Barfknecht: History says Huskers must get tough at the top

[Saunders]

That brings us to today’s topic, just six days from the 2016 opener:

Will the Huskers ever get good enough to win championships again?

No excuse exists for a school that spends the time, energy and money on football that Nebraska does to go 16 seasons without a conference title. That goes double when you play in the woefully average Big 12 North and Big Ten West.

Swallow hard before you read the following:

Nebraska has the third-longest conference title drought among the 14 Big Ten schools. Only Indiana and Minnesota (both 1967) are more barren. You are known by the company you keep.

We all realize the landscape of college football has changed dramatically the past 20 years. Many of the competitive edges Nebraska used to hold — in strength training, nutrition, facilities, TV appearances, academic support — are gone or dwindling.

So is something else: toughness.

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/football/barfknecht-history-says-huskers-must-get-tough-at-the-top/article_ca3a8550-c230-51ba-8c16-19747d57b4e9.html

 

[Redux]

In the modern era, any of the top 60 programs or so can catch lightning in a bottle and become a major player. Even the bottom 60 or so can have magical runs. The luxuries we were afforded are long gone.

 

That's not to say our return to glory is a lost cause. We need to find new advantages to take........ well, advantage of. We just need the right combo of staff, players and schedule.

[NUinID]

In the modern era, any of the top 60 programs or so can catch lightning in a bottle and become a major player. Even the bottom 60 or so can have magical runs. The luxuries we were afforded are long gone.

 

That's not to say our return to glory is a lost cause. We need to find new advantages to take........ well, advantage of. We just need the right combo of staff, players and schedule.

 

Very well put Redux and I think this is what is lost only so many Nebraska fans. There are a lot of good solid football teams in the modern era and very few are avoiding that 7-5 or worse year occationally. It just takes the right combination to get to the top, but staying there is really tough right now.

[SABER]

I think if Barfy walked onto the practice field and told Cav or Parrella that they don't coach toughness, he might not wake up for a week.

[ColoradoHusk]

I think if Barfy walked onto the practice field and told Cav or Parrella that they don't coach toughness, he might not wake up for a week.

One or two coaches practicing with toughness won't work though. It needs to permeate from the Head Coach down to all the coaches.

[Scratchtown]

Banker doesn't strike me as a tough guy.

 

McBride, though, was a tough SOB.

[ColoradoHusk]

Banker doesn't strike me as a tough guy.

 

McBride, though, was a tough SOB.

The entire coaching staff from the Osborne era were tough SOB's. Solich was one of the toughest RB coaches around, and Ron Brown was a very tough WR coach.

[BIG ERN]

In regards to the third longest B10 drought ---that actually isn't accurate. You have to realize that the Big Ten didn't implement a conference championship until 2011. There were many seasons where there was a two-way tie, but both schools were "champions"

 

We would have tied for the B12 championship in 2010

[airboose]

I think the article is a pretty fair assessment of the last 15 years.

[ColoradoHusk]

I think the article is a pretty fair assessment of the last 15 years.

I agree. I don't think Barfknecht wrote anything that was inflammatory or stuff that we already didn't know. It's just very sobering to hear this on a consistent basis.

 

I had known that NU was a power house from the early 1960's on, but I didn't quite realize how good NU was from the 1900s until WWII. I had heard stories about beating the 4 Horsemen and other big wins in the early 1900s, but I didn't realize how strong the winning percentage was in the first half of the 20th century.

[teachercd]

I think if Barfy walked onto the practice field and told Cav or Parrella that they don't coach toughness, he might not wake up for a week.

Oh wow...

[ColoradoHusk]

 

I think if Barfy walked onto the practice field and told Cav or Parrella that they don't coach toughness, he might not wake up for a week.

Oh wow...

 

I am waiting for the "Barfknect never strapped on a jock, so he has no right to talk about toughness" posts.

[SABER]

It was a typical hit job that he waited until game week to put out to cause some controversy. I'm still not sure why he also took a shot at the AD. It was just announced that NU has the highest GPA ever and he is giving all the coaches every tool needed to succeed. He is full of crap on his toughness issue. He sites verbal acknowledgement from players of Michigan and Ohio St. I don't think he asked any Nebraska players what they thought. (side note, Michigan has not won sh#t yet with Harbaugh at the helm either)

[MichiganDad3]

I think if Barfy walked onto the practice field and told Cav or Parrella that they don't coach toughness, he might not wake up for a week.

but our head coach rode a bicycle to work for 10 years

[ColoradoHusk]

It was a typical hit job that he waited until game week to put out to cause some controversy. I'm still not sure why he also took a shot at the AD. It was just announced that NU has the highest GPA ever and he is giving all the coaches every tool needed to succeed. He is full of crap on his toughness issue. He sites verbal acknowledgement from players of Michigan and Ohio St. I don't think he asked any Nebraska players what they thought. (side note, Michigan has not won sh#t yet with Harbaugh at the helm either)

 

The AD deserves a shot for not demanding greatness. Osborne deserves some criticism for his time as AD, as well.

 

Also, if you ask Nebraska fans, what season would they have rather have last year, I think most would say they would have rather had Michigan's.