SBNation B1G Preview: #4 Nebraska

[Thanks_Tom RR]

 

 

Vincent Valentine @TheRealVRVJ: All I hear is doubt about us, fuel.

 

This needs to be the focus until we get a championship.

 

 

noooooooo

 

then as soon as people start thinking they're good they will sh#t the bed again.

#NeverSatisfied

[blinky]

I know that I have changed in my expectations, being less than they ever have been. Losses used to make me sick, lived them for days, weeks and years sometimes. Not anymore. I guess I have began to expect the disappointments and roll with the punch. I never thought I would think that way, but I honestly do.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that your change in expectation and your change in dealing with losses is a good thing. A grown man who lives with losses of a college football team for days, weeks, months, etc. is a bit overboard, IMO. I don't think expecting disappointment is necessarily great, but being able to be disappointed with a loss and not have it ruin your day/week/month/life? I'd call that OK.

[skersfan]

It depends on what you have grown accustom to. I have followed the program a very long time, and was used to feeling every time the whistle blew we had a chance to win, and for the most part we did. I never expect to go undefeated, I never have expected Nebraska to win the MNC or CC. I still don't, but I expected us to be ready to play, play till the end and not be laughed out of the stadium. Not saying those things never happened, because for sure they did. But now I expect the loss that I had no idea was coming. I feel there is a chance of a terrible blow out, never really feel we have the game in the bag until the final gun. That is a change in mindset. Not a good one really. But I see it here in about every post. We won 9 games yippee, we only lost 4 games for 6 years yippee.

 

I honestly never remember a season where I expected to see Nebraska lose 4 games, until recently. Not even with Clownahan did I expect we would lose like we have with Bo. So yes at nearing 67 ($hit tomorrow) I have grown up. Maybe I even expect less, but that fits right in with the athletic department it appears.

 

Seeing people say 33rd is not that bad, they were hoping close to top 25 is so far from belief for me it is sickening. Just truly how far have we fallen?

[True2tRA]

 

I know that I have changed in my expectations, being less than they ever have been. Losses used to make me sick, lived them for days, weeks and years sometimes. Not anymore. I guess I have began to expect the disappointments and roll with the punch. I never thought I would think that way, but I honestly do.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that your change in expectation and your change in dealing with losses is a good thing. A grown man who lives with losses of a college football team for days, weeks, months, etc. is a bit overboard, IMO. I don't think expecting disappointment is necessarily great, but being able to be disappointed with a loss and not have it ruin your day/week/month/life? I'd call that OK.

I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but The Yankees, The Red Sox, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Nebraska CornHuskers and any other team you can think of with an insanely devoted fan base was built upon these fans. I also hate to break it to ya, but 300+ consecutive sellouts don't just happen, so if you've been in that stadium in the last fifty years, I'll have to let you know that you were surrounded by exactly this type of people you so arrogantly speak of.

 

Your opinion is yours, but if you don't think this is big business, built upon the devotion of insane, maniacal, fanatical people willing to fork over their hard earned bucks year after year, after year, after year, in hopes of witnessing their team beat the piss out of every opponent they play......well, then you don't get it bud.

[NUpolo8]

It depends on what you have grown accustom to. I have followed the program a very long time, and was used to feeling every time the whistle blew we had a chance to win, and for the most part we did. I never expect to go undefeated, I never have expected Nebraska to win the MNC or CC. I still don't, but I expected us to be ready to play, play till the end and not be laughed out of the stadium. Not saying those things never happened, because for sure they did. But now I expect the loss that I had no idea was coming. I feel there is a chance of a terrible blow out, never really feel we have the game in the bag until the final gun. That is a change in mindset. Not a good one really. But I see it here in about every post. We won 9 games yippee, we only lost 4 games for 6 years yippee.

 

I honestly never remember a season where I expected to see Nebraska lose 4 games, until recently. Not even with Clownahan did I expect we would lose like we have with Bo. So yes at nearing 67 ($hit tomorrow) I have grown up. Maybe I even expect less, but that fits right in with the athletic department it appears.

 

Seeing people say 33rd is not that bad, they were hoping close to top 25 is so far from belief for me it is sickening. Just truly how far have we fallen?

It would appear to 33rd. And there isn't a coach since Devaney that half the fanbase would ok with it.

[True2tRA]

It depends on what you have grown accustom to. I have followed the program a very long time, and was used to feeling every time the whistle blew we had a chance to win, and for the most part we did. I never expect to go undefeated, I never have expected Nebraska to win the MNC or CC. I still don't, but I expected us to be ready to play, play till the end and not be laughed out of the stadium. Not saying those things never happened, because for sure they did. But now I expect the loss that I had no idea was coming. I feel there is a chance of a terrible blow out, never really feel we have the game in the bag until the final gun. That is a change in mindset. Not a good one really. But I see it here in about every post. We won 9 games yippee, we only lost 4 games for 6 years yippee.

