Lightning in a Bottle

[grandpasknee]

To give credit where credit is due...someone on another thread brought up the notion of "lightning in a bottle" with respect to Husker football. It didn't get the follow up comments I'd be interesting in seeing. It's a dark thought I've been harboring as well.

 

Is there a chance that us finding Devaney, then Osborne, combined with that specific period of football evolution were a "perfect storm" where we captured lightning in a bottle for 40 years. And if so, is our realistic expectation to be that it will not occur again...that Nebraska football will be henceforth an 8 - 9 win season with a moderate bowl most years, interspersed with less lofty accomplishments?

[Count 'Bility]

Right now Nebraska is just a victim of the current atmosphere of college football. We could be better, but there are reasons we dont have 5 star talent knocking down the door to come here. And we dont have the in state talent to compete on a high level with them alone. 40 years is not lightening in a bottle however. Bo has done nothing worse in his 4+ years (I know, outside of 653 yards and 63 points) than the worse under Osborne and Devaney, esp Devaney, who only won 6 games and missed bowl games under 2 occasions. if that greatness was only a 10 year run, or if you wanna use the period form 93 through 99 as comparison, then yes, I would be willing to call that lightening in a bottle.

[EbylHusker]

Yes, the lightning in a bottle comparison is best used for our run through the middle of the 90's or something similar, not the span of Devaney and Osborne. The latter makes no sense.

 

And if you want to believe realistic expectations are to get 8-9 wins each season with even worse performance at times, go right ahead. I'm sure you can find others to wallow in despair with you.

[grandpasknee]

Yes, the lightning in a bottle comparison is best used for our run through the middle of the 90's or something similar, not the span of Devaney and Osborne. The latter makes no sense.

 

And if you want to believe realistic expectations are to get 8-9 wins each season with even worse performance at times, go right ahead. I'm sure you can find others to wallow in despair with you.

Not saying I necessarily believe that, nor am I wallowing in despair, just asking a question to get other opinions. Both you and Accountability make good points that 40 years is too long for lightning in a bottle...

[Chimpsmack]

I doubt it was lightning in a bottle. It was just something that, with the right coaches, was within the potential of the program, right up until conference expansion, retirement and changes in recruiting killed it off.

[BartonHusker]

Guys it isn't rocket science, we had two excellent head coaches. Men that could run a elite program on and off the field. They were able to adapt to what they saw. They had staffs full of excellent loyal assistants. It can be done again for sure. We may never have the success we did in the 90's but to accept blow-outs and only 8-9 win seasons doesn't cut it. The B1G is not a killer conference right now. There is no excuse we shouldn't be able to rule the B1G in its current state. We should expect 10 wins at least, challenge for the conference title every year and expect to be playing for the National Title every five years or so.

 

If we want to be good enough then we should keep Bo and move forth for years to come with him. We will end up being Texas A&M, UCLA or Michigan State. I don't accept that as reality!

[lo country]

We had an incredible run based on great coaching and staff (TO's years as I was too young to really follow BD). We might not have had the best recruiting results, but TO and Co knew what we were, who we were and how to continue to be that. We ran a system that not a lot of schools ran. IMO, it narrowed down the competition for Player X. It also helped that we were winners.

 

It also helped that when TO was on the hot seat (losing to OU and dropping 8 straight bowl games IIRC) he put his "pride" aside and asked for help. Again, IIRC, he went to Bobby Bowden who gave him the secret of success........Speed. We saw the results with wins at all levels to include 3 MNC's. Not to bad.

 

Folks try and talk about the schollie limits and location, but I look at the success of, IMO, "lesser" programs and I call BS. My opinion is scheme and lack of coaching experience, but that has been beat to death.

 

As it relates to "lightning in a bottle", that is what is missing. Just looking at recent success, Gino Smith at WVA, Miller at OSU, Tebow, Harvin, De'Anthony Thomas, the list goes on and on. That is "lightning in a bottle". Gill, Frasier, Frost, Crouch, Green, Phillips, Peter, Wistrom etc.......Lightning in a Bottle. Guys who could single handily win games seemingly by themselves. Wiling the team to win and having the ability to do it. Look at SUH in 2009. Prime example.

