Sooner fans - what was it like?

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 8:18 am

You guys once told us what it was like to go through a period of mediocrity when it seemed like you would always remain a joke and that nothing would get you back to the glory days. What WAS that like? You guys endured Gibbs for six years, Howard for one year and Blake for three years. If ten years if the punishment, then the fact that Callahan's contract ends in 2011 seems to be right on the timeline.

Many NU fans right now are depressed about the fact that their sons/daughters aren't going to grow up with NU as a powerhouse like we all did (and like you did as OU fans). I'm sure you guys had your share of people jumping off the bandwagon. Believe it or not, it was kind of like that when Osborne was in charge. From 89 to 92 on, people thought that the game had passed him on. Everytime NU lost or played bad, I would endure razzing from supposed NU fans about how NU choked or were terrible. It was only after they won their first MNC in 94 under Osborne that it seemed like NU fans suddenly crawled out of the wood work.

When did the heat get turned up? Was it constant from the start of Blake's tenure?

It seems like we're finally starting to see the ripple effect of the Callahan era. The last of the Solich era recruits graduated last year (although a few are here this year that were committed to Solich prior to his firing). That seems to be the back breaker as the players that actually were taught proper technique are no longer here. Instead, we have coaches that rarely coach technique and just run through plays in half pads for two hours, which I guess might work in the NFL considering they can practice for a lot longer and were taught proper technique at their college, but works shitty here.

This year seems like the Howard year to me, which means the next three years will be pretty damned ugly if Callahan is given more time.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:35 am

so much for that "breakout year" we've been hearing about, eh?

OU went winless in Norman in 96.

but, really HFaL, it's mediocrity that is the danger....if Cally is winning 8 games a year it'lll be hard to pull the trigger. and all of a sudden it's 5 years later, you're still playing in the Independence Bowl and your roster is 2-deep with Indy Bowl type talent.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:38 pm

The sad part is that Pedey will call for patience. Ya you showed a lot of patience back in '03 when you canned a staff that could actually coach. I wasn't in-love with Cotton as OC(shoulda made Turner the OC or went outside Nebraska-lines) but he was more competent than Coz and he had solid folks around him like Gill, Brown and Albin to help. You can only do so much when you have a safety playing qb. Plus our d-staff was totally kill.

Now what do we have? The D-staff will have to be gutted after the season and our O still needs to make that jump to the next level. Next year will be year-5 and we'll be making excuses about breaking-in a new D-staff and the newbie at qb. Of course that new D can only be better and the qb will have talent but still, we are talking year-5 and stil talking about "wait til". We are running in place while teams like Cinci, Ill, South Florida, and even Indiana have passed us by.

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:18 pm

Thanks. I remember someone dispensing this advice years ago after the first time I gave up on Fraudahan. I'm not going anywhere, but dear God is he squeezing the fun out of the game for me.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 6:30 pm

Believe the Heupel wrote:
I remember watching the 1992 OU-Nebraska game from a stadium that looked like a dang ghost town and the loudest noise was the two Nebraska fans chanting "5-4-2, No Bowl For You" in front of the student section.

.

LOL, ya they were being dicks but it is still kinda funny. Fortunately we scabdicked by Ball, Wake, and ISU so we shouldn't have to hear the "no bowl" chant. Unfortunately that scabdicking will keep BC safe for the year.

I'd say can Pedey and his boy BC then bring in TO and BO. Osborne would get the booster-cash flowing as AD and Bo would get this team some balls again.

