Pre-Season Excitement since 2010

[Husker_x]

This is in a way one of the strongest arguments for coaching change.

Who in their right mind would attend the spring game? Who's going to read Sam or Steve or Dirk's spring articles? Who's going to tune into Sharp and Benning or USC? I'm serious. What would be the point? To hear nine months of "erg herm––well" rationalizations about why we should expect anything at all out of next season?

Count me out. I got a stack of books a hundred deep I've been meaning to get to. I'll always be a fan, but I can't cry on cue, and I can't make myself not know what I know about our prospects.

Barring some miraculous end to the season, what does Bo––or anyone who makes coin hawking the program in some way––have left to sell?

 

[tattooedhusker]

I will always be a fan and will never stop watching games and following the program. However, I too have changed. I guess I just don't expect much after the past decade.

I don't know how many of you feel this way, but the losses just don't hurt as much anymore because they have become so common.

I laughed through most of that Iowa State debacle. It was just such a head-scratching loss that you couldn't really get too upset over it. I now feel like that through each of our losses. It's become something of a joke - where you just shake your head and go about your day.

I kind of know the feeling. I found myself laughing and continuing to watch the "game" saturday, just to see how bad it got.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

I was thinking about this earlier today . . . I think my interest/excitement/belief in the Pelini era peaked in 2010. On a ten point scale my interest at the beginning of each season probably looked something like this:

2010 - 10! We were (arguably) one second away in the previous season. We blanked AU in the Holiday Bowl. Everything was looking up.

2011 - 9. Excited about the conference change. We're going to show the Big Ten what speed looks like!

2012 - 7. Felt like we had slumped towards the finish in the previous year. Don't see much reason for optimism.

2013 - 4. The previous year sucked. The Wisconsin game was a worse loss than Georgia was a good win. No change in sight.

2014 - 3. Same coach. Same problems. Same results. No reason to expect anything different.

Now I'm thinking about 2015. If Bo is still the coach at Nebraska in 2015, regardless of whether he is given a third chance to hire different coordinators, I can't see being interested at all. Oh, sure. I'll probably watch the games if I'm free. I might even go to one if the opportunity presents itself. But the passion just won't be there.

Maybe that's my fault. Maybe I'm a "bad fan," whatever that means. Maybe I'm growing up and my interests are changing but I don't think that I'm alone.

It's time for a change.

It's going to be hard to get myself to watch the Minnesota game. Things shouldn't be that way.

 

[skersfan]

I have been a fan for a long time, I guess it will not change, Callahan made me understand that things change, Bo has made it even more obvious that Nebraska is not the Nebraska of old.

I came into this coaching change against it whole heartedly. Many things went on that I was aware of as a close friend worked inside the program. Giving me information that I knew was happening. Things that should never have happened.

I knew Bo was not prepared to be a head coach, and I knew he had anger management problems, prior to leaving the first time, more at Oklahoma and a couple at LSU. He had a fan that spends a lot of money, put him the head coaching position at Nebraska. All of this long before it was even announced. I did not believe it could happen. But it did. Money has a way of making things happen that should not.

I have caught a lot of hell on here for my comments, have listened and tried very hard to be supportive of the staff. More this year than ever before.

I can not say I am happy with what is happening, I can not say it should or shouldn't.

I will say that I will continue to be excited for the games, to see the kids play, hopefully to see, full seas of red.

Bo brought us some excitement his first two years, and as most I had hoped he could do the job, not because I like him, but I loved Nebraska. Bo here or gone, I still love Nebraska, I will die doing that. So I will continue to go when I can, have tailgates for the far away games.

But he has killed the excitement for me. I expect what we get every year. I would imagine some of things he did when he left the first time will return after he is gone. Misguided loyalty would be the words I guess.

I truly wish I had been wrong about what I felt would happen. I hate seeing you guys going through this, some of you love this program it is obvious. Lets hope Shawn makes the right decision, what ever it is

 

[Husker66]

i've been checked out for a while, now. maybe a few years, i'm still interested, but its muted. I actually started a thread like this a few weeks ago and then just decided even that wasn't worth it!

I don't get to Lincoln as much anymore. Since we left the Big 12, we get 0 coverage in KC, so i don't hear much anymore except on the internet. i don't put husker games ahead of anything anymore, and that's probably good for me and my family, bad for Nebraska. ill have espn gamecast on my phone. ,but that's all. if i happen to be home which is rare in the fall. ill watch.

problem is, we are where we all feared we would get to if things got bad. things are bad. we are here.

as i said in another thread if it isn't financially damaging to N yet, but i think its coming.

i really never thought this could happen at Nebraska

 

[irafreak]

Was there ever this much apathy felt in looking towards the next season under same coach under Callahan? It's a serious question. I think each under Callahan, looking forward to the next season was met with intriging mixes of curiosity, excitement, what-ifs and the such. Now it's jsut the merry go round of whatevs.

I understand the angst built up by some the last offseason. and I argued against pretty much all it. Thought at the time I had valid points. Those points obviously were not that valid at all, in a revisionist way of course. But at this point, I agree. I dont see how there could be any excitement whatosever for football if things are kept status quo and things like basketball put up a great season and god forbid win an NCAA tourney game. And i'm not sure there could be anything done the rest of this season aside from winning out, flukishly backing our way into the CCG and winning that too, to change that. And like if said before, it that does for some reason happen, it's because there were some drastic and glaring changes made immediately. And I'm pretty sure those necessary changes are not possible in such a short period of time. The problems ARE systemic. They ARE cultural at this point. And really the only logical fix is probably the reset button.