 

IMO, that is what we are missing. In the day and age of schollie limits, parity etc..... this is the difference maker. NU needs that. A vocal leader who can create wins and steal wins. Rex is great. Heart and Soul of the team, but lacks the break away speed to be a threat every time he has the ball (please do not kill me, IMO he is one of the greatest to play at NU). Martinez? he has the will, will own every single NU record for QB's, but will he be remembered as one of the greatest? Again, lightning in a bottle.

 

Here is the essence of this:

 

"

Of every one hundred men in battle, ten should not even be there. Eighty, are nothing but targets. Nine are the real fighters, we are lucky to have them since they make the battle. Ah, but the one -- one is the Warrior-- and he brings the others home." -- Commonly attributed to Heracletus, 500 BC (likely apocryphal)

 

Describes the teams of TO. All fighters, but led by a Warrior or two!

 

That is Lightning. We need some.

[NUinID]

Guys it isn't rocket science, we had two excellent head coaches. Men that could run a elite program on and off the field. They were able to adapt to what they saw. They had staffs full of excellent loyal assistants. It can be done again for sure. We may never have the success we did in the 90's but to accept blow-outs and only 8-9 win seasons doesn't cut it. The B1G is not a killer conference right now. There is no excuse we shouldn't be able to rule the B1G in its current state. We should expect 10 wins at least, challenge for the conference title every year and expect to be playing for the National Title every five years or so.

 

If we want to be good enough then we should keep Bo and move forth for years to come with him. We will end up being Texas A&M, UCLA or Michigan State. I don't accept that as reality!

 

 

It is tougher now than it was back then. I know most call BS, but it really is. Heck its tougher for everyone not just NU. Do you know how long Alabama was really good? How long USC was really good? How Michigan and OSU, OU? Those were the dominate teams of the 50's through the 70's. Nebraska was right there with them starting in 1992. There are so many teams out there that are good solid programs now. Because the money is so great the scholarships are leveled and everyone has a monster weight room and training table.

 

Nebraska's advantages are no longer there. They can't stock pile talent. Nebraska built FB players. Everyone builds then now. It is harder. I don't like the blowouts anymore than anyone else, but It may take a while.

[grandpasknee]

We had an incredible run based on great coaching and staff (TO's years as I was too young to really follow BD). We might not have had the best recruiting results, but TO and Co knew what we were, who we were and how to continue to be that. We ran a system that not a lot of schools ran. IMO, it narrowed down the competition for Player X. It also helped that we were winners.

 

It also helped that when TO was on the hot seat (losing to OU and dropping 8 straight bowl games IIRC) he put his "pride" aside and asked for help. Again, IIRC, he went to Bobby Bowden who gave him the secret of success........Speed. We saw the results with wins at all levels to include 3 MNC's. Not to bad.

 

Folks try and talk about the schollie limits and location, but I look at the success of, IMO, "lesser" programs and I call BS. My opinion is scheme and lack of coaching experience, but that has been beat to death.

 

As it relates to "lightning in a bottle", that is what is missing. Just looking at recent success, Gino Smith at WVA, Miller at OSU, Tebow, Harvin, De'Anthony Thomas, the list goes on and on. That is "lightning in a bottle". Gill, Frasier, Frost, Crouch, Green, Phillips, Peter, Wistrom etc.......Lightning in a Bottle. Guys who could single handily win games seemingly by themselves. Wiling the team to win and having the ability to do it. Look at SUH in 2009. Prime example.

 

IMO, that is what we are missing. In the day and age of schollie limits, parity etc..... this is the difference maker. NU needs that. A vocal leader who can create wins and steal wins. Rex is great. Heart and Soul of the team, but lacks the break away speed to be a threat every time he has the ball (please do not kill me, IMO he is one of the greatest to play at NU). Martinez? he has the will, will own every single NU record for QB's, but will he be remembered as one of the greatest? Again, lightning in a bottle.

 

Here is the essence of this:

 

"

Of every one hundred men in battle, ten should not even be there. Eighty, are nothing but targets. Nine are the real fighters, we are lucky to have them since they make the battle. Ah, but the one -- one is the Warrior-- and he brings the others home." -- Commonly attributed to Heracletus, 500 BC (likely apocryphal)

 

Describes the teams of TO. All fighters, but led by a Warrior or two!

 

That is Lightning. We need some.

Well said...thanks for contributing...

