Three Nebraska coaches since 1962 have taken over for coaches who had losing seasons: Bob Devaney, Bo Pelini and Scott Frost. Each of the first two had moments that felt like Nebraska was headed back to national prominence. One turned out to a long-lasting moment, while the other was ephemeral.
So when does the Frost era register its positive turning point, that time when we as fans are able to say, "OK, this looks like it is headed in the direction we want it headed"?
DEVANEY
For Bob Devaney, it was in his second game as head coach, the 26-13 road victory against Michigan. Sure, it was a typically overrated Michigan team that had gone 6-3 the year before and would go 2-7 in 1962, but it felt big because of Michigan's status as a power program and as a Big Ten member.
In truth, Devaney inherited both a talented team and a weak schedule. Nonconference included South Dakota, Michigan (2-7) and North Carolina State (3-6-1). In conference, the only team with a winning record that Nebraska beat was Kansas, so it could be argued that Nebraska's real positive turning point in 1962 was the victory over KU, a game that pitted the 6-1 Huskers against the 5-2 Jayhawks. The Gotham Bowl victory over Miami was NU's only other victory over a team with a winning record.
Of course, it wasn't until the 1963 Missouri and Oklahoma games when Nebraska scaled the summit in the Big 8, finally defeating the other conference powers. In that year, only NU, OU and Mizzou finished with winning records. The Orange Bowl against Auburn pushed us further in the national perception.
So, in short for Devaney:
Pelini's earliest moment came probably in that 2008