Just my though

I dropped off the callahan ship early in the first season. Started following Frank Solich and Ohio football. Not because the of the wins/losses but because there was no embrace in who we are as a fanbase. The coach made me feel alienated...didn't want to be a part of Nebraska tradition it was just a job. I feel like that with Bo again. Wins/losses be damned I don't feel like the guy wants to represent us, he's doing his job.

Now if you win it covers some of that but you know what's been fun about being a chiefs and royals fan the last couple of years? The comradery (seriously F this word...good god what a nightmare to spell....had to google it over and over and this site still says it's wrong) was special. I mean the chiefs have made the playoffs plenty of times in my lifetime (royals I was a wee lad) but it didn't have that connection with the fans feel (think Todd Haley playoff year). Bo felt fun early on (Nebraska's back and we're here to stay...I point the thumb...these fans were loud and electric). I feel like he despises us. Whether that's really the case or not isn't the issue because it's not just me.

Then you got players getting after us and where is Bo to step in and stop this nonsense?

Im a big Chiefs fan too. We could talk for hours on what such positive changes do.

But the thing that I'm different on is Callahans first year, is that I pretty much remember him trying to embrace and saying the right things and so on. I just think that the complete flip in overall philosophy was such culture shock to the fanbase, and then to see it JUST NOT WORK in that first year and half, well, lets be honest. In that firs year, that's what REALLY rubbed people the wrong way. My dad is a perfect example. He NEVER gave Callahan a chance because he immediately flipped our culture, our identity into somethings irecognizeable, even though it was his personal expertise.

Does that make sense?

My dad did the same thing. Went to the KU game that year and the guy started cheering for KU to win (and he's the one that got me hooked on the Huskers at an early age.) I think the Solich firing was what really upset him (and me as well). Seemed like a we're spoiled move at the time. I didn't like Callahan forcing Joe Dailey to do things he couldn't. I hated Joe Dailey casually stepping out of bounds to lose the Southern Miss game (that was infuriating). Watching tech drop 70 on us as he continued to call pass play after pass play which dailey threw to Tech player after Tech player. Hated the Callahan hire shortly after seeing a few of these things. I did appreciate the f-ing hillbillies because I liked that he was sticking up for his kids.

 

[Jeremy]

The win over an injured, but tough Georgia squad gave me high hopes. This was the year, and I'm not talking about winning an natty.

I'm talkin' about a conference title, first since '99; some REAL hardware. We have 48 eight of them already, but this drought has been utterly torturous. The way college ball is now? You get that trophy, and THEN a trip to the 'big' bowl, or, (gasp) the playoff! But not us. Outside looking in, year after year, now decades...

I guess I didn't realize how awesome and special that dominant win over texas was down in San Antonio. Crouch, the (real) Blackshirts, even Solich deserve a lot of credit, because as of today, none of us see anything like that in this program's future.

The reason for this apathy is that we've SEEN real football. We KNOW what it looks like, and it used to be on display almost every Saturday. Guys who coached and played not just for championships, but for each other. You'd have a kid from Shickley blocking his heart out for a highly touted recruit from Dallas, LA, or South Florida - it was a symphony. We were big, strong, fast, and mean. Should we lose? Well, the other team was simply better and there isn't much to hang our heads about.

Those 'N's all in a line up front - 3 point stance, big boys, several former walk-ons, comin' right at you. You know the play before it happens, but you can't stop it. We're gonna break the tackle anyway. We'll get our 4+ yards. And line up and do it again. And again. Until we score. Then our monsters on defense are gonna eat your lunch. After we break your QB in half.

We didn't play patty-cake. We didn't read. We ATTACKED. And we won.

I'll never lose hope that this mentality will once again make it's residence in Lincoln, and the block red N will bring fear as it once did. Better days ahead.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Here is another thing that baffles me about Bo. He is supposed to be a defensive mind. He has put together some defenses that were very dominant. When you look at his LSU defense or here in 2009 or 2010...come on....who wouldn't be happy about that?

BUT....then how often has his defenses been absolutely totally embarrassed? It really is amazing the difference.

Let's think about this for a minute. Melvin Gordon ran for more yards against us than Mike Rosier ever did against ANYONE during the scoring explosion.....WTH?????

Now, I will argue to my grave that Wisconsin's offense wasn't more talented than what we have on defense right now.

BUT....when something went wrong on the field, did Bo think introspectively about..."hey....we need to change this because what we are calling isn't working". No. He flipped out and totally melted down at everyone else around him.

Let's simply take when he blew up at Daniel Davie. Nebraska was still in the game. I believe this was the first long TD that Gordon had ran. Davie simply made one mistake and There was NO help behind him.

Well, I'm sorry, if Bo is calling defenses against an offense that has Melvin Gordon and a very questionable passing attack and the success is contingent on absolutely NOBODY making a mistake or it goes to the house.....well......that's a problem with the scheme and who is controlling the defense on the sidelines. A mistake like what Davie made should have resulted in maybe a 10-15 yard gain instead of a 50 yard TD without being touched.

Bo's reaction to his own mistake is unacceptable as a leader.

 

[kchusker_chris]

Well, I'm sorry, if Bo is calling defenses against an offense that has Melvin Gordon and a very questionable passing attack and the success is contingent on absolutely NOBODY making a mistake or it goes to the house.....well......that's a problem with the scheme and who is controlling the defense on the sidelines. A mistake like what Davie made should have resulted in maybe a 10-15 yard gain instead of a 50 yard TD without being touched.

If only we'd had a guy like P.J. Smith tell us that the scheme stinks against Wisconsin because as a CB you get left on an island....oh wait...

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

If only we had the coaching savvy and football talent of Western Illinois, which held Gordon to 2.2 yards a carry.