Nebraska today if Osborne won in 2006?

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OH HSKR FAN

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The Osborne/Solich transition has had a lot of “what if?” discussion from our fanbase.

However not too many folks talk about the “what if “ in lieu of that 2006 governor race.

What if Osborne had won the governor race over his opponent in 2006?   With his new responsibility of serving the state he would not have time to directly help the football program. 

Lets hop in the Delorean.  In 2006,  Callahan would have been in his third season.  Steve Peterson is the acting athletic director.   At the time Callahan was building momentum slowly off that poor 2004 campaign.  
 

We know what happens in 2007.   Peterson gets fired after the Oklahoma State game and Callahan gets fired on the Saturday after the Colorado game.

Do the chain of events happen in 2007 if Osborne is not available?   Where would the program be today if someone else was running the department?   Would Nebraska still be in the Big XII?   How would the new guy relate to Harvey Perlman?   Who would be coaching?   How would the other sports look?

It would be interesting.

 
teachercd said:
Thank goodness people came to their senses and did not elect that guy governor.  
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The 3rd District:

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Actually, I think I have a better question.

What if Tom would have done what everyone expected and actually step aside to allow Solich to coach and he (Tom) taken over the athletic directors seat.

Would Solich still be coaching?

Would Bo still be our d cordinator?

Would we still have a power running game that is more suited for the B1G?

Would Perlman's disdain of Solich been more contained and hidden?

Would our recruiting have suffered?

We'd have still likely moved to the B1G but would we have had a stronger voice simply from a football standpoint?

Personally, I think it's much overlooked that Osborne's decision to totally walk away as he did is as much of (if not most of) the decline as was/is perceived to be that of Peterson and Perlman. (Keep in mind that both Perlman and Peterson had a grudge (actual hatred towards) against Solich. IMO, Karma's a b!@tch and firing a coach that had just won 10 games (if you include the bowl game) was more destructive to our Reputation in the coaching world then most want to admit. It was the wrong thing to do and we've never recovered from it.

 
Loebarth:

Frank’s firing is always going to be polarizing.   There is no middle ground in the fanbase.   All we can do is project what may have happened had he been retained after 2003?  Opinions would vary.

Ive not given the Osborne walking away more thought?   Should he have had the autonomy to name his replacement?  Was that not Byrne’s job?  Was Bob Devaney an AD when he promoted Tom to the HC position prior to the 1973 season?

 
OH HSKR FAN said:
Loebarth:

Ive not given the Osborne walking away more thought?   Should he have had the autonomy to name his replacement?  Was that not Byrne’s job?  Was Bob Devaney an AD when he promoted Tom to the HC position prior to the 1973 season?
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My exact point. Because Osborne has so much endearment within the fan base very few have pondered if his decision to run for a political seat was (or could be) the direct link to our current below average men's programs? I personally am one who has pondered it and my conclusion is that Osborne is every bit as much to blame as is Peterson & Perlman. To those whom haven't ponder it my presumption may sound preposterous and out right sacrilegious but it's not hard for me (or anyone else) to see what could have been had Osborne decided to be AD when asked initially. He declined his responsibility, choosing instead politics and the door was open for Peterson to destroy the football program.  

 
Loebarth said:
My exact point. Because Osborne has so much endearment within the fan base very few have pondered if his decision to run for a political seat was (or could be) the direct link to our current below average men's programs? I personally am one who has pondered it and my conclusion is that Osborne is every bit as much to blame as is Peterson & Perlman. To those whom haven't ponder it my presumption may sound preposterous and out right sacrilegious but it's not hard for me (or anyone else) to see what could have been had Osborne decided to be AD when asked initially. He declined his responsibility, choosing instead politics and the door was open for Peterson to destroy the football program.  
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So when was Osborne asked initially to be AD?  BB became AD in 1992?  When TO wasn't named AD at that point the ship had sailed on him being AD any sooner than he became it 

 
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NUinID said:
So when was Osborne asked initially to be AD?  BB became AD in 1992?  When TO wasn't named AD at that point the ship had sailed on him being AD any sooner than he became it 
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Osborne wasn't asked to be AD to succeed Devaney, but Osborne was hoping the AD job would go to an internal name who would have it for a few years, and then turn it over to Osborne when Osborne was ready.  I can't remember the guy who Osborne had wanted to get the AD job after Devaney, but that was Osborne's succession hope/plan at AD.  When Byrne was named AD, it was evident he would stick around for a while, as he was younger and came in as an "outsider".

 
ColoradoHusk said:
Osborne wasn't asked to be AD to succeed Devaney, but Osborne was hoping the AD job would go to an internal name who would have it for a few years, and then turn it over to Osborne when Osborne was ready.  I can't remember the guy who Osborne had wanted to get the AD job after Devaney, but that was Osborne's succession hope/plan at AD.  When Byrne was named AD, it was evident he would stick around for a while, as he was younger and came in as an "outsider".
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Al Papik is who TO wanted to be AD.  You have to remember that Deveney was loved by all but when he left as AD and BB took over the Athletic department was a mess infrastructure wise and deep in dept.  Deveney had neglected a lot his last few years and was moving on autopilot. 

Bill Byrne gets a bad rap from a lot of people as "Dollar Bill", but he made a lot of tough choices and presided over basically a high water mark for Nebraska athletics 

 
NUinID said:
Al Papik is who TO wanted to be AD.  You have to remember that Deveney was loved by all but when he left as AD and BB took over the Athletic department was a mess infrastructure wise and deep in dept.  Deveney had neglected a lot his last few years and was moving on autopilot. 

Bill Byrne gets a bad rap from a lot of people as "Dollar Bill", but he made a lot of tough choices and presided over basically a high water mark for Nebraska athletics 
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Thanks for providing the name on Al Papik.  I agree that Devaney had let things slip in the athletic department, and Byrne did a lot of great things during his time as AD.  He moved NU athletics into the big business department which it needed to.   

 
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