[BartonHusker]

Very true but we should be able to play a style of football that is filled with blown assingments, coverages and turnovers. If we take care of the little things like good football programs do, then we shouldn't be losing to anyone but possibly the likes of Michigan, Ohio State or possibly Wisconsin. That puts us in the 10 wins a season catorgory at worst. There are coaches out there that can have us winning or playing for the conference championship every year.

 

I do agree, we need our Warrior to lead us to the top! We had that in the 90's with guys like Tommie Frazier, Peters brothers, Wistrom brothers, etc.

[WhatDoIKnow]

It is tougher now than it was back then. I know most call BS, but it really is. Heck its tougher for everyone not just NU. Do you know how long Alabama was really good? How long USC was really good? How Michigan and OSU, OU? Those were the dominate teams of the 50's through the 70's. Nebraska was right there with them starting in 1992. There are so many teams out there that are good solid programs now. Because the money is so great the scholarships are leveled and everyone has a monster weight room and training table.

 

Nebraska's advantages are no longer there. They can't stock pile talent. Nebraska built FB players. Everyone builds then now. It is harder. I don't like the blowouts anymore than anyone else, but It may take a while.

 

^This is good posting.

 

Nebraska once held an edge in strength and conditioning. Hell, we pioneered a lot of it. That is no longer the case. Other schools have also caught up. We also had head-and-shoulders the best facilities. It has become somewhat of a facilities arms-race with other schools putting the money into it.

 

At one time kids would rather walk on at Nebraska than take a scholarship at a "lesser" school. With the cost of tuition now, can you blame the families for taking the scholarship to the "lesser" school? Scholarship limits have also caught up with Nebraska. Devaney joked about how they had 150+ kids on scholarship, some of them had track scholarships, but still. Now kids that possibly would have got an offer from Nebraska are going to KSU, ISU, or other places. Plus the kids now don't want to wait 3 years to play.

 

There was a reason Osborne was a proponent partial-qualifiers. Do you know how many of them started on the 90s defenses? I also say there is a reason Osborne was against the Big XII. We were almost always in the Top 2 in the Big 8. He didn't want to join a conference with schools that were willing to put as much, if not more into their football program (Texas).

 

Now we are an outsider both historically and geographically in the BIG. "Catching lighting in a bottle" would be if we could go on a championship run every 8-10 years.

 

Nebraska has done well when they have had an advantage, even if it was very slight. When the playing field is level, I think we can only hope to be a "good" team most years.

 

I have been waiting to post these thoughts for a while. Feel free to pick them apart.

[HuskerShark]

It happened once, it can happen again. Bama is doing it right now. Florida came close to doing close to the same thing a couple of years ago. USC had a run a lot like 90s Nebraska when Bush, Leinart, and Company were all there. The pieces just have to be put perfectly into place.

 

At the moment, I am one with the opinion that we need to give Bo a couple more years to see if he can get us back to winning championships. I still think he can do it. I hope he does, so he can stick around for a long time.

[grandpasknee]

It happened once, it can happen again. Bama is doing it right now. Florida came close to doing close to the same thing a couple of years ago. USC had a run a lot like 90s Nebraska when Bush, Leinart, and Company were all there. The pieces just have to be put perfectly into place.

 

At the moment, I am one with the opinion that we need to give Bo a couple more years to see if he can get us back to winning championships. I still think he can do it. I hope he does, so he can stick around for a long time.

I agree...as much as these losses do suck, I'm for giving him a couple more years to get it on the right track...the only thing I hate worse than these losses is the thought of completely starting over.

[Paul in WI]

Bill Snyder is doing it TODAY in the state of Kansas. So much for the popular "changed landscape will forever doom Nebraska" theory. It is damn hard to make that argument when you have guys like him proving it otherwise with less resources than we have here. If K State can do what it does with less, then we certainly can have a Top 10 program that is in the national conversation in most years and plays occasionally for the big one. For those that say we can't achieve that, please explain why it is impossible to find a recipe for success like Snyder's, and I'll never mention his name again.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Bill Snyder is doing it TODAY in the state of Kansas. So much for the popular "changed landscape will forever doom Nebraska" theory. It is damn hard to make that argument when you have guys like him proving it otherwise with less resources than we have here. If K State can do what it does with less, then we certainly can have a Top 10 program that is in the national conversation in most years and plays occasionally for the big one. For those that say we can't achieve that, please explain why it is impossible to find a recipe for success like Snyder's, and I'll never mention his name again.

Doesn't he have a huge amount of JUCO's on his squad?