i've read nearly every message this week and all one can conclude from the fact that 30-40 nuub fans have come to our little board is that they know they have a lot to lose this weekend and little to gain. they are concerned, they know what this game means.
on paper, its a top 25 bowl winning team team from a year ago favored by 11 with a seasoned coaching staff and a senior QB going against a team with 2 last place finishes, a brand new coaching staff, 7 freshmen and sophmores on offense including a true freshman QB. Nebraska SHOULD win this game.
But fact is kstate was a stupid personal foul away from making this game their shot at winning 5 in a row. 5 in a row over over a top 5 all time college program...from a team that until recently was the worst all time in college football. Yes, we know nebraska has a great history of football in the 1900s. We know what they did winning the championships in the 90s. Yet they still come here telling us about it.
In 1996 I went to the kstate-nebraska game with my dad, I was 15. Nebraska was coming off a national title and kstate a nice holiday bowl season. nebraska won 30-3 but after the game i'll never forget the jerkoff college age nebraska fans all getting in my dad and I's face and celebrating like they just won another title. That to me was the first time i knew K-State had arrived as a program. When a team like nebraska with all their history could celebrate like that over little old K-State I knew times were changing. 2 years later the tide did turn and its been a 5-5 series the last 10 years.
Nebraska fans know their program has fallen since that fateful day in november 1998. They know that since Kstate came onto the scene the cats have made their success over nebraska a huge stepping stone. Nebraska fans, especially long time ones can't stand it. They think its still the 1960s-thru mid 90s. Nebraska should always rule this game no question. But they haven't. And despite their claims of us not being a rival, fact is there isn't a game on their schedule they want to win more.
If nebraska fans weren't concerned they wouldn't come here like they have BEFORE the game. They would show up afterward to talk their trash. But since they know they haven't won in Manhattan since 1996, that winning is not a given. they may not be able to talk next week. so they come here, throwing all they have to hold on to which is their success in the 1900s, in our face when they know we have no arguement against that. But you know what? college sports in the last 10-15 years has become so much bigger with the internet and espn and sports radio that success before the mid 90s doesnt mean as much as it does now. Nebraska fans so want to be relevant again, it pains them so much that they aren't. How sad is it that as a ranked team going on the road in the division, with all that history, that even tv networks dont want their games? man how far has nebraska fallen?
i dont think these nebraska fans we've seen are like most nebraska fans. I went to the game in 2003 and met a ton of nice nebraska people. However, they were all well over 40. These were people who went through some trying times when osborn couldn't get it done for 25 years before finally winning like they did from 94-97. However, college age kids today saw those championships when they were 5 or so and have since seen nebraska basically be pretty average. they dont know how to act like they've been there before. so they do what they have done to us this week.
All told, nebraska fans, we see your concern and frankly, it just makes me laugh.
