A little Badger week perspective…

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Not going to spend any time rehashing last week or talking about the thumping everyone expects us to get in Madison. 

Instead, I want to discuss the need for all of us to just take a deep breath and relax a little.  Perhaps in the process gain a wee bit of perspective about the current state of Husker football and how long this rebuild will likely take.

I have every confidence still that Scott & Co. will get this turned around.  More dead weight left the program this week and that is a good thing.

We are struggling mightily right now, no doubt, but please take a moment and consider that every program has had its struggles.  EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM has had down years. 

For some perspective on this, here is the current Top 25, with a reference to when each program struggled (losing seasons) in their more recent history:  

25.  Oklahoma State – 2005 (4-7), 2001 (4-7), 2000 (3-8)

24.  Virginia Tech – 1992 (2-8-1), crappy seasons prior coached by Frank Beamer.

23.  NC State – 2013 (3-9), 2006 (3-9)

22.  Colorado – 2017 (5-7), 2015 (4-9), 2014 (2-10), 10 losing seasons in a row.

21.  Florida – 2017 (4-7), 2013 (4-8)

20.  Mich St. – 2016 (3-9), 2006 (4-8), three consecutive losing seasons

19.  Texas – 2016 (5-7), 2015 (5-7), 2010 (5-7), 1997 (4-8), several prior losing seasons

18.  Oregon – 2016 (4-8), 2004 (5-6), 1991 (3-8), several losing seasons prior to that

17.  Miami – 2014 (6-7), 2007 (5-7), 1997 (5-6), Really bad in the 1970’s

16.  Wisconsin – 2001 (5-7), 1990 (1-10), Barry Alvarez first season, bad before that

15.  Michigan – 2014 (5-7), 2009 (5-7), 2008 (3-9), not good all through the ’60’s

14.  Stanford – 2008 (5-7), 2007 (4-8), 2006 (1-10), many losing seasons before that

13.  Kentucky – 2015 (5-7), 2014 (5-7), 2013 (2-10), 2012 (2-10), more losing seasons…

12.  UCF – 2016 (6-7), 2015 (0-12), 2011 (5-7), 2008 (4-8), 2004 (0-11)

11.  Penn. St. – 2004 (4-7), 2003 (3-9), 2001 (5-6), 2000 (5-7)

10.  Washington – 2009 (5-7), 2008 (0-12), 2007 (4-9), 2006 (5-7), 2005 (2-9), 2004 (1-10)

9.   West VA – 2013 (4-8), 2001 (3-8), 1999 (4-7)

8.   Auburn – 2012 (3-9), 2008 (5-7), 1999 (5-6), 1998 (3-8)

7.   Oklahoma – 1998 (5-6), 1997 (4-8), 1996 (3-8)

6.   Notre Dame – 2016 (4-8), 2007 (3-9), 2003 (5-7), 2001 (5-6)

5.   LSU – 1999 (3-8), 1998 (4-7), 1994 (4-7), 1993 (5-6), 1992 (2-9), 1991…1990…1989….

4.   Clemson – 2010 (6-7), 1998 (3-8), 1994 (5-6), 1992 (5-6)

3.   Ohio St. – 2011 (6-7), 1988 (4-6-1), way back to 1959 (3-5-1)

2.   Georgia – 2010 (6-7), 1996 (5-6), 1993 (5-6), 1990 (4-7)

  1.   Alabama – the mighty Crimson Tide…2006 (6-7), 2003 (4-9), 2000 (3-8), 1997 (4-7)

Other notables…

Florida St. – 1976 (5-6), 1975 (3-8), 1974 (1-10), 1973 (0-11)

UCLA – 2017 (6-7), 2016 (4-8), 2011 (6-8), 2010 (4-8)

USC – 2000 (5-7), 1991 (3-8),

And of course Nebraska – 2017 (4-8), 2015 (6-7), 2007 (5-7), 2004 (5-6).  Keep this in mind, prior to 2004, our last non-winning season was 1961.  An incredible run that frankly no other program can touch…not even Alabama or Ohio State.

Perspective.

Everyone has been rotten from time to time, some schools…several times.  Nebraska is not immune.  As long as day by day we get better and better, that is about all we can ask for at this point.

Here is some more perspective.  In Barry Alvarez first season at Wisconsin, the Badgers went 1-10, then two back to back 5-6 seasons before they had their first winning season in year 4.  Many people say (and I would agree) that Wisconsin has gotten really good at out-Nebraska-ing Nebraska.  Alvarez brought that Nebraska-based mindset to Madison.

Scott is the right guy at the right time to right this ship.  It is going to take a few more years than any of us wanted it to, but I have no doubt that somewhere in the not-so-distant future, Frost & Co. will get Nebraska in a position to be better at being Nebraska than Wisconsin currently is.  Even Barry himself said this week that he doesn’t think we are as far away as people think.  

Having said this, we are not there yet.  I think we are perfectly capable of playing with the Badgers and making things interesting.  We are also capable of making mistakes and letting that snowball into getting boat-raced right out of Camp Randall Stadium. 

Those of you who know me know that I will never predict the Huskers to lose…and I am not going to start now…

Enjoy the game. Go Big Red.

 

 

 

 

 

Cornhuskers vs. Boilermakers

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Like many of you, the Vibe is completely confused at this point.  Last week’s thrashing by Michigan was a shock to many, including myself.  There is no real good explanation for what we saw. We are 0-3 for the first time since the end of WWII.  I think that fact alone goes a long way in explaining our confusion and inability to comprehend the stutter steps we are seeing at the onset of the Frost era.

You would have thought that the last 15 years of “mediocrity” at best, would have prepared us better for this and frankly made us less incensed.  As one person reminded me “why after 15 years of this do us Husker fans feel entitled to anything more that what we see on the field today?”  Good question.

Just last night, I had an SEC fan (whom I personally respect), give me and Husker Nation a pretty major dressing down…something he kept referring to as a “reality check”.  Here is just a sampling:

  • Nebraska has always been a paper tiger.
  • How hard was it for Nebraska to run up 9-win seasons year after year when they only had one real game every year…Oklahoma.
  • Had Nebraska played in the SEC at that schedule for the last 50 years they would have been mediocre at best.
  • What has Nebraska don since the Big 12 was created? Now that they joined the Big Ten the paper tiger is really showing the true reality.
  • Why were/are Nebraskans so quick to welcome back Scott Frost when out of high school he choose to go to Stanford because he thought they were better.
  • Why do Nebraskans think Frost is going to fix everything when all he did was take what Chip Kelly developed at Oregon and mimic it at UCF, where the toughest regular season game UCF played last year was a middle of the road Memphis.  He even had an excuse why UCF was able to beat Auburn…that made some sense.

I say all this because this is clearly what a lot of people outside of Nebraska thinks, and while this was quite a bit more harsh than it needed to be, the comments were sobering to hear.

Now, before anyone jumps completely off the Frost bandwagon after just three games, let me say that I think much of what my SEC friend had to say is not accurate…especially when you know it came from an Arkansas fan.  However, I do think we need to be honest with the current situation and accept the fact that this is going to take some time.  More time than any of us might have imagined.

Nebraska has lost 9 out of their last 10 games.  Ironically, their last win came last year in West Lafayette against Purdue.  Frost has coached only three of those games.  We have lost six straight home game (now over a year), which explains why a 1-3 Purdue is favored by 3.5 points over a 0-3 Nebraska tomorrow in Lincoln. 

I do belief Scott Frost and this staff are on the right path.  Culturally, I think things were fare worse that anyone knew and it will take time to turn this around.   As fans, there is not much we can do but sit back and watch.  Scott ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE for years and years.  And I will continue to say if the 2017 consensus National Coach of the Year, who happens to be a native Nebraskan and who has chosen to come back to his alma mater – can’t fix Nebraska and get us back to respectability, then Nebraska can’t be fixed.

We just need to RELAX.  Things are eventually going to be just fine.  Don’t take my word, even a former CU Buff says the same…here.

So what about Purdue?

  • Go coach, good skill players on offense.
  • Been a bit snake-bit like Nebraska.
  • Respectable defense.
  • Will come into Lincoln with a similar attitude the Troy had…nothign to lose and everything to gain.

And Nebraska?

  • We need this win in the worst way.  This is a turning point type game for this team.  We can start putting the train back on the tracks Saturday, or we can suffer a derailment that will last the rest of the season.
  • It will come down to the coaching staff’s ability to inspire these players to play better football with less un-forced errors.
  • We SHOULD win this game.  Then again, we should have won the CU and the Troy game as well.

Expect a close contest.  With two pretty evenly matched teams, it will likely come down to which teams makes fewer mistakes.  The Vibe is not entirely sure that will be Nebraska, but we can always hope.

Cornhuskers –           27

Boilermakers –          24

Go Big Red!

  

 

Big Red vs. Maize & Blue

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I can’t stop thinking how fun a game like this – between two of the winningest programs in college football – will be once the Huskers return to some semblance of former ability, quality and stature. 

It don’t think we are quite there yet…

Last week-

  • Eating my words once again, Troy was better than I gave the credit for.  Based on their name alone I should have known better.
  • Andrew Bunch was not as good as I expected.  As a walk-on 3rd string – turned 2nd string QB starting his first college game ever, I should have known better as well.
  • Too, too, too many stupid mistakes.
  • The turn-overs…
  • Are we really that bad on special teams?
  • We have the best defense with the worst 3rd down conversion rate in the nation.
  • Washington had flashes, just to let you know how good he could be.  Now, he just needs to add about 30 lbs of muscle in the weight room and somebody needs to find him a belt for his britches…
  • I know Scott is disappointed, but he needs to smile a little more.  Relax, you have full support to get this thing turned around.  If you can’t fix this, then it probably can’t be fixed.  Simple as that.
  • Still hate morning games.  Just no excitement for the team or the fans.  Blah…

This week-

  • Is it too much to think this could be the “turn-around” game?  Imagine after starting 0-2 for the first time since 1957, Scott’s first Husker win coming in the Big House against a pretty good Michigan team…what a story that would be. 
  • It could happen, if, If, IF Adrian Martinez and his knee is ready to play.  He is practicing, which is a good sign.  I just get the sense that the knee is a little more injured than anyone is letting on.  Remember how good Taylor Martinez was as a freshman…right before he hurt his foot/ankle/lower leg?  During the remainder of his college career, he never ran and played quite like he did before he was hurt.  In the words of Yogi Barra, I hope this isn’t deja vu all over again.  They do have the same name after-all.
  • All the stupid mistakes have to go away.  Not dumb penalties, no giving up a 1st down on 3rd and long, no turn-overs.  And no punt returns or 23 yd punts or two missed FG’s on the part of our special teams.
  • Maybe our advantage is that it is the dreaded morning game.  Perhaps the Big House crowd and the Maize & Blue will be a little less pumped.  Perhaps Michigan will take a look at that record of ours and overlook the Big Red a little bit.
  • I really think we can sneak into Ann Arbor and steal one.  How great would that be?! 
  • Let me be clear…the “steal one” concept is predicated on Martinez starting and the team playing pretty much flawless football for four quarters.  They are perfectly capable of doing that.
  • One last thing…Bethune Cookman University?  Really?  OK…

I know this was not the start any of us were looking for.  We need to just take a deep breath and have some faith in Scott and this coaching staff.  But don’t take it from me, take if from the Troy Trojan’s head coach Neal Brown…

“I want to say this, I think this is a tremendous atmosphere for college football. These are great fans, really good people. I want to say this to the Nebraska fans, you’re going to be fine. Those guys over there, Scott Frost and those guys they have on defense and that staff in particular, they’re going to get it done here. They’re going to win and they’re going to win big.” 

