Odd Fact.

[whateveritis1224]

This was the Big XII saying screw you for leaving us and making certain we didn't play Iowa in the Insight Bowl, or whatever they call the bowl they play in Arizona. If we play Iowa that year, we're probably winning because we're not playing Washington for the 3rd time within a year.

 

[zoogs]

when we win our non con games, we probably play a tougher team in a better bowl. it kind of makes sense when you look at it that way. that washington bowl lose was a real bummer, though.

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it.

It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

I believe you, but that's also really disappointing.

 

[Ulty]

I find it sad that there has never been more than one non conference BCS opponent each year.

 

[Saunders]

It was partially our own fault for turning down the Alamo Bowl because we didn't want to play Arizona again, so I think the Big 12 and bowl groups said f#*k you go play Washington again.

What? We were never in line for that game because of our CCG loss.

The rumor was (and the fans hoped) that we would play Iowa in the Insight (higher slotted game) as a showcase game since we were moving to the Big Ten the next year.

Beebe had other plans.

 

[knapplc]

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it.

It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

And that's the problem with Nebraska Football, in a nutshell. These teams have collapsed in way too many games the past six years because they simply didn't care enough to fight through adversity.

A little bit of adversity bites them in the a$$ and they crumble. This is not the stuff of which championship teams are made.

They got stuck in a crap bowl, an obvious slap in the face from the Big XII, who had already screwed them over in at least one VERY obvious game in the regular season? Well, boo-hoo, woe is me, I guess I'll pack it in and not try very hard. That mindset was perfectly obvious in that game. Sure, everyone was injured and we were fielding a team of half invalids, but the thing that separates Bo's & Bill's teams from any of our successful teams is, too often that tiny bit of adversity is enough to do them in.

Sure, we've had many, many times where we've overcome that adversity. 2011 Ohio State, the half-dozen comebacks in 2012, the 2005 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan under Callahan. All gutty performances where we didn't let adversity dictate circumstances.

Unfortunately, for every one of those overcoming games, we've had at least one where we've simply packed it in. 2013 Wyoming was such a game, nearly ended in defeat, but luckily didn't. Fresno State whatever-year-that-was against David Carr was another near loss. Another was 2011 SDSU.

Then you get to the losses, where it's more than obvious the team just packed it in. 2011 Michigan. 2011 Wisconsin. 2012 Wisconsin (CCG). 2013 UCLA. The going got tough, and they didn't care enough, have pride enough, or respect themselves, the team or the fans enough, to keep fighting.

 

[TAKODA]

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it.

It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

And that's the problem with Nebraska Football, in a nutshell. These teams have collapsed in way too many games the past six years because they simply didn't care enough to fight through adversity.

A little bit of adversity bites them in the a$$ and they crumble. This is not the stuff of which championship teams are made.

The got stuck in a crap bowl, an obvious slap in the face from the Big XII, who had already screwed them over in at least one VERY obvious game in the regular season? Well, boo-hoo, woe is me, I guess I'll pack it in and not try very hard. That mindset was perfectly obvious in that game. Sure, everyone was injured and we were fielding a team of half invalids, but the thing that separates Bo's & Bill's teams from any of our successful teams is, too often that tiny bit of adversity is enough to do them in.

Sure, we've had many, many times where we've overcome that adversity. 2011 Ohio State, the half-dozen comebacks in 2012, the 2005 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan under Callahan. All gutty performances where we didn't let adversity dictate circumstances.

Unfortunately, for every one of those overcoming games, we've had at least one where we've simply packed it in. 2013 Wyoming was such a game, nearly ended in defeat, but luckily didn't. Fresno State whatever-year-that-was against David Carr was another near loss. Another was 2011 SDSU.

Then you get to the losses, where it's more than obvious the team just packed it in. 2011 Michigan. 2011 Wisconsin. 2012 Wisconsin (CCG). 2013 UCLA. The going got tough, and they didn't care enough, have pride enough, or respect themselves, the team or the fans enough, to keep fighting.

Yep!

That UCLA game last year was pretty telling. Looked pretty good for the first 23 minutes then we get smacked in the mouth and the wheels came off. Looked like 2 different teams.

 

[suh_fan93]

Perfectly said Knapple. And people wonder why a lot people have a problem with Bo Pelini's version of the Huskers. Freakin' sad.

