Roundball Shaman

Thurston from Pender: “You need not have studied Joseph Campbell to understand the vital importance of ritual and myth in society. All you need to have done is see a Star Wars movie.” Joseph Campbell Quotations Being Applied To The Huskers: “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” ― Joseph Campbell (on Huskers’ struggles lately) “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” ― Joseph Campbell (on Huskers’ struggles lately) “If you're going to have a story, have a big story, or none at all.” ― Joseph Campbell (on the Huskers’ legacy) “If you want to understand what's most important to a society, don't examine its art or literature, simply look at its biggest buildings.” ― Joseph Campbell (commenting on Memorial Stadium) “When you are on the right path, invisible hands will come to your aid.” ― Joseph Campbell (on the Huskers’ current path back to greatness) “Never jump into a dredge.” ― Not Joseph Campbell

So, who were the 2019 season winners and disappointers? AP Top 25 - Preseason Ranking to Final Ranking: 1 Clemson (Final Ranking #2) Move down -1 spot 2 Alabama (Final Ranking #8) Move down -6 spots 3 Georgia (Final Ranking #4) Move down -1 spot 4 Oklahoma (Final Ranking #7) Move down -3 spots 5 Ohio State (Final Ranking #3) Move up +2 spots 6 LSU (Final Ranking #1) Move up +5 spots 7 Michigan (Final Ranking #18) Move down -11 spots 8 Florida (Final Ranking #6) Move up +2 spots 9 Notre Dame (Final Ranking #12) Move down -3 spots 10 Texas (Final Ranking #25) Move down -15 spots Conclusions... LSU the top team to exceed expectations (since they won it all over 5 giants ahead of them) Biggest movers up: Minnesota from unranked pre-season to #10 finish Baylor from unranked to #13 finish Exceeded Expectations: Wisconsin ended 8 spots higher from preseason poll Penn State ended 6 spots higher from preseason poll Iowa ended 5 spots higher from preseason poll (All making the Huskers’ journey that much harder, along with good seasons from Minnesota and Wisconsin and that place from Ohio) Unranked teams move up to a Top 25 finish: Air Force Appalachian State Boise State U Central Florida Cincinnati, Memphis Navy Biggest Top 10 disappointment - Texas, down 15 spots from preseason poll Next biggest Top 10 disappointment - Michigan, down 11 spots from preseason poll Huskers’ preseason came in at #24 and... well, you know the rest. Disappointment team from pre-season hopes. Were initially ranked too high and did not approach Top 25 during season. Texas was shown too much pre-season love. Another bitter taste for the Sometimes-Not-Too-Long Horns. Limphorns? Bottom Line: Lots of surprise teams showing up in final Top 25. Teams that grew and came together during the season. The unpredictable nature of sports. That's why they play the games.

Congratulations, Tiger Nation on one of the great seasons of college ball history. And now, Geaux Huskers. Time for some Cornhusker mojo magic.

So, we have... Johnny Rodgers - early 1970s. From Omaha. Rich Glover - early 1970s. From New Jersey. Dave Rimington - early 1980s. From Omaha. Mike Rozier - early 1980s. From New Jersey. Tommie Frazier - mid 1990s. From Florida. Ndamukong Suh - late 2000s. From Oregon. So, based on ESPN’s judgment... Best Husker offensive player from the State of Nebraska - Johnny Rodgers. Best Husker lineman from the State of Nebraska - Dave Rimington. Four of the top six Husker players were not from the State of Nebraska. Four of the top six Husker players from the decades of 1970s and 80s. Signals a drop off in elite Husker talent since the mid-1990s. One player in the last 25 years of Husker football. Conclusions... Must recruit elite talent from outside Nebraska (yes, we know that). Attract and retain Nebraska’s own gems like Rodgers and Rimington. Must facilitate elite talent in the current era of Husker football (so we don’t keep looking back in time for glory).

(Former) Baylor Coach Matt Rhule is the new Carolina Panthers head coach. He spent three years at Baylor, initially taking a team that was in shambles due to campus scandal. His Baylor team won just one game in his first season, but in his third and just concluded last season, he got Baylor into the Big 12 championship game. Why is this of interest to Husker fans? What if Scott Frost pulls a similar turnaround at Lincoln? What if Frost gets the Huskers very soon to the Big 10 championship game or more? Will the NFL come calling on him? What if he becomes the "hot coach" again? Some Husker fans have expressed doubts about Frost’s approach to offense. Some say it will never work in the Big 10. Maybe his offense is a better fit for the NFL? If the Husker Coach gets the Huskers going like Rhule did, will he find himself coaching on Sundays? Will Coach Frost be watching closely to see if the former Baylor coach will Rhule in the NFL?

