A Fan's Assessment

[Husker_x]

Well, here we are again.

 

I could stop there and have said everything that need be said. Nebraska has once again gone on national television and humiliated itself in yet another legendary meltdown. Notice how you didn't flinch when you read that? Notice how ordinary, maybe even comfortable, the idea has become?

 

Once again our defense looked dazed, lost, and that after defensive coordinator John Papuchis--that is, coordinating assistant, whose main job seems to be coffee runs and flapping his arms around on the sideline--declared, "I must have watched that game tape twenty times." That's an awful lot of times. An incredible amount of times, since even to my untrained football eye, it looked like UCLA ran about five plays with an occasional wrinkle. What was so surprising about UCLA's game planning that required such Zen-like single-pointed concentration on last year's tape? And what was the benefit of all that analysis? What creative new strategies were adopted? What effective blitz packages? What stunning new innovations to give UCLA fits for four quarters?

 

Once again our offense found itself inept, useless, on the big stage (the biggest, some of the conference pulse takers from the B1G Network claimed, in three or four years). Despite flashes of greatness and a comfortable lead, Beck's offense yet again slowed, stagnated, and eventually imploded, assisting the defense in sitting by and watching a gargantuan lead melt away into one of the biggest second-half massacres I've ever witnessed in college football. At home.

 

Once again Taylor Martinez proved himself to be exactly what he is: a liability. I like Taylor as a person. As a quarterback I have little understanding of his strengths or why his occasional explosive plays are seen as such a terrifying advantage when compared against his mistakes. He is adequate as a passer, nothing more, and when he takes a sack it looks like a lumberjack felling a tree. He is not a natural runner, something of a deficiency in an offense that purports to run the option. He does not take care of the football. He does not and has never looked comfortable when playing against equal talent. He has yet to prove himself in signature game. Maybe it's Beck's part-time this, part-time that vision, or maybe it's his insistence that Taylor run plays he simply cannot run, like the speed option. Whatever the case, despite his gaudy numbers, the true picture of Taylor Martinez has been on display, was on display today, and will be again the next time we play an opponent of greater or equal talent.

 

Once again we as a fanbase were forced to endure a comedy of errors--missed assignments, sacks, needless penalties--incomprehensible play calling, personnel substitution, and execution. All of this amassed into only the latest meltdown of Cosgrovian/Watsonian proportions. This is the spirit of Pelini's tenure. It is an endless rerun of poorly coached, undisciplined, unprepared teams self-destructing when the stakes are high. The players change, the song remains the same.

 

What was different about today's game for me personally was that I had no reaction whatsoever. When the meltdown began, I identified it, like a spousal abuse victim seeing that familiar gleam in the abuser's eye, but I could not generate the feeling of surprise. The only emotion I could seem to conjure towards what unfolded was, "Well . . . that's pretty typical." And that is the only thing I can contribute to this conversation. Everything I've written up to this point has been said and said again, hashed and rehashed, case argued and made. Beck and Pap were lazy, comfortable, nepotistic hires and we are paying for those decisions as a fanbase. Taylor Martinez will go down as an anomaly on the stat sheet but contribute little of real value to the storied history of this program. Pelini teams do have a reputation for consistency: they are consistently out coached, undisciplined, and unable to maintain anything resembling composure when threatened. It's not surprising, it's not baffling, it's not puzzling. It's just typical.

 

What is different about this game for me, and I'm guessing for a few of you, was how little I seemed to care.

 

Each game like this that goes by takes something from you as a fan. I used to get upset about the blowout losses. Now I see them as inevitable. Any time Nebraska plays anyone close to our talent level, I expect the worst not out of fear, but logic and hard experience. When we win it is a temporary enjoyment, quickly replaced by the expectation of what will happen when we play a ranked team. I do not expect the future to be any brighter. I do not expect Pelini to make any staff changes; I honestly believe he'd go down with the ship first, damn the torpedoes. What I expect is a prolonged stay in limbo, locked between mediocrity and incompetence. Nine wins. Maybe ten. Who's counting? I don't know.

 

What I do know is I am now numb to Nebraska football.

[Count 'Bility]

Well, here we are again.

 

I could stop there and have said everything that need be said. Nebraska has once again gone on national television and humiliated itself in yet another legendary meltdown. Notice how you didn't flinch when you read that? Notice how ordinary, maybe even comfortable, the idea has become?

