The Athletic: Did Colorado’s 2001 upset of Nebraska start the dismantling of the Huskers dynasty?

[JJ Husker]

The first bad decision when letting him go was who they hired as the AD.

The second bad decision when letting him go was the timing.  He either should have been let go a year earlier, or given at least a year once he replaced his staff.  But, he replaced his staff when the decision was already made and just about anything they did in that first year of the staff, didn't matter.

Absolutely agree. Frank should've been let go sooner, when events and his record justified it. But they waited and fired a guy with a good record and then scrapped everything by going outside the program and letting Callahan destroy it. Lots and lots of bad decisions and bad timing. 

Frank could've been replaced without destroying everything but........Pederson and Callahan. However, I firmly believe that 2001 game in Boulder was THE event that started the fall. I may be biased. I was at that game and it still makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it. 

 

[J-MAGIC]

I subscribe to The Athletic for their Cubs writers so I read Sherman's stuff every once in a while, and I wish they would hire someone better than Sherman to cover us. He does nothing but hunt clicks with inflammatory/low-brow controversy stuff. Ideally The Athletic's subscriber structure would make it the one place where you wouldn't have to be worried about how many people are reading your article and could instead just make good, interesting stuff people want to read. 

 

[Husker in WI]

I subscribe to The Athletic for their Cubs writers so I read Sherman's stuff every once in a while, and I wish they would hire someone better than Sherman to cover us. He does nothing but hunt clicks with inflammatory/low-brow controversy stuff. Ideally The Athletic's subscriber structure would make it the one place where you wouldn't have to be worried about how many people are reading your article and could instead just make good, interesting stuff people want to read. 

I don't think he's terrible, but in an effort to not seem like a homer he goes a bit overboard sometimes. I like that he's not a complete sunshine-pumper, but yeah he could dial back some of the controversy. In this case I don't think it was his idea of a story though, like Saunders pointed out it's part of a series on 2001 upsets. Pretty sure it's not optional for the associated team writers to contribute for things like that.

 

[JJ Husker]

About this game in particular, I just remember being mystified at what our linebackers were doing. They were consistently attacking the gaps aggressively, so all the RB had to do was see where the LB was going and hit a different gap. Their O Line was opening so many holes they could pick and choose, and once they got into the defensive backfield it was a footrace. 

We made zero adjustments throughout the game. It was easy for Colorado. One of the most mystifying games I had seen to that point in my life. 

Yes it was totally befuddling. I went absolutely hoarse yelling at Bohl from my seat. We were sitting on the west side north 30 yard line about 20 rows up and could easily see from there what was happening. Not a single adjustment the whole game. It was like they had no clue how to defend it. It was insanity, keep doing what you're doing even though it isn't working at all. Just sickening.

Bohl should've had to walk home and Solich should've been let go as soon as he got back to Lincoln. Lots of younger fans simply won't understand this but that did not ever happen to Nebraska. Never. It wasn't an option, until Solich and Bohl let it happen. Teams we played prior to that knew we were going to kick their a$$. They were defeated before the game even began. The best they could hope for was playing halfway respectably and, if they were lucky, keep it from getting too far out of hand.  But, in just that one game, the veil was pulled aside and teams all of sudden realized it was possible. Sure there were a whole bunch of other destructive things and terrible decisions that occurred shortly thereafter but I absolutely believe the biggest thing we lost was our cloak of invincibility that day in Boulder.

 

[TGHusker]

Start of the demise - nothing against Frank - but the promise Tom made to Frank to be his replacement was the start of our demise.

For all of his 'people skills', I wished Tom would have left the coach search to an unbiased committee that looked beyond the emotional attachment

to the current staff at the time.   It wasn't using wisdom IMHO.

It seems to me that Tom should have coached a few more years to get Nebraska ready for a transition. And that transition would have

been looking for a 'proven' head coach ready to come to Nebraska and take on the job.  While it is difficult to replace a legend, it is more

difficult for an assistant coach to do so - someone without head coaching experience.    More recently, we hear the cry "Who would

come to Nebraska to coach?'.  But back then, we were the Bama of the time- it would have been a top job.  Even with our remoteness, all of

the recruits knew who we were.  Nebraska deserved better than an unproven assistant as HC - even if it was an assistant we all knew and appreciated. 

Frank was a good assistant coach but he wasn't prepared for the big time job of HC at Nebraska.  Frank's best team was the 1999 team still full of Tom's recruits. 

2001- our success totally relied on the feet of Crouch. 2002 proved that point.  

Tom's early retirement, seemed a bit too much 'Urban Meyer' like in retrospection - as Tom

went on to campaign for Congress just a few years later - whether the reason for leaving the HC position was his health or family time -  I can't see

running for Congress as contributing to either his health or family time. 

Second point:  I agree wt others who said Peterson should have waited another year or two  to see if Frank's new staff could turn it around.  9-3

was a good improvement in 2003 - it would have been interesting to see what they would have done in 2004 & 2005. 

 

[TGHusker]

believe the biggest thing we lost was our cloak of invincibility that day in Boulder.

I'm waiting for that to happen to Bama, Clemson, OSU but esp Bama.

es it was totally befuddling. I went absolutely hoarse yelling at Bohl from my seat. We were sitting on the west side north 30 yard line about 20 rows up and could easily see from there what was happening. Not a single adjustment the whole game. It was like they had no clue how to defend it. It was insanity, keep doing what you're doing even though it isn't working at all. Just sickening.

