JohnStOnge

I'm an outsider but I think Nebraska changed a lot in that it had a system of old style option football that worked then decided to abandon it after a 10-3 season capped by a bowl win in 2003. That system, to me, made Nebraska what it was. I live in SEC country and I can remember people in SEC country saying that system was obsolete before Nebraska clubbed Florida in the de facto 1995/1996 national championship game. Short memories apparently prevailed as I can remember SEC fans saying the same kind of thing before Nebraska clubbed Tennessee in the 1998 Orange Bowl. Yes they went a few years without a national title after 1997/1998 but they were in the BCS championship game at the end of the 2001/2002 season. Yes they lost the Big 12 title game that year but when you lose a game by 62-36 the problem obviously isn't the offensive system. I think the system Nebraska had is what made Nebraska great. During all of its glory years Nebraska wasn't ever near the top in terms of NFL talent production overall. But they didn't need to be on the offensive side. They were using a different kind of player. Tommy Frazier, for instance, was never a threat to be a NFL quarterback. But he was great for what Nebraska did and the fact that he wasn't an NFL type quarterback didn't help Florida's outstanding 1995/1996 team any. I just think Nebraska made a mistake a few years back. I don't think there's any doubt that their program went down instead of up after they decided to change their basic approach. It's been pretty good at times. But it's not the same as it was before.

Last year Nicholls State was a better football team than Troy and comparable to Louisiana Tech. The Colonels rushed for 408 yards...6.3 yards per attempt...on Indiana. Yes, I know Indiana's a bad BCS league team. But Nicholls State really should've won that game. They were at the Indiana 11 with four minutes left and a 31 - 28 lead...with the Hoosiers showing no signs of being able to stop their running game...when they fumbled. Indiana then drove it down and scored with 47 seconds left to win 35-31. I guess from your standpoint it's not helpful to your team because they run an offense Nebraska won't see from others. It's that double-wing option Navy runs. But don't be surprised if they're able to move the football. Hard to say now because they did lose their QB to graduation but I woudn't be shocked. By the way...I know you'll think I'm crazy but I think your adminitration made the wrong choice in ditching option football. That's what made Nebraska what it was. I think they should've hired Paul Johnson (Navy) and let him run that offense. You had the personnel for it. Then you'd have been the only big time team in the country running it. You'd have had your pick of the best option personel in the country every recruiting season. You wouldn't have necessarily gotten a lot of NFL type players, but you don't need NFL type players to run that offense. It takes a different kind of player. A different kind of QB and a different kind of offensive lineman. But every time another big time team played you they'd have been playing an offense dramatically different than anything else they'd seen all year. No way they could adequately prepare for it being run with the kinds of athletes Nebraska could've gotten to run it. And nobody knows how to make it hum like Paul Johnson does.