DiT · Post by **DiT** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:45 pm

lemme just say it was rough during Blake's reign.
hearing nothing but bullshit during the coaches show and seeing absolutely bullshit on the field fucking drove me insane.
losing to teams like Kansas,Tulsa San Diego St etc.. was just hard to grasp.
absolute confusion on the field and the sidelines was incomparable.
Blake SUCKED as a coach.
Callahan is a much better coach than Blake.
it's unlikely you'll see NU ever go 3-8.
that kind of shit is hard to swallow.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 11:34 pm

radio host Bob Kemp called the Blake OU team that lost to Northwestern the "worst coached team" he'd ever seen at any level.

i don't think NU will ever go 3-8, but 8-9 win seasons aren't going to be enough.

i just hope if NU makes a move in the next few years, it ain't a "the past is the future/back to the Dr. Tom family" hire.

the blackshirts have been average since Charlie McBride was off the sidelines.

campinfool · Post by **campinfool** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:20 am

I think you are taking it too hard. It took Texas fans more than 30 years to finally have something to strut about. And now since #10 left we are back to whining about O-Coordinators and questioning why Mack Brown is a lousy game day coach and that 10 wins season are just not good enough. Callahan was a bad hire and will probably not last too much longer. He will be forever linked in a group of bad mistakes such as John Mackovic and John Blake. I don't think a football power can sustain dominance in the current state of college football. You are not the only giant that has fallen on lean times in the history of the sport. It is just your time now. It is a test from the football gods to see if you are a real fan or not. They will test your patience and your sanity. I would just kick back and drink a brew thanking those same football gods that you are not an Iowa fan. Besides you still have a visit to Austin this year and that might be a pick-me-upper for the fans because Texas ain't too hot tjis year either.

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:45 am

King Crimson wrote:radio host Bob Kemp called the Blake OU team that lost to Northwestern the "worst coached team" he'd ever seen at any level.

i don't think NU will ever go 3-8, but 8-9 win seasons aren't going to be enough.

i just hope if NU makes a move in the next few years, it ain't a "the past is the future/back to the Dr. Tom family" hire.

the blackshirts have been average since Charlie McBride was off the sidelines.

I fully expect NU to lose the rest of their games to finish 4-8 and I'm not kidding. This team has deep seated problems in the coaching, the system they are 'taught', the players that play, and the cohesiveness of those players to get over it.

They barely beat 3 of the teams they were supposed to beat easily.

Our defense is on pace to shatter the per game allowed average, which was 379 or something. The current average is about 445 yards a game. Take away the first game and it's probably closer to 550 yards per game.

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:48 am

DiT wrote:lemme just say it was rough during Blake's reign.
hearing nothing but bullshit during the coaches show and seeing absolutely bullshit on the field fucking drove me insane.
losing to teams like Kansas,Tulsa San Diego St etc.. was just hard to grasp.
absolute confusion on the field and the sidelines was incomparable.
Blake SUCKED as a coach.
Callahan is a much better coach than Blake.
it's unlikely you'll see NU ever go 3-8.
that kind of shit is hard to swallow.

We are hearing that sort of stuff right now. The coaches comments are just mind boggling. It's like Callahan is desperately trying not to go all Bruce Banner and turn in Raider Callahan and call his team 'dumb'.

the_ouskull · Post by **the_ouskull** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:32 am

King Crimson wrote:radio host Bob Kemp called the Blake OU team that lost to Northwestern the "worst coached team" he'd ever seen at any level.

I remember that game. Bob Kemp may be the smartest motherf*cker in this room. Holy CRAP we looked like a bunch of monkeys humping a doorknob.

i don't think NU will ever go 3-8, but 8-9 win seasons aren't going to be enough.

I never thought that OU would either, until I was in school right smack in the middle of it. At least, in our case, those TERRIBLE seasons were enough to get our rumblings happening loud enough for something to get done about it. Gibbs was winning, but not well, and not enough... plus he was boring as shit, so they went the complete opposite direction... Outside of the program, blustery, Larger-Than-Life, and NOT boring, Howard Schitfacedburger. Then, after that one-year debacle.. (Who TIES Texas, honestly... And no, 1984 does NOT count 'cause the REFS tied Tejas then, not Switzer.) Then they went "back in the family" thinking that, well, Howard sucked at life, and Blake's a good human being, he's from within the program, and he's younger, with pro experience, so he'll be able to recruit well. (Wait, he's black? Really? Shut up!) After THAT debacle, we brought in a real coach.