 

I honestly never remember a season where I expected to see Nebraska lose 4 games, until recently. Not even with Clownahan did I expect we would lose like we have with Bo. So yes at nearing 67 ($hit tomorrow) I have grown up. Maybe I even expect less, but that fits right in with the athletic department it appears.

 

Seeing people say 33rd is not that bad, they were hoping close to top 25 is so far from belief for me it is sickening. Just truly how far have we fallen?

I'm with ya 100%. I'm not sold on the Anti-Bo thing so much. I'm sold on the "what the hell are we doing out there" idea. We just look really stupid sometimes. Very poorly coached, and a real lack of focus. Inconsistency has been the one thing consistent about this team. I hate to admit that my expectations have diminished, but they have. The Michigan blowout a few years ago was the first game in my life that I turned off before it was over. I've turned off three more since then. A defensive guru holds six of the top ten worst defensive performances in the history of this program, all in the last six years. That doesn't just happen folks. This program has been around a long time. There's some very serious issues there. I'm okay with the people who don't quite want to abandon ship. I'm not on board with the people who are ready to scrap it all and start over either. I just don't understand the mindset of being okay with what we've seen so far. Admit there are problems, quit making excuses for failure. Make progress. Get better. Eventually people expect a coach to fix those problems. We haven't seen improvement, we've actually gotten worse each year. Somebody will be accountable because the fact remains, the larger portion of Husker fans believe this program should be an elite football program year in and year out. Excuses are running dry.

[blinky]

 

 

I know that I have changed in my expectations, being less than they ever have been. Losses used to make me sick, lived them for days, weeks and years sometimes. Not anymore. I guess I have began to expect the disappointments and roll with the punch. I never thought I would think that way, but I honestly do.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that your change in expectation and your change in dealing with losses is a good thing. A grown man who lives with losses of a college football team for days, weeks, months, etc. is a bit overboard, IMO. I don't think expecting disappointment is necessarily great, but being able to be disappointed with a loss and not have it ruin your day/week/month/life? I'd call that OK.

I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but The Yankees, The Red Sox, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Nebraska CornHuskers and any other team you can think of with an insanely devoted fan base was built upon these fans. I also hate to break it to ya, but 300+ consecutive sellouts don't just happen, so if you've been in that stadium in the last fifty years, I'll have to let you know that you were surrounded by exactly this type of people you so arrogantly speak of.

 

Your opinion is yours, but if you don't think this is big business, built upon the devotion of insane, maniacal, fanatical people willing to fork over their hard earned bucks year after year, after year, after year, in hopes of witnessing their team beat the piss out of every opponent they play......well, then you don't get it bud.

I know exactly what you mean, but that's not my point. I love being a fan of the Huskers. I love being part of a special fan base. But when the game is over, whether you're walking away from the stadium or your tv, I think it's OK - a good thing even - to not be all pissed off about it. I get disappointed too. But being pissed about losses isn't what sets fan bases apart from others, and it's not what built the program.

[True2tRA]

 

 

 

I know that I have changed in my expectations, being less than they ever have been. Losses used to make me sick, lived them for days, weeks and years sometimes. Not anymore. I guess I have began to expect the disappointments and roll with the punch. I never thought I would think that way, but I honestly do.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that your change in expectation and your change in dealing with losses is a good thing. A grown man who lives with losses of a college football team for days, weeks, months, etc. is a bit overboard, IMO. I don't think expecting disappointment is necessarily great, but being able to be disappointed with a loss and not have it ruin your day/week/month/life? I'd call that OK.

I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but The Yankees, The Red Sox, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Nebraska CornHuskers and any other team you can think of with an insanely devoted fan base was built upon these fans. I also hate to break it to ya, but 300+ consecutive sellouts don't just happen, so if you've been in that stadium in the last fifty years, I'll have to let you know that you were surrounded by exactly this type of people you so arrogantly speak of.

Your opinion is yours, but if you don't think this is big business, built upon the devotion of insane, maniacal, fanatical people willing to fork over their hard earned bucks year after year, after year, after year, in hopes of witnessing their team beat the piss out of every opponent they play......well, then you don't get it bud.

I know exactly what you mean, but that's not my point. I love being a fan of the Huskers. I love being part of a special fan base. But when the game is over, whether you're walking away from the stadium or your tv, I think it's OK - a good thing even - to not be all pissed off about it. I get disappointed too. But being pissed about losses isn't what sets fan bases apart from others, and it's not what built the program.

Yea, I can see your point and I agree with ya. I always appreciate the passionate fan bases but you're right, it's not worth letting it ruin your day or week over. I may have misunderstood what you were getting at a bit. I used to be the guy that let it piss me off when Nebraska played like crap. Now I may yell at the tv a bit but I really don't carry it on too long after the game, or at least I try not to. I see the people that do get carried away and it's a bit pathetic really. There is a difference between being passionate and taking it too seriously. Good point.

