national spotlight

[Eric the Red]

Nebraska set for a return to the national spotlight

 

When the Nebraska Cornhuskers came off the field victorious in last season's Alamo Bowl game against Michigan, it capped a string of three straight victories and helped the team regain entry into the national polls (24th in the AP rankings). With the recent announcements regarding the Huskers' upcoming season schedules, the Big Red faithful have every reason to believe that a return to national prominence could be right around the corner.

 

For the 2006 season, it has already been announced that the September 16th trip to USC will be televised in primetime on ABC. This game represents a tremendous opportunity for Nebraska to re-introduce themselves to pundits and skeptics alike. And while some may feel that the Huskers' first two opponents (La. Tech and Nicholls St.) won't provide the team with a stiff enough test before heading into The Coliseum, players and coaches know better. Sure, it's easy enough to overlook opponents midseason, but the two openers in front of the home crowd? Even if the team's thoughts are on USC, they will come out with strong performances in Lincoln and then let preparation and execution take over out West. In what should be a closely contested battle between the Huskers and Trojans, a victory for Nebraska would certainly garner positive national attention.

 

Looking further ahead in the season, the Huskers' November 24th tilt against Colorado will also be televised nationally by ABC. While the Buffaloes have several questions heading into this season, there is still a good chance that the North could be decided between these two clubs. If all goes well in '06, Big Red could use this game to showcase the continued progress made by the Nebraska football program. Let us not forget that the Huskers will also host the defending national champions on October 21st, when Texas rolls into Lincoln. Depending on how the first half of the season goes for both teams, this matchup could also find its way onto the national scene.

 

The odds are good that Nebraska football will be noticed beyond 2006 as well. Earlier this week, it was announced that perennial power Virginia Tech will play Nebraska in 2008 and 2009. "This will be an outstanding and challenging home-and-home series for our football program." Coach Callahan was quoted as saying. It could also be one that continues to build Nebraska's status in the national fold.

 

Currently, there are several teams that represent national media darlings, with Texas, USC, Ohio St., Notre Dame, Penn State, and Miami being just a few. It seems that these programs are constantly on the lips of college fans across the nation. Now that the stage has been set for this Cornhusker team to make a national impression, the only thing left to do is to give football nation something else to talk about.

 

Get more Nebraska Cornhuskers news at RealFootball365.com

 

Comments

 

Are you forgetting that this is the team that won three national titles in the 90s and was 1:18 away from a third in 1993? Are you also aware that this team is also 4th in the nation with wins? What kind of an article was this? This was kind of dumb. Nebraska IS a national team. They always have been.

Posted by: Nathan | May 13, 2006 07:17 PM

 

 

First of all Nathan, thanks for reading. You kind of summed up the article for me. The Huskers enjoyed great success in the 90's..no question. I know that you have much love for Big Red, but the last couple years have been spent trying to regain that dominance they enjoyed in the 90's. They haven't been a hot topic of conversation outside of the Big 12 in a few years. Hopefully, this year will be different.

Posted by: Terry | May 13, 2006 07:35 PM

 

 

i agree with nathan, although the huskers havent been a hot topic of conversation, go back and look at history, the only mistake the huskers have made in the last 40 plus years is to let dr.tom basically appoint good ole frank his succeser, frank , while maybe a middle of the road coach who kept it going with dr toms players, showed what a pathetic recruiter he was. callahan while being a boob with his idiotic quotes to the press at least has brought some hope with his recruiting. has anyone noticed the amount of franks players have gone by the wyside because they just wernt caliber ballers. also bill hasnt been driving drunk yet either.

Posted by: todd | May 13, 2006 09:57 PM

 

 

Enjoyed the article but felt that it lacked historical facts. Nebraska will always be a football power to the people of Nebraska and those of us who no longer live in Nebraska. Look to the fans across this Nation and you will realize that Big Red Country is wide spread. Hopefully the Big Red will end up in the top six this year.

