I did something today that I've never done before. I left after hearing the Cornhusker Band perform at halftime, a band of which I was once a member, 45 years ago. Since that time I've watched my beloved Huskers play in more than 200 games, at home and on the road. My wife and I have traveled more than 6000 miles and watched more than two dozen Bowl Games.
We've been pelted by frozen oranges in Miami when we played Miami, jeered in the Sugar Bowl when we played LSU and had our car spray painted by drunken Buffalo fans in Colorado, but I've never left a game.
We left today because I could no longer sit and watch our players being humiliated for the second week in a row because they were underprepared, demoralized, and just plain whipped. Half way thru the first quarter I could see they knew they were not going to win against a team they knew they should easily defeat.
Last week I saw the same look in their eyes when they dropped to 14-0 in a game plan that was ill-suited against a team using an offense that took advantage of their inadequate defense.
Make no mistake I am not blaming Coach Callahan. I think he is a fine Coach and is doing a fine job with what he has to work with. The blame should start with the man who decided many years ago that making money was far more important than the game of football to the state of Nebraska, Steve Pederson.
Pederson's personal vendetta against former coach Frank Solich was the beginning of this whole mess and someday this will all come to light. Callahan's "West Coast Offense" may be excellent, but it was doomed from the start for Nebraska for one reason and one reason only. Nebraska will never be able to compete in recruiting with the likes of California, Florida, Texas. For an offense like that to work, you need top-level quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, players that Nebraska can almost never recruit successfully.
Sam Keller is an amazing talent, but why would we choose a player with only one year of eligibility ? Next year we have to begin all over with someone who has no game time. When was the last time Nebraska had an NFL quality quarterback ? Vince Ferragamo is the last one I can remember and that was 30 years ago.
We're 4-3 after today and I can see us losing the next four games. How can we expect any more from our defense when they are on the field most of the game ?
Is there a morale problem in the ranks ? I don't know. I just know there is something wrong. Nebraska has the best fans in the world, and the best kids out there on the field and in the stands.
Get rid of Pederson and his catering to the elite fan base and money grubbing and let's get back to real Nebraska football. I want to enjoy the game again like it was played under Devaney, Osborne, and Solich.
Climbing down off my old softbox. Thanx for listening to this old fart.
We've been pelted by frozen oranges in Miami when we played Miami, jeered in the Sugar Bowl when we played LSU and had our car spray painted by drunken Buffalo fans in Colorado, but I've never left a game.
We left today because I could no longer sit and watch our players being humiliated for the second week in a row because they were underprepared, demoralized, and just plain whipped. Half way thru the first quarter I could see they knew they were not going to win against a team they knew they should easily defeat.
Last week I saw the same look in their eyes when they dropped to 14-0 in a game plan that was ill-suited against a team using an offense that took advantage of their inadequate defense.
Make no mistake I am not blaming Coach Callahan. I think he is a fine Coach and is doing a fine job with what he has to work with. The blame should start with the man who decided many years ago that making money was far more important than the game of football to the state of Nebraska, Steve Pederson.
Pederson's personal vendetta against former coach Frank Solich was the beginning of this whole mess and someday this will all come to light. Callahan's "West Coast Offense" may be excellent, but it was doomed from the start for Nebraska for one reason and one reason only. Nebraska will never be able to compete in recruiting with the likes of California, Florida, Texas. For an offense like that to work, you need top-level quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, players that Nebraska can almost never recruit successfully.
Sam Keller is an amazing talent, but why would we choose a player with only one year of eligibility ? Next year we have to begin all over with someone who has no game time. When was the last time Nebraska had an NFL quality quarterback ? Vince Ferragamo is the last one I can remember and that was 30 years ago.
We're 4-3 after today and I can see us losing the next four games. How can we expect any more from our defense when they are on the field most of the game ?
Is there a morale problem in the ranks ? I don't know. I just know there is something wrong. Nebraska has the best fans in the world, and the best kids out there on the field and in the stands.
Get rid of Pederson and his catering to the elite fan base and money grubbing and let's get back to real Nebraska football. I want to enjoy the game again like it was played under Devaney, Osborne, and Solich.
Climbing down off my old softbox. Thanx for listening to this old fart.
