Bowl Game - Huskers Decline

Nebraska opting out of a bowl game seems like a move made out of fear more than anything. This has been a rough season and the team has severely underperformed, yet they ended the regular season on a high note with a win at Rutgers.  Perhaps in their minds with all the Covid-drama we are facing, it was better to have the guarantee of ending on a high note than taking a risk of playing a bowl game and falling flat and having to deal with that chatter until the next season arrived.  I am just speculating as I would have personally hoped the coaches and players would want another opportunity to get on the field.  

 
gobiggergoredder said:
Game or no game....I get both takes.

Anyone concerned that the team appears to be split on “play” or “no play”?  Callahan’s take on KFAB this morning was interesting if even half it was true.
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No team vote is going to be unanimous, no matter how many players were involved in the group. I don’t think there is a rift or a split in the team. IMO, Frost is going to gain favor with many of the players by letting them rest up and understand their opinion, rather than “forcing” them to play what would be the worst bowl trip ever. 

 
I knew clicking on this thread was going to be an absolute dumpster fire filled with bad takes and it did not disappoint.

These kids have followed all COVID protocols and were one of the few Big Ten teams to not have any shutdowns this year because of it. That took a lot of hard work and had to have been so draining. They just finished off a 3-5 season with a win. I know that's not what fans were hoping for, but even more so, I can guarantee that's not what they were hoping for. This isn't a normal year where a bowl game would get you multiple extra weeks of practice and a game plus all the festivities that come along with the trip. They would've got an extra week (plus a few days) of practice and a game. Compare this to getting to go see your family for Christmas after this grueling year and I don't think it was a hard decision at all. If you think an extra week of practice and a fairly meaningless game is changing the trajectory of this program, I just don't see it. I would argue getting their mental health right by being with family over the holidays is more beneficial.

In the end, I just think we all need to have a little more empathy for everything that these coaches and players went through this year. It's a trait that gets lost on us a lot of times.

 
huskerfan74 said:
I really hope you are right. However, my fear is that Frost will not fire a single coach. He really thinks we are so close to turning things around and that it is not the coaches fault but the players’ culture and not executing what the coaches tell them to do. He does not see a problem with coaching, so why would he make any changes!? Having said that. I really hope I am wrong. It will make me very happy to be wrong.
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I didn't do a good job of explaining.  I am not suggesting that he will fire anyone.  I was just stating that his decisions about firing/keeping any coach has probably already been made and that an extra week or game would not factor into his decision making process. 

I personally agree with your take that he may not let go of anyone, although he really needs to evaluate some things.  Unfortunately for the program, I believe you are spot on about him thinking we are close.  We may be, but a change or two may be what it takes to navigate that "corner'.

 
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Guy Chamberlin said:
Again, better teams with more to play for opted out of this highly problematic Bowl Buffet. From what I've seen most fans are behind the decision. Go home. Be healthy. Spend the holidays with the family. Put this season in the rear view mirror. We'll meet up early in the new year and see if we can make a fresh start. 
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I'm 100% behind it. I'd love more football, but a handful of practices is just not worth missing the holidays with their families who they haven't seen in months. Especially since they'll pretty much be coming right back in a couple weeks I assume.

 
Matty141 said:
How does a 3-5 awful team get a bowl invite, but a 9-2 army team doesn't?
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The irony.  It's the ARMED FORCES bowl.   I know there's contractual issues, but to say to the Army you are the Armed Forces but not play in the bowl game.  It should be overridden somehow.   And the Military Bowl in Annapois called off for lack of teams--well you got Army and Nebraska.  Maybe the trip to Rutgers (a great great win) wore them out, too cold, too frosty.

 
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It's just my opinion, but I don't care if Nebraska got a bowl game to play South Dakota State in the CrayolaMergerWithSharpie.com bowl and Nebraska ended up losing 49-7. It's the mentality of wanting to play in another game that I would have liked to have seen.

 
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BoNeyard said:
Who would have thought wanting to play in a bowl game would be met with such criticism.
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Important to note: Its not the concept of wanting to play in a bowl game that is being met with criticism.

What's being called out is the criticism from fans calling out the team for not wanting to play in a bowl game.

 
gossamorharpy said:
Important to note: Its not the concept of wanting to play in a bowl game that is being met with criticism.

What's being called out is the criticism from fans calling out the team for not wanting to play in a bowl game.
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In August players, program, fans were all on the same page of wanting a football season to be played and we were villainized by the conference and national media for wanting to play football.

Now you got some fans and players wanting to play in a bowl game and some players not wanting to play in a bowl game. Those who are speaking out of wanting to play in a bowl game, or thinking the team should play in a bowl game are being met with criticism. 

 
Yes, the team did want to play in September. Yes, some players filed a lawsuit.

A lot changes in four months. The take that if they filed a lawsuit to play then, they should want to play now, ignores that these guys have been put through the more rigorous, taxing season of any Husker team in 100 years.

That isn't you remaining in quarantine for another month, after not seeing your family for eight months. These guys did more than enough for the fans already. 

 
knapplc said:
Yes, the team did want to play in September. Yes, some players filed a lawsuit.

A lot changes in four months. The take that if they filed a lawsuit to play then, they should want to play now, ignores that these guys have been put through the more rigorous, taxing season of any Husker team in 100 years.

That isn't you remaining in quarantine for another month, after not seeing your family for eight months. These guys did more than enough for the fans already. 
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There is seriously no concern about the mentality of this program that the players couldn't stick it out together as a "family" themselves for 7 more days to play one more game?

Are the only teams choosing to play football the ones in the college football playoff? Because if not, what Nebraska is going through and went through is the same as all the other teams playing in their current bowl game that isn't the playoff. Those teams and programs have a majority of players on their roster that want to play football and want that one last game. 

Now if everyone canceled their bowl game, and only the playoffs were played, then fine. But I see there is even a bowl game being played today. It's just my opinion, so therefore it means nothing on any scale other then just making a post, but I'd rather have a roster that wanted that one last game and wanted to be together as a "family" that family they talk about every post-game press conference and weekly practice press conference, I want them to be together for 6 more days to finish that last game.

 
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