Posted by: Roger Hein | May 13, 2006 11:52 PM

 

 

Yes, Nebraska was the best of the 90's and one of the very best overall since WWII.But the 2000's havent been so nice so far,as for coach Solich, you gotta give the guy a little respect. Everyone slips up in life once in awhile. When he was here we all were praising him, our current head coach isnt that wonderful to me but he is a very good recruiter and that is what Nebraska needed to achieve the goals of us all. As for USC win or lose it will put Nebraska back on the national scene weather its good or bad is yet to be remained. But I look at it like last year with texas going to ohio st. nobody thought they had a chance going in and look were they ended up. No I don't think Nebraska will win a National championship this year but the other part is pretty similar.

Posted by: Lee Brown | May 14, 2006 12:10 AM

 

 

I think Todd forgot that it took Dr. Tom 20+ years to bring a national championship back to Lincoln. I also have a feeling that Frank Solich has done more to help his athletes than Todd realizes. These are student-athletes.....and yes Todd, in that order. Driving drunk was a mistake that Frank has owned up to....what have you admitted to lately Todd? Maybe the first should be opening up your mouth for a comment on this subject.

Posted by: Scott | May 14, 2006 12:28 AM

 

 

I agree. Everything is looking good for a return to national prominence. Callahan and Co. can obviously recruit well. I believe they're one of the better coaching staffs in the country also. They were able to make strides with a number of Solich's inept recruits. As they continue to bring in talent, coach these young studs up, and motivate them, we'll be able to witness their rise back to the top. Callahan may have had a slip of the tongue a couple times but I don't believe you can judge his character or competence by a few untimely comments. Although I was somewhat disappointed about the "Hillbilly" comment, he wasn't that far off the mark. I live in Oklahoma and can attest an overwhelming number of them are. Ironically, most Sooner fans believe that if you live in Ok. and you're a hick then you have to be an OSU fan. That's even when these hypocrites are missing teeth themselves and talk like one of the cast members of "Deliverence". Last point I'ld like to make, Callahan must have a lot going for him when he gets a top caliber coach like Norvell to follow him and Watson accepts a slot as a position coach ahead of taking a coordinator or head coach position. "RESTORE THE ORDER".

Posted by: Kirk | May 14, 2006 12:36 AM

 

 

I totally agree with Nathan. Nebraska is and always will be a premier program. I live in Illinois, so you can't accuse me of being a homer. Nebraska is one of the top 5 programs of all time. Maybe you forgot that USC was mediocre from about 1980 until 2002. Well, guess what? I'm not sure I really ever considered them gone. We all knew they were a sleeping giant. I also liked Frank Solich. I think Todd is wrong too. It wasn't a mistake to let Dr. Tom Osborne anoint Frank. Remember that Frank was a staple of the program pretty much every year since the 60's when he played Fullback. Obviously he was a coach for about 17 years when Mr. Osborne suggested he should be next Head Coach. The continuity is and was good for the program. Now Coach Callahan is bringing top notch recruiting and a new scheme to the forefront. I love Coach Callahan's optimism and background. He should get more respect for his Raiders success. He and Coach Gruden should have won in '01 except for that idiotic "tuck" rule on Brady. What a joke! Anyway, Nebraska is dominant and don't forget it, just because we missed a bowl game one time in 2002 for the first time in +/- 35 years.

Posted by: Reid Wiersema | May 14, 2006 01:13 AM

 

 

Yeah, it took Dr. Tom 20 years to bring a MNC to Lincoln. And to Frank's credit, it only took him 5 to demolish every proud 25 to 40 year streak NU had going (Winning record, AP top 25, No more than 3 losses, No less than 9 wins, winning conf. record, etc.). Only 5 years to coach 5 of the worst blowouts in NU history. Only 5 to produce statistically 4 of the top 6 worst NU offenses in 40 years. Of course Frank really had the 'student-athlete' in mind when he crammed Richie Incognito down Cotton's throat after Barney told Frank he wasn't coachable and wouldn't work with him anymore. Of course he really had the program on the right track going 9-3 the year PSU, ISU, and CU all plummeted from bowl teams with a combined 9 losses (that all throttled NU in the 7-7, 2002 campaign) to a combined 9 win group of patsies that NU still barely squeaked by in 2003. Ultimately a grossly misleading 9-3 record instead of 6-6. A team that got crushed by every decent opponent it faced (and boy I just couldn't wait to see Joe Dailey in Frank's system in 2004 after being given zero experience and dealt a bare cupboard of talent around him. Yeah, Frank was a gem that just needed a little more time. A little more time to challenge Baylor's lock as the annual Big 12 joke. Solich was 'slumped over the wheel facing the wrong direction on a one way street' long before they found him that way in Ohio.

