caveman99
All-American
Exactly, I love how everyone is trying to equate this to game performance as the "tradition." As Huskerswrkhavok said above, the 2-deep got them at the end of fall ball just prior to the first game week. It symbolized the work it took to become a starter. Back then the work was tough, the walk on team was large and fought the scholarship players tooth and nail. Still the overall performance of the starting D in the 80's was good, but not the model of perfection everyone seems to make a Blackshirt D to be. The tradition wasn't created or changed by the dominance of the teams in the 90's but that seems to be all that anyone remembers. How is this for a comparison, no one in the Big XII is higher than 34 in total D (Oklahoma). In fact only 3 teams are in the top 50 in total D, OU, UT, and OSU. Nebraska sits 5th in the Big XII at 64 in total D. From being very near the bottom last year to upper half of the Big XII I would say is a signal that this year's team understands what level of effort and dedication it takes to play at this level. They have earned the Blackshirts.It seems no one remembers the 80s when our defense was why we never won national titles. They gave them out back then, right?I'm just getting tired about how everyone thinks they deserve it now. Why should we hand them out now and trivialize the whole tradition. And I know, i'm going to hear what about the seniors, but they should be the ones leading the way, and taking ownership of this defense.
I equate the handing out of the blackshirts, to a "moral victory"
We're not about moral victories, Nebraska never will be as long as I'm head coach. If we start being about moral victories, you need to get a new coach."