[Husker] 2007 Game plan

[Pat Gaule]

Duane Feldman wrote:

>I don't get why so many college football fans give the Trojans so much respect.  They simply haven't earned it.
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Are you serious??? 

They are 59-6 over the past 5 seasons, or 48-4 over the past 4.  That is 
not too far off of Nebraska's 60-3 run from 1993-1997, which might be 
the greatest 5 year run in the history of college footbal.  If they go 
undefeated this year, they will be dangerously close to that mark.  I do 
not think what USC has done in the past 5 seasons is more impressive 
than what Nebraska did in the middle of the last decade, but to suggest 
that respect directed toward USC is unearned is quite a stretch.

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>OK, Pete has had a couple of NC teams, but they are hardly invincible.  The 2005 was touted for a time as the Best Of All Time -- until they lost to Texas in the title game.  Last year they started ranked highly  -- and lost two games and were very close to losing two more.
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The media has certainly overhyped them from time to time, but they tend 
to do that with any successful team.  The 2003 Oklahoma team was also 
regarded as one of the best ever , until they got blown out by K-state 
and then lost in the national championship game.  The sports media 
simply loves the story of a "dynasty" for some reason.  In my opinin, 
USC is getting the amount of respect and praise you'd expect considering 
their track record, but I don't think they're getting any more respect 
than NU got during the mid-90's.

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>There is a huge difference between being #1 in recruiting and #1 on the field.  
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I don't understand this point.  USC's track record with top-notch 
recruiting talent is pretty hard to beat.  Caroll's first top ten class 
was in 2003 if you go by Rivals rankings: 
http://rivals100.rivals.com/TeamRank.asp?postype=0&sort=0&year=2002, 
which resulted in an 11-2 season that year and a national title the 
next.  You make it sound as if USC has squandered their recruiting 
abilities with disappointing performances when the reailty is that 
they've pretty much lived up to any realistic expectations set for 
them.  No team is going to win a national championship every year, but 
relatively few programs will duplicate what USC has accomplished in the 
past five years, in which they've never finished lower than 4th in 
either poll.  Consider yourself fortunate that Nebraska already has done 
slightly better, because such a feat won't get any easier as parity 
becomes more and more evident.

>Ask Appy State if they belong on the field with Michigan.  ApStU not only didn't outrecruit UM, they offer 1/3rd fewer scholarships.  Oklahoma State didn't outrecruit us last year (or any other year).  Neither Oregon St nor UCLA outrecruited USC last year.  Is NU better than OrStU?  Definitely.
>Is USC Good?  Of course.  Invincible?  Definitely not.
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I don't think anyone believes they are invincible, but I think they're a 
lot better than "good."

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>The Huskers have two good games under our belts vs only Idaho for USC.  
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I would hesitate to call the Wake Forrest game "good", but it was more 
game-time experience for the team, and that always counts for something.

>BC is (probably) a better game day coach than Pete Carroll (yes, this one is debatable). 
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I don't think debatable is quite the right word....  I do find it 
interesting that you harp on "college football fans" for giving USC so 
much respect, yet you laud Bill Callahan as a "better game day coach" 
when he hasn't done anything to earn that title either.  Based on what 
I've seen of Callahan over the past 3+ seasons, it's really hard for me 
to believe that statement, but I've watched a lot more Nebraska games 
than USC games, so maybe you know something I don't.  If Callahan is 
really a better gameday coach, then I don't think that says much about 
Pete Caroll's abilities.

>The game is in Lincoln and the team is MUCH better at home than on the road.
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>USC should be favored, but I would hardly give up on the Huskers at this point.
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I don't think anyone is giving up on them, and I can't wait until 
Saturday night!