[Husker] Going for 2

[Theodore Heise]

On Mon, 3 Dec 2007, Schammel, Wayne P wrote:

>>> TO also went for 2 against Miami in the 1984 Orange Bowl, when 
>>> he should have settled for the tie and the National 
>>> Championship.
>
>> I don't post here very often, but this statement really bothers 
>> me. As one of the "older" fans (I remember when Devaney came to 
>> Lincoln), I've always felt that the decision to go for two 
>> against Miami was a defining moment in Tom's career and a seminal 
>> event in Nebraska football. He could have taken the easy way out 
>> and gotten the glory but he wanted to win it on the field, in my 
>> opinion, the honorable way. That was a quality rarely seen in the 
>> day and even less now. At the time, I was disappointed that we 
>> lost but I don't know if I've ever been prouder to be a Husker. I 
>> think it was viewed as a "heroic decision" by fans around the 
>> nation and I've heard more than one coach say he wished he had 
>> the guts to make a decision like that. I just don't understand 
>> how anyone could say it was a "bad decision".
>>
>> Dave Melvin
>> Columbus, OH
>
> I also am an old fart (Class of 71) and clearly the 84 OB was the 
> most disappointing loss I ever experienced as a Husker fan.  I had 
> mixed emotions about Osborne going for 2 that day.  Clearly, it 
> was gutsy and heroic and many non-Nebraska fans admired his 
> decision.  On the other hand, I distinctly recall Tom saying 
> afterwards that he did not realize that going for 1 and settling 
> for the tie (no OT then) would get Nebraska the MNC.

Knowing Dr. Osborne's sense of humor and self-deprecatory nature, I 
have to think if he said anything along these lines he was making 
light of the situation.

-- 
Theodore (Ted) Heise     <theo at heise.nu>     Bloomington, IN, USA