A Dynasty was Built to Crumble

Today in Lincoln, one of the most dominant powers in college football will take the field. They'll come to the stadium with tradition, national championships, and a swagger that resembles John Wayne in Hondo. College football analysts will comment on their poise, their conditioning and their abundant skill.

And Nebraska will be there too.

Omaha World Herald columnist, registered traitor and full-fledged Husker homer talks in this morning's paper about Nebraska's status as a national power. (here) Mr. Shatel states that although Nebraska is fighting back through respectability, Steve Pederson has set the bar high enough, that basically the Huskers have no choice but to regain their status as one of college football's premier programs.

If you say so Tom.

Here's the way I look at it. College football, unlike any other spectator sport, supports dynasties better than anywhere else. Because of the large numbers of scholarships, the differences between athletic budgets and the facilities arms race that is carried out by mega-donors of all types, it is nearly impossible to crack college football's top echelon. At the same time, it's nearly impossible to destroy a great program, although there are signs of that all around. In his article, Mr. Shatel brings up that USC, Oklahoma and others have come back from the dead to take their rightful place on the throne. (All because Husker fans are so great..which I'll get to in a second.)

Aren't there some teams missing from that list? How about Alabama? How about Notre Dame? How about Army? How about BYU? Didn't they win a national title? When was the last time Florida State did anything? Big powers, little powers...they all have their problems. What the Texas writer in the article was trying to say was simple, and of course Tom missed it.

You'll never be Nebraska again.

This is what the Hick nation doesn't, and will never understand. They didn't understand the WAY the Huskers used to beat teams. The very system that Steve Pederson dismissed as "out of date" was the same system that literally choked the life out of opposing teams. Even with mediocre talent and pasty Nebraska farm boys (who for some reason are no longer a pipeline to major college football teams for some reason) used to run people over and literally push their way toward the end zone.

I don't think a majority of Husker fans..and definitely Homer Tom will understand that. You can change your style. You can change your philosophy. You can put 10 more signs on your stadium that say just how great you are...but you will NEVER get that swagger back. You will NEVER intimidate teams and fans they way you once did. I'm not sure why this is so hard for you to understand. College football dynasties, as difficult as they are to destroy, are not kept alive just because your fans all wear the same color.

Steve Pederson has made sure that the old way...the Nebraska way of winning with clock control, ground productivity and players who beat women, will never be seen again. Sure, you may have some magical season where you go 10-2. Hell, you may do that in the next year or two. But you will never ever ever reach the level of domination you have running through your head.

Maybe you should have enjoyed it more when it happened.

Order Restored?

Ask Army.