Did you want Osborne fired around this time???

[Apathy]

This past weekend I got to bond with my dad while shingling my roof and I told him that I got to watch the whole 83' Nebraska/OU game thanks to HuskerRecap on Youtube. Since we were talking about Husker Football he brought up Pelini's new contract and what my thoughts were. I told him that I was glad to see Pelini get a pay increase because of what he has done to the football team and who knows if we'll land another good coach if and when Bo leaves. He disagreed with me that Pelini shouldn't have been giving a raise because of how the 10' season turned out an the end but did say that Bo is a hell of a coach and hopes that he'll be here years down the road.

 

No disrepect to Tom Osborne but I brought up how Osborne lost 8 bowl games in a row but yet he was retained. He told me that he didn't care if Nebraska lost its bowl game as long as they beat Oklahoma but he did say that he wanted Tom fired during that time period because Nebraska lost 8 bowl games in a row and struggled to beat OU when Switzer was the coach.

 

Are there other Husker fans on this board that felt the same way that Tom should've been fired for failing to beat Switzer and losing 8 bowl games in a row?

[T_O_Bull]

I was an Iowa fan as a kid and became a Husker Fan mid way through the 2d quarter of the Game of the Centurary. Have I ever been frustrated by or criticized Ozzie, sure. Did I ever want him fired? NOT ONE DAMN TIME!!!!

T_O_B

[scarletNcream]

You bring up an interesting time in Husker lore. TO had struggled to beat Oklahoma from the time he took over until that magic year 1978. He was not respected for his achievements on the field, after all beating up on Kansas and Iowa State was not what we wanted. I was upset that TO couldn't bring it home and the press crucified him. It got ugly and Dr. Tom had had enough and left for Colorado. I, like many my age, wanted him to go, but not really we just wanted that one win. We cussed in corners, hated the bandwagonning fans that worn Oklahoma gear just to piss us off, not unlike the local Teaxass fans now and had he left, OH my, I believe we would have drove to Colorado and put a bag on his head, tied him up and drove back to Lincoln and said "Your home now, just beat the Sooners!" As a Nebraska fan I can tell you that your Dad was not the minority at that time. But like all Nebraska fans, we love college football, Saturday mornings, gameday, walking over the bridge, seeing that Sea of Red coming to the stadium and knowing that no matter what, TO made the right and tough decision.

[Hercules]

I wasn't alive yet, but I do know there was a great part of Husker Nation that wanted Osborne fired in the mid-late 70's, probably similar to the number of fans that wanted Solich fired, which is when Osborne considered going to Colorado. However, the bowl game losing streak happened later, I believe from the mid-late 80's and early 90's. I know people were frustrated at that time, but I think more people then were calling for Charlie McBride to be fired, as opposed to Osborne. I could be wrong, though.

 

Anyways, I'm sure that until his 1993-97 run, there was always a part of the fan base that wanted Osborne fired.

[bshirt]

Well, the haters couldn't quite get TO fired but they never gave up. Now they've got Bo & Tmart in their scopes with the same relentless passion.

[Nexus]

People tend to forget that Bob Devaney also took on criticism for keeping T.O. all those years when public opinion was tearing him apart. Devaney was also instrumental in keeping T.O. from bolting to CU. As I understand it, not too many people (boosters, fans & media) tried to tangle with Devaney when the going got tough. He was the type that always stuck to his guns, whether you agreed with him or not. The whole concept of The Nebraska Way started with The Bobfather.

[VA Husker Fan]

7 in a row, not 8

[Blaze1up]

I grew up with Tom in the 80s and at no time did I think he was a failure. The man could never win the big one at the time but I knew he was headed down the right path and thats the same way I feel about Bo. Patience and fortitude conquer all things.

[knapplc]

I think the "fire Tom Osborne" ship sailed with The Triplets. The Scoring Explosion teams of the early 80s showed that he could get it done on a grand stage - he just didn't, out of sheer bad luck.

 

When Tom went for two in '83, he became a legend in my eyes.

 

In that run in the late 80s/early 90s where we lost seven straight bowl games there was definitely frustration. Lots of folks thought Tom's offense was becoming antiquated and that he needed to adapt, but only a very few wanted him fired. The majority of people, and the loudest voices, were calling for McBride to be fired. People wanted to tar and feather Charlie. Now look at him - he's an archangel to Tom's demigod status.

[NUance]

That was a looong time ago. I don’t remember having an opinion on whether Osborne should be fired or not. But the thing is, it’s incredibly hard to go through a coaching search and find a quality HC. So I’m reluctant to call for the HC to be fired. Even if I don’t really like the guy when they hired him I’m slow to call for his head when things don’t go well. Well, unless there’s just no hope that he will eventually get us on the right track. So, probably no.

[The Dude]

Little before my time. In fact I didn't even know TO almost went to CU. Oh my how that one move would have changed history...

[huskered17]

I never wanted him fired. I like many, just wanted him to beat Okl. The defense at the time took a big hit when Kiffin left. Tom would have had his first n/c in 1982 if not for Penn St and that one in state official, who was finished as an official after that season. Only wish instant replay was available back then. Bo looks like he is going through the same type of thing Tom was, just flipped flopped. Lets hope Beck is as good as McBride got to be, now that he is running the offense.

 

GBR!!!

[RedDenver]

By 1978 Osborne was taking a LOT of heat, especially from the boosters. The win over OU that year was critical, and Osborne got some slack after the Scoring Explosion of the early 80's and the famous 2-point attempt in the 84 Orange Bowl.

 

But by the late 80's and into early 90's many thought he was past his prime and couldn't keep up with the "modern" trends in college football. McBride took most of the public backlash, very similar to what we saw with Watson the last few years. But NU played hard in every game, didn't get into NCAA trouble as many top programs were during that time, and beat some decent OOC teams most years. IMO the calls for Osborne's and McBride's heads weren't as strong as for Solich's only because the internet didn't exist then. The cries for Callahan, Cosgrove, and Watson were much greater.

[T_O_Bull]

I think the "fire Tom Osborne" ship sailed with The Triplets. The Scoring Explosion teams of the early 80s showed that he could get it done on a grand stage - he just didn't, out of sheer bad luck.

 

When Tom went for two in '83, he became a legend in my eyes.

 

In that run in the late 80s/early 90s where we lost seven straight bowl games there was definitely frustration. Lots of folks thought Tom's offense was becoming antiquated and that he needed to adapt, but only a very few wanted him fired. The majority of people, and the loudest voices, were calling for McBride to be fired. People wanted to tar and feather Charlie. Now look at him - he's an archangel to Tom's demigod status.

 

I got a Cleveland Browns Jersey with Kosar's number and name on it. Can't even force myself to wear it.

T_O_B

[Spartness]

I remember as a child when some fans wanted Devaney fired as coach. After several very successful seasons, some poor recruiting caught up with him, and he had a couple of 6 and 4 seasons in 1967 and and 1968. To make matters worse, his '68 team got clobbered by OU and Steve Owens 47-0 to close the season. Two years later, he shared the NC with UT.