Some various Husker-related thoughts.......

So let's just say my visit to Lincoln didn't go near as well as I had hoped. In my prediction, I said that A&M's bland offense would enable the Huskers to keep it close. As it turns out, that vanilla offense is all you need when your playing against our defense. Considering you've already read all the reports and blogs about the game, you probably know that the Aggies shredded us with the option. I sat in the stands, drunk and exhausted from the 80 degree heat and from getting up at 7:30 to start drinking. The first half was great, we went into the break only down 16-14. But after that it was all downhill. Despite the crowd imploring them to rise the occasion, the defense fell flat, allowing McGee and Lane to run over us like we were a Pop Warner team. The option is both easy and difficult to defend. Easy because if every guy does their job, it's going to be shut down. And therein lies the problem for defenses, because it only takes one guy doing the wrong thing to allow some big plays, which is exactly what happened.

Between the loss, the fact that a great deal of the students were gone for fall break, and the heat, it made for a less-than-stellar trip to Lincoln. Most of it is probably due to how depressing the atmosphere was going into the game. When I bought the tickets for the game, it was supposed to be a battle between two teams competing for the Big 12 title. Instead, it had all the electricity and intensity of a pick-up basketball game between two brothers. Sure, the younger one might keep it interesting a while, but in the back of your mind you know the older one is going to assert his will and pound the kid brother into submission. Which makes it all the more sad when you come to the realization that Nebraska has sunk to little brother status in the Big 12. I'd say really the only teams we are better than in our conference are Iowa State and Baylor. That's it.

Callahan's gone. Barring a minor miracle, we're going to finish 4-8, making it the worst season in my lifetime (one of the benefits of being born in 1983). So who comes in? The rumor mill has been churning out crap at a breakneck pace, with few people knowing what is true and what is pointless chatter on a message board. I'm hoping for Bo Pelini, but others hope for Turner Gill. I'd love to see Gill on the staff in some capacity, but can we please not give him the head job? I know all the AARP Husker fans would love to see him be the HC, but let's slap ourselves out of this nostalgia and be realistic. Pelini is the hottest assistant in the country, his defenses annually rank in the top 10, and he has a respect for the culture that surrounds Nebraska football. I've never been a guy who thinks we HAVE to go to the Husker family tree. Look at how well that worked for John Blake at Oklahoma. I'd hate to go through another failed 3 year experiment when our Bob Stoops might be ready now in the form of Bo.

Regarding the stories about how the players are fed up with the treatment from the fans, I have a few thoughts. First off, to the players: What do you expect? The program and it's fans came into this season with huge expectations, and instead we've witnessed the worst defense in Nebraska history. It's been hard to watch, particularly with the offense going into the tank as well the past couple of weeks. Do we expect you to beat everyone? No, not at all. All we ask is that you look like you give a damn. To the fans: If you are one of the people who we keep hearing about, the ones going behind our bench and deriding our players, get the hell out of the damn stadium. I don't give a shit if they give up 40 points, you don't tell these guys they suck or anything to that effect. Oh, you're disappointed with their performance? I think it's safe to say that they are disgusted enough with the way this season has gone that they don't need a bunch of morons reminding them of just how poorly they are playing. At the game this weekend, I saw the crowd give the D standing ovations when they took the field in the first half, doing all they could to support these kids. I don't know who these people are who are going up to the guys after the game or at the bars and giving them a hard time, but knock it off and leave the kids alone.

Why? Because when these kids look back 10 or 20 years from now, I'd hate to hear them say that they hated their time at Nebraska because their fans couldn't support them when they were losing. I'd hate to see them hold ill will towards the program because of one bad year. These guys are pretty damn close to just mailing it in the rest of the season and binge-drinking their way to Christmas break. And for every unappreciative fan that comes and makes a snide comment, they move one step closer to that happening. I'm not saying you should cheer when they are getting their ass kicked. But you certainly don't have to criticize them directly to their face either. You think you can do better, with your beer gut and 6.3 forty time? Then walk on and let's see you stop any of the guys who have ran all over us this year. Because until you do that, you have no right to be talking shit to these kids. No matter how poorly they play, they are still Huskers. And as such, they deserve our support.