ze bop Mar 18 08

I couldnt agree more with this article; was thinking about this very topic just today, in fact. I mean, these times are absolutely critical for the survival of Big Red tradition and Nation as we know it!!!

The debacle we just endured as the '07 season I think did some MAJOR damage to the Husker image nationally. It had been fading for some years, or in question, but last season was a major 'body shot' to said image. Cali said the players were 'gutted' after some games last year; well, i feel gutted right now reflecting on what could be the demise of Big Red as i have known it for 48 yrs! Seriously, '07's version of Big Red has left me dazed and confused, in denial, and with great sadness for the loss of a once great program...

However, I couldnt be more pleased with having Bo P as the coach! If there is any guy that can restore the order that is Big Red, Bo is THAT GUY! I just love seeing him in Husker garb!

He BAD ASS, YO!

But, we face an uphill battle in recruiting now, for sure. In light of the well documented regional disadvantages to NE recruiting, NE's mediocrity over the past 7 yrs or so really has taken us out of the spotlight as being an elite program. And now there are other programs all over the place that are stealing the limelight: KU, MO, OR, Wake, KY, Rutgers, USF...etc, etc, i.e., there are just a ton of excellent programs out there now, more so than ever before.

NE seems like CFBs counterpart to, say, KY in basketball: a historically good 'name' that has tarnished.

But again, i think we have a great coach in Bo P, and we just have to get back to having difference makers on the team and we can return to prominence, say in 3-4 yrs or so.

But, it is possible that NE could become just another team in the pack, good but not great.

I hope that is not the case, i miss my Big Red!

Dwayne Mar 18 08

There is no question that success feeds the frenzy here in this state. One difference with Minnesota and Nebraska is that their fans of that state can follow other sports. They have the Vikings, hockey of course, and ice fishing. Ok, maybe not ice fishing. In Nebraska, this is it. There aren't too many other ponies in the show and the University seems to always have been the jewel of the state. So I've thought about this very point, lack of success could sway people's interest in the football program but what Lincoln does on football Saturdays has become somewhat of a social event. It's a meeting place and gathering for those that now live in the Eastern two cities of Lincoln and Omaha with those roots in the central and western part of the state. Almost everyone's family has some one relative that lives in a small town and it's some of those small ties which help bind some of that football following. Bottom line as the article mentions, it's tough to get your child interested in a team that's not competing. What a difference coaching can do. Thanks Doc for a fabulous year in hoops considering.

AustinHusker Mar 18 08

Lets not jump of the bridge just yet. I still think there is a good chance we can start next year 6-2, better than that is possible but probably wishful thinking. Then the last 4 games makes our season, 0-4 leaves us 6-6, or 2-2 leaves us 8-4. not NU standards but not bad. If Bo is as good of a coach as we all think he is, the cupboard is not that bare. It certainly isn't as bare as it was when Cali came in.

So before anyone starts singing the downfall of the Big Read Nation lets see. I was a bit dumbfounded last year as well, I still saw every game, checked the websites, etc. For some of us we will die bleeding red 50 years from now no matter what the record is.

Also I have lived in CO and they would have stopped coming to the games after the first loss. Look what they have done since winning their national championship.

I think we have been blessed, or spoiled but I still say we have some pretty good fans.

Later

HuskerWooWoo Mar 18 08

I live in Minnesota. I grew up here and have spent my entire life here. There are some differences between the Gophers and the Huskers. Granted I was not alive for the Gophers glory years but I don't think that's important to my understanding.

Dwayne was right. This is a Vikings state. People care more about the Vikings and Gophers hockey than they do about Gophers football. Yes this has a lot to do with the success of these teams, but it's not like the Vikings have ever won anything. We have more felonies than conference championships. Other issues with the college scene here is that the Gophers play in the Metrodome. The stadium is off campus and is a lousy venue for any sporting event let alone for a college football game when it is half empty. This may change in the coming years with the new on campus stadium the U will be getting in a couple years, but thats a different topic.

Nebraska has a lot of tradition and a lot of built in advantages over Minnesota. No competition from pro teams, a great on campus stadium, and years and years and years of tradition. The Gophers didn't have that longevity and have not had those other advantages for many years.

Scott Mar 18 08

Blame Coach Devaney and Coach Osborne. They're the ones that had to start winning all of those games and National Championships.

We should realize how lucky we were to have that kind of dominance in the sport, especially with how things are now. Things are more even across the board and will continue to be. I'm just glad I got to witness the dominance in this lifetime.

I'll be happy just to see NU compete next year.