Big 12 Embarrassments & Big 10 Underachievers Sure, the Huskers have issues. But at least being in the Big 12 is not one of them. The Not-So-Big-12 took an image hit this past season. This is a conference that every year goes looking for respect. And they can’t find it, either. In bowl games, the two “powerhouse” Big 12 programs both ended up as embarrassments. LSU schooled, toyed with, dominated, and embarrassed the Sooners who now must lick their wounds and repair their national image. The Baylor Bears - Bearcubs? - were not up to facing the likes of a Georgia. And the Baylor coach may be heading out the door for a bigger gig. And the underachievers from Austin once again failed to join the college ball elites. But the Big 10 can’t do much bragging, either. A lackluster 4 wins, 5 losses in bowl games. Teams beaten in bowls: Memphis, Wake Forest... and a USC and Auburn that was not up to their traditional power standards. Teams lost to in bowls: Alabama, Clemson, Oregon, California, and Tennessee. Clearly the better quality teams from the teams beaten in bowls. Bottom line? Big 12 and Big 10 have work to do to join the really big boys. Ohio State will always be around as they get the recruits. But Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Huskers and others need to elevate just to get to be the best in their own conference. But the Big 12 is still the conference looking for real football identity. And they may never find it. At least people knew who the Big 8 was. And, who was one of the big (red) dogs (in a good way).

Huskers’ low point of the last decade (2010-2019): Bowl Record: 2 wins, 5 losses Last half of decade record: 28 wins, 34 losses (win percentage 45%) Huskers’ high point of the last decade: The hiring of Scott Frost. Yes, this. There was no point in time during the decade where Husker Nation was more energized and optimistic than when Frost was hired.

Although there is some debate about when a new decade starts (year ending with zero or one?), most folks seem to associate a year ending with a Zero to be the start of a new decade. If so, we are currently plunging into a new decade of the 2020s. With this in mind, it’s time to consider what the next ten years of Husker football will be like. Maybe Nostradamus has some Husker predictions buried somewhere within those quatrains? Anything about Kings-of-the-North rising in there? If not, then it’s left for us to try to divine the answers. Husker football has had those two great decade success stories, the 1970s and 1990s. The 1960s was the decade that saw the Huskers transform into the modern era of college ball. The other decades left over since then have been less than satisfying (sometimes painful and frustrating) and certainly not up to what Huskers fans want and have come to expect. What do we know for sure? Coach Frost will write the ending of the story of his personal Husker coaching legacy. He will either be the leader who resurrected the program back from mediocrity, or he will just hold serve and see the Huskers back in the pack and mostly out of the national spotlight, or the Huskers might actually...regress? That last one doesn’t seem likely. So, the Huskers will either stay the same or get better. And, if they get better, will it be a quick turnaround or a slow steady moving up in the next few years? Whatever happens, Husker fans will be there. The Sea of Red will be a sea of red. This program is too much a part of the State and region’s DNA to be otherwise. The usual roadblocks of Ohio State and Michigan and Wisconsin and the rest will be there. The Huskers will book some Prime Time games again and get a chance to shine to the nation like they used to. There are those in sports media around the country who really hope to see the Huskers be the Huskers again. So, a new decade of Cornhusker football is here. Some things change, and some things stay the same.

Santa Claus is a Huskers fan. Why else do you think he’s wearing red and white? Nice guy, Santa, but he clearly needs more time in the weight room. Not even fit enough to be a fifth-string reserve lineman. But, he brings joy. And if anything, this Husker team needs joy. Lots of it. And so do Husker fans. This long deep funk has gone on far too long and we need to snap into something better. Happiness. Comfort and joy. All is calm and all is bright. May the joy of being a Husker fan once again be felt in the world in all its full flower. Whether Santa brings this, or it comes through hard work and perseverance and reclaiming the Husker place among football elites, may joy return to the Great Husker Nation. I’m dreaming of a Red-n-White Christmas, Just like ones we used to know. With our faces glistenin’, and children listenin’, To Husker football in the snow. I'm dreaming of a Husker Christmas, With every posting that I write. May your days be merry and bright, And may all your Christmas’ be Red and White.

