Josh Oct 08 07

Darren,

Agreed.

Sam is one of the few Husker players that display those characteristics of a fierce competitor (Dillard and Octavien too).

It's irrelevant, but he would have received my vote for captain.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't care if the Huskers get defeated by a better team. But, what I do care about are these elements: effort, internal fire, emotion, mental toughness, and ruthless abandon. Those are 5 key elements that a succesful football team must have. Those aren't X's and O's elements, folks. Those are things that every player can control. Then, if we excercise those elements to the utmost and still come out behind, then, and only then, can we hold our heads up high and say, "we gave it our best shot."

Scott Oct 08 07

I agree with Josh. I've posted some blogs here before and I haven't called for any coaching changes (although I'm still not sold on Cosgrove) and I'm not calling for personnel changes. I don't even know if I would say it's lack of effort but I'd like to see some emotion, any emotion out on the field. Our guys look lost, confused, frustrated, and that is just on the first series. We used to have players with swagger and like Josh said, that played with reckless abandon. Where is that??

I'm not giving up on this team yet but something has to change real quick to get this turned around and with each week that goes by we seem to be taking steps back.

omarhuskerfan Oct 08 07

My thoughts exactely. You guys tell the story spot on... This weekend while i watched the game I wanted Nebraska to play like the Nebraska of old. With Fire, with passion, with self pride... That is what I want.

doombob Oct 08 07

I'm a Husker fan, not a football pundit. I've never predicted a Nebraska loss, and I never will. At the beginning of every year, I think our team will go undefeated. I may be setting myself up for failure, but I am not upset right now.

So many teams can find a way to win. The Stanford Cardinal were 1-11 last year and look who they beat! Do you think a 1-11 team has a coach the fans like? Now they do. Colorado, 2-10. Fans calling Hawkins head over this off-season (some didn't want to give him more than that year). They are starting to warm up to Hawk.

I understand those who are angry, but we can be constructive about how to fix our problems now. I'll still think about what kind of game plan will allow us to win. I'll look at the price of game tickets on stubhub and be happy that they've dropped a bunch and now I can afford to go to a game. Memorial Stadium on Husker game day is still one of my favorite places on earth. I won't put on a fake smile, but I'll cheer my voice hoarse every time we enter the field of play.

What Nebraska and fans have needed is some embarrassment. We had to learn what it is like to be just like most of the other teams in the country and deal with it. It's the only way we'll learn, both coaches and fans. OU clearly lost their game to an inferior team, but I don't see real fans calling for Stoops head on a platter. I'm not saying that we should never fire Coz or B.C., but I'm saying there's a time and place to discuss these things.

You can support the team and coaches we've got, or you can decide not to watch the games, not to go to the games, or not give them your money. But you do have to decide; You CANNOT go to games and watch games and then demand the board of regents fire Pedersen and B.C. and anyone else roaming the sidelines in the middle of the season. You CAN demand that the people we have NOW should find a way to win.

It's called a bandwagon folks. I hope we leave those of you who have jumped off in the dust.

Husker Mike Oct 08 07

Keller's statement would have meant something three or four weeks ago. They have let this drag out from week to week, using excuses that "hey, we won" or "USC is the greatest team since the 85 Bears."

James Moore Oct 08 07

Josh, Scott & Doombob said it all. Nothing to add other than I still love my team and I always will no matter what.

zE Oct 08 07

Doombob,

FTIW, from what I've seen on Sooner boards, there are just as many Stoops haters as not, and this is when he is WINNING. Check it out. TX is the same way.

Tigerman Oct 08 07

Say what you want but your run is OVER. Your team stinks right now. Nebraska is the second worst team in the North. You will be lucky to make a bowl.