My family and I had just driven from Tulsa to Brookings, SD for Thanksgiving.  I was listening to the game on the car radio while I was changing brakes on the car in my father in law's machine shed on the farm.  With chicken poop around, some of my tools and tool box got smelly.  To this day, if I open up that tool box I still get a smell from it.  And it reminds me of the game once again - it was  a poop of a game.  :zoom

 

[JJ Husker]

Start of the demise - nothing against Frank - but the promise Tom made to Frank to be his replacement was the start of our demise.

For all of his 'people skills', I wished Tom would have left the coach search to an unbiased committee that looked beyond the emotional attachment

to the current staff at the time.   It wasn't using wisdom IMHO.

It seems to me that Tom should have coached a few more years to get Nebraska ready for a transition. And that transition would have

been looking for a 'proven' head coach ready to come to Nebraska and take on the job.  While it is difficult to replace a legend, it is more

difficult for an assistant coach to do so - someone without head coaching experience.    More recently, we hear the cry "Who would

come to Nebraska to coach?'.  But back then, we were the Bama of the time- it would have been a top job.  Even with our remoteness, all of

the recruits knew who we were.  Nebraska deserved better than an unproven assistant as HC - even if it was an assistant we all knew and appreciated. 

Frank was a good assistant coach but he wasn't prepared for the big time job of HC at Nebraska.  Frank's best team was the 1999 team still full of Tom's recruits. 

2001- our success totally relied on the feet of Crouch. 2002 proved that point.  

Tom's early retirement, seemed a bit too much 'Urban Meyer' like in retrospection - as Tom

went on to campaign for Congress just a few years later - whether the reason for leaving the HC position was his health or family time -  I can't see

running for Congress as contributing to either his health or family time. 

Second point:  I agree wt others who said Peterson should have waited another year or two  to see if Frank's new staff could turn it around.  9-3

was a good improvement in 2003 - it would have been interesting to see what they would have done in 2004 & 2005. 

I think Tom had the right idea, he just maybe picked the wrong staff member. Seems he had a pretty good handle on what could/would happen if the machine got altered by outsiders. But, in hindsight, he could've made a better choice or put more effort into making sure Frank was capable and prepared. I suppose without the benefit of hindsight it's almost impossible to realize, even for TO, how fast and completely what he built could crumble. 

I think it was the correct decision to promote from within. I mean we all have seen where the Callahan experiment got us. Unfortunately TO was not infallible as so many of felt he was at the time. A drop off from one of the greatest CFB coaches ever was inevitable. And there really is/was no way to get the fans to settle for any less than they had become accustomed to. The one thing I know is that the football program would be in much better shape today had Frank not been let go, even as I admit, at the time I thought he needed to go. (sooner though, not when and how Pede did it) Wish we had a time machine to see what would've transpired had Frank been fired earlier and replaced with another from within program. We can only speculate and commiserate now.... I wonder if it will still be a yearly topic of discussion in another 20 years. Prob not if we happen to find some success again.

 

[TheBugeater]

The one and only common denominator the last 24yrs - Tom Osborne. So many wrong decisions.

Picked the wrong coach with zero HC experience the first time,

Picked the wrong coach with zero HC experience the second time that no AD in America would now touch.

Save Pelini's job in 2013 when he should have been fired, at which time Pelini decides to stop recruiting for his last 2.5 yrs resulting in big damage to program.

Picked a HC with no coaching experience the 3rd time who has lost 5-6 games he should not have. TBD

Provided no support and caused fractures in the AD department when an outsider was hired.

Acted like a child when didnt get his way (publicly giving up his skybox, etc..)

The program would have faired much better if T.O had retired, moved away and gone fishing in Florida in 1997. Instead he and his handpicked coaches have been running the show for 17 of the last 24 years and we have nothing to show for it.

Legendary coach, absolutely horrible administrator.

 

[junior4949]

A lot of good points brought up.  However, I believe forming the Big 12 is what led to the dismantling of the Husker dynasty.  I also believe it led to TO's early retirement.  He was playing against a stacked deck and knew it. 

I know bagging on Solich is the cool thing to do, but it doesn't make it correct.  Ohio hadn't been to a bowl since 1968.  Solich took Ohio to a bowl game in his second season.  He's taken Ohio to 11 bowls in 15 seasons.  He's the winningest coach in MAC history.  Three times he's been the conference coach of the year.  He was a Home Depot coach of the year.  He was the last coach to get us a conference championship.   

After years of thinking about what has transpired, I have to admit my thoughts have changed.  At one time, I blamed Pederson for our ills.  However, it wasn't his fault at all.  $ Byrne left because he didn't want to be the AD to fire Solich.  Pederson's hands were tied.  He was hired to fire Solich.  There's not a snowballs chance Callahan was even remotely in his top three for a replacement.  This is why it's difficult to blame either how that turned out.  It's hard to fault Callahan considering he was without a job.  It's hard to fault Pederson considering everyone else on the list turned him down.  The Frost era hasn't exactly started out with a bang.  We don't know how it will turn out.  It will be very interesting to see if we've learned anything from the last two decades in the next two seasons.