Guy Chamberlin: “... now that we have the only coach every Husker fan can agree on, and he's turned in the worst back to back seasons of them all, we finally get the humbled expectations and patience needed for a genuine rebuild.” Since football is an emotional game, coaches’ behavior usually reflects how things are going at any given moment in time. Yelling at a ref one second, big smile and tap on the helmet for good play the next. With Frost, he seemed mostly truly excited and happy on the sidelines down in Florida way. In Lincoln, he’s seemed subdued and frustrated and not as the same guy. Yes, the losing is going to do that do a person. But also, a coach has to lead by example and project a good attitude most all of the time. When a player sees a coach frowning and pensive... that attitude is picked up by and reflected in the players. The Huskers need to see more of the Central Florida Frost and less of the Coach At Lincoln Frost in the coming season. The Husker squad needs to raise their game on all levels. And the Coach needs to project more of Sunshine State positive attitude and good energy especially when things aren’t going well. The Huskers have played scared too much and needs to have a free-er attitude toward playing the game.

Michael Jordan’s combination of raw talent and overwhelming will to win will be hard to be matched ever again, let alone surpassed by anyone. Statistics are great. But they can’t measure heart, determination, desire for excellence, and the absolute refusal to accept losing or poor performance. Jordan’s spirit of ultimate reach and accomplishment are without peer. Thousands of guys have been blessed with great talent to play at the highest levels in the world. More are coming every day. But... What happens when things aren’t going well on the floor or in your career? Many great talents (Kobe, Lebron, etc.) are POUTERS. They look like little boys when someone steals their favorite toy. Not Michael. When things didn’t go well, he got MAD. He did not pout, but reached deep down and willed himself and his team to victory. Teammates had to reach down deep as well because Michael demanded them to. Not out of ego or bullying, but out of a desire to never accept mediocrity. That is the definition of a true winner. Bless you, Michael, for blessing our lives on the floor and as a mentor of how to approach your profession the right way.

A person’s time is valuable. Each person only has so much of it. Value judgments have to be made. Am I getting enough back for my investment of time and emotion in this thing? Most fans of any team watch only because they want to see wins. Would you really watch a game if you knew AHEAD of time that the result would be a loss? Life has disappointments enough. Who needs to add more frustration? Husker fans will be back viewing in huge numbers once the team shows a solid turnaround and good chances of success on the field. Other reasons for somebody to watch or attend a game instead of insisting on a victory... Hey, the uniforms are nice. I just like sitting on a hard seat for hours with many thousands of noisy strangers. It gets me out of the house. I love halftime shows. Somebody gave me tickets. I smelled something good coming from the parking lot. I got a huge new TV and have to watch something on it. I like to critique the referees. I’m sick of politics. I like explaining the rules to people who don’t understand what is going on. Even when I have to make (stuff) up. I have to be SOME place. I’ve got an over-under bet on what hour and minute the game will end. I saw everyone walking to that big building so I followed them. I don’t care whether we win or lose. It’s just fun to watch either way.

Nebraska - a desirable job? No, it isn’t. Very high expectations from the fan base learned from past glories that haven’t been seen for a generation. Mediocrity evidenced for years is way below what most fans will be satisfied with. Creates great pressure on coaching staff and players. Tough to get many highest recruits with so many hot programs out there competing and without the same legacy baggage. Too many false starts and poor choices made by the decision-makers in the past. Overall program doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Yes, it is. For an ambitious coach who is not afraid of a great challenge, there are few greater opportunities than the Red and White Sleeping Giant of the Upper Plains. Elite football conference that’s been routinely placing more teams in the Top 25 than others. Fans so hungry for succeed that things are ready to explode with the first real sign of solid success and turning the corner. Players can be rock stars in the State and all its communities who love the team like no other. No major pro teams near to take attention away from the program. The coach that brings success will become a legend in these parts. So, Nebraska is not a desirable job. It also is one.

Husker fans have a dilemma. Who - if anybody at all - to root for in the upcoming college football playoffs? Ohio State? Never, ever, in this life or any future one. Self-appointed Big 14 master blueblood that has little respect for Nebraska or anybody other than tOSU and who wants to trademark the entire English language. Oklahoma? Certainly root not for the greatest single rival the Huskers have ever had and miss playing dearly. So sorry, Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin. Clemson? In the playoffs again? That’s like watching a Green Acres rerun on TV. In fact, that’s it. Instead, watch a Green Acres rerun on TV. LSU? Nothing much here to put off a Husker fan. Good choice if you want to root for somebody. Stock up on Tabasco sauce, Gumbo, Po’boy and Beignets. Don’t care for any of these guys? Wash the car. Paint the house. Read a book. Clean out the closet. Visit a psychic and find out if Frost will ever bring glory back to the Huskers. Watch videos of the 1990's Huskers. Count the hours until the first Husker practice. Or, watch the playoffs anyway and dream about who might be there one day.