Posted by: BigRedBlitz | May 14, 2006 03:49 AM

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Good article but I don't agree with Colorado and Nebraska competing for the Big 12 North Title!!! Colorado is not that good of a team and Nebraska has very good potential to have a blow out season. I think we will see Texas again in the Big 12 Title game IMO.

[husker rob]

Texas X2 is a very good possibility but I think that we play OU in Championship game

[Hunter94]

[Foppa]

There isn't a team out there that should think they can compete for this. Holy God, NU has no business losing the Big 12 North. KSU has princess cupcake with Daddy's sweetie at the helm, CU is just a nuclear meltdown away from a subatomic fart unleashing a lacrosse incident, Fatass University will be so completely enthralled with his wet dream from last year that they'll forget to play, MU will be stunned that B.Smith can't play for a record 13th season, and ISU stands for Illegitimite Stepdaughter U, so you can guess what kind of puss-ass response you'll get from them.

 

[NUpolo8]

There isn't a team out there that should think they can compete for this. Holy God, NU has no business losing the Big 12 North. KSU has princess cupcake with Daddy's sweetie at the helm, CU is just a nuclear meltdown away from a subatomic fart unleashing a lacrosse incident, Fatass University will be so completely enthralled with his wet dream from last year that they'll forget to play, MU will be stunned that B.Smith can't play for a record 13th season, and ISU stands for Illegitimite Stepdaughter U, so you can guess what kind of puss-ass response you'll get from them.

 

wow

[HSKRNOKC]

There isn't a team out there that should think they can compete for this. Holy God, NU has no business losing the Big 12 North. KSU has princess cupcake with Daddy's sweetie at the helm, CU is just a nuclear meltdown away from a subatomic fart unleashing a lacrosse incident, Fatass University will be so completely enthralled with his wet dream from last year that they'll forget to play, MU will be stunned that B.Smith can't play for a record 13th season, and ISU stands for Illegitimite Stepdaughter U, so you can guess what kind of puss-ass response you'll get from them.

 

Well said!!

[husker rob]

There isn't a team out there that should think they can compete for this. Holy God, NU has no business losing the Big 12 North. KSU has princess cupcake with Daddy's sweetie at the helm, CU is just a nuclear meltdown away from a subatomic fart unleashing a lacrosse incident, Fatass University will be so completely enthralled with his wet dream from last year that they'll forget to play, MU will be stunned that B.Smith can't play for a record 13th season, and ISU stands for Illegitimite Stepdaughter U, so you can guess what kind of puss-ass response you'll get from them.

 

 

my god man, you are on a roll

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Good statement Foppa!!!

[Husker IN Hawaii]

Damn Foppa tell us how you really feel.

[Foppa]

I do my best work with a little keg beer in me

 

Wait...did I say "little?"

 

I apologize if didn't offend enough Big 12 schools.

[Hunter94]

relax big boy......talking smack can come back to bite you.....easier to gloat AFTER the wins.....

 

 

hunter

[Foppa]

relax big boy......talking smack can come back to bite you.....easier to gloat AFTER the wins.....

 

 

hunter

Thanks, Chief, but I think I'll stick to the statistics...

 

NU vs. W L T Percentage PF PA

 

Colorado 45 17 2 .719 1604 958

Iowa St. 82 16 2 .830 2551 1028

Kansas 87 22 3 .790 2791 1036

Kansas St. 72 15 3 .817 2425 927

Missouri 62 34 3 .641 2194 1322

 

I just don't care who these teams think they are or who they think they want to be. The Huskers are, and always will be, their biggest nightmare. They have a miracle season once in a while, good for them. Fact is, they will never be equal to Nebraska. Ever.

[tattooedhusker]

exactly

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Can't say that I disagree with Foppa. I like the way he doesn't hold back.