I think what I'm trying to say is this.. Nebraska, under the current regime, won't lose enough games to bring about MASSIVE changes. You could be mediocre for a long time, man.

the blackshirts have been average since Charlie McBride was off the sidelines.

Tell me about it. Sincerely, Mike Stoops

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:58 am

I remember watching those Blake teams and thinking they were very piss-poorly coached and underachieving. I hope we don't become that. First, it would suck. Second, Neb would be harder to bring back than OU because we don't have the access to talent that OU does.

DiT · Post by **DiT** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:08 am

under Blake,over three years, OU lost to:
TCU finished 4-7
Tulsa 4-7
Kansas 4-7
Northwestern 5-7
Cal 3-8
Kansas 5-6
Texas 4-7
Cal 5-6
Okie St 5-6
A&M 6-6
squeaked by Baylor 28-24,24-23,28-16
FUCKING BAYLOR!
NU isn't even close.
not even in the ballpark.
hopefully you'll never see such dismal performances.
I know yall aren't used to losing but at least you're losing to WINNING teams.
that being said,I think Callahan is an absolute fool and NU deserves better.

War Stoops · Post by **War Stoops** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:17 am

Froz's advice is sound. FWIW, I hope Nebraska finds its way back to the top again very soon. I sincerely respect and admire the program.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:07 am

Danimal wrote:I remember watching those Blake teams and thinking they were very piss-poorly coached and underachieving.

and also out of shape. conditioning was a joke under Boo.

after the 1 point W against Baylor in 98 (Rodney Rideau tips away the Bear 2 point conversion in the south end zone of Owen Field?), Boo was quoted in the paper saying it was fun to get out to practice after a big win to correct the little things.

which word doesn't belong in that sentence? starts with b and has 3 letters, and only one vowel.

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:22 am

DiT wrote:under Blake,over three years, OU lost to:
TCU finished 4-7
Tulsa 4-7
Kansas 4-7
Northwestern 5-7
Cal 3-8
Kansas 5-6
Texas 4-7
Cal 5-6
Okie St 5-6
A&M 6-6
squeaked by Baylor 28-24,24-23,28-16
FUCKING BAYLOR!
NU isn't even close.
not even in the ballpark.
hopefully you'll never see such dismal performances.
I know yall aren't used to losing but at least you're losing to WINNING teams.
that being said,I think Callahan is an absolute fool and NU deserves better.

Just wait... While Callahan has indeed beaten mostly winning teams, the lack of progress and regression with the better talent he's brought in is just mind boggling. It's no coincidence that the last of the Solich recruits that are now gone seems to coincide with the utter lack of any technique being taught. Watch some Missouri game highlights (I may try to grab some screencaps) and you'll see players on offense blocking the wrong guys or no one, pocket's collapsing within seconds, 4-star linemen getting schooled by DT's running around them like they're posts, receivers that can't get separation and then dropping passes because they're afraid of getting hit, a QB that has no timing because he doesn't know if the pocket will hold up so he rushes passes to wide open receivers. On defense, you see no adjustments, poor tackling techniques and a system that's guaranteed to make the fastest player look slow as hell. NU is on pace to absolutely shatter defensive futility records that have been in place since a 2-8 team set them for yards per game allowed. You'll also see new records for most points per game, in a season. Already, Missouri has set the record for most first downs allowed. Iowa State, that juggernaut, ran a record 102 plays from scrimmage against our stout defense.

It's not a flood, but Jesus these clots are bleeding!

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:50 pm

Re-read Froz's post. It's the gospel. There is a reason I am under 30 and have season tickets on the 48 yard line!!!

At Large · Post by **At Large** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:45 pm

That's what I'm hoping for. I may be rooting for my team to lose, but it's to whittle out the heard. :twisted: