Next Season's Title Game: FSU v. Nebraska

[TGHusker]

NU in NCG talk is very strong

Just give me a good D

An O that isn't saddled by turnovers and penalties

where we aren't embarrassed on National TV

And we finally win a conference championship

 

[Husker66]

Wouldn't that be cool? Almost 20 years after 18-16, the rematch finally happens. I get that feeling that next year is going to be something special for us. Heck yes there are questions marks. Every team has them. However, there are so many positives. I also just have that feeling that something's going to happen. I haven't had that feeling since Osborne left.

Semi-finals: Nebraska 31 Oregon 27

FSU 44 LSU 13

Final: Nebraska 8 FSU 6 (We win on a last second field goal without the aid of any cheap calls from the refs to get us there).

Bo gets pissed at the end when his new bowl t-shirt is ruined by a Gatorade bath. He blows off the reporters as he leaves the field, still hot about the shirt. At the presser, he complains that, "If they want to fire me, go ahead." New Athletic Director, AJ Smith (formerly of the San Diego Chargers), takes him up on the offer and promptly fires Bo, then immediately hires Norv Turner to take the wheel of this dynasty!

Okay,the last paragraph was all in good fun. The reality is that at the end of the game Bo sings the school fight song with the band, stays around to give piggy back rides to kids, then takes his first vacation in 7 years, an overnight trip to Omaha. Bo then remains with the school for 4 more years, amassing an amazing 61-2 record, pulling in 3 more National Championships. Hey, if you are going to dream, why not dream big? Be that as it may, I honestly feel we'll be in the NC hunt next year. As for the piggy back rides, that might be unrealistic!

you serious Clark?

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

FSU just tried to throw on 3 & 10 from their 1 yd line, to no avail. Winston needs to watch the Gator bowl to see how it is done. Maybe TA can give him an up and close demonstration, if this thread comes to fruition.

 

[KJ.]

FSU just tried to throw on 3 & 10 from their 1 yd line, to no avail. Winston needs to watch the Gator bowl to see how it is done. Maybe TA can give him an up and close demonstration, if this thread comes to fruition.

Yeah, if this thread comes to fruition he'll definitely have to do that.

 

[NUpolo8]

I have not felt that Nebraska is going to be in any kind of title hunt after the Texas loss in 2010. I still don't feel it. I have hopes that a good qb will come in some day but, unless Stanton is that guy. Were a long way from contending for a national title.

Agreed. We need to worry about conference titles first. Maybe get a BCS game for this coaching staff, for the players.

What? Did you not see NU was ranked 25th AND 26th? Everything's fine! Let Bo get fat and happy for a change. This is toughest place to coach in the world.

 

[knapplc]

That schtick is getting old, my man. Time to shuffle the deck.

 

[NUpolo8]

That schtick is getting old, my man. Time to shuffle the deck.

It's not a schtick, it's more frustration.

Breaks down like this:

Is it a good thing Nebraska won its bowl game? Yes. Absolutely. Helps morale throughout this year, probably takes some pressure off of a lot of people in North Stadium, and it's certainly better than losing, which obviously sucks.

However, it was my hope, that most would have said "OK! Great win, doesn't change the fact that there were some pretty big issues that were prevalent all year. Let's see how we carry on and continue to improve off of this win."

Except it appears there's more of a "See???? The system works" attitude. That everything is hunky-dory, if you will. And sure enough, here come the posts saying Nebraska could have hung with Auburn or FSU last night, or that Nebraska is a "dark horse" for next year, just like they came in 2005, 2007, 2009, and many more. Well if that's the road that Nebraska travels down, and it's the attitude that the fans take, well I'm here to guarantee that nothing at all will change for the better.

It's already happening, look at the candidates to replace Joesph. Either a retread coach who had to leave due to sketchy circumstances or a new coach "learning on the job". This was the year Bo could have shown he's actually learning. And I'm gonna need more than a bowl win and a funny tweet about a cat.

 

[knapplc]

You're choosing your focus, and that's your right, but the "everything's hunky dory" attitude isn't the prevailing attitude. In fact, I don't notice that it's any different than it is after every single win.

The people who think winning the Gator Bowl proves it's all going well are a tiny minority.

Take another look: Those giants are windmills.

 

[Enhance]

The victory against Georgia has, in some ways, turned into more about Georgia losing the game than Nebraska winning it. Whereas if Georgia had won, it wouldn't have meant anything because they were the obvious choice to win and the favorite. Nebraska made plays against Georgia despite both teams being really beat up this year. It does make sense since they were the favorite. But, it's not like Georgia just gave the game away. For example, Josh Mitchell had that critical fourth down stop with a crushing hit that sent a Georgia player to the turf and caused the ball to pop out. Without that hit, it was a first down catch.

