You can debate who inherited the fuller cupboard, Osborne or Solich, but Frank's first six seasons were more productive than Osborne's first six seasons.
You'd have to get past that 7-7 season in 2002 (and the Huskers did in 2003) but a lot of fans just can't do that.
As for Solich's Black Friday loss against Colorado, a loss so bad it cursed us? You may have forgotten just how cursed Tom Osborne was against Oklahoma. That includes nationally televised beatdowns of 27 - 0 in 1973, 35 -10 in 1975 and 38 - 7 in 1977. They were at least as bad as Frank's Colorado loss, and as I recall, the program rebounded. In the 1973 game, the 10th ranked Huskers never even got the ball into Oklahoma territory. 1975 game they rushed for 70 yards and had 4 turnovers.
Then again, there were plenty of folks who wanted to fire Tom Osborne after six seasons.
Tom was cursed against the Land Thieves. But he stuck it out and eventually gained the upper hand in later decades. Persistence and dedication, winning the right way and all that.
The Curse of Black Friday is different, though. Not so that we're cursed against the Fluffs; nay, it is the curse of being irrelevant. Since the fluke of us being in the Rose Bowl that year, not ONCE in 12, count 'em TWELVE YEARS has the Nebraska Football Program been anywhere close to the top nationally. No conference championships. No BCS bowls. I'm not a gray-hair expecting 90's glory every game and season. I understand there will be down years.
We've had our shots, but something always seems to make the ball bounce wrong, or hit the ground a second too soon. For some unknown reason we show up flat and get trucked by a fired up Wisconsin squad; or we have OU against the ropes twice, but they find a way to beat us, just like they used to. A kicker never kicks the ball out of bounds does so when it's the worst thing that can happen. Injuries to key players, every year. It's always SOMETHING.
What else would you call it? A program like Nebraska's with EVERYTHING they have at their disposal - incredible facilities, fan support, monetary support, sellout streaks, nationwide fan base, etc., and we're going on 12 years of second best or worse?
Call me entitled or whatever, but understand that I live and die between the whistles just like every other die-hard here. I was as excited as anyone with the Wester-catch, and counted it as a lucky break and a solid win. I'm not calling for a new coach or any of that. I'm just waiting for the curse that started one god-forsaken night in Boulder to die.