HuskerfaninOkieland Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 The Maneater Column: Losing is not an option in game against Nebraska By Mark Levitt Oct. 3, 2008 For 30 years Lincoln, Nebraska has been a place where the hopes and dreams of Missouri Tiger football fans have gone to die. Memorial Stadium in Lincoln has been a place of misery, a place of disappointment and, put bluntly, a place of embarrassment for Tiger football. There have been 14 games played in Lincoln between the two schools since Missouri's 35-31 win back in 1978. The Cornhuskers have won every one of them, averaging a whopping 24-point margin of victory against our not-so-ferocious Tigers. It's been 20 years since the Black and Gold have finished a game within single digits of their Husker rivals. History no longer matters. Not to this Missouri team. Not this year. Because unlike in the past when they went into Lincoln and accepted their beating, these Tigers know the stakes reach far beyond this single game. Losing on Saturday is not an option. A loss tomorrow would mean no room for error the rest of the season if they hope to qualify for the National Championship. That's a tall order considering their next three games include a match up with 4-0 Oklahoma State and a trip to Austin to meet Texas, the fifth-ranked team in the country, before returning to Columbia to play 3-1 Colorado. If the Tigers make it through October unscathed it would be quite an accomplishment. Missouri will be favored to beat a rebuilding yet dangerous Nebraska program. The Tigers have more talent, more experience and more confidence. Last season they ended long road losing streaks against Kansas State and Colorado. That will be good practice as they try to do the same in Lincoln. Unlike last year's contest at Faurot Field, there will be no 41-6 walk in the park. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini will have his troops ready; the famous black-shirt defense of the Huskers rumored to be re-emerging against the Tigers. Elvis Fisher and the rest of the offensive line better be ready to protect. To return to Columbia 5-0, Missouri will need to overcome a crowd ready to return to the glory days of Tom Osborne. If Nebraska were to emerge victorious, it would be a huge step in that direction. The red-clad faithful remember the beating their boys took last October. They are still less than pleased about coach Gary Pinkel's call for a fake field goal with Missouri up big in the fourth quarter. Don't think the Cornhuskers won't be thinking about it as they go after Chase Daniel. Missouri will have to withstand the opening surge the Huskers will inevitably begin the game with. This game is their National Championship. For Nebraska, the season will be deemed a success if they upset the third-ranked Tigers. On the field, the Tigers' secondary must perform at a higher level to give them a chance to win. A healthy William Moore should help. Last season the defense as a whole improved greatly between the non-conference and Big 12 seasons. The Tigers have a prime opportunity at 8 p.m. on ESPN to showcase how good they really are. A win solidifies their top five national ranking. A loss puts them in a tie for last place in the Big 12 North. No pressure. The same ghouls and the ghosts from the past will be out Saturday night, the demons present. But for the first time in 30 years they will simply be spectators, contributing no more embarrassment to a Missouri program ready to get over another hump on its way to the top of the college football world. Losing is not an option. Missouri 41, Nebraska 34. Quote Link to comment
admo Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 The Maneater Column: Losing is not an option in game against Nebraska By Mark Levitt Oct. 3, 2008 This game is their National Championship. For Nebraska, the season will be deemed a success if they upset the third-ranked Tigers. Wow... really? just.. wow. If the Huskers lose the rest of the games this year, then it's okay as long as we beat Missouri? Coo-koo, Coo-koo. If the Huskers beat Missouri it's a huge win. But then come Monday it's back to work & prep for Texas Tech. Dude needs to get over himself. Quote Link to comment
BigRedfxtoy Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I hope Missery is confedent enough to thing lossing is not an "option". In college football every game is up in the air. Just look at the upsets this year already. Loosing is always an option just one you don't want to have. Quote Link to comment
DJR313 Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 The Maneater Column: Losing is not an option in game against Nebraska By Mark Levitt Oct. 3, 2008 This game is their National Championship. For Nebraska, the season will be deemed a success if they upset the third-ranked Tigers. Wow... really? just.. wow. If the Huskers lose the rest of the games this year, then it's okay as long as we beat Missouri? Coo-koo, Coo-koo. If the Huskers beat Missouri it's a huge win. But then come Monday it's back to work & prep for Texas Tech. Dude needs to get over himself. I agree, it will awesome, but doesn't mean the rest of the season doesn't matter(unlike Missouri). If the Huskers pull the upset, it all begins then. Quote Link to comment
Dan_F_30 Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I just hope if we DO pull off the upset the fans act like we've been there before and don't rush the field or tear down any goal-posts or anything. I'm on the fence as to whether this would happen but I hope it doesn't if we win. Quote Link to comment
huskerswrkhavoc Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I just hope if we DO pull off the upset the fans act like we've been there before and don't rush the field or tear down any goal-posts or anything. I'm on the fence as to whether this would happen but I hope it doesn't if we win. If i remember correctly, i think Jason Peter said he wouldn't mind if we rushed the field if we beat mizzou, but he'd be pissed if we did vs Va Tech....then again, i may have heard that wrong, i got into the car after class in the middle of that convo, so i'm not sure Quote Link to comment
gravity Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Actually I thought it was a well written article. As a Mizzou fan we suffered for so long and we always knew we were in for an ass kicking when heading to Lincoln. Finally we have a good football team. Can't we enjoy the moment just a little bit? Quote Link to comment
TheKiD Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I love how after 30 years of Big 12/8 teams considering NU their "national championship game" every year, in the span of like 4 years they expect NU to consider their game the most important of the year? MU beat us two years in a row.. compare that to stretches where NU has won like 10 years in a row. Quote Link to comment
admo Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 The Maneater Column: Losing is not an option in game against Nebraska By Mark Levitt Oct. 3, 2008 This game is their National Championship. For Nebraska, the season will be deemed a success if they upset the third-ranked Tigers. Wow... really? just.. wow. If the Huskers lose the rest of the games this year, then it's okay as long as we beat Missouri? Coo-koo, Coo-koo. If the Huskers beat Missouri it's a huge win. But then come Monday it's back to work & prep for Texas Tech. Dude needs to get over himself. I agree, it will awesome, but doesn't mean the rest of the season doesn't matter(unlike Missouri). If the Huskers pull the upset, it all begins then. Exactly brother dawg Quote Link to comment
HuskerfaninOkieland Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Guy I know at work just told me this game is one of Fox Sports' "upset alert" games. Quote Link to comment
husker rob Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 even if NU does win tommorrow, and i am predicting an upset, MU will lose again in October KU will beat them for revenge from last year also Quote Link to comment
HuskerJosh82 Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Losing is an option and they will take it how ever they wish. Quote Link to comment
huskerswrkhavoc Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 MU beat us two years in a row.. compare that to stretches where NU has won like 10 years in a row. we won in 2006..... they won in 2007...... thats only one year? Quote Link to comment
bbhusker Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Texas will not be an easy win for Mizzou either. As much as I dislike UT, Muschamp is one hell of a D-coordinator. If Mizzou hopes to have a run at the title, their defense will have to step up in conference play like last year. I think MU will lose at least twice if not three times this year. One tomorrow, another along the way, and if they make it, the Big XII championship game Quote Link to comment
hack Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Actually I thought it was a well written article. As a Mizzou fan we suffered for so long and we always knew we were in for an ass kicking when heading to Lincoln. Finally we have a good football team. Can't we enjoy the moment just a little bit? no. Quote Link to comment
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