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Rewind back to the 2001 season. Eric Crouch was playing well. There were some holes in the o-line, but the defense seemed to be OK. We beat Oklahoma in the battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 and looked destined for a Big 12 title game rematch with the Sooners, and, if we were lucky, a chance to win the national title. The rest of the season played out well, until we rolled into Colorado. A huge loss, then we backed into the title game and took our lumps to Miami. 2002 opened and we all wished it would have stayed closed. A 7-7 season was unheard of in Nebraska. 2003 was better, but still featured ugly beat downs. Enter Bill Callahan and four years marred by blow outs and two non-bowl seasons. That's what I would term to be a cataclysmic fall. And, outside of maybe a few of us, no one saw it coming. Bo Pelini came in 2008 and seemed to restore our hopes for the program We have had nine wins and been to bowl games each year, even won a couple, which was nice. There have been losses. The 2008 blow outs could be excused. But each year has had disappointments. It still seemed like we were a year away, a recruiting class away. It was close. UCLA's win over Nebraska isn't alarming because of the score. It isn't even alarming because the defense gave up a lot of yards. It is alarming because UCLA doesn't seem to be a factor for the Pac 12 title, and they looked to be a heck of a lot more athletic than us. We seem a lot farther away than one year or one recruiting class now. Is Arkansas State going to be the Ball State of 2012? Are we getting close to the cliff? To a cataclysmic fall? How worried should we be? I ask because I would like to be ready for it this time, and not blind sided, as I was in 2001. Thoughts?