[Saunders]

 

It depends on what you have grown accustom to. I have followed the program a very long time, and was used to feeling every time the whistle blew we had a chance to win, and for the most part we did. I never expect to go undefeated, I never have expected Nebraska to win the MNC or CC. I still don't, but I expected us to be ready to play, play till the end and not be laughed out of the stadium. Not saying those things never happened, because for sure they did. But now I expect the loss that I had no idea was coming. I feel there is a chance of a terrible blow out, never really feel we have the game in the bag until the final gun. That is a change in mindset. Not a good one really. But I see it here in about every post. We won 9 games yippee, we only lost 4 games for 6 years yippee.

 

I honestly never remember a season where I expected to see Nebraska lose 4 games, until recently. Not even with Clownahan did I expect we would lose like we have with Bo. So yes at nearing 67 ($hit tomorrow) I have grown up. Maybe I even expect less, but that fits right in with the athletic department it appears.

 

Seeing people say 33rd is not that bad, they were hoping close to top 25 is so far from belief for me it is sickening. Just truly how far have we fallen?

It would appear to 33rd. And there isn't a coach since Devaney that half the fanbase would ok with it.

 

Half the fanbase is ok with it? Where did you see that?

[suh_fan93]

Here's how I see every year under Pelini. Even if we lose 4 games or 3 games or 5 games it's always pretty much the same...

 

[Count 'Bility]

Here's how I see every year under Pelini. Even if we lose 4 games or 3 games or 5 games it's always pretty much the same...

 

yes it has pretty much been the same under bo. 4 losses wach year. But heres a revelation. 3 losses is not the same as 4. And neither is 5. If one of those happens it will be different.

[suh_fan93]

 

Here's how I see every year under Pelini. Even if we lose 4 games or 3 games or 5 games it's always pretty much the same...

 

yes it has pretty much been the same under bo. 4 losses wach year. But heres a revelation. 3 losses is not the same as 4. And neither is 5. If one of those happens it will be different.

 

 

 

For you maybe...

[True2tRA]

 

Here's how I see every year under Pelini. Even if we lose 4 games or 3 games or 5 games it's always pretty much the same...

yes it has pretty much been the same under bo. 4 losses wach year. But heres a revelation. 3 losses is not the same as 4. And neither is 5. If one of those happens it will be different.

For me it really depends on how it happens. I've always taken that stance. I'm more interested in the quality of football being played. Wins and losses do matter, and 3 losses would probably be considered,an improvement, but if those 3 losses are in any way, shape or form, resembling that Michigan State game last year then I'd probably puke watching all 3 of those losses. It could go both ways. I could possibly stomach five losses if they were some hard fought damn good battles where we saw the team fighting and improving. Sometimes you play your best and just fall short. I just don't think we've really seen Nebraska play their best in a long time. I know I might be rare in that type of thinking, and 5 losses would be tough to see, but if the team was a better team overall, I at least would maintain hopes that we,are on the right track to becoming a complete football team.

 

Right now I can truly say, I question if this team is headed in the right direction. The talent is here that gives me some hope, but these coaches haven't shown me much. Just being honest.

[Landlord]

Passionate, intense, dedicated and committed fans are a great thing. Hoping for excellence is a great thing. You can argue about whether expectations are a good thing (and it has to do with how you approach life, not just nebraska football), but those usually aren't a bad thing either.

 

 

But when you start letting the letters 'W' and 'L' and arbitrary numbers attributed to a group of kids affect your joy and well-being, you've gone a bit too far. That was me until the 2008 Virginia Tech game and I realized I was tying a little bit of my identity into how a team I have no actual direct connection to performed. You can be all of the above things but still walk away from a loss with a smile and I personally think that's healthy and a sign of good perspective.

[skersfan]

Mine is disappointment, not anger. And I am more disappointed in what Nebraska has become rather than their results. We are no longer a dreaded competitor, a fearsome foe, an opponent knowing full well it will take every ounce of their being to beat Nebraska. We are no longer that team, and have not been for quite awhile. Most teams know our history and our recent history. Having the fan base feel the same is what bothers me more.

 

In the past, I knew or felt that every single fan was feeling the same, the heartbreak, the disappointment and the wonder as to what went wrong, how and why we lost. Sometimes we would lay the defeat at the hands of coaching, but normally we lost games to just a better team. A better staff maybe not so much.

 

Now I feel our losses are really laid at the coaches feet, and the fact that most do not see it that way bothers me more. I am not saying Bo is a bad coach, just that he was not and has still not proven he is ready for this level of a job. We are giving him time to grow into it. This could be good, or it could never happen. The longer we go down the middle road the worse for the fan base as a mindset. This year something has to happen, to make us all join in the venture or all depart the wagon. He has had enough time to find the direction, recruit the kids he needs and instill his ideas to his team and staff. No more deer in the head light games, no more last second heroics against a completely out manned opponent. Draw blood and finish the kill. Aggression from the instant the whistle blows, no let up, until the opponent cries mercy. Become Nebraska again. This is the year it has to happen. Win or loss not the deciding factor, for me. Be Nebraska nothing more.