 

Once again our defense looked dazed, lost, and that after defensive coordinator John Papuchis--that is, coordinating assistant, whose main job seems to be coffee runs and flapping his arms around on the sideline--declared, "I must have watched that game tape twenty times." That's an awful lot of times. An incredible amount of times, since even to my untrained football eye, it looked like UCLA ran about five plays with an occasional wrinkle. What was so surprising about UCLA's game planning that required such Zen-like single-pointed concentration on last year's tape? And what was the benefit of all that analysis? What creative new strategies were adopted? What effective blitz packages? What stunning new innovations to give UCLA fits for four quarters?

 

Once again our offense found itself inept, useless, on the big stage (the biggest, some of the conference pulse takers from the B1G Network claimed, in three or four years). Despite flashes of greatness and a comfortable lead, Beck's offense yet again slowed, stagnated, and eventually imploded, assisting the defense in sitting by and watching a gargantuan lead melt away into one of the biggest second-half massacres I've ever witnessed in college football. At home.

 

Once again Taylor Martinez proved himself to be exactly what he is: a liability. I like Taylor as a person. As a quarterback I have little understanding of his strengths or why his occasional explosive plays are seen as such a terrifying advantage when compared against his mistakes. He is adequate as a passer, nothing more, and when he takes a sack it looks like a lumberjack felling a tree. He is not a natural runner, something of a deficiency in an offense that purports to run the option. He does not take care of the football. He does not and has never looked comfortable when playing against equal talent. He has yet to prove himself in signature game. Maybe it's Beck's part-time this, part-time that vision, or maybe it's his insistence that Taylor run plays he simply cannot run, like the speed option. Whatever the case, despite his gaudy numbers, the true picture of Taylor Martinez has been on display, was on display today, and will be again the next time we play an opponent of greater or equal talent.

 

Once again we as a fanbase were forced to endure a comedy of errors--missed assignments, sacks, needless penalties--incomprehensible play calling, personnel substitution, and execution. All of this amassed into only the latest meltdown of Cosgrovian/Watsonian proportions. This is the spirit of Pelini's tenure. It is an endless rerun of poorly coached, undisciplined, unprepared teams self-destructing when the stakes are high. The players change, the song remains the same.

 

What was different about last night's game for me personally was that I had no reaction whatsoever. When the meltdown began, I identified it, like a spousal abuse victim seeing that familiar gleam in the abuser's eye, but I could not generate the feeling of surprise. The only emotion I could seem to conjure towards what unfolded was, "Well . . . that's pretty typical." And that is the only thing I can contribute to this conversation. Everything I've written up to this point has been said and said again, hashed and rehashed, case argued and made. Beck and Pap were lazy, comfortable, nepotistic hires and we are paying for those decisions as a fanbase. Taylor Martinez will go down as an anomaly on the stat sheet but contribute little of real value to the storied history of this program. Pelini teams do have a reputation for consistency: they are consistently out coached, undisciplined, and unable to maintain anything resembling composure when threatened. It's not surprising, it's not baffling, it's not puzzling. It's just typical.

 

What is different about this game for me, and I'm guessing for a few of you, was how little I seemed to care.

 

Each game like this that goes by takes something from you as a fan. I used to get upset about the blowout losses. Now I see them as inevitable. Any time Nebraska plays anyone close to our talent level, I expect the worst not out of fear, but logic and hard experience. When we win it is a temporary enjoyment, quickly replaced by the expectation of what will happen when we play a ranked team. I do not expect the future to be any brighter. I do not expect Pelini to make any staff changes; I honestly believe he'd go down with the ship first, damn the torpedoes. What I expect is a prolonged stay in limbo, locked between mediocrity and incompetence. Nine wins. Maybe ten. Who's counting? I don't know.

 

What I do know is I am now numb to Nebraska football.

Sure your mind aint what's numb? I would like you to clarify what friday night game youre referring to.

[Husker_x]

Sure your mind aint what's numb? I would like you to clarify what friday night game youre referring to.

 

Ha! I live in China. The game was on last night for me. Good catch.

 

Fixed it for ya.