Relax Husker Nation…we are going to be fine.  And if we aren’t, at the end of the day it’s just a game (Shocking I know to hear me say this, but true none-the-less. 

Red/White –             28

Maize/Blue –            27

 

Go Big Red!

Huskers vs. Troy…

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So much to say, but I have been traveling all week and running out of time.  Here are my thoughts.

Last Week-

  • The end of the game and final score was a shame.  The men in Red played well enough to win. 
  • It would have been nice to get the new coach his first win in his first game.
  • For the first time in years, I saw football (on both sides of the ball) being played by the team with the “N” on the side of their helmets that resembled they type of play I remember from my youth.  Where have you been?  Its been too long.
  • CU was better than I gave them credit for.  Montez is a good QB, Shenault and Nixon are the real deals at wideout.
  • Having said that, CU is still a bunch of dirty cheats.
  • CU should feel lucky the cheap shot did not result in a season-ending injury.
  •  Seeing NU and CU on the field together made me slightly nostalgic.
  • We can run the football…how about that?
  • Seven sacks…did we have that many sacks all last season?
  • Seven 3 & outs…did we have that many of those all last season?
  • Adrian Martinez exceeded my expectations.  He is going to be special.
  • NU wideouts need some hand work.  Dropped a critical pass on 3rd down and a sure touchdown.
  • The play-calls on the two 4th & 1’s was the worst two call I saw NU call all day.  Maybe it was because they were the exact, same vanilla play called… 
  • I was wrong. Playing the Akron game would have made a big difference after-all. Had that game been played, we win this one by 10+ points pretty easy.
  • Ozigbo still has a lot of heart. I like that guy.  
  • While Hill and Washington looked good, I still didn’t see that back with break-away speed.  Not a criticism…just an observation.
  • The 4th quarter personal foul was ticky-tack.  Close enough that you don’t make that call when the game is on the line.
  • If you are going to call a personal foul, how about on the play where CU executed the ol’ “high/low”, with No. 44 trying to remove his lower leg at the knee.  For future reference, THAT is a personal foul for sure.
  • You can’t spot your opponent to hams in the first quarter and expect to win the game.
  • I liked a lot of what I saw on Saturday.  Our future is bright.  Can’t wait to see where this team goes with some real coaching for the first time in 15 years.  

This week-

  • Its going to be hard to cheer against my namesake…but I will manage.
  • Troy is not the same Troy team of last year.  Not even close.
  • Troy does not have a Montez, Shenault or Nixon playing for their offense, or anyone closely resembling them for that matter.
  • Troy is highly suspect in the defensive backfield.  An area someone like Frost should be able to find a way to exploit.
  • Nebraska will, for the first time in many years, improve between their first and second games.  Less penalties, mistakes, etc.
  • I predict Andrew Bunch will start at QB, and do just fine…maybe even better than fine.
  • Not a fan of morning games.  Never have been, never will.
  • The running game, behind our improved o-line, will keep churning and make Bunch’s job far easier.
  • More Blackshirts will be earned this week…expect the unit to play well.

The spread is around nine, I think it’s on the light side.  Scott should get his first Husker win and then some…

Huskers –         41

Troy’s boys-    20

Go Big Red!!

 

 

Huskers vs. Buffs

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Lets talk (a little) trash.  Just like the old days.

We haven’t really been able to do that since we left the Big 12. When you look at the data, the Bill McCartney manufactured rivalry between NU and CU was never much of a rivalry really.  Lifetime against the Buffaloes the Huskers lead the series 49-18-2.  Even during Coach Mac’s hate-filled heyday (1982 to 1994) when he was all about circling Nebraska on the schedule, the Puffs could still only muster three wins and one tie over 13 seasons.  All Bill McCartney really managed to create was some serious bad blood where there really didn’t need to be any.  I can recall a few rather unpleasant trips to the planet of Boulder – where the student section took it upon themselves to regularly practice a level decorum that the even Raider Nation would shy away from.  Win or lose, I remember batteries, cups, snow/ice balls being chucked at Nebraska fans during and after the game.  Who can ever forget 1991, when our place kicker was forced to attempt (because officials refused to call an official’s time-out) a game-winning field goal in the midst of a barrage of snow and ice balls pelting the field and players as they awaited the snap.  Nothing but class from Coach Mac and the Buffs over so many years.

