why was the ucla game the breaking point for so many?

[huskerinAZ]

it really is this simple for me.....the definition of insanity is................

 

the same actions......the same results......AND YOU EXPECT A DIFFERENT OUTCOME? Im not insane and I knew right when that sack was missed at the end of the 2nd q that we were done.......I KNEW the outcome because I am not insane LOL I DON'T expect a different outcome, which although is sad and makes me a Fing fair weather fan, but it also makes me sane!!!!!!!! LMFAO

Me too. I felt the same way about that missed sack. I bitched about it for about 10 minutes straight, and just had a gut feeling that we were doomed after that.

 

 

And we weren't WRONG!!!!!!!!!! So if us as fans can see and feel that......we aren't the insane ones LOL But I guess we are "fair weather" fans because we dont by the crap........whatever

[strigori]

Its the 38 unanswered points. Twice before that has happened. 2004 Texas Tech, and 2007 Oklahoma State.

[Malth]

this is true, but i really think it is the continual duping we receive. we believe we have turned a corner only to be embarrassed. i felt so confident going into halftime, only to see another curb-stomping. i think in that way, the hope to dejection, this was the worst loss.

 

This, pretty much. I couldn't even get that mad during the game, because I half expected it and I've grown numb to it due to it happening in practically every big game we play. I don't think there was anything in particular about this game, it's just that it's happened too many times.

[zoogs]

however, i really started this post because zoogies alluded to this topic and i wanted to hear his thoughts.

 

OK, here's what I posted in the other thread:

-- largely, I think it's the disappointment of the astonishing turnaround after getting up 21-3.

 

I think the offense, which was supposed to elite, we all expected much better out of. Beyond disappointing from them. The defense, there are some new or young or both players out there who showed a lot of good stuff. I thought it was encouraging out of a relatively green unit that we know is going to improve, but take their lumps this year. We've had sheer talent issues on defense before, thanks to lackluster recruiting. No longer, but this is a new group that needs to come together. Obviously a lot of bad mistakes and a lot of clear depth chart changes needing to happen after all the mistakes we saw in the second half.

 

I feel we've got a bright future ahead with the defense (unless recruiting falters again) and on offense, after 4 years and two coordinators, we may be seeing just the limitations of what we're able to build around a Taylor-style quarterback.

 

UCLA's a very talented, well-coached team with a phenomenal offense and I can't be too bummed about the loss. How it happened was unfortunate, but I don't think it was indicative of a looming disaster either. After all the concerns about D recently, this year's squad seems like it will be capable of turning the corner. As far as offense, I'd love to see what we could eventually build around Tommy or Johnny. I figure we have a solid shot at one of them being 'that guy'.

 

I can understand a lot of the criticisms and the doubts but I mean, even knapp jumped ship after this one. That does have me confused. We've lost a lot of games before without nearly this significant and this quick a turn in fan sentiment.

 

PC summed it up better than me, though.

 

I'm still baffled as to why so many point to the UCLA game, because many (this board was full of them) figured the Bruins were going to score 70 and put 700 yards on the defense.

[Bruleif]

The reason that the UCLA game was the breaking point for so many Nebraska fans can be summed up in one word: conceit.

 

Let's face it, most Nebraska fans think West Coast football is soft, effeminate, bad. Most Nebraska fans can't stomach the losses to UCLA because they think that Nebraska players are, by definition, superior to the UCLA's players. Therefore any loss to UCLA is due to bad effort and/or bad coaching and is never caused by lesser talent. This is why the Nebraska fans go ballistic after losing to UCLA - they simply cannot admit that they got beat by a better team if that team is from the West Coast. (USC might be the exceptiion because of their brand name.) God forbid that they would admit that they got beat by a better team.

 

You only have to read the posts on this site over the last two years in which the Nebraska fans predict blowout victories over UCLA to verify what I have stated.

 

And ask yourself this: which part of the country is considered the hotbed of high school football talent? Most college football experts will tell you its southern California. You just cannot beat 10 million people who live in year-round good weather for finding good football players.

 

So learn to eat some humble pie and set your sights on winning the Big 10, the fourth best football conference in the country.

[zoogs]

We predict victories over every team. I don't think anyone underestimated UCLA. Which is why I find the turnaround so odd.

[huskerinAZ]

this is true, but i really think it is the continual duping we receive. we believe we have turned a corner only to be embarrassed. i felt so confident going into halftime, only to see another curb-stomping. i think in that way, the hope to dejection, this was the worst loss.

 

This, pretty much. I couldn't even get that mad during the game, because I half expected it and I've grown numb to it due to it happening in practically every big game we play. I don't think there was anything in particular about this game, it's just that it's happened too many times.

 

 

AMEN! That is my point exactly.........MOST of us that don't have our head buried SAW this coning durint the game. Not that it doesn't frustrate me to no end......but IT DOESNT SURPRISE me.;.......this has been going on for several years......there is a "common thread".......that seems to hate Nebr fans.................

[Malth]

The reason that the UCLA game was the breaking point for so many Nebraska fans can be summed up in one word: conceit.

 

Let's face it, most Nebraska fans think West Coast football is soft, effeminate, bad. Most Nebraska fans can't stomach the losses to UCLA because they think that Nebraska players are, by definition, superior to the UCLA's players. Therefore any loss to UCLA is due to bad effort and/or bad coaching and is never caused by lesser talent. This is why the Nebraska fans go ballistic after losing to UCLA - they simply cannot admit that they got beat by a better team if that team is from the West Coast. (USC might be the exceptiion because of their brand name.) God forbid that they would admit that they got beat by a better team.

