What we learned today...

[Flood]

A greater topic was how close we were to a MNC and, if not that, what bowl we would blow out some other team in.

Tom's bowl record is 12-13, including losing 7 straight from '87-'93. Sometimes what we accomplished in his final 5 coaching seasons is what we remember most.....and for good reason.

I clearly remember those years. They were a b!^@h as a fan. I was either in the stadium, in the early years of those teams, or in a radio station control room listening, as I worked in broadcasting.

They were tough years for sure.

I guess where that time differs is that, we all knew, or suspected, that we had a winner in Tom. The bowl losses hurt, some very badly, but we had a guy we KNEW could figure it out. And we gave him the benefit of the doubt, regardless of how long it took.

Today's world is different. A coach gets, if they are lucky, three years to turn it around or to reach for a ring. Any kind of ring, whether it be a conference championship, a major bowl, a benchmark win against a serious rival.

Tom didn't really have to deal with as much pressure. There WAS pressure, just not so immediate.

In that sense, I feel for Bo. A lot of the internet fanbase is thinking he has to win NOW. It took tom a LONG time to get to the MNC level, and even longer to get the first MNC. The Florida teams were Tom's bane, and it took awhile. I feel we are close with Bo, that he is close to breaking through.

I only hope we give him the time to do so. It may well be another 5-7 years. The most important point is we have not dropped off the radar nationally. When that happens, I will also accept defeat and say let's move on.

So far, we are in the mix. We are ranked, it's early, and who knows?

Now I am rambling.

Time for another glass of wine.

Tom's world really wasn't much different. It's pretty common knowledge he seriously considered taking the Colorado gig because of the criticism he was taking from the fanbase. I think I read somewhere on HB that even some of the boosters were questioning Tom's abilities and were discussing the idea of hiring a new coach.

Personally, the problem I see are a lot of Nebraska fans are spoiled. They became so spoiled from the latter years of Tom's career that they act as if they're entitled to root for a team that dominates every aspect of every game in every season. It's not going to happen. It didn't happen during Tom's career, it didn't happen during Devaney's career and it sure as hell isn't and won't happen during Bo's tenure.

This is probably the first season in a long time when IDGAF how the season pans out. Win, lose or draw, there will be next season and another season after that and another one after that one and so on. Why stress and get all butthurt over a bunch of kids playing a sport who don't seem to be playing up to fan expection.

Tom's world was different in that the internet did not exist. The fanbase had to write ACTUAL LETTERS to the local news rag and then wait for a response from first Nebraska, and then from outside media. It took days or weeks, sometimes months, for backlash to develop. Now that same backlash can develop in minutes.

A huge difference.

It is a roller coaster world, and we are a team that always needed time to develop seriously contending teams. When we had them, no one could stop us. But when we didn't we always came close.

Lately, we have had flashes of greatness but no actual greatness.

I still say let's give Bo another 5-7 years.

But I feel like I am arguing with myself in some perverse Jekyll and Hyde myopia. If that makes any sense.

I just hope we get it done.

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

Tom's world was different in that the internet did not exist. The fanbase had to write ACTUAL LETTERS to the local news rag and then wait for a response from first Nebraska, and then from outside media. It took days or weeks, sometimes months, for backlash to develop. Now that same backlash can develop in minutes.

A huge difference.

It is a roller coaster world, and we are a team that always needed time to develop seriously contending teams. When we had them, no one could stop us. But when we didn't we always came close.

Lately, we have had flashes of greatness but no actual greatness.

I still say let's give Bo another 5-7 years.

But I feel like I am arguing with myself in some perverse Jekyll and Hyde myopia. If that makes any sense.

I just hope we get it done.

I'm not disagreeing with you. If it came across that way, my apologies. On the contrary. I was actually trying to make the same point you just made re: the media, backlash, etc. I just managed to let myself go off on a rant.

 

[Flood]

Tom's world was different in that the internet did not exist. The fanbase had to write ACTUAL LETTERS to the local news rag and then wait for a response from first Nebraska, and then from outside media. It took days or weeks, sometimes months, for backlash to develop. Now that same backlash can develop in minutes.

A huge difference.

It is a roller coaster world, and we are a team that always needed time to develop seriously contending teams. When we had them, no one could stop us. But when we didn't we always came close.

Lately, we have had flashes of greatness but no actual greatness.

I still say let's give Bo another 5-7 years.

But I feel like I am arguing with myself in some perverse Jekyll and Hyde myopia. If that makes any sense.

I just hope we get it done.

I'm not disagreeing with you. If it came across that way, my apologies. On the contrary. I was actually trying to make the same point you just made re: the media, backlash, etc. I just managed to let myself go off on a rant.

No, no, it's no issue.

I feel a little bizarre, and even a little left behind in this new world.

The kids and fans of today bear little resemblance to what I was raised on.

I am not sure who has the misplaced expectations.