[huskerinAZ]

Well you are not alone. I kept telling my family today, as we were watching the meltdown happen.......the worst thing about it all was I WASN'T surprised.......almost expected it........and that is sad. But that is the state of this fanbase right now unfortunately. :confucius

[308_Husker]

Nice write up, X. I have the same feelings. I don't get excited about big games anymore and I wasn't excited for the one this morning. I mainly hold my breath and hope we don't f#*k it up too bad. I didn't think we would win today, but 38 unanswered points should not go unpunished. We were calling for Cosgrove/Callahan's head in 2007. What will it take for the fanbase to get riled up? I fear apathy towards Husker football is setting in.

[lo country]

Saw that scramble and pass to get the first by Hundley and knew we were doomed. We don't recover from a stomp to the jimmie. We fold and call it in.

 

I have a new name for our O. Vanilla. It is plain, boring and easy to identify.

 

I too am numb. 10 years of mediocrity and no real chance of improvement drain a guy.

[Blackshirts007]

I gave you a +1 because you typed up a lot and I'm sure it's great

[Husker_x]

Nice write up, X. I have the same feelings. I don't get excited about big games anymore and I wasn't excited for the one this morning. I mainly hold my breath and hope we don't f#*k it up too bad. I didn't think we would win today, but 38 unanswered points should not go unpunished. We were calling for Cosgrove/Callahan's head in 2007. What will it take for the fanbase to get riled up? I fear apathy towards Husker football is setting in.

 

No idea. With these types of losses being so common I can't believe Bo isn't asking for the checkbook to bring in some seasoned coordinators. But, we've had that conversation one too many times. I'm pretty sick of it. When Bo hired Pap and Beck I said it in plain English: "From now on, it's on him."

 

We are a poorly coached team. That's a fact and a troubling one. We should be riled up about that, losses be damned. We do not play good football in any phase and it's impossible to be surprised about anymore.

[Count 'Bility]

Sure your mind aint what's numb? I would like you to clarify what friday night game youre referring to.

 

Ha! I live in China. The game was on last night for me. Good catch.

 

Fixed it for ya.

Oh. Nevermind then.

[zoogs]

I echo your thoughts on Taylor. Like the guy, he's handled himself admirably. Either we're not able to use him correctly or it's not possible to leverage that into a great advantage. In any case I'm hoping one of Tommy or Johnny can really be 'that guy' and run the offense like....let's say Brett Smith, but who knows.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I will continue to watch the Huskers, I love them no matter what, but I find myself wondering if I'll wear my red or not? I say this because it's my own personal protest to what's going on with our football team right now. Doesn't mean I'm not loyal to my team, doesn't mean my whole garage won't be covered in Husker posters, flags, signs, etc...............hell the Chevy emblem on my truck is a red one with a white N in the middle. To me it means until something changes, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator, I just can't do it. My red means so much to me to take it out of my closet, put it on and watch what we see on college football Saturdays from this team is disrespectful IMO. All I could muster today was a shake of my head and a "here we go again!"

[The Dude]

I gave you a +1 because you typed up a lot and I'm sure it's great

Oh just read it.

 

NOAW

[Karawithasmile]

Spot on, Husker_x, as per usual. The minute I felt the momentum shift going into halftime I felt a little twinge of doubt. Then of course I felt like a horrible fan, expecting only the worse when the sunshine pumpers tell us we just "need to BOlieve." "Osborne took years!" they tell me. Be patient, stop doubting.

 

But the doubt, I've come to realize, has been conditioned. Something similar to a Pavlov's response. Instead of drooling when the dinner bell rings, I see a big play for the other team (maybe we fumble or throw a pick or any number of things we do all the time) and I wait for the inevitable self-implosion. I usually don't have to wait for long. The floodgates open suddenly and one error becomes ten errors which becomes a big fat "L." How many times have we seen this same, sad story? Enough is enough already. I love my team, but they are a bunch of heartbreakers. We are lacking mental fortitude when the lights shine the brightest and I think that comes from the top down.

[Hunter94]

I am waiting for some new excuses.....by tomorrow, there should be a few defenders with logical theories...

[Count 'Bility]

I am waiting for some new excuses.....by tomorrow, there should be a few defenders with logical theories...

Not from me like usual. I'm not getting sucked back in again. I'm gonna play wait and see now. No one's getting canned int eh middle of the season, that's for sure. Rant away folks. No more arguments from me anymore.