We’re as good as we can be for where we’re at in the process. We are who we are and that may not always help the outcome but at least when we watch this team play on Saturdays they are committed to being a more physical team. There’s depth at a lot of positions, a good leader in Colandrea and we are starting to see an identity and sticking to it. It may not slay giants right now but it calms things down and allows us as a fan base to not to drink so much or be too disappointed. Maybe we need a year like this where we have to exist as we are and use that to overcome obstacles and turn them into victories. I’m a new athletic director at a small school and even though I’m not unfamiliar to the work or situations it still can be humbling at times and causes me not to get too far ahead of myself, staying in the moment and appreciating the learning experiences.
Let’s talk about last game. My only thought in the first half was “Unacceptable”. It was trash and the penalties, whether correct or not, have got to stop. Especially the pre snap ones. The defense is still pretty concerning but we don’t exactly have a lot of studs in the trench just yet, hopefully that will come next year.
Against Indiana you just never know what could happen and the big ten can be a crap shoot every week, similar to the old big twelve days where everybody hated each other. The same level of hate may not be there as much but the opportunity to screw up someone’s season is always within reach. I shouldn’t ponder over those days but the old big 8 and big 12 games were fun. No small part of me wants us to right the ship, win consistently and then reform the old conference, without the greedy team in burnt orange though. Let them live in a mess of their own creating without Oklahoma.
So here we are a couple days away from facing the defending national champions and still the best team in the country despite their ranking. They are coached by the best and that’s a tough mountain to climb. Im reminded of the scene from the movie Hoosiers, when they were in the semi finals and coach Dale tells them about the tradition in tournament play to not think about the step in front of you…”I’m sure going to the state finals is beyond your wildest dreams so let’s just keep it there”. Beating Indiana would be perfect but let’s just focus on each play first and then see what happens. The Huskers need to try and minimize mistakes , something that’s eluded them in recent years. With the exception of last game vs Maryland, Nebraska has done a better job in that regard. I want to steer clear of saying things like having play a perfect game because Indiana could come out flat. Winning doesn’t always play out like we have it in our heads either. It’s past our time to finally get a win over a top 25 team and Nebraska needs to win now instead of kicking this can down the road. This is a winnable game and moral victories don’t count anymore.
GO BIG RED!
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