Tyler Goldapp Oct 08 07

What a sad, sad, sad year to be a husker. Before the Missouri game I through on some old tapes of the 92-97' teams to try and help myself get pumped up and motivated; all it did was make me tear up. Because we are so far from that excellence I can't hardly handle it. In those tapes I saw Husker players on defense motivated, pumped up, excited, and new who they were playing for and against. (For example I watched the 92' huskers put Koy Detmer on his back at least ten times we won of course 57-7) Later on that night I saw a dismal, and unmotivated bunch of men. (I don't even think they tried to blitz Daniel for some odd reason) How can you not get pumped up to play for one of the most storied programs in the country? answer? COACHING. I always thought college football was about recruiting until I saw this weekends games. Kansas who has one 4 star recruit this year is dismantling teams, Stanford no where near the talent of Nebraska beat # 2 USC in their backyard you know why, answer? COACHING. The Manginos and Harbaughs are great coaches and they aren't confusing the hell out of these kids. Somthing needs to change and I will donate to the Callahan contract buyout to bring my beloved huskers back to prominence.

doombob Oct 08 07

zE,

Boards mean nothing to me. I mean real actual people that I know. I hit up the boards as much as the next guy, but they are not a representative sample - they're just the most vocal.

Tigerman,

Classy. Be a gracious winner, not a gracious wiener.

Chad Goldapp Oct 08 07

I WAIT ALL YEAR FOR THE HUSKERS TO TAKE THE FIELD AND SPEND 2 HOURS A DAY GETTING READY FOR THE SEASON ON THE INTERNET READING COUNTLESS BS RHETORIC AND AT THE END OF THE DAY/THIS IS THE UNINSPIRING PRODUCT THAT IS PUT ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT BILLY C. IN THE EYE AND SAY TO OURSELVES, KNOCK, KNOCK, IS BO PELINI HOME!

doombob Oct 08 07

Thanks for proving my points from both posts.

Josh Oct 08 07

Tigerman,

Before you come over here running your trap, have some substance to back your argument. And, don't say 41-6. NU has owned Mizzou for decades. Christ, you blow us out ONCE and you think our run is over. 5 National Titles and 40+ conference titles. When was the last time Mizzou won a conference title, or national title in football.....oh, wait.....????? You tell me, Tigerman.

ze Oct 08 07

C'mon,
Misery does have a long established tradition of winning that makes their fans' 'smack' credible here. Sheez, they shared the Big 8 title with the Huskers back in '69, won it outright, even, all the way back in '60. Not much since then, though. Oh well, keep on truckin'.

L'il 'Piggy' gonna get his head burried in the mud this weekend, right where it belongs. Little Scooter Daniels gonna gets 'chased' down on Okie soil: "boomer sooner, boomer sooner, la, lala, la,...la, lala, la...."

donfl Oct 08 07

At the risk of dating myself, I lived through the embarrasment of the Bill Jennings era, What a godsend it was to have Bob Devaney totally turn this program around. I like many others of us "old" husker fans lulled ourselves into believing the era would last forever. I can understand a need to rebuild periodically but it is unacceptable to slide back into the days when we were an embarassment. Unlike many fans I don't blame Callahan, he is just a mediocre coach who was hired by a less than mediocre AD, who grew up in Husker land and who in his tenure has divided what was a united Husker nation. Having vented my frustration, I will still put on my #30 jersey and root for the Big Red this week. GBR

Tigerman Oct 08 07

Josh tell me what I wrote that I didn't back up? Yes you have owned us (but we have won three in a row in Colimbia) but that is OVER. Right now Mizzou football is ahead of NU. Callahan will be gone next year and whoever comes in will have a lot of rebuilding to do. So you are looking at at least 3 years until you are even CLOSE to getting back where you were. Just my opinion I don't need anything to back it up other than that pathetic performance I witnessed the other night from my row 6 seat.

OU7times Oct 08 07

Nice article, Darren. I agree 100%. Life would be alot rougher right now without the BRN crew keeping things in perspective.

Josh Oct 08 07

Tigerman,

You dodged the question. Read the question again, Einstein.

And, do your homework. There is no buyout clause in Callahan's recent renewed contract.

Josh Oct 08 07

Chad G.,

How about you do us all a favor and not ever come back to this website. I personally know all three orchestrator's of this website and they do not deserve to be personally attacked and have someone launch an assasination on their character's. Jason was merely asking politely for you to refrain from using all CAPS. His request isn't out of the ordinary and perhaps you should read up on common Internet etiquette. Yes, you "hit a nerve" when you personally attack friends of mine.

