Is this a must win game?

sd said:
i have been thinking about this for awhile and i think it explains why it is so hard to be a husker fan sometimes. for the past decade there have been a lot of games when we were underdogs, but i still hoped we would win because i saw the team we were about to play struggle with an inferior team. i also saw teams like lsu lose to kentucky or florida lose to ole miss. i would think, maybe we could pull off the upset because we somehow overachieve and they have their worst game of the year. but it never really happened and it bummed me out.

but here is the thing. one, we want to be the better team. i realize that. but more importantly, two, we are still nebraska and even when we are at our worse, teams play us at their best. we have seen it quite a bit. even though you get whiners here saying, 'we are no nebraska anymore', ask the isu team who beat us who we are. there is a reason we get upset and blown-out when we should not. now, this does not excuse our poor play, but it does explain why we see the best from other teams quite a bit. we may not think so, but a win against nebraska still means something to those teams.

finally, i think we will beat michigan this week. but no one here will be impressed, because if we do beat michigan, after all, they are not that good.
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For the team to achieve their stated goals heading into the season, this is a must win game.

For the program to gain any sort of national credibility, this is a must win game.

For the fans to feel as though things are moving in the right direction, this is a must win game.

 
Well for me beating Michigan is the most important game of the year, will almost always be. Winningest college football, first to 900 wins, we shared a MNC that got down right ugly. I want to see us kick their but everytime we face them. Right about the time we won the 3 MNC we were projected to take over being the winningest team, our path looked sound. Well things changed.

I respect Michigan, but would hate to lose to them in our house.

So if we win, you will not hear a negative thing about it from me. It will mean that Bo is capable of winning a big game, with his recruits and a lot on the line. It would be a major victory for the program.

A win would make a great impression on our new AD.

A win would get us closer to a championship (no matter how tainted) that has been promised for 5 years.

A win would give us non bolievers a thought that he can get it done.

Yes this is a must win. We need this win more than any in a long long long time.

A loss says we are not as good as Michigan, who is out recruiting us badly, meaning they only get better, and we might lose the fence setters

A loss puts Bo on the hot seat period! That will affect recruiting this year instantly.

Yes this a must win.

 
I am often in the minority here... and am again. Anyway... I do not see this as a must win game. Sure, it would be great to win and I hope we do. But if we lose a tight one and play fairly well (or even quite well.. but not good enough)... then progress has been made and it is a move in the right direction. If we get stomped... that is bad --- especially if NU plays poorly (again).

So... I will say it is a "must improve" game and a "must be better game" --- but a must win... no.

The "must win" view, I'd surmise, is predicated on the premise that NU must win in order to make it to the conference championship game and potentially win the conference. A win Saturday is a must if a championship in the conference is in view. But... from where I stand, OSU is the champion of the conference already (in that they are the clearly best in the conference by a wide margin). Even if NU actually formally wins the conference (because OSU cannot play for the title), the "championship" will be hollow and meaningless. The OSU/NU game then becomes the true championship game --- and that was badly lost.

This year, a B1G championship is meaningless... almost to the point that it should not be awarded. The only meaning is that it pits that champion into a BCS game where they will likely be wildly over-matched and embarrassingly lose.

So... on Saturday the game is not a "must win" --- though I hope we win. In any event, lets see some forward progress.

 
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Junior said:
sd said:
i have been thinking about this for awhile and i think it explains why it is so hard to be a husker fan sometimes. for the past decade there have been a lot of games when we were underdogs, but i still hoped we would win because i saw the team we were about to play struggle with an inferior team. i also saw teams like lsu lose to kentucky or florida lose to ole miss. i would think, maybe we could pull off the upset because we somehow overachieve and they have their worst game of the year. but it never really happened and it bummed me out.

but here is the thing. one, we want to be the better team. i realize that. but more importantly, two, we are still nebraska and even when we are at our worse, teams play us at their best. we have seen it quite a bit. even though you get whiners here saying, 'we are no nebraska anymore', ask the isu team who beat us who we are. there is a reason we get upset and blown-out when we should not. now, this does not excuse our poor play, but it does explain why we see the best from other teams quite a bit. we may not think so, but a win against nebraska still means something to those teams.

finally, i think we will beat michigan this week. but no one here will be impressed, because if we do beat michigan, after all, they are not that good.
Click to expand...
For the team to achieve their stated goals heading into the season, this is a must win game.

For the program to gain any sort of national credibility, this is a must win game.

For the fans to feel as though things are moving in the right direction, this is a must win game.
Click to expand...
Junior said:
sd said:
i have been thinking about this for awhile and i think it explains why it is so hard to be a husker fan sometimes. for the past decade there have been a lot of games when we were underdogs, but i still hoped we would win because i saw the team we were about to play struggle with an inferior team. i also saw teams like lsu lose to kentucky or florida lose to ole miss. i would think, maybe we could pull off the upset because we somehow overachieve and they have their worst game of the year. but it never really happened and it bummed me out.

but here is the thing. one, we want to be the better team. i realize that. but more importantly, two, we are still nebraska and even when we are at our worse, teams play us at their best. we have seen it quite a bit. even though you get whiners here saying, 'we are no nebraska anymore', ask the isu team who beat us who we are. there is a reason we get upset and blown-out when we should not. now, this does not excuse our poor play, but it does explain why we see the best from other teams quite a bit. we may not think so, but a win against nebraska still means something to those teams.

finally, i think we will beat michigan this week. but no one here will be impressed, because if we do beat michigan, after all, they are not that good.
Click to expand...
For the team to achieve their stated goals heading into the season, this is a must win game.

