The Uniqueness of Our Circumstances Continue

[Landlord]

It doesn't seem to be a secret that Nebraska has had a lot of....unusual or just unique circumstances surrounding our program or our media coverage over the last decade or so. There was the second put back on the clock against Texas, the Taylor Martinez flame out, the move to the Big Ten that was unprecedented when it was announced, The Big XII's gracious sendoff, Bo's sideline tirades, the completely unexpected curveball against Wisconsin in the CCG, that 'reporter' that attacked Bo because he didn't allow a former military member to call a play that he supposedly promised, Team Jack, etc. etc.

 

Not saying we are special or anything like that, but there have just been weird and uncommon occurrences going on. And yet it continues:

 

Has any other team ever only played in 3 bowls over the course of 6 bowl games?

 

Gator Bowl twice in 2008 and 2013

Holiday Bowl twice in 2009 and 2010

Capital One Bowl twice in 2011 and 2012

 

Taking it one step further, has any other team ever had to have rematches not even a year old in two of those games (Washington and Georgia)? A lot of people keep talking about fan apathy and acceptance of mediocrity... well with circumstances like this, it makes it really hard to continue with passionate optimism.

[kchusker_chris]

Has any other team won/lost almost the exact same amount of games, and in almost the exact same manner, leaving them ranked almost exactly the same for 6 straight years?

 

The funny thing is look where we were in 08' to get to the Gator, and look where we are today in 13', falling to the Gator. It is hard to have optimism when you look upon our program, and see that we aren't much (if any) farther along today than we were after Pelini's first year.

[HuskersTK421]

What happened with that reporter attacking pelini? I never heard about that.

[BigRedBuster]

As for your first question, look at our bowls during the 80s. Most of the time we played in the Orange bowl and every once in a while we played in a different one. From 82 - 88 we played in the Orange Bowl three times and the Sugar Bowl twice.

 

Three of those games were against LSU.

[EbylHusker]

I must be the only person that doesn't mind playing Georgia again. It seems like blaming your apathy, in part, on who we play in a bowl is pretty ridiculous.

[Landlord]

As for your first question, look at our bowls during the 80s. Most of the time we played in the Orange bowl and every once in a while we played in a different one. From 82 - 88 we played in the Orange Bowl three times and the Sugar Bowl twice.

 

Three of those games were against LSU.

 

 

Well, I mean, The Orange and Sugar bowls are a little bit different than Holiday/Gator don't you think? Also there weren't even half the bowl games back then that there are now.

[kchusker_chris]

I must be the only person that doesn't mind playing Georgia again. It seems like blaming your apathy, in part, on who we play in a bowl is pretty ridiculous.

Do you even know what you're saying? Our interest is 100% determined by who we play in the bowl. Would you be more/less interested with Texas? What about Colorado State? Or do you just watch for the commercials? Maybe we should play a community college?

 

 

ap·a·thy

[ap-uh-thee] Show IPA

 

 

noun, plural ap·a·thies.

1.

absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

2.

lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

[EbylHusker]

I watch to see Nebraska play football. What do you watch for? Apparently not that.

[BigRedBuster]

As for your first question, look at our bowls during the 80s. Most of the time we played in the Orange bowl and every once in a while we played in a different one. From 82 - 88 we played in the Orange Bowl three times and the Sugar Bowl twice.

 

Three of those games were against LSU.

 

 

Well, I mean, The Orange and Sugar bowls are a little bit different than Holiday/Gator don't you think? Also there weren't even half the bowl games back then that there are now.

 

 

That's not what was asked in the OP.

[Enhance]

I have no problem admitting I'm not excited about the Huskers or their bowl game right now. Nebraska put itself in this position and as long as they continue to hang out in this perennial limbo they've put themselves in, I think a lot of Nebraskans will feel the same way. It's tough to get behind and get excited about a team that doesn't give you any reason to. And I don't think that makes me or anyone else less of a fan. The truth of the situation is that we all pay and devote time to the team, and if that team isn't doing well, it's not the responsibility of the fan base to turn out and still be excited. We're fans and we're paying to be entertained, and if you're not going to be entertained, then why spend your money?

 

I still support the Huskers and will cheer them to victory, but I'm definitely not as pumped up or excited about them as I have been in recent years. I know if I had the money to spend on going to this bowl game, I wouldn't. In past years I would have said otherwise.

[HuskerShark]

It doesn't seem to be a secret that Nebraska has had a lot of....unusual or just unique circumstances surrounding our program or our media coverage over the last decade or so. There was the second put back on the clock against Texas, the Taylor Martinez flame out, the move to the Big Ten that was unprecedented when it was announced, The Big XII's gracious sendoff, Bo's sideline tirades, the completely unexpected curveball against Wisconsin in the CCG, that 'reporter' that attacked Bo because he didn't allow a former military member to call a play that he supposedly promised, Team Jack, etc. etc.

