What caused the demise of Nebraska?

ChosenChildren

ChosenChildren

Well-Known Member
Nebraska during the seasons 1969 through 2001 lost 4 games in a single season only one time. You can argue that they were the number one program in the country during that period. Since then, they have lost 4 games in a season THIRTEEN TIMES, with a very good chance of losing at least 4 games in 2016. Why did this happen?
 
1) Tom Osborne had a machine working for him. The Nebraska of the late 20th century was a unique situation.

2) Frank Solich was the closest thing they were going to get to Osborne (in terms of maintaining the "machine"). When they dumped him, it became a new game.

3) There is more parity (including facilities and training) and going to Nebraska doesn't have the same allure it used to. Today's recruit wasn't alive for any of their National Championships.
 
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The football landscape changed a lot since even Solich was there let alone Osborne. It's not any one thing. Combination of coaching, recruiting and other schools doing what they've all done.
 
.... see Penn State. Sometimes the bubble just bursts on some programs. Unfortunately, at Nebraska being where they are located, it is going to be very difficult to get that back. The very best players could leave for the coasts or better weather. It's difficult to recruit to middle America.
 
The most important reason was the reduction of scholarships from 105 to 93 to 85. They could no longer stockpile talent. 2nd reason was they had a great walk on program that they fed off of. I didn't follow them back in those days, but my understanding was they had a lot of walk on's at FB, Line, TE, and Kickers positions. They loaded up on Option QB's, RB's, OL, DL, LB, & DB's with scholarship players.
 
They simply had an awesome run from 70-mid 90's. It lasted longer than most and really was against the odds. Good/Great Coaches, no competition for recruits within a 3 state area, could take every walk on in the tri state area and keep the ones that developed.

What hurt them:
- 1992 scholarship limits
- mystique started to fade after '97, and players now have a lot more visibility to other programs/opportunities
- Steve Peterson

What helped them be elite in the 70's, 80's, 90's.:
- Playing in a conference extremely top heavy with a massive drop off from #3 to #4 usually. If they beat OK, TX, and occaisionally CO, they were going to easily win 9-10 games.

Almost 20 years since they have been anything more that a "good team".

I would still like them to have a few more avg to below avg years. The fanbase need many more lessons in humility.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
1) Tom Osborne had a machine working for him. The Nebraska of the last 20th century was a unique situation.

2) Frank Solich was the closest thing they were going to get to Osborne (in terms of maintaining the "machine"). When they dumped him, it became a new game.

3) There is more parity (including facilities and training) and going to Nebraska doesn't have the same allure it used to. Today's recruit wasn't alive for any of their National Championships.
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Bingo.
 
In addition to other things mentioned, the era of big media and ESPN prominence and big dollars has really turned up the monitoring of compliance. Many things fusker players could get away with off the field have been eliminated. In 1981 if a player got arrested for drugs or assault, it most likely never made the news outside of Lincoln. Osborne could just brush stuff under the rug. Now a persistent national media presence on every campus has forced schools like Nebraska to be accountable for players behavior which eliminates a lot of talent that was funneled to Lincoln.
 
It's all coaching. Tom Osborne and the guy who was there before him could recruit and coach. Once Nick Saban leaves Alabama, I'd expect them to have a dip in production, most likely, as well.
 
SteveGarvey1 said:
It's all coaching. Tom Osborne and the guy who was there before him could recruit and coach. Once Nick Saban leaves Alabama, I'd expect them to have a dip in production, most likely, as well.
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Hell, Michigan is just getting back to where they are expected to be. They had a almost decade hiatus. Doesn't take much to throw a team or program off in College Football.
 
I have driven through Nebraska and made several trips to Lincoln during the offseason and I don't see any indication that the program has declined. Big Red Fever is as strong as ever, if not more.
 
* Osborne retirement

* Unrealistic expectations (impatient)........... which led to multiple head coaching changes

* Location

* Program momentum (or lack thereof) ...........feeds attracting the attention of talent when winning but works the opposite when not hitting expectations
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To go back even further - how did Nebraska become a powerhouse before their demise? Two things: The Minnesota Vikings arrival and Evy's retirement. The Gophers were a powerhouse from the 30's until 1960 - then the Vikings arrived in the Twin-Cities and began getting all the attention. And Iowa was top-notch in the 50's under Evy. Bob Devaney was hired in 1962 at the exact time the Hawkeyes and Gophers were heading downhill fast. He and the Nebraska program filled the void left by Iowa and Minnesota to become the dominant program in the upper Midwest.
 
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Didn't it used to be they allowed partial qualifiers back in the Big 8 days? I thought that was part of it too
 
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