[Husker] Black shirts

Mon Nov 7 12:59:58 CST 2011

When many fans were glad to see Solich fired despite his relatively
high level of success, I thought that the bar was set so high as to
be self-defeating.  That is, if you're going to fire every coach who
doesn't play for the BCS Championship every year, then you'll never
play for the BCS Championship.  I gave my outline for what I thought
could reasonably be expected of the NU football coach.  I don't
remember exactly, but it was something like this:

Win the division at the rate of about once every two years or so.
Win the conference once every four years or so.
Play in a BCS bowl once every three years or so.
Win a BCS bowl once every six years or so.
Play in the BCS Championship once every six years or so.
Win the BCS Championship once every twelve years or so.

I believe that any expectation higher than this really is unreasonable.
NU fans have to accept that playing in a division with programs that
have the same high expectations, e.g., Michigan, NU just won't win the
division every year.  Even every other year is a pretty high bar.

This is Pelini's fourth year.  Even without some slack for putting
his system and players in place, he's coached the team to two conference
championship games, losing both by a total of four points.  So, this
year is looking like one of the years NU may not win the division.
That isn't where NU wants to finish --- it is a program that reasonably
aspires to the BCS Championship --- but it is the sort of year that
should be expected.

It will be interesting to see if NU finishes the year on an upswinng,
a downswing, or the up-and-down we've seen so far this year.

For next year, I see quite a bit of promise and progress in the
skill players and the offensive line.  I think Martinez is maturing
as a QB.  On the other hand, I don't think many people expected such
problems on defense and NU loses Crick, Denard, and David next year.
It's tough to win championships with the defense that NU has played
this year.

> Oh, I see.  You're right, that was poorly written on my part.  Sorry about
> that.  Each and every year I'm sure we will all hope and root as hard as we
> can for a win every game, a championship at the end.  And I know that a 9
> win season isn't the same as it was with an 11 game schedule as the 9th win
> is usually against a 'gimme' type team.  But still, though yesterday was
> tough, I have had some great excitement so far this year....and there is
> potential for more!  Who knows..we could go 3-0 and win out and that would
> mean we would have had plenty more to cheer about.  I guess I was just
> trying to say that the season is not a bust to date, and many seasons will
> be like this from now on, and we've got to appreciate the best parts of
> seasons like this.  I think I am sounding kind of preachy so I better shut
> up.
> 
> > Well when you said "and we better get used to it" that gave me the
> > sense of settling for not being the very best. Sorry if I
> > misinterpreted.
> >
> > On 11/6/11, David Strong <gobigredlist at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Mark...sorry guy but I don't know where you read "defeatist" and "stuck"
> > > and "content" and "resign ourselves" and "accepting" and "also-ran" in my
> > > post saying that a 9 win season is a good one and not to be taken for
> > > granted and that a 9-3 season with a big game win over MSU is a good
> > season
> > > and winning 2 of our last 3 will be difficult but if it happens we should
> > > be happy.
> > > Do you just make this stuff up?
> > > We will have championship teams again.  We will have powerful teams
> > again.
> > > But anyone watching this team from the beginning of the season should
> > have
> > > known that this probably isn't one of them...though there is still hope!
> > > Regardless of what all the preseason bloggers and media guys said.
> > > Regardless of what some guy with a bunch of stats and an excel
> > spreadsheet
> > > said.  This team has never really passed the eyeball test for a
> > > championship team.  But it's not over yet and they have given us some
> > great
> > > things to cheer for this year even if the team isn't an elite one.
> > > Appreciate seasons like this, they will be more often than not in the
> > years
> > > ahead.
> > >
> > >> I'm sorry that just sounds a little too defeatist to me. The idea that
> > >> we are stuck where we are and that we should be content with
> > >> good-but-not-great doesn't sound like a formula for winning. I've seen
> > >> a quote from Pelini somewhere that the idea that you shouldn't ask for
> > >> perfection because it's unattainable is how losers think, and he
> > >> doesn't subscribe to that belief. Yes, I think we can be proud of our
> > >> team and appreciate and enjoy their efforts even if we lose a number
> > >> of games, but to resign ourselves to NOT being a national power and a
> > >> championship contender is not consistent with the traditional mindset
> > >> of Nebraska players, coaches, and fans, and with the history and
> > >> tradition of NU football. At our best, we SHOULD be, and have been,
> > >> one of those elite blueblood programs, and I believe we are very close
> > >> to being so again. "Accepting" our fate as a second-tier "also ran"
> > >> will only make it true, and that attitude is poison to achieving any
> > >> kind of greatness.
> > >>
> > >> >> > Another 9 win season if we are lucky.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> In business, we would say it is time for many of us to work on a
> > >> paradigm
> > >> > shift.  A 9 win season is a good season, not to be taken for granted.
> > >> We
> > >> > are not an annual power and we now play in a tougher conference.  We
> > are
> > >> > not going to win as much, that's just the way it is.  A 9 win season
> > >> > usually means we won all our non-conference games and went 5-3 in
> > >> > conference.  That is a good season and we better get used to it.  Any
> > >> more
> > >> > than that and it is a great season.  I never believed we would get to
> > >> > Indianapolis, much less the Rose Bowl.  9-3 and a big game win over
> > MSU
> > >> > would be a very good season for us.  It will be hard with what is in
> > >> front
> > >> > of us, but still possible.  If we win 2 out of the next three, we
> > should
> > >> > all be partying.
> > >> >
> > >> > Dave
> > >> > _______________________________________________
> > >> > husker site list
> > >> > husker at tssi.com
> > >> > http://romaine.tssi.com/mailman/listinfo/husker
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Sent from my mobile device
> > >>
> > >> "He's old enough to know what's right and young enough not to choose
> > >> it. He's strong enough to win the world and weak enough to lose it." -
> > >> Neal Peart
> > >>
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Sent from my mobile device
> >
> > "He's old enough to know what's right and young enough not to choose
> > it. He's strong enough to win the world and weak enough to lose it." -
> > Neal Peart
> >
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