 

Not saying we are special or anything like that, but there have just been weird and uncommon occurrences going on. And yet it continues:

 

Has any other team ever only played in 3 bowls over the course of 6 bowl games?

 

Gator Bowl twice in 2008 and 2013

Holiday Bowl twice in 2009 and 2010

Capital One Bowl twice in 2011 and 2012

 

Taking it one step further, has any other team ever had to have rematches not even a year old in two of those games (Washington and Georgia)? A lot of people keep talking about fan apathy and acceptance of mediocrity... well with circumstances like this, it makes it really hard to continue with passionate optimism.

 

The downfall of consistent borderline success...

[huskrinmissouri]

We have had a lot of unique things happen in our program just like every other program has had a lot of unique things happen. By the way, I stopped by the buckeye planet forum only to find out that a few are calling for the heads of coaches since they lost a game after two years. But then again, they have unique circumstances kind of like we have unique circumstances.

[kchusker_chris]

We have had a lot of unique things happen in our program just like every other program has had a lot of unique things happen. By the way, I stopped by the buckeye planet forum only to find out that a few are calling for the heads of coaches since they lost a game after two years. But then again, they have unique circumstances kind of like we have unique circumstances.

Plenty of people were calling for Saban's head a couple weeks ago...but our fans are the only ones with too high of expections

[It'sNotAFakeID]

With regards to expectations, there is no secret that people currently aren't frustrated that we lose; the frustration seems to stem from how and who we lose [to]. There isn't a problem with high expectations, there isn't a problem with wanting to be on the national stage (which means BCS games, not *the* BCS game). A national title isn't about your team; it's about luck. No team nowadays is good enough to win every game the way the Huskers of old did. To win them all a team has to get a little bit of luck along the way.

 

So the good teams are the teams that make the BCS games. There are 10 in all, and I don't think it's too farfetched to expect Nebraska to be in there every once in a while. For me, had we appeared in a BCS game (aka the Rose Bowl last year), a lot of the tension on Pelini now wouldn't exist. People would be willing to accept the injuries and accept the young defense and be okay with a down season. It would be a step in the "rebuilding process." Same thing goes for our last year in the Big XII and the transition to the Big Ten. Had we not lost a 17 point lead to Oklahoma and won the Big XII and played in the Fiesta Bowl in 2010, a lot of people who are on the fence or even for firing Bo would've accepted 2011 a little better.

 

Here's how I see it:

 

In 2009 we were :01 and a 50+ yard field goal away from beating #3 Texas and going to the Fiesta Bowl. Didn't happen.

In 2010 we were a holding a 17 point lead away from beating Oklahoma and going to the Fiesta Bowl again. Didn't happen.

In 2012, we were a win against a 5 loss (albeit better than 5 loss) Wisconsin team away from going to the Rose Bowl. Didn't happen.

 

Those 3 games are Pelini's worst enemies. Had we won those, I think people would feel a lot better about him. The mantra, "it's not that we lose, it's how we lose" wouldn't matter, because we'd be in a BCS game and be nationally relevant.

 

So I'm curious. Our toughest games next year will be against Miami, @ Michigan State, and @ Wisconsin. All games which are probably going to be the underdogs. If we go 0-3 though those, but only lose by a combined 13 points (say by, 3, 3, and 7); given that those teams will be as good as they are projected to be, would that be okay? Or would that not be good enough?

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I have no problem admitting I'm not excited about the Huskers or their bowl game right now. Nebraska put itself in this position and as long as they continue to hang out in this perennial limbo they've put themselves in, I think a lot of Nebraskans will feel the same way. It's tough to get behind and get excited about a team that doesn't give you any reason to. And I don't think that makes me or anyone else less of a fan. The truth of the situation is that we all pay and devote time to the team, and if that team isn't doing well, it's not the responsibility of the fan base to turn out and still be excited. We're fans and we're paying to be entertained, and if you're not going to be entertained, then why spend your money?

 

I still support the Huskers and will cheer them to victory, but I'm definitely not as pumped up or excited about them as I have been in recent years. I know if I had the money to spend on going to this bowl game, I wouldn't. In past years I would have said otherwise.

 

My feelings and attitude towards this game are similar to our Holiday Bowl matchup against Washington at the end of the 2010-2011 season. We were on the heels of a potential game in the BCS (17 points up) and we lose to OU and go right to the Holiday Bowl against Washington, a team we had already played. The hype wasn't there. The excitement wasn't there, and I attribute a good part of that to the comparison of how hyped and excited I would've been for a BCS game.

 

This year it's different. We weren't close to a BCS game. We had a bad year, and now we get to play Georgia again. This year's UGA team isn't as good as last year. They won't have Aaron Murray, and quite honestly this game will be hard to be excited about, even if we do go out and win by 20+. I'll watch, and I'll be every bit as critical and into it as I am for every Husker game. But leading into this, I'm just not excited at all.

 

Would it have been any different had we been matched up against KState? I think so. It's always nice to beat KState. And I would've loved another shot at Texas. I think the bowl selection committee really dropped the ball this year.