Certain programs (Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama...) have been able to stay pretty much on top for the last 50 years. Others with former great legacies stumble and have a hard time ever getting back. What’s the difference? The head coach? The recruiting? Karma? All of these things have their place. But that’s not where the real difference lies. What keeps these great programs on top is the BOSSES. The people who do the hiring and firing of the head coaches, et al. These are the people who seem to always make GOOD decisions on who to hire as coaches and recruiters and then everything else follows along. Over many years, all the underling pieces will change over again and again. To keep on top, your power people on top consistently make good hiring decisions. Major college ball is like a business as any other. If you have a good person (persons) at the very top, they will bring successful people into the fold and your outfit will prosper. If not... All of the major programs have the right people sitting in the big offices making the (mostly) right decisions. Sometimes there is an ethical lapse along the way by someone and they get caught. Programs that stumble did so because multiple bad decisions were made and they haven’t been corrected yet. And sometimes pride gets in the way and bad decisions are never acknowledged or corrected.

For some states and areas, this graphic makes sense... like Nebraska and Iowa. In other places, the state as a boundary doesn’t mean much. Tell people in the San Francisco Bay area that the most popular team in the state is the Dodgers. Or people in middle and Southern Illinois that it’s the Cubs and not the Cardinals. Certain parts of states are nothing like the rest of the state. Chicago is one kind of place and nothing like the rest of Illinois. In fact, they are almost actively hostile to each other. Same with the counties around Los Angeles or San Fran and the rest of the state of California. Northern parts of Florida are nothing like Miami or Tampa. Texas? Austin and Houston and Dallas and El Paso are one thing and the rest of the state something different. As for Oklahoma... the Thunder are the new kids on the block. Maybe Sooner fatigue set in. State has pride in its only major league franchise. They went wild for the NBA when the New Orleans team temporarily had to play there years ago. And Durant and Westbrook really put them on the national map years ago. An interesting metric would be a graphic of how PASSIONATE the fans in each area are for their team. Huskers, The Tide, the Saints, Vegas Golden Knights fans gonna do pretty well on that list.

ColoradoHusk: “I'm glad Osborne didn't have to put up with any internet message board crap when he was failing to win National Championships his first 21 years at NU. I know he heard enough from the fan base back then and there wasn't "internet tough guy" back then.” Today’s internet/bloggey/Twittey/Fbooky/”hot takes” culture seeks to blow up every thing (big or small) that happens so that things gets turned into big mountains and every poor performance demands immediate outrage. That does not easily allow for the remaking of a culture and the changing and elevation of a subpar program seeking glory. Add to that the frustrations of a fan base that’s been disappointed for so many years (a full generation) and that’s a recipe for a uneasy mess. The Husker powers-that-be made their decision about who will be leading this football team for the foreseeable future. The coach is set in certain ways and has yet to reevaluate his approaches to the game and how well the group of players he has can execute it. Some mirror-gazing is in order. Today’s players are more ultra-conscious of what the Internet Culture is saying about every little thing more so than any coaches or powers above. Coaches learn to tune out just about everything they don’t want to hear - whether that might be something of value to them or not. Same with the powers above. Who has a boss that just loves to hear your suggestions or that you might point out that they as a boss have made a mistake or two? All they want to hear is that they are the greatest boss that ever lived. Frost knew just how heavy the load was going to be before he came back. The jury is out whether he overestimated his ability (within his own mind) to turn things around quickly. In the world of sports, you go from a hero to bum and back with each twist and turn of the season. Players and coaches must tune out the noise (any good or bad reactions to what they’re doing) or they’d go crazy. Even the likes of Saban and Belichick quickly get heat when they lose a game or two in a season. Like these days. The internet is a great thing if you don’t take it too seriously.