I hope it's not me, but I am having doubts.

 

[Branno]

It's also a game of momentum. It shifted when TMart threw the pick. Had he not, worst case scenario we kick a field goal. Kick off and they have no momentum and have 75 yards to go to score.

Playing that game, had Smith not thrown his 2 picks, they probably win going away.

Playing that game, had the refs called holding during the game they would have scored 0 points and had 0 yards of offense.

I like how our fans have resorted to blaming the refs when we were playing f'ing Wyoming. We were holding too. You should probably go back and watch the game again.

+1. We were getting no calls just as many times as they were getting no calls. You man the f#*k up and play the game. Complacency will not get you anywhere.

I was taking his argument, and taking it to an extreme. I wasn't being serious, I was trying to show how irrational that line of thinking is.

 

[beanman]

Gotcha, thanks

 

[Count 'Bility]

I just learned that in the past 3 games we've given up an average of 8.9 yds per play. Outstanding. I'm sure Stumpy, EZ and all the other worshipers will find some way to spin that one into a positive.

Well, in the previous two game prior to yesterday we were giving up 57.5 points per game but only gave up 34 yesterday. That's a 23.5 point per game improvement. I say we're on the right track.

What's your point. You nitpick on the last 3 games to spin your point (speaking of spin). Why not go back another 2 games...

Minnesota 3.10 yds/play

Iowa 3.17 yds/play

That brings the average over the last 5 games to 5.06 yds/play.

Speaking of spin................

 

[clyde40]

I learned that apparently one game defines an entire season.... and that Nebraska wasn't the only team in the nation to struggle with a lesser opponent.

 

[Michiganball]

It's also a game of momentum. It shifted when TMart threw the pick. Had he not, worst case scenario we kick a field goal. Kick off and they have no momentum and have 75 yards to go to score.

Playing that game, had Smith not thrown his 2 picks, they probably win going away.

Playing that game, had the refs called holding during the game they would have scored 0 points and had 0 yards of offense.

I like how our fans have resorted to blaming the refs when we were playing f'ing Wyoming. We were holding too. You should probably go back and watch the game again.

Yea there was a good deal of Confirmation bias going on, one should find surprising that all the fouls are always against them, hmmm. Refs give leeway and many calls are between the boundary of definitely not a foul and definitely a foul, they have to decide quick and on the spot how close to definitely this foul is. Also notice that refs usually will make a favorable call towards a team that might have been wronged in a obvious lack of a call that everyone sees on the big screen. In the end it evens out, Football in most cases is very even regarding mistakes if not for its 3 hour duration. Now that Texas call adding time at the end of the game, that's another story.

 

[NebraskaShellback]

Never ending b!^@h fest of some husker fans.

 

[deedsker]

I am just glad we didn't plat Northern Iowa, William & Mary, or Eastern Washington. No way we pull out a win then.

 

[deedsker]

I just realized there is no explicit fire Bo Pelini thread.

Seriously, how did one NOT pop up after that game.

 

[AFhusker]

I just realized there is no explicit fire Bo Pelini thread.

Seriously, how did one NOT pop up after that game.

If Bo owns 5 of the top 10 worst defensive performances in school history after the UCLA game (if they do what they did to us last year), then it will be hard for even the drunkest kool-aid drinker to defend him.

 

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

Ok, here's the deal, we're Nebraska, at least we're supposed to be, and they are Wyo. We should not even be having this conversation as we--Nebraska--should have been able to steamroll them 4-5 yds off the ball and leave no doubt about making the conversion. Thats the way I see it and that's why I made that initial comment.

Nebraska wasn't Nebraska and Wyoming wasn't Wyoming in 1994? How many years has it been since we could line up and blow someone, almost anyone off the ball?

18 yrs. I guess we haven't been Nebraska for some time, eh?

 

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

I just learned that in the past 3 games we've given up an average of 8.9 yds per play. Outstanding. I'm sure Stumpy, EZ and all the other worshipers will find some way to spin that one into a positive.

Ouch

 

[BOurNe sUpremacy]

I learned that a lot of people think they are better defensive football coaches than Bo Pelini. That, gentlemen, is absurd.

Don't see a single post here where someone is claiming to be a better DC than Bo Pelinin...just that his defenses aren't as great as we thought they were. I think Bo brought a lot of inovation to the league from the NFL...some ahead of the curve stuff. Now the rest of the coaches are catching up and Bo has shown an inability to take his game to the next level. Whether it's due to hiring underlings instead of proven people to be his coordinators (fresh perspective is not a bad thing) I don't know....don't claim to know. But his teams are consistently sloppy and that's a reflection on the coach. His teams take plays off and often don't play hard for 4 quarters...that's probably again the coach.

Again, doesn't take a proven DC to see the poor habits his players have had for 5 years. Habits that have cost us games many times...

In other words, you don't have to be a musician to know when a song is bad.