Author Topic: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.  (Read 334256 times)

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Offline Kat Kid

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Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« on: October 26, 2014, 02:13:57 PM »
Since the break up of the old Big 12, those that left have mostly found what they were looking for: athletically, academically, culturally. 

Colorado broke with the central time zone crowd and joined the west coast, fulfilling their yearning to be a coastal cultural oasis among frosted mountaintops.

Texas A&M showed that they could be courted and valued without Texas and found a cultural home for their angry East Texas militaristic traditions among the Confederate yearning of the Old South.

Missouri seemed to be searching for an identity and were open to adopting whichever identity was available.  They began with important talk of their rightful place among the large public academic heavy weights of the Big Ten, then after turning tides, fully embraced the elite college football reputation of the SEC, even after being shoehorned in to the East division in a modern day Missouri Compromise.

The most successful and historic program that left the Big 12 was Nebraska.  Their reasons for leaving were academic, cultural and athletic.  They were upset with the power of Texas and the SWC voting bloc in the political machinations of the Big 12, they had largely lost ground competitively, and they felt stifled academically in the Big 12 among the land grants and the tier twos and wished to step up to the big time public ivies of the Big Ten.

Almost immediately there were obstacles: they were unceremoniously dumped by the AAU upon arrival to the Big Ten and were even voted out by some of their new colleagues, their football team continued to compete on the fringe of true national relevance, their cultural reputation now the hicks of the conference. 

Nearly everything seems to be going right for the Husker football team.  Nebraska currently has a legitimate Heisman contender on paper in Ameer Abdullah, a 7-1 team on track for a Big Ten title game berth and either a re-match against top 10 Michigan St or Ohio St.  But on the national scene, Nebraska is an after thought. 

Ranked 16th in the Coaches and 17th in the AP the Huskers must be shocked that no one seems to be paying them much mine.  or perhaps they've become used to being out of the national eye, even accepted their new role as a national underdog after years of being despised as a national power.

Still it is hard to imagine that the Nebraska fan base does not notice that they are the 14th ranked one loss team in the coach's behind 4 SEC team and 3 Big 12 teams all with one loss.  Perhaps most infuriating is that two loss LSU jumped Nebraska in the AP. 

To complete the humiliation, Ameer Abdullah is not a top 5 Heisman candidate despite his  FBS leading rushing numbers and highlight reel plays. 

Like some Greek tragedy, Nebraska attempted to escape the shadow of Texas only to become even more irrelevant.  The shadow of Texas has been replaced by the shadow of mediocrity offered by the Big Ten.  the Big Ten is now widely seen as an inferior conference to the SEC, the PAC-12 and yes, the Big 12. 

There may be escape from the droughts of the Texas sun, but there is no escape from the foul reputation of the ever expanding Big Ten.  It is there that by choice the Cornhuskers till a barren field and a harvest of dust


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Offline SkinnyBenny

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2014, 02:25:29 PM »
Post the article, KK! :curse:
"walking around mhk and crying in the rain because of love lost is the absolute purest and best thing in the world.  i hope i fall in love during the next few weeks and get my heart broken and it starts raining just to experience it one last time."   --Dlew12

Offline Frankenklein

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2014, 02:27:06 PM »
 :cobhead:

Offline Pendergast

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2014, 02:29:09 PM »
That's a depressing story.  Almost feel sorry for the corn.  Grass is always greener.

Offline star seed 7

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2014, 02:29:20 PM »
You reap what you sow
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline Rage Against the McKee

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2014, 02:32:39 PM »
Nebraska needs to schedule at least 2 power conference teams in non conference every year if they ever want to be taken seriously. The Big 10 is just too awful and keeps getting worse.

Offline michigancat

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2014, 02:37:31 PM »
I feel bad for them. :frown:

Offline bubbles4ksu

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2014, 02:42:33 PM »
We should start recruiting big 10 territory. Sure there aren't as many good football players, but the ones who are there can't want to play for Minnesota or Iowa or Nebraska.

Offline DQ12

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2014, 03:06:12 PM »
Really enjoyed reading that.  Well said.


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Offline Cartierfor3

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2014, 03:07:40 PM »
Hard to be relevant when you're playing conference football games with Rutgers

Offline PowercatPat

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2014, 03:11:38 PM »
Hard to be relevant when you're playing conference football games with Rutgers

It's beyond stupid that Nebraska and Rutgers are even in the same conference.

Online wetwillie

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2014, 03:16:38 PM »
I would take them back in a second. 
When the bullets are flying, that's when I'm at my best

Offline star seed 7

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #12 on: October 26, 2014, 03:19:24 PM »
I'm glad colorado is happy now
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline cDubya

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2014, 03:22:07 PM »
Hard to be relevant when you're playing conference football games with Rutgers

You can say that again, lol.  :peek:

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #14 on: October 26, 2014, 03:28:11 PM »
Really enjoyed reading that.  Well said.

Hard to be relevant when you're playing conference football games with Rutgers
Tremendous amount of truthiness in this thread

Offline Panjandrum

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2014, 03:32:23 PM »
Being totally serious, I'd love to let WVU go find a new home in the ACC or something and take NU back. 

Then, if Iowa wanted to get out of Loserville (Big Ten), I'd trade ISU straight up for them.

That's a conference I'd go bonkers for.

Offline Kat Kid

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Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2014, 03:39:45 PM »
Being totally serious, I'd love to let WVU go find a new home in the ACC or something and take NU back. 

Then, if Iowa wanted to get out of Loserville (Big Ten), I'd trade ISU straight up for them.

That's a conference I'd go bonkers for.

If we added Nebraska and Iowa we'd have 12 teams.....11 game conference schedule???

Offline TheHamburglar

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2014, 03:41:57 PM »
I enjoyed Smoller's jab yesterday during the post-1Q update.  I don't remember the exact wording, but was something like "Nebraska's currently playing a traditional power conference rivalry game against Rutgers."
I got a guy on the other line about some white walls

Offline star seed 7

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #18 on: October 26, 2014, 03:47:54 PM »
I see zero difference between iowa and iowa state, stick with the losers you know
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline HerrSonntag

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2014, 03:54:08 PM »
I walked by some respect in the north lot wearing a red N shirt, out of curiosity i asked them who they played today.  With a grin of excitement at someone bothering to notice they had a football program, he responded "Rutgers!  They beat 'em!"   Shocked by how sad a spectacle he looked trying to act excited about a win over an irrelevant New Jersey team, i tried to smile warmly, nod, and head back to the car to celebrate a SHUTOUT over rough ridin' TEXAS at aggieville.  Its like seeing the guy you didn't get along with in high school drop out and take a job at a gas station and try to tell you how great everything is going, youd like to make fun of them but thered just be no joy in it.

Offline EMAWzified

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #20 on: October 26, 2014, 04:04:59 PM »
I see zero difference between iowa and iowa state, stick with the losers you know

Iowa City >>>>>>> Ames and with less mold

Offline chum1

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2014, 04:17:19 PM »
The only teams with fewer than two losses that are ranked lower than Nebraska: Utah, East Carolina, Marshall, Duke.

Offline j-dub

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2014, 04:18:09 PM »
i enjoyed this
"I started calling him John during the game, cause he was rocking it like No. 7 -- like Elway," Harper said."

Offline Asteriskhead

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2014, 04:25:00 PM »
I would rather have Dan Gable U than Upper Respiratory Infection State.  :th_twocents:

Offline GoodForAnother

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Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2014, 04:33:15 PM »
it has to be killing them. they were so happy when they left. feel bad for them.
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