BigRedBuster: “Frost will get his time here to prove what he can do. Every step of the way, when something bad happens, you will hear some fans saying "COACH SUCKS"... I, as a fan, am not the coach's boss. I'm not the one giving him performance reviews.” Fans may not be signing the coach’s checks, but ultimately big-time sports is just for the fans (the revenue). Players can’t be trusted to review their own performance or that of the coach, and fans can’t help but judge the coaches at least for their own enjoyment. And when fans do revolt against a coach, the check-writers have little choice but to cut the guy loose. As for Coach Frost - or any coach - what players and fans want to see is some growth and development of the coach himself. No one comes in as a finished product and much is learned in the school of hard knocks. Maybe a coach has to act in front of his players like he has all the answers, but within himself he knows he doesn’t. Nobody dealing with human beings and many moving parts ever has all the answers. A coach may have a team lacking in size or talent, but that doesn’t in any way affect his ability to develop a true family-of-brothers feeling within the team. Do the Huskers have that right now? He needs to be able to inspire the team to bring out the best in themselves. Did we really the best this group of players has to offer? He needs to get them to think straight so they stop making so many mistakes. Another improvement-box that needs still to be checked. Coach Frost can do these things. He can grow AS a coach. Any coach can, and the smart ones have and do. It’s been frustratingly slow over two years to see evidence of this. Once Husker Nation sees a little bit more of this from him, a lot of the fan unrest will disappear.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Benny was right but he left out one important thing that’s also certain (since it didn’t exist yet)... 2019 Mr. Franklin: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Nebraska fans supporting their Cornhuskers”. Husker fans are the unshakable foundation of this program. Everything else is changing and moving parts. That’s how the Huskers lost their way. The long offseason begins. Lots of cold months yet to endure. Few Husker football highlights from 2019 to warm the soul. Lots of questions to ask and things to wonder about. Futures are hanging in the balance. Husker fans watched another powerhouse season from Ohio State and another solid one from Wisconsin. Can’t help but see a little bit of the old Huskers in both of those teams if you know where to look. Ohio dominates opponents like the old Huskers once did, and Wisconsin looks like a Husker cousin in the way they approach the game. Minnesota is getting better. So is Indiana. Iowa always hangs around. Illinois is clawing their way up to being respectable. Michigan resembles the current Huskers having lots of questions for the offseason and lots of grumbling. Northwestern won’t be this bad next year. Pennsylvania State gets their share of top players and lurks just below the level of the best. The Huskers face a greater challenge today than they did before. They didn’t have to face so many quality conference programs in the Big 8/12 days. Huskers have yet to settle in and establish themselves since they changed addresses. So who stole the Huskers? Father Time. Times changed, and the Huskers haven’t handled the time change very well. But in that, is also the answer. Things won’t stay like they are right now forever, either. Somehow, things will turn around. Too many people want it to happen. Huskers are due for something good to happen. Maybe knowing that will make this offseason just a little less cold.

“Frost is in big trouble” No, he isn’t. No major college football coach is ever in trouble. Each of them are multi-millionaires - set for life - and will always find work in the biz somewhere, somehow if they want it. However, what are in trouble are some of the programs they leave behind. And their fans.

HuskerNation1: “...the resume Frost has at Nebraska is based on the past 2 years. Even within this season we did not see him mix things up much, and there is no sign he is going to make an overhaul to his staff or schemes in the coming years.” If there was a button to push to make everything all-better, Frost & Co. would have pushed it a long time ago. But they seem to be confused about how to get this ship going in the right direction. That is not recipe for confidence going into next season and beyond. I think all the Husker powers-that-be have to reevaluate everything about the program. What kind of players are we going after? Why aren’t we doing a better job of mentoring the players we do have? What are the dynamics going on behind the scenes between coaches and players? Why do players keep making the same mistakes? Where are the failings? Everyone involved in the program needs to look in the mirror and figure out how to do a better job working their particular piece of the Husker program puzzle. Football is blocking and tackling and wanting it more than the guys on the other side of the scrimmage line. Husker fans have never lost Husker pride, but nationally that pride of Nebraska football has to be built back up again. Nobody fears playing the Big Red. That has to stop. Maybe the Huskers won’t be great any time soon, but opponents can come away gaining respect for a Husker team that played their hearts out and left it all on the field. You might be out-manned, but you never have to be out-hearted.

