Bowl Game - Huskers Decline

[Guy Chamberlin]

It isn't about the extra practices, it isn't about the extra game, it's the mindset in that this team was willing to stick together and be a family together in a time of adversity and having that hunger, drive and heart to go out there one more time and try to play one more game. It isn't even about the result of the game, it's purely an attitude and mindset of being together and finishing what is left out there. 

A Team that is truly united, and truly loves each other and truly is one big family, plays in that last football game. In fact, it'd be unanimous in the locker room and they'd take offense the question of them wanting to even play or not. That is a true family and tight locker room. Nebraska preaches this at the podium in post game conferences and weekly conferences, but when the opportunity presents itself to show actions over words, they once again stick with words speak louder then actions. 

It is what it is. To me, it's nothing more than having that desire and competitors mindset to go out there one more time, together as a team. That's the type of mindset I'd want anyway in a locker room.

So again, to choose to play in the bowl game is nothing more than a mindset, it has nothing to do with the extra game or the one or two practices. It's a mindset that I'd hope to see would change how it seems in every game when this team is met with any sort of adversity they don't just crumble and cant seem to get back on track. I'd hope the results from choosing to play could lead to them facing adversity in a game and overcoming it and not letting one mistake completely derail the entire game. 

I know what you mean about mentality and what I'd personally like to see from the team.

But a team that feels like they don't deserve a bowl game isn't necessarily a weaker team.  Just a not very good team that's honest about moving forward. 

None of us can presume the mentality of everyone on the team, but we should respect that the Huskers are in no way unusual or suspect for opting out. 

Also, while the team might be a "family", most players have biological families that they may want to hang with during this particular holiday season.

Also, unprecedented global pandemic and NCAA clusterf•ck. 

 

[BoNeyard]

How many more games do you think they'll win next year because they played in a bowl game?

Well my guess is Wisconsin is going to be a heavy favorite to win the Big Ten West next year, just like they've been heavy favorites to win and have won the Big Ten West in the past. I think it's part of their culture these days.

 

[krc1995]

How many more games do you think they'll win next year because they played in a bowl game?

None 

and then we would have had five practices at the most, Frost would had to prepare on extremely short notice for some random team, with departing seniors that may opt out or not be vested, with a QB that may be injured beyond repair,and continue to keep them Covid free-which they’ve done over and and above BTW 

The potential to end sour is likely. Even if we were to win, what if someone gets hurts and is out for next year? Playing is always risky, but forcing this in a short period in a random year that doesn’t count for much anyway has little upside. 
 

Sometimes the right thing to do is lay down your cards although playing Army would have been fun. 

 

[knapplc]

Well my guess is Wisconsin is going to be a heavy favorite to win the Big Ten West next year, just like they've been heavy favorites to win and have won the Big Ten West in the past. I think it's part of their culture these days.

So playing or not playing this game won't do anything for them this year.

I get where you're coming from. I want more football, too. But you're drawing conclusions about this team that you really can't from this single decision. 

 

[BoNeyard]

Wisconsin also had 3 games cancelled during the season, so the appetite is there to play more. IMO, that’s a different situation than Nebraska faced. 
 

I also find it interesting that you are giving more credit to Wisconsin for not preventing COVID outbreaks on their team  and causing 3 games to be canceled, just because they are willing to play in one more game, which is still going to be fewer games than NU will have played the entire season. 

My point is, Wisconsin could easily come up for a dozen reasons to not play in their bowl game just like Nebraska did, but instead Wisconsin has chosen to play in their bowl game. 

Wisconsin fans could have defended their teams decision to not play in a bowl game by giving reasons Nebraska fans are giving, plus the addition of spinning the covid outbreaks within the team, the lack of games played, and uncertainty of whether they were going to play in games as a reason to further strengthen and support their decision to not play. Just simply too much adversity, too many ups and downs, too much chaos and lack of organization from the NCAA, Big Ten, and the Wisconsin team and program itself.

Instead Wisconsin has chose to play. Now that they've decided to play, we point out how easy they had it, instead of pointing out their adversities. Well they wanted to play because they hadn't played in as many games this season as Nebraska, so their hunger and eagerness to play is more. Yet, how easy to clump the lack of games played by Wisconsin as uncertainty to their routine and practice and adversity and giving further reason why they should just pack it up and go home and prepare for next year too. 

 

[BoNeyard]

So playing or not playing this game won't do anything for them this year.

I get where you're coming from. I want more football, too. But you're drawing conclusions about this team that you really can't from this single decision. 

