Horrible Huskers

For years, the Nebraska Cornhuskers football squad has roamed the turf of Memorial Stadium as an unstoppable force. The Blackshirts would wreak havoc on any opposing offense that dared to challenge them, and the offense would score points at will with their unbelievable running attack. Players like Johnny Rodgers, Tommy Frazier, Eric Crouch, Grant Wistrom and Ndamukong Suh would haunt the dreams of opposing players the night before a game causing the Sea of Red to stand in unison and shout with joy. 

These were the glory days of Nebraska football, and while there were times when things were not so bright, the red-clad fans of Nebraska stayed loyal to their beloved Huskers. However there have been times in recent memory when things for the Huskers seemed bleak. Just weeks after an embarrassing loss at the Capitol One Bowl to South Carolina by a score of 30-13, Nebraska fans began to wonder where those glory days had gone. 

Since their last National Championship appearance in 2001 the Huskers have posted an 82-48 record compared to a 111-15 record in the ten years before that. In the ten years since 2001 they have not finished in the top 10, they have finished unrated in the AP Top 25 polls five times, failed to make a bowl game twice, and have not qualified for a BCS bowl. They went through three different coaches in that time span and even changed Athletic Directors. In fact the only bright spot for Nebraska in this time period was the senior season of Ndamukong Suh who was awarded five different awards and was the first and only Heisman finalist for the Huskers since Eric Crouch in 2001. If that's not bad enough the Huskers have gone 10-7 in their last 17 games including two bowl losses and loss in the Big 12 Championship.

The Huskers' woes are not the result of a lack of talent. There are currently 33 former Huskers in the NFL. This past season All-Conference athletes including Lavonte David, Jared Crick and Alfonzo Dennard led their defense. The offence possessed plenty of speed and athleticism in players such as Rex Burkhead, Kenny Bell, Jaamal Turner and Taylor Martinez.

 All of these players have proven that they are respectable athletes capable of making big plays, but they always seem to find ways to lose games. This can be attributed to some sloppy plays including unnecessary penalties, poor decision making, and dare I say it, terrible play calling. I have never and probably will never understand the pressure and responsibility that goes along with coaching or playing for a Division One school, so it is tough to relate to the players and coaches, but what I observe is a talented group of athletes who have not been able to come together as a team to win the big games. 

Football is a team sport and there is no one individual who wins games week after week. If the Huskers are to be successful and bring joy back to the hearts of the Husker fans, then they need to set aside any egos they may have, identify a team goal, come together as a single unit, and work hard to achieve their goal. Until they can do this, the sea of red will continue to be blue.