knapplc: “ I think there's some stuff physically wrong with him, but I think the biggest issues are in his head. He's not thinking as decisively as he did last year. Maybe some injury is a factor in that. Regardless, he's either going to fix it or lose the job...” When a QB loses confidence, it is fatal for him and his team. He doubts his own abilities, and he conveys his lack of confidence and command to the team through his actions and body language. It becomes contagious, and others begin to slip down from their own peak efficiency as well. It happens in all sports. In basketball, the shooter loses his/her touch and the shots don’t fall anymore. Instead of looking like a hula-hoop, the rim looks like a thimble. Confidence sinks with every new miss. In baseball, the pitcher loses command of the strike zone or the hitter can’t see the baseball or gets a flaw in his swing. Begins to press. Makes things worse. In hockey, the goalie loses confidence and can’t stop anything anymore. Yogi Berra, who won more than a few games in his career, once said, “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” OK, Yogi wasn’t so good at math but he had the right idea about the mental (spiritual) side of the game. The Huskers need a new coach. No, not the head coach. They need an ATTITUDE and motivational and inspirational coach. These guys don’t believe they can win. Frost has been unable to solve that aspect of shaping his team. Pro teams have brought in the right attitude coach and it’s worked. All it can do is help. It never hurts. You gotta believe. This season, the Huskers never seemed to. Never seemed to have fun in their play, either. It is a game, young men. Five wins against subpar teams and no wins against good teams. That will finish anyone’s confidence. Attitude is a fixable problem for the right person.

At this Thanksgiving time, let’s not forget to include giving thanks for a great treasure... Nebraska Cornhusker football fans. No group of fans is more passionate. No group of fans takes Husker players more into their own family (at least as a feeling) as do Husker fans. No State has a football program that means more to State Identity and pride as is Nebraska and Nebraska folks. No group of fans wants more desperately to be good and relevant again as do Husker fans. No group of fans tries to be more fair and objective about the team and games than Husker fans. No group of fans is more sportsmanlike and respectful of Husker opponents than Husker fans. No group of fans could take the last 20-plus years of frustration and falling back from the heights of college ball as well as Husker fans have tried to cope. Being a fan is not always about being rational. Or being fair. Or being a good sport. Or being reasonable about everything. That’s hard to manage when you are passionate about something. But Husker fans do this as well as anybody does. Who does this better? No disrespect, but... Alabama folks? Notre Dame fans? Oklahoma? Ohio State? Michigan? Florida? Can’t make a case for any of them over Husker fans. Or anybody else. So, Husker fans, give thanks for... all of us. We choose to invest our valuable time and energy into this football program. It defines us, and we define what Husker football is and has been in its great history. And maybe one day soon, Charlie Brown WILL kick that football after all. And the Huskers will rule the Top Ten roost again.

knapplc: “Nobody had to convince other fans that Oklahoma was a rival.” This is a mostly a generational thing. Older Husker fans know that Oklahoma was THE game of games. Many younger fans who didn’t directly experience that convince themselves that Iowa is a good rival opponent. The matchup with Oklahoma was like buying a Mercedes. The matchup with Iowa is like picking out the best car on a used car lot. Yes, they’re both cars, but that’s where the comparison ends. Nebraska was force-fed Iowa as the big last seasonal game. There wasn’t much choice in the matter. Need to make the best of it and get bragging rights over the Missouri River. Back in the day, a bit of shine would have come off that Oklahoma game if there was to be a conference championship game yet to follow in those days. But there wasn’t, so it was beat the Sooners then prepare for a good bowl game.

Relax. This is not going to be another thread about how the Huskers should rejoin the Big 12 conference. That conference of schools who today willingly choose to be under the Big Thumb of Texas will not be a future home for the Huskers. Instead, this is about the Husker days before the Big 12 became the Big Texas Conference and Nebraska went in with the Big 14. From 1928 through 1947 the Huskers were part of the Big 6 conference along with Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, and K-State. From 1948 through 1959 the Huskers were in the Big 7 conference of all those schools plus Colorado. And from 1960 through 1995 the Huskers were in the Big 8 which also included Oklahoma State. Those were good times. If you want to say this is a kind of Get Off My Lawn kind of thing, have at it. But that doesn’t change what’s already in the vault: the Huskers were at home in a group of Nebraska-like places like Iowa and Missouri and Kansas and Oklahoma and Colorado. It was a family kind of feel playing against your cousins. And nothing... nothing comes close to those epic NU-OU battles over the years once the Husker’s got good beginning around 1962. There was always a big buildup before the battle at regular season’s end. The Huskers and Sooners would try not to stumble before their epic battle. The anticipation was electric. These days... Nebraska and Maryland? Against a basketball school near the Atlantic Ocean? And for the Iowa game to ever reach the same level as used to be in the Big 8 days, Iowa would have to become as good as Oklahoma. And that’s never going to happen. The Huskers won’t be changing their conference anytime soon. But history proves that schools do change conferences and conferences add and lose schools over time. Things are going to change eventually. Hopefully, someday the Huskers will have an opponent worthy of the season’s end battles they used to have. Until then, win a few Big 14 West titles and keep your options open.