It is as if we live in this slow turning time machine. Nebraska fans keep coming to games, we turn on the TV, we buy tickets, we travel to far off places to support the Big Red and we can’t stop following every move the team makes. The seasons flash by, but the losing seems to take forever.
You can’t move away from it. You want to. As a fan, you hurt when your team hurts. You feel the pain of leads blown, fumbles lost, and missed opportunities that seem so close and yet so far away.
If you are over the age of 40 and have been a Husker fan most of your life, you remember the days when more than one loss in a season was a killer and losing just one in the season meant that the season likely wasn’t a success. I remember thinking back in Tommie Frazier’s freshman season, after a tough loss at Iowa State, that the year seemed lost.
I still feel that way each week Nebraska loses. What is different is that I keep coming back, expecting a different result. I get that we are all conditioned to think that Nebraska will get it figured out and this is all a blimp on the radar, but it really does seem like it’s a never-ending loop. Frost said that it seemed like we are watching the same movie over and over again and that was a great analogy.
I have to say though, this last month has seemed like the worm may have turned. It hasn’t shown up in the Huskers record, we all know that. Think about this though, when Scott Frost returned to Nebraska in 2018 and the Huskers played in Ann Arbor, they took a loss on the chin that was as bad as I have seen at Nebraska. When you are down 39-0 at halftime, it likely doesn’t get much worse. Now it’s three seasons later and Nebraska had every opportunity to beat a top ten Michigan team.
It doesn’t seem like the losing will ever end, but for the first time in half a decade, I think it will. You can worry about 2022 if you like and you can worry if Frost is the long-term answer, but at this point and time, I’ve never been more confident that it is all going to work out for Frost and Nebraska. We just need to find the remote to fast forward to the winning part.
ON WITH THE REWIND…
Last game prediction was Nebraska 26, Michigan 22. The actual score was Michigan 32, Nebraska 29. I have to admit, when I sat in Memorial Stadium and Adrian Martinez fumbled in the fourth quarter trying to go for every inch to keep a drive going, I just slapped my forehead. I was so close to believing that this time would be different. You have to wonder how many ways a group of players can find a way to give away a game? Nebraska is a very good team. They just aren’t a winning team. Yet.
Quick Notes:
Bryce Benhart…Teddy Prochaska went down with a knee injury, forcing Turner Corcoran back to the left tackle side and Benhart came into the game back to his right tackle position after being benched just one week before. Benhart played his tail off. Michigan has as good a defensive line as Nebraska will see outside of Ohio State and I didn’t notice a drop off. Kudo’s to Benhart for being prepared and kudos to Greg Austin for continuing to help make him better.
Cam Taylor-Britt…Played like everyone expected this All Big Ten player to play against Michigan. Taylor-Britt has made some great plays this season but had yet to have a game where he was dominant. He was dominant against the Wolverines. As well as he played, Quinton Newsome has also stepped up as a starter. If Taylor-Britt goes pro, it’s good to know that the drop-off might not be as bad as we once feared.
Rahmir Johnson…Johnson is technically a redshirt freshman. It’s crazy to think about, because he is in his third year in the program. Johnson could play three more seasons. He has become a great threat receiving the ball as well as becoming the bell cow for the Husker rushing attack. Michigan has a great defense and Johnson still had over 170 total yards. He blocks so well for his size, it has just been a great lift for this team to have his consistency.
Score Prediction: Nebraska 38, Minnesota 17
I didn’t go out on a limb for a prediction against Northwestern and I kicked myself about it. This time, I’m predicting Nebraska will have their first road win and that it will be a walk away in the second half. There will be a lot of emotion on Saturday with the Huskers. How they respond to the last weeks physical game will be a predictor for how the rest of the season plays out. I feel like Nebraska will continue to make big plays and the defense will play with fire for Coach Chinander. It’s an early game, so make sure and get the coffee brewing and GBR!!
No comments:
Post a Comment