For the program to gain any sort of national credibility, this is a must win game.

For the fans to feel as though things are moving in the right direction, this is a must win game.
Click to expand...
Junior:

NU is so far removed from national credibility that a win against Michigan (or a loss)... will not modify that view overly.

As for a perception of improvement... well if NU plays well (and narrowly loses) improvement will be evident. The team can improve and still not win. Or, can win and not improve (like the win against NW). Or win and improve. So... the win or loss... at least in the formal sense, does not necessarily ensure progress (or lack of progress).

Anyway... hope we play well and I also hope we win!

 
In terms of winning the con of-course it's a must-win. In terms of not having the wheels come off this season our must-win was last week.

 
a thought crossed my mind that I had not considered before. For the players on this team this may very well be a "must win" in that a loss (especially if they play badly again) could be very demoralizing and sink their confidence in themselves (and their coaches) to dangerously low level. From their perspective, knowing how poorly they have played, this may be seen by them as a "put up or shut up" game of redeeming themselves. That is... "a must win" game.

from that perspective, it may very well be a must win. As regards national perception, national significance, or general progress... well it is not so much a must win... but for their confidence going forward... perhaps it is.

 
robsker said:
Junior:

NU is so far removed from national credibility that a win against Michigan (or a loss)... will not modify that view overly.

As for a perception of improvement... well if NU plays well (and narrowly loses) improvement will be evident. The team can improve and still not win. Or, can win and not improve (like the win against NW). Or win and improve. So... the win or loss... at least in the formal sense, does not necessarily ensure progress (or lack of progress).

Anyway... hope we play well and I also hope we win!
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I agree this is true in general, and I certainly considered it true in 2009 in the losses to Virginia Tech and Texas. However, it is year 5 of the Pelini era. At this point we have to win these games for many (including me) to consider us heading in the right direction. A loss, even a close one, just indicates more of the status quo.

 
If they want this season to mean anything at all, then I think they have to win it.

Otherwise, just treading more water.

 
I don't think the Huskers under Pelini are progressing. In key aspects like defensive athletic talent and overall team discipline, they appear to be regressing.

That's why it's vital to see some improvement this year, even if it's a hard fought loss to a Michigan team that rolled over us last year.

Either way, Pelini gets a sixth season.

And that's his make-or-break season.

Speaking of expectations, we were willing to give a bit more leeway as the Huskers entered the more powerful Big 10. But can you imagine if the Huskers were still in the Big 12? Looking down the barrell of Oklahoma, Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Okie State, Texas, Iowa State, the only respite perhaps being Kansas?

The last two seasons were really set up for Nebraska to make its mark in the Big 10, and we've been playing second tier.

 
Their goal is to win the Big Ten. A loss eliminates their goal.

I agree with Robsker, winning the Big Ten is like kissing your sister. We got beat badly by the team that would be in the lead for the conference championship. Yea we might get there, but not beating/losing to the best team normally means you are not the champion.

But their goal was announced before the sanctions I believe so it makes the goal good, just the reward is tainted.

This program needs this win, Bo needs this win, the kids need this win, and we as fans need this win. This is a very big game for this program, it will say loud and clear, if we are on the right track or we need to change drastically. But as Robsker says, if we play well and lose to a better team so be it. All of us can deal with losing to a better team. But if we continously shoot our selves, screw the pooch, it will be obvious to most that we have to do something else as this is not working and really has no future.

Here is hoping for a great win for the Huskers and fans.

 
robsker said:
I am often in the minority here... and am again. Anyway... I do not see this as a must win game. Sure, it would be great to win and I hope we do. But if we lose a tight one and play fairly well (or even quite well.. but not good enough)... then progress has been made and it is a move in the right direction. If we get stomped... that is bad --- especially if NU plays poorly (again).

So... I will say it is a "must improve" game and a "must be better game" --- but a must win... no.

The "must win" view, I'd surmise, is predicated on the premise that NU must win in order to make it to the conference championship game and potentially win the conference. A win Saturday is a must if a championship in the conference is in view. But... from where I stand, OSU is the champion of the conference already (in that they are the clearly best in the conference by a wide margin). Even if NU actually formally wins the conference (because OSU cannot play for the title), the "championship" will be hollow and meaningless. The OSU/NU game then becomes the true championship game --- and that was badly lost.

This year, a B1G championship is meaningless... almost to the point that it should not be awarded. The only meaning is that it pits that champion into a BCS game where they will likely be wildly over-matched and embarrassingly lose.

So... on Saturday the game is not a "must win" --- though I hope we win. In any event, lets see some forward progress.
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Its is always better to have a Conference Championship Trophy than not. I'm sure we have several in our case right now that say Big 8 Champion from years where the Big 8 was not in play for anything larger. Do we stop counting those? Hell no. And no one else does either.

This is a must win. Lose and the realistic best we do is second place in the division. Mich will have a 2 game lead, and the tiebreaker, so essentially a 3 game lead, and they are not going to lose 3 of their last 4.

 
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