BYU Husker Observer Mar 18 08

I almost wonder if BYU might be a better comparison than Minnesota since Salt Lake City does not have the NFL game as Minnesota does, the Vikings coming on line in expansion in 1961 right at the start of the downfall of the Gophers once proud program.
Look at what BYU endured following the retirement of LaVell Edwards in 2001. They brought in a coach who like Edwards was an Orem native, but had spent many years away from BYU and lacked the connection with the program for too long. This lead clearly to managerial errors on the part of Gary Crowton, and consequently his ability to focus on and coach the game became compromised.
I think for Bo Pelini, his years at LSU will prove to be more beneficial since it has allowed him to view the game in another major conference. One of the things that killed Frank Solich faster than Mr Peterson at AD was the advent of the Big-12, and his inability to evolve year in and year out to competition from big programs in Texas and a resurgant Oklahoma program. Solich showed he could not adapt to change and wanted to stick with old methods that were quickly becoming obsolete. Hence his dismissal.
During the Gary Crowton era at BYU attendance fell of considerably although Provo could draw 50,000-55,000 fans on any given Saturday. It was far below the 65,000+ crowds and constant sell-outs during the Edwards era. But if Bo Pelini takes a page out of Bronco Mendenhall's book and returns the Huskers to glory, attendance on any given Saturday in Lincoln will NEVER be a problem.
As for the future, the Big-12 is perhaps the best thing going for Nebraska, since it allows even better exposure and recuiting opportunities given the programs more competative exposure down in Texas. Both BYU and Utah on the other hand must soley reley on an every other year trip to play TCU in Fort Worth for now. Both Wasatch Front schools are stuck in a mid major conference and are in a territory where geography by and large has been the greatest inhibitor for them to join one of the BCS leagues. Although there is hope that one day the PAC-10 will decide to become the PAC-12 and invite the Cougars and Utes. Nebraska represents the smallest state population wise in a BCS league (Even Utah has nearly twice as many people now as does Nebraska), so this affiliation is a huge advantage to them.

lilhaggs Mar 18 08

I wouldn't compare Nebraska to any other team than Oklahoma. Same conference, and comparable geographically; both have storied past that fell on hard times when their beloved coach retired; both brought in head coaches that were good recruiters but it ultimately didn't work out; both went to the SEC to get the best defensive minded coach in the country and things were good again.

Go Big Red.

donfl Mar 18 08

At the risk of giving away my age, I remember as a young child starting in 1952 sitting by the radio every Sat and listening to the Huskers get thoroughly trashed every weekend. It did not stop me or everyone in my home town in Western Nebraska from looking forward to the next weekend in hope of one of the rare victories. There is a strain of DNA in the Husker blood that breeds a love of your team and unless I misread the younger generation, I believe we passed that marker on to our children and grandchildren. Look at the number of NE athletes that have passed up full rides at lesser schools for the privelige of playing for the Big Red. I would hope that we continue to applaud the teams that compete in Lincoln win or lose. That is unique to us and I believe uncomprehensible to some of our visiting teams GO BR and GO BO.

Dwayne Mar 18 08

BYUob,
That's a fair assumption that I don't necessarily agree with. I lived in Northern Utah and the perception that I had while there is that the state was somewhat split in the SLC area on whether you followed the Utes or the Cougars. I would assume the balance favored the team in blue but nonetheless there were fans that followed both teams. The state of Utah has another University in Logan as well. That is 3 different universities within the same state. Nebraska maybe only has one other in Creighton and outside of Omaha there is hardly much of a following. I might add that Creighton also doesn't field a team in football. The other difference is that Utah has a professional sports team in the Jazz in which many of the people from Utah follow. It is probably the one thing that binds all Utes, Cougars, and Aggie fans. I've tried to think of another program that is similar to Nebraska and it's difficult to come up with one.

Greg Morrow Mar 18 08

Looking at the responses to Jeremy's Gopher fan's view of Steve's post, (0, as of 6:43 pacific) that is the cleanest indicator of what will happen if....
Something happened to the spiritual state of these Cornhuskers- that competitive spirit and confidence. It got shattered.
But hey, let's not go there!

Spring is in the air! (at least out here)
Short term, over the next couple of seasons, the window of opportunity is still there, before a pensive, passive, malaise starts for fester.
If the '08 season allows for a much more competitive team, Pelini's next recruiting class should give somewhat of a signal. If it's another not ready for prime time team competitively, then there you go.
Along with the more global and national issues competing for our attention, the Cornhuskers future could also turn ominous?
I'm sure it's just a wild coincidence.