 

...what? Did you even watch the games? This isn't so much about a loss, it's the WAY WE LOSE. We have a ton of talent on offense, yet they go 3 and out over and over and over again? They get completely shut down in the second half? It's a recurring issue with practically every big game, where we go out thinking we have a pretty good chance of winning only to get embarrassed on national TV.

[WizardOfOsbourne]

We seemed so close to turning a corner after that first half. I felt so excited. I'm not giving up on this season yet, mind you, but this one was really disappointing. It's not the comeback loss that's the problem, it's that they came back, and then walloped us.

 

We lose that game 22-21, and I'm still upset, but it's far more palatable.

 

I think you're right on with your first sentence. To me, andI think many others, this game was different and worse than the other big losses because for the first half we were in it and even, ironically, appeared to be close to blowing UCLA out.

 

That's what makes this game hard. Unlike in the Wisconsin catastrophe last year, people must have thought in this game that things had finally turned around. Of course then that wasn't the case, making the loss all that more terrible and disappointing. It's as if something was really toying with our emotions and hopes in this game. It reminds of the 1 second game against Texas a few years back. The game ends and you ask yourself 'What just happened?' While by the end of it this game against UCLA wasn't close, it truly was just one single bizzare quarter in which they blew us out. It almost would have been better had the whole game gone UCLA's way. Then I feel like the loss would still suck, but be much less disappointing and leave fewer questions of "Why?"

[Enhance]

You only have to read the posts on this site over the last two years in which the Nebraska fans predict blowout victories over UCLA to verify what I have stated.

UCLA - the program itself - is irrelevant in regards to Nebraska's problems. Both games were simply more examples in a long line of 'what the hell are they doing' Nebraska games. And as a member on this board for the last five years (significantly longer than yourself), I have no recollection of "Nebraska fans" predicting blowout victories. Were there some people that felt this way? Sure. Was it the majority of the fan base? No. This is a very, very poor generalization, whether intentional or not. The Bruins, like every fan base in this history of sport, have jackwagon fans that say ludicrous things, too. Like the way I saw quite a few Bruins fans bashing Baylor last year before they physically manhandled UCLA like small children. Let's not go throwing stones in glass houses, OK?

 

Back to the OP, there are a few reasons this game was the tipping point for many fans, and why this loss could be considered one of the more devastating in the Pelini years. First, the loss once again showcased issues that have been prevalent for a couple of years now. Mainly, a lack of fundamental, disciplined football play and team that's mentally weak. Something goes wrong, the issues snowball.

 

Second, UCLA, like just about every other team Nebraska has faced over the last few years, had comparable talent. Nebraska has really only faced a couple of teams that I would say had a clear talent advantage, and UCLA isn't one of them. Same with Wisconsin. Not to take anything away from these teams, because they're good football teams, but they're not as good as Nebraska has made them look in recent years.

 

Third, and back to the mentality side of it all, Nebraska gets way too high on itself and consistently needs a kick-in-the-pants. Embarrassing loss after embarrassing loss, fans hear that the Huskers lost focus, didn't fight hard enough, took their foot off the pedal, or whatever other excuse they can come up with. If Nebraska football were a house, it'd be missing a couple of support beams.

 

Lastly, fans wanted to see that this team had overcome these issues. If they hadn't, it'd be evidence supporting the claims that Pelini may not be the right man for the job (whether that's fair or not, it's happening). And now, Nebraska has no real way to test itself until they play Northwestern IIRC. They have weeks of football against teams they should be heavily favored in, so if things go as they're supposed to, we're not going to learn as much about this team as we'd like.

[HuskerShark]

For me, it was because..... You know what, the more I think about it, the less sense it makes why UCLA was the breaking point. Obviously the CCG shot my confidence in Bo a good amount, but this year was supposed to be different.

 

Not to mention, it was how we lost. The D-Line scheme, NO blitzes the entire 2nd half, the offense taking a dump in the 2nd half... There's no other way to put it other than we got out-coached BADLY. Once again, Bo and his guys failed to make adjustments once UCLA made their adjustments. It was just an all-around unacceptable performance that has no room in Memorial Stadium. Time for this time to light a fire under their asses.

[Whistlebritches]

We predict victories over every team. I don't think anyone underestimated UCLA. Which is why I find the turnaround so odd.

 

In my college football pick em pool I picked UCLA to win. It was really hard to do but I have no confidence at all in this team to show up and play four quarters of football. When I start picking against NU then I know I'm already past the breaking point.

[Bowfin]

Here, you provided the answer yourself:

 

... not the first time we have been blown out

 

The trend here hasn't been breaking in our favor. One can't make a living as a national football power if we keep losing to Top 25 times in games that aren't even close.

[The Dude]

We predict victories over every team. I don't think anyone underestimated UCLA. Which is why I find the turnaround so odd.

Yeah, if money were at stake, and I had to use my head instead of my heart, there's no way I pick Nebraska in that game.

 

But if it's just for sh#ts and giggles on an internet message board, I'm picking Nebraska every week.

 

 

That being said, this wasn't a turning point for me. More of the same, really.

[RedRedJarvisRedwine]

I remember having these same types of feelings in the late 80s and early 90s. I got through it then and I'm more emotionally equipped to handle it now.