The conclusions I have drawn is this, and maybe it's too harsh, but the way I see it is each press conference, be it a post loss or during the week these coaches and players rave about locker room unity, rave about the family atmosphere, talk about how tight they are, and how they want to play football. Now besides going out each Saturday and compiling 4-8 and 5-7 type records over the last handful of years, they are met with adversity and can actually prove with actions that they are determined to go to battle together and finish unfinished business and they decided to go home.

Has it been 9 long hellish months? Sure has, no arguing there, but dang you cant fight it off 7 more days together? They talk a lot at the podium, lots of things that sound good each week that get your hopes up that there will be changes for the upcoming Saturday, but it's lately been met with another loss, same mistakes, and same reasoning, followed by the same awesome podium talk to get you prepared for the next week. 

There was a chance here that the podium talk could actually prove in actions, without the worry about whether or not you'd win the game. This bowl game is nothing to do with the one extra practice, or the one extra game, it isn't about winning it even, it's simply the willingness and mindset to fight together as a team for just 7 more days to go to battle one more time.

As far as being home for the Holidays, there are many players on this roster that have been home for the Holidays their entire career at Nebraska. You'd think there would be some pride and some excitement at the chance of playing in a bowl game and bowl games do happen to be played around the holidays. If it's about being home for the Holidays, then they better start putting in the effort to be winning 10-11 games a year because going 7-5 might get you a bowl game around Christmas.

I remember playing basketball and on a travel team having to play in tournaments around Christmas. It was something I accepted when I played basketball, that my Holiday season was going to be busy. I remember flying home from a tournament on Christmas Eve and not getting home until late Christmas Eve, it sucked, but it was part of the team. I remember having to go to basketball practice on Christmas, that too sucked, but it was part of the team. 

 

[Husker in WI]

The conclusions I have drawn is this, and maybe it's too harsh, but the way I see it is each press conference, be it a post loss or during the week these coaches and players rave about locker room unity, rave about the family atmosphere, talk about how tight they are, and how they want to play football. Now besides going out each Saturday and compiling 4-8 and 5-7 type records over the last handful of years, they are met with adversity and can actually prove with actions that they are determined to go to battle together and finish unfinished business and they decided to go home.

Has it been 9 long hellish months? Sure has, no arguing there, but dang you cant fight it off 7 more days together? They talk a lot at the podium, lots of things that sound good each week that get your hopes up that there will be changes for the upcoming Saturday, but it's lately been met with another loss, same mistakes, and same reasoning, followed by the same awesome podium talk to get you prepared for the next week. 

There was a chance here that the podium talk could actually prove in actions, without the worry about whether or not you'd win the game. This bowl game is nothing to do with the one extra practice, or the one extra game, it isn't about winning it even, it's simply the willingness and mindset to fight together as a team for just 7 more days to go to battle one more time.

As far as being home for the Holidays, there are many players on this roster that have been home for the Holidays their entire career at Nebraska. You'd think there would be some pride and some excitement at the chance of playing in a bowl game and bowl games do happen to be played around the holidays. If it's about being home for the Holidays, then they better start putting in the effort to be winning 10-11 games a year because going 7-5 might get you a bowl game around Christmas.

I remember playing basketball and on a travel team having to play in tournaments around Christmas. It was something I accepted when I played basketball, that my Holiday season was going to be busy. I remember flying home from a tournament on Christmas Eve and not getting home until late Christmas Eve, it sucked, but it was part of the team. I remember having to go to basketball practice on Christmas, that too sucked, but it was part of the team. 

I'm guessing you didn't spend 9 months apart from your family before your practice on Christmas or tournament of Christmas Eve. Believe it or not there are things more important than football, and I have zero problem with them acknowledging that. Also worth pointing out we were pretty much the first team back (at least in the Big Ten), so even ignoring the difference in games played our guys have more of a reason than most to decide it's been enough. Deciding to call it quits for the year instead of forgoing seeing their families for the first time in 6-9 months for Christmas to play in a meaningless bowl game we didn't earn has no bearing on how close the locker room is, and very little bearing on how much they want to play. 

 

[knapplc]

The conclusions I have drawn is this, and maybe it's too harsh, but the way I see it is each press conference, be it a post loss or during the week these coaches and players rave about locker room unity, rave about the family atmosphere, talk about how tight they are, and how they want to play football. Now besides going out each Saturday and compiling 4-8 and 5-7 type records over the last handful of years, they are met with adversity and can actually prove with actions that they are determined to go to battle together and finish unfinished business and they decided to go home.