 

[NUpolo8]

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it. It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

And that's the problem with Nebraska Football, in a nutshell. These teams have collapsed in way too many games the past six years because they simply didn't care enough to fight through adversity.A little bit of adversity bites them in the a$$ and they crumble. This is not the stuff of which championship teams are made.The got stuck in a crap bowl, an obvious slap in the face from the Big XII, who had already screwed them over in at least one VERY obvious game in the regular season? Well, boo-hoo, woe is me, I guess I'll pack it in and not try very hard. That mindset was perfectly obvious in that game. Sure, everyone was injured and we were fielding a team of half invalids, but the thing that separates Bo's & Bill's teams from any of our successful teams is, too often that tiny bit of adversity is enough to do them in.Sure, we've had many, many times where we've overcome that adversity. 2011 Ohio State, the half-dozen comebacks in 2012, the 2005 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan under Callahan. All gutty performances where we didn't let adversity dictate circumstances.Unfortunately, for every one of those overcoming games, we've had at least one where we've simply packed it in. 2013 Wyoming was such a game, nearly ended in defeat, but luckily didn't. Fresno State whatever-year-that-was against David Carr was another near loss. Another was 2011 SDSU.Then you get to the losses, where it's more than obvious the team just packed it in. 2011 Michigan. 2011 Wisconsin. 2012 Wisconsin (CCG). 2013 UCLA. The going got tough, and they didn't care enough, have pride enough, or respect themselves, the team or the fans enough, to keep fighting.

Yep

 

[papersun87]

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it.

It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

And that's the problem with Nebraska Football, in a nutshell. These teams have collapsed in way too many games the past six years because they simply didn't care enough to fight through adversity.

A little bit of adversity bites them in the a$$ and they crumble. This is not the stuff of which championship teams are made.

The got stuck in a crap bowl, an obvious slap in the face from the Big XII, who had already screwed them over in at least one VERY obvious game in the regular season? Well, boo-hoo, woe is me, I guess I'll pack it in and not try very hard. That mindset was perfectly obvious in that game. Sure, everyone was injured and we were fielding a team of half invalids, but the thing that separates Bo's & Bill's teams from any of our successful teams is, too often that tiny bit of adversity is enough to do them in.

Sure, we've had many, many times where we've overcome that adversity. 2011 Ohio State, the half-dozen comebacks in 2012, the 2005 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan under Callahan. All gutty performances where we didn't let adversity dictate circumstances.

Unfortunately, for every one of those overcoming games, we've had at least one where we've simply packed it in. 2013 Wyoming was such a game, nearly ended in defeat, but luckily didn't. Fresno State whatever-year-that-was against David Carr was another near loss. Another was 2011 SDSU.

Then you get to the losses, where it's more than obvious the team just packed it in. 2011 Michigan. 2011 Wisconsin. 2012 Wisconsin (CCG). 2013 UCLA. The going got tough, and they didn't care enough, have pride enough, or respect themselves, the team or the fans enough, to keep fighting.

/pelini era

 

[Redux]

The Washington Bowl game was an absolute slap in the face of the players and staff, their performance in said game was a slap in the face of the whole fanbase.

 

[NUinID]

I have a very good friend who was a starter that season, and there was absolutely no excitement from anyone on that team for that game. The coaches tried and tried to get this team ready, but facing a team you already throttled, our players felt it was a slap in the face from whoever decided the bowl games. This isn't exactly verbatim of what was said to me after the game, but close to it.

It was most definitely a bummer for our fans to lose that, but I wasn't even excited about that game.

And that's the problem with Nebraska Football, in a nutshell. These teams have collapsed in way too many games the past six years because they simply didn't care enough to fight through adversity.

A little bit of adversity bites them in the a$$ and they crumble. This is not the stuff of which championship teams are made.

The got stuck in a crap bowl, an obvious slap in the face from the Big XII, who had already screwed them over in at least one VERY obvious game in the regular season? Well, boo-hoo, woe is me, I guess I'll pack it in and not try very hard. That mindset was perfectly obvious in that game. Sure, everyone was injured and we were fielding a team of half invalids, but the thing that separates Bo's & Bill's teams from any of our successful teams is, too often that tiny bit of adversity is enough to do them in.

Sure, we've had many, many times where we've overcome that adversity. 2011 Ohio State, the half-dozen comebacks in 2012, the 2005 Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan under Callahan. All gutty performances where we didn't let adversity dictate circumstances.

Unfortunately, for every one of those overcoming games, we've had at least one where we've simply packed it in. 2013 Wyoming was such a game, nearly ended in defeat, but luckily didn't. Fresno State whatever-year-that-was against David Carr was another near loss. Another was 2011 SDSU.

Then you get to the losses, where it's more than obvious the team just packed it in. 2011 Michigan. 2011 Wisconsin. 2012 Wisconsin (CCG). 2013 UCLA. The going got tough, and they didn't care enough, have pride enough, or respect themselves, the team or the fans enough, to keep fighting.