Anyways, I'm not ready to call Nebraska a dark horse contender for anything. I've let my hopes get up in previous years and it's just all the more disappointing when we fail. This year, I'm going in with about as realistic of expectations as possible. Nebraska has talent returning but the QB position isn't solidified, we may lose our best offensive player and we lose three starters on the offensive line. We look good defensively in the front seven but lost some multi-year starters in the secondary.

Another problem is turnovers, something we've been unable to remedy. Should Nebraska be able to fix that problem, we could be in the 11-12 win range I think at best. But, I think another 9 or 10 win season is the more likely outcome.

 

[NUpolo8]

Well, this discussion is taking place in a thread where it's predicted (probably in jest, but it's still here) that NU makes the final playoff next year. And it's surrounded by other threads that are celebrating Nebraska's "ranking", and the dance party that Florida St beat the Sec, because that somehow makes us look better by proxy. We may have to agree to disagree with the "minority" comment you made.

 

[TGHusker]

NU has much more to prove they can be spoken in the same sentence wt Auburn, FSU and now even MSU. They have to prove it next year on the field. Until then it is more preseason disappointing hype that we've seen for the last 3 years - ever since the "Nebraska is Back" comment. FSU proved that they are back - now we have to prove it.

 

[knapplc]

OK, guys, we're going to split up, and we need lots of volunteers.

I need four people to cover the upstairs bedrooms, a couple for the bathroom and the hallway/linen closet and one to search the bookcase by the stairs.

I need three people to search the living room, four for the family room, two for the kitchen, one for each of the first-floor bathrooms (and the mudroom), two people to search both the dining room and the vestibule, and one more for the laundry/hallway.

I'm going to need four more for the family room downstairs, one for the exercise room, one for each office, two for the pool/game room and someone needs to take the under-stairs storage area.

I'll need two people for the garage (don't forget to look behind the shop bench and you'll have to move the grinder - don't be lazy), and I need three hardy volunteers to check outdoors on the driveway, walkway and the entryway. If you could check the breezeway along the north side that would be great, but I don't think he's been there for a while.

I figure if we all work together and don't slack off, eventually we'll find NUpolo8's missing sense of humor.

First one to find it gets a +1!

 

[NUpolo8]

OK, guys, we're going to split up, and we need lots of volunteers.
I need four people to cover the upstairs bedrooms, a couple for the bathroom and the hallway/linen closet and one to search the bookcase by the stairs.

I need three people to search the living room, four for the family room, two for the kitchen, one for each of the first-floor bathrooms (and the mudroom), two people to search both the dining room and the vestibule, and one more for the laundry/hallway.

I'm going to need four more for the family room downstairs, one for the exercise room, one for each office, two for the pool/game room and someone needs to take the under-stairs storage area.

I'll need two people for the garage (don't forget to look behind the shop bench and you'll have to move the grinder - don't be lazy), and I need three hardy volunteers to check outdoors on the driveway, walkway and the entryway. If you could check the breezeway along the north side that would be great, but I don't think he's been there for a while.

I figure if we all work together and don't slack off, eventually we'll find NUpolo8's missing sense of humor.

First one to find it gets a +1!

I've got some killer Nelson Mandela jokes in the queue.......

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I don't think that most rational Husker fans are thinking that winning the Gator Bowl should overshadow the glaring problems that occurred this year, and in years past. But what I hope to see out of that Gator Bowl win is momentum, something that the younger players (TA especially) can draw from and reach for bigger and better things next season.

There's a lot of confidence on this team, more so than years past I think. Winning against an SEC might just light a flame in everyone.

Dammit, it's the offseason.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Before last night, I'd a thought this thread as a whole was ludicrous. But after watching that game last night, frickin Auburn was 13 seconds from WINNING the national title. I keep going back and forth as to whether or not we're really that close to taking the proverbial next step. Last night's game sealed it for me. We are. Seriously we are. I know I know. There's no evidence to think that anything will change and improve, but I'll tell you what, here's a couple factual scenarios that should tell you that the otherwize is plenty possble.

What would your repsonse had been if someone told you 1 year ago today that Auburn would be playing for the National title, and had a shot at winning the game? Mind you, they went 3-9 last year, and went 0'fer in conference, hired a new coach and overhauled EVERYTHING.

What would your response had been if on September 15th (day after UCLA game) that by the end of the year, our defense would be the mainstay of the team? Keeping us in games. Winning us games @ Michigan and @Penn St. Carrying the team in a win over GEORGIA.

Things change. They improve. And in this day and age of college football, with the talent gap across the country as narrow as ever, with parity as rampant as ever, things can change so fast. Games are tight and can swing on a handful of plays or even less. This is not crazy talk anymore.

Frankly, fixing the punt return disaster and limiting (eliminating is too much to ask for of any team) turnovers will get us back to Indy for starters.