But I digress.  I do so to remind everyone what even a fake rivalry felt like – and how it was/is better than having no rivalry at all.  I remember growing up with that one game every year that everyone in Nebraska looked forward to…NU vs. OU.  The last game of the regular season that was ALWAYS held on the Friday after Thanksgiving – with the majority of the nation watching.  Those were the days.  Going forward, one thing that can’t be denied is that Nebraska desperately needs that bona fide rival that every fan anticipates every year.  Evenly matched with a fairly even W/L record.  Right now we have nobody.  That rival could be Iowa (I wish it were Wisconsin), time will tell.  Regardless who it is, we need to find our new “Oklahoma” in the Big Ten and pretty quick.

On to Saturday’s game.

With the home-opener being cancelled last week, the anticipation for the NU/CU game is growing daily.  Yes, CU has a game under their belt and we don’t – some will view this as advantage for the Puffs.  However, I would argue we have film on them, where they have nothing on us.  Also – yes, CU looked pretty good last week.  But lets be honest, they were playing CSU – and a really bad CSU team at that (I take great pleasure in saying that). Its hard to tell just how good Colorado is against such sub-par competition, but for all the obvious reasons, we don’t want to take the Puffs lightly.

This is in essence, the Scott Frost debut – Take Two. Coach Frost says the team had a tremendous week of practice and they are as ready as they can be for the contest.  For the first time in over a decade, I actually believe the Husker head coach when he says things like that.

I think there will obviously be a ton of emotion to start the game, season, era.  Some early mistakes might be made.  The stadium should be unhinged – it’s old foe CU, it’s  debut – take two, it’s not raining for first time in a week.  But I think we all fully expect this team to settle down, and play sound, fundamental football – because that is what their head coach and this coaching staff will demand.  That will be nice to see for a change.

It will be an exciting atmosphere no doubt.  Honestly, I’m not crazy about the new tunnel walk song, but I will wait to pass judgement until I see it live on Saturday.

Although it might be a little light, I’m going with Naber’s prediction this week.  I think he has it right-on, and frankly its the best that any of us have to go on.

Scott Frost’s Huskers –                   31

Rocky Mtn High Buffs –                 17

Go Big Red!

From the ash heap we rise…

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After a one year hiatus, I will warn you up front this is long and a little sappy….

 

From the ash heap of college football, we rise. From the deep stumble into mediocrity that was the Callahan era, the “close but no cigar” Pelini era and the abject disaster that was the Riley era – we rise.  The Vibe,  nearly snuffed out of existence due to apathy, is back. I know this is cliche’, but it truly is the dawn of a new day – a new era.  Our team hasn’t even played a single game, not a single down yet this year. Yet, there’s a new skip in the step of every Nebraska fan.  The mere mention of college football in Nebraska is once again met with hope, optimism and heads held high (or at least not hung low) for the first time in recent memory.  It’s as if after a long winter slumber, we are crawling out of the deep, painful hole that we stumbled into almost two decades ago –  and the sleeping giant is awakening once again.

Being so close to this program, it was (and maybe still is) hard for many of us to see just how far we had fallen.  A little over a year ago, I had a conversation with a young farmer (lets say mid-20’s) and while a college friend and I had a conversation about how great Nebraska used to be and would be once again, this young man had the strangest look on his face.  When we asked him what was wrong with him, he admitted to us that he had no clear memory of Nebraska ever being great….ever winning a conference championship, let alone a national championship.  How sad…an entire generation of Nebraskans don’t have any understanding of how great, how dominant and how special Nebraska Football used to be.

