All of a sudden we get a stop, a fumble recovery on what we thought was going to be another Ohio St first down. Lavonte David just stole the ball! Martinez runs it in two plays later.  From that point on, it was some of the most exciting football of the Pelini era. At night, homecoming, and a record comeback.

Its the definition of a big win. Yes, Ohio St wasn't very good. Yes, in the grand scheme that win isn't meaningful. It felt special in the moment. It was why you watch the game, to see moments like that. That makes it very meaningful for a lot of people. The rest of the Pelini era didn't have many special moments.

 
To me, there are three answers that are better than the rest. Either 2010 Oklahoma State, 2010 Missouri or 2011 Michigan State.

Personally, I'd go with 2010 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State went 11-2 that year and finished ranked 10th and 13th in the polls. Oklahoma State's only other loss that year was to Oklahoma. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon may not have been good in the NFL, but they were a dynamite tandem in college football.

The Cowboys didn't have a great defense, but like most Big 12 teams, they had a loaded offense. They were even better the next year, so that's probably one reason why I've always been fond of that win.

 
Landlord said:
2012 Wisconsin

2012 Northwestern

2012 Michigan State

2012 Penn State

2013 Northwestern

2013 Michigan

2013 Penn State

2013 Georgia

2014 McNeese State

2014 Miami

2014 Iowa

All latter year games where we overcame adversity and didn't melt down.
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You're right about most of these.  For me, that Michigan game stands out because we were up, then lost the lead late in the game on the road.  After the Westerkamp fumble, i remember thinking we were done.  Good point about most of these other games though, especially Michigan State 2012.

 
The hardest part for me with many of the options above is where those schools were at when Nebraska beat them. That '09 Oklahoma team was definitely not elite and neither was tOSU in 2012. Both Miami and Wisconsin were unranked in those above games. They're big brand name teams but not necessarily big brand name wins, at least not to the extent that beating an Oklahoma or tOSU last year would've been.

That's why I'm going to go with Missouri in 2010. I believe they were ranked #7 in the country which would make them the highest ranked opponent BP ever beat (I think).

 
It is depressing to look back.  Too much bad mixed with the good.  I assure you we are headed to a much better place!

 
Hans Gruber said:
To me, there are three answers that are better than the rest. Either 2010 Oklahoma State, 2010 Missouri or 2011 Michigan State.

Personally, I'd go with 2010 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State went 11-2 that year and finished ranked 10th and 13th in the polls. Oklahoma State's only other loss that year was to Oklahoma. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon may not have been good in the NFL, but they were a dynamite tandem in college football.

The Cowboys didn't have a great defense, but like most Big 12 teams, they had a loaded offense. They were even better the next year, so that's probably one reason why I've always been fond of that win.
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I was at that game (Okla Cornhusker club took 2 bus loads to the game) and that is when TM showed everyone that he could pass the ball as well.  The game was an offensive shoothout.  A highlight was when Martin, DE literally knocked out a guy on a kickoff.  He was forced to sit out a game by the Big 12 after than. Weeden and Blackmon were the real deal that year - perhaps the best duo in college fb that year.

 
My emotional favorite was the OU win. The D was dominant.  However, I voted 'other' for the Arizona bowl victory - it was the high point of Bo's career here. Where he proclaimed "Nebraska is Back".  And perhaps it would have been true if TM had not gotten injured the following year. 

 
That 11am MSU game was such a clinic on defense.  Nothing crazy flashy just no one open and no running lanes.

It was also the first time I realized some of the O street bars did not open at 9am on game day.  I was shocked.  Do they not like money?

 
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Landlord said:
2012 Wisconsin

2012 Northwestern

2012 Michigan State

2012 Penn State

2013 Northwestern

2013 Michigan

2013 Penn State

2013 Georgia

2014 McNeese State

2014 Miami

2014 Iowa

All latter year games where we overcame adversity and didn't melt down.
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Funny how some have rather selective memories about that stuff, ain't it?

 
Hans Gruber said:
To me, there are three answers that are better than the rest. Either 2010 Oklahoma State, 2010 Missouri or 2011 Michigan State.

Personally, I'd go with 2010 Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State went 11-2 that year and finished ranked 10th and 13th in the polls. Oklahoma State's only other loss that year was to Oklahoma. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon may not have been good in the NFL, but they were a dynamite tandem in college football.

The Cowboys didn't have a great defense, but like most Big 12 teams, they had a loaded offense. They were even better the next year, so that's probably one reason why I've always been fond of that win.
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+1 to this.  For me it's either the '09 Holiday Bowl or the 2010 Okie Lite game.  As a couple posters have mentioned, that '10 Okie State team was completely loaded on offense.  People have mentioned Weeden and Blackmon but that team also had Kendall Hunter at RB and Josh Cooper was no slouch as a #2 WR.  If Okie State would've won a wild Bedlam game...I think it 49-42 or something close to that, Okie State would've played Nebraska again in the Big XII title game.  That would've been an interesting rematch and Okie State would've been in the Top 10 for sure and possibly Top 5 when Nebraska would've played them.

 
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