Has it been 9 long hellish months? Sure has, no arguing there, but dang you cant fight it off 7 more days together? They talk a lot at the podium, lots of things that sound good each week that get your hopes up that there will be changes for the upcoming Saturday, but it's lately been met with another loss, same mistakes, and same reasoning, followed by the same awesome podium talk to get you prepared for the next week. 

There was a chance here that the podium talk could actually prove in actions, without the worry about whether or not you'd win the game. This bowl game is nothing to do with the one extra practice, or the one extra game, it isn't about winning it even, it's simply the willingness and mindset to fight together as a team for just 7 more days to go to battle one more time.

As far as being home for the Holidays, there are many players on this roster that have been home for the Holidays their entire career at Nebraska. You'd think there would be some pride and some excitement at the chance of playing in a bowl game and bowl games do happen to be played around the holidays. If it's about being home for the Holidays, then they better start putting in the effort to be winning 10-11 games a year because going 7-5 might get you a bowl game around Christmas.

I remember playing basketball and on a travel team having to play in tournaments around Christmas. It was something I accepted when I played basketball, that my Holiday season was going to be busy. I remember flying home from a tournament on Christmas Eve and not getting home until late Christmas Eve, it sucked, but it was part of the team. I remember having to go to basketball practice on Christmas, that too sucked, but it was part of the team. 

 

[BoNeyard]

Sure hope so! We've sort of being waiting for it to get better for 18 years now. Maybe getting these extra 7 days off will be enough to re-energize this team and get them hungry and ready to play come Spring and that translates into success next Fall.

 

[Huskers93-97]

Sure hope so! We've sort of being waiting for it to get better for 18 years now. Maybe getting these extra 7 days off will be enough to re-energize this team and get them hungry and ready to play come Spring and that translates into success next Fall.

All I know is this. No more Mother f#&%ing extensions until we get a 10 win season. After next season Frost will be back down to 5 years. If we win 4-5-6-7 games next year I do not want to see another 2 year extension. We need some proof of where this is headed before we lock it in any further- we NEED to have options the next few years. There is no reason to make 7 years the standard. 3-5 is good enough for most everyone. If he reels off 10 wins, 10 wins, 11 wins. Ok lock him down for 10 years. But until we get to that level he is not worth it. No one is coming to steal a sub 500 coach away from us.

 

[gossamorharpy]

All I know is this. No more Mother f#&%ing extensions until we get a 10 win season. After next season Frost will be back down to 5 years. If we win 4-5-6-7 games next year I do not want to see another 2 year extension. We need some proof of where this is headed before we lock it in any further- we NEED to have options the next few years. There is no reason to make 7 years the standard. 3-5 is good enough for most everyone. If he reels off 10 wins, 10 wins, 11 wins. Ok lock him down for 10 years. But until we get to that level he is not worth it. No one is coming to steal a sub 500 coach away from us.

Think this is a stance all of us can agree on lol^^^

 

[Undone]

I completely agree with the idea that the kids don't just play for my enjoyment and that putting the decision in their hands was completely fair by Frost.

But I also think that being matched up against a decent team, putting together a good game plan, and winning would have done quite a bit for our offense's confidence heading into the break and then spring ball.

Oh well. It was cool to be able to watch us play a game on 12/18 on a Friday night, honestly (that we won). I'll take that.

 

[krc1995]

And also, if we’re making staff changes and maybe the coaches in question are aware they are, or may be leaving, how much effort are they going to give? 
 

 

[Hilltop]

What would we have really gained with a handful of practices preparing for a triple option attack that we never, ever, see?  No real development would take place.  If everything went perfect, we finish 4-5.  That really wouldn't be viewed any differently imo.  On the other hand, lets say we go lay an egg against Army and then enter the offseason on a really negative tone.  Lose, lose situation if you play that game...   

I think we will be able to look back on this and think it was a great decision. 

FWIW, Tennessee just cancelled their bowl game.  It's looking like there are going to be very few of these meaningless games played.  

 

[lo country]

yeah sorry.

Basically it sounds like they had hoped to get to a December 30th game so they could rest for a few days.  Martinez and Wandale are banged up.

Vote was left up to positional leaders and there was definitely differing opinions.

In general it sounds like the offense didn't want to play.  Garret Nelson was interviewed after the game and basically said "let's keep playing football".  Callahan made the comment that he wonders if allowing the team to vote "backfired" on Frost.  He also said that the Walk-Ons and practice guys don't get to travel and this would have been their one opportunity to do so.  JoJo Doman is the only senior that has been to a bowl game.

Other comments made by the KFAB crew about how parents sued the B1G to play and now we are opting out of a game.  Is the fact that there is rift in the vote an a tell on the state of the program?

No worries.  Appreciate the info.