Spoken like someone that never played or coached the game.

In all seriousness though, it is very hard to get motivated to play a team 2x in a year, and it is really tough when team A killed team B the first time around and is now playing them in a fairly meaningless game the second time.

Playing a team 2x in a season almost never happened up until CC games. I can only think of one time that a TO coached team had that happen in 78 playing OU 2x. The second time in the Orange Bowl NU scored really late to make the game look closer than it was. It really wasn't that close.

If you want to say that BP's teams take some opponents lightly, I will agree with that.

As far as not caring or having pride, or not enough respect for themselves to keep fighting I disagree with. Sometimes it really is like in the movie the "Replacements". Its like "quicksand" the harder you try the worse it gets. I know as fans we don't like that explanation, but as someone who coached for 20 years, I know it happens a lot more than we like to admit.

 

[Count 'Bility]

No disagreement on Knapps point that that sort of thing has become a trend, or benchmark if you will, of the Pelini era thus far. But spoken in terms of that particular case, I still brush it off as meh. And it's not just about playing a team you've beaten hell out of again. Everything for that season was put into winning the Big 12 in our final year and riding off to the Big10 with our middle finger in the air. And we came up 3 points short. Not to mention the emotional, and at times agitating, ride the 2010 season was.

 

[Junior]

Spoken like someone that never played or coached the game.

In all seriousness though, it is very hard to get motivated to play a team 2x in a year, and it is really tough when team A killed team B the first time around and is now playing them in a fairly meaningless game the second time.


Playing a team 2x in a season almost never happened up until CC games. I can only think of one time that a TO coached team had that happen in 78 playing OU 2x. The second time in the Orange Bowl NU scored really late to make the game look closer than it was. It really wasn't that close.

If you want to say that BP's teams take some opponents lightly, I will agree with that.

As far as not caring or having pride, or not enough respect for themselves to keep fighting I disagree with. Sometimes it really is like in the movie the "Replacements". Its like "quicksand" the harder you try the worse it gets. I know as fans we don't like that explanation, but as someone who coached for 20 years, I know it happens a lot more than we like to admit.

College football players are guaranteed 12 games per year, they get 14 if they have a good season. 12 - 14 times per year they can't get excited to play football, regardless of who the opponent is? Hogwash.

 

[Count 'Bility]

Spoken like someone that never played or coached the game.

In all seriousness though, it is very hard to get motivated to play a team 2x in a year, and it is really tough when team A killed team B the first time around and is now playing them in a fairly meaningless game the second time.


Playing a team 2x in a season almost never happened up until CC games. I can only think of one time that a TO coached team had that happen in 78 playing OU 2x. The second time in the Orange Bowl NU scored really late to make the game look closer than it was. It really wasn't that close.

If you want to say that BP's teams take some opponents lightly, I will agree with that.

As far as not caring or having pride, or not enough respect for themselves to keep fighting I disagree with. Sometimes it really is like in the movie the "Replacements". Its like "quicksand" the harder you try the worse it gets. I know as fans we don't like that explanation, but as someone who coached for 20 years, I know it happens a lot more than we like to admit.

College football players are guaranteed 12 games per year, they get 14 if they have a good season. 12 - 14 times per year they can't get excited to play football, regardless of who the opponent is? Hogwash.

Well apparently it happens. And it happens to a lot of teams OTHER than Nebraska. This is one of those things again that is not Bo Pelini problem as much as some cornholers want it to be. It's a COLLEGE KID problem.

Now, the jist of Knapp's point is that it seems to happen here more than most places right now. Cant argue with that. And it needs fixed. But that's an issue that's not going to go away completely. Even the almighty Osborne teams of the 90's had some games where they didnt appear to be taking the opponent as seriously as others, or just didnt seem to play as well and look as dominant as they shouldve..

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I totally get the letdown for Washington in the Holiday Bowl, and even give credit to an improved Washington team, but the degree of lifelessness from Nebraska was inexcuseable. It's a coaches job to find a place to direct the disappointment and frustration, especially when it's so clearly a trap game.

Also, the team was being paid to provide an entertainment product on national television. Not Being Embarrassed should be a motivating factor.

I thought the Wyoming game last year was more telling. First game of the year. At home. Big expectations and a lot to prove. A team loaded with veterans. Bo Pelini already on the hotseat. And after the game, when players were asked about the spotty performance, and a Wyoming team that seemed to want the game more, the Huskers admitted the team just didn't have it's head in the game and couldn't get motivated.

I thought that was kinda stunning.