Dwayne Oct 08 07

Nice post Darren. I agree with Josh as well.
The following quote is what most Husker fans want to see and summarizes Josh's thoughts.
"Not the victory but the action. Not the goal but the game. In the deed the glory."
Read those words and really look at what it means. Truly it is not all about the wins and losses. True Husker fans can deal with losing. It is the lack of what Josh has stated in his post. And like I said before, I don't know when and I don't know how, but this thing will get turned around. And for Missouri, they still have to deal with Oklahoma, KU, Kansas State, and Colorado. My guess is they will drop 2 to any of those teams. Missouri is good, but not that good. I'll be watching that game on Saturday with great interest.

ze Oct 08 07

Wow,
it's starting to heat up here--simmah down ya'll.

So, worse case scenario: NE ends up the season with a losing record, say 5-7-- and the powers that be decide to cut their losses and can Cozahan.

The good news is they could bring in a guy like Brian Kelly--hint, hint--and get this thing back where it should be in 2 years max, with '08 being a probable 8 win season, minimum. Have him bring his DC Tresey and we're set.
I said after the Ball game that they should be working on the back up plan for next year and the way it looks now, they gotta be REAL with this thing. Calii's best gig is probably as a OC in the pros anyway. Coz to Pop Warner.

The additional good news here is that Brian Kelly could get us a CC before Pinkel will get one at Mizzou, well, that just goes w/o saying.

Keep it real...

Scott Oct 08 07

So what we know....

Chad can't spell. Chad doesn't like the product on the field and feels like this is "BS rhetoric" but keeps coming back anyway. Tigerman thinks that splitting a home and home series means you're football program is over and that the last team that wins owns the other team.

(And Chad writes in all capital letter like someone in Kindegarten).

Andrew Oct 08 07

Boy o boy you guys are getting all steamed up over here. Lets read into what Billy C is saying hear guys, he is looking for answers. To me that means that Kevin Cosgrove is gone, like it or not. I would almost think that Mr. Cosgrove knows this. Don't think that it was easy for Billy C to do, hence the wierd way he was acting with the media today, taking the headset off during the game, I wonder what he is thinking. You guys answer that question, and we will all know more about what is going on at UNL

Joe Oct 08 07

I've been spending the last week going overy different boards and listening to press conferences trying to appraise our situation at the University of Nebraska. I have been vascilating on a couple points.

1. I know Kevin Cosgrove on a personal basis, and though he is a very kind and determined man with a wonderful hard working mentality, it is not rubbing off on his players and has not at crucial moments. So either he has to change his methods are change his employment.

2. Bill Callahan has brought a lot of NFL caliber material to Nebraska which has benefited the program at different times over the past 4 years. But his play calling and coaching techniques is questionable. Perhaps he runs the team like a business and does not instill the fire necessary for kids in a college.

3. Is the problem at the top? Is Perlman to blame or Steve Pederson? I have heard from a lot of Nebraska employees that there are a lot of problems with the upper management.

Perhaps our woes at Nebraska are more than any one man can fix.

Joe Oct 08 07

Another point about Bill callahan.

Nebraska is 0-13 (0-14?) when trailing at half time. Adjustments are not being made to game plans.

ze Oct 09 07

And if it weren't already hard enough to succeed in CFB, now coaches have to deal with this whole blog thing effecting public opinion and the impressionable young minds of players and recruits. How can the latter NOT be looking at blogsites.

Sport's writers keep the pulse of us self declared armchair expert blogsters and then bring all of these issues directly to coaches at press conferences. It's just easy to follow rgdg. Calli and the Q & A he has to deal with from week to week.

Bottom line for me is blogging is 90% entertainment--I mean really, there's alot of funny stuff written--and 10% fact.

But it must be a total pain in the a$$ for coaches to deal with.

I truly would like Cozahan to succeed according to NE's standards but more and more it appears the writing's on the wall. Calli and Coz are evidently great people in terms of community involvement, FAMILY, etc., so it's too bad.