Many of the our enemies – the true haters – reveled in the downward spiral of the once mighty Nebraska Cornhuskers. They would argue “we deserved it” and perhaps in hindsight, we did.  Perhaps what we saw as humble confidence during all those good years came across to others as flat-out cockiness.  If the last decade and a half have taught us nothing, it should be how to be humble from this point forward, regardless of the amount of success that lies ahead. For the better part of the last 15 years, we have had no reason to be cocky or over-confident about much of anything, yet we were.  I think many of us who grew up in the hay day thought that we would always be a dominant member of the upper echelon of college football, even when we had no reason to be. Through all of this, any true Husker fan has been forced to honestly ask out loud: could this program ever get back to where it was for so long?  Realistically, would Nebraska ever be the “Nebraska” we grew up watching and loving and dominating – again?

Then it happened.  What we had hoped for (maybe since he last played here and won this program their last national championship), speculated about, rumor milled to death…was really coming to fruition.  With one announcement, the smiles were back, the heads began to lift, the clouds began to dissipate and the thought of a swagger began to enter our minds.  Was it really happening?  After so long of wandering in the desert, stumbling further down from the pinnacle of college football, could the state’s favorite son really have chosen us when he could have had his pick of jobs?  Was he really coming home to take over a program debilitated by neglect for the better part of two decades, the program that he helped to reach that pinnacle? It was true. The hottest name on the list of names was going to return to his alma mater to right the ship, to rebuild the once mighty, once proud program, from the ground up – brick by brick – the old fashion way, the old “Nebraska way”.

The formula of success used by his college coach, his mentor – has been taken down from the shelf in Tom’s den, dusted off and put into practice…but with a modern twist.  One by one, piece by piece, the old band is coming back together.  And through it all, Day by Day, this program will continue to Get Better and Better.

The “N” on the side of the helmets will stand for something once again.  Soon, so will the player’s prayer, the tunnel walk, the Blackshirts. All primarily because he has come home and has assured us all that we will get back to “Nebraska being Nebraska” once again.  And with his confidence – the way he carries himself, his track record coupled with his respect for Nebraska’s storied past and passion to get Nebraska back to the top of college football once again, who dares to doubt.

There will be plenty of bumps in the way, no doubt. But for the first time in a long time I can say at least we are out of the ditch and back on the road.  We will lose some, but in time we will win more…many more.  Some young kids disappointed by not earning the starting job at an important position on this team will disappoint us by leaving the program.  But many will stay and buy into what he is selling.  And soon, many more will want to be part of the rebirth taking place in Lincoln. This first year there will be plenty of growing pains, but there will be ample amounts of success as well.

According to many pundits, very little is expected from this squad – who happens to be  facing one of the toughest schedules in the country.  I think we surprise a ton of people…even in this first year.  Assuming Martinez can stay healthy, 6-6 is the absolute floor, 7-5 is probably more of a likelihood, and I really don’t see why 8-4 would be out of the realm of possibilities.  Depending on how fast a true freshman can grasp and manage his offense, the tools are there – receiving corps, Hill and Washington in the backfield – for the offense to be pretty dynamic and productive.  I expect the defense running a more aggressive and attacking 3-4 will be vastly better than they were last year.  The Zips are a nice MAC team and will be a good first opponent for this revamped Big Red team.

It is the dawn of a new era and we are rising from the ashes.  Happy days are hear again and even happier ones are just around the corner.  Can you feel it too?

And it’s all because he chose to come back to Nebraska.

Welcome Home Coach Frost.

 

Fighting Frosty’s –              38

Zips of Akron –                   17

 

And as always, Go Big Red!

 

Huskers vs. Turtles…

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Short and sweet.

First time ever for these two teams to meet.

Still have not heard if Tommy will play.  I’m not sure how much difference it makes.  If he does play he will only be at about 75%.  If he doesn’t play and Ryker does, that is like Tommy at 60%.

I am hearing that Marayland’s starting QB may not play either.

I do expect the defense to continue playing well and I expect the offense, with or without Tommy to play good enough.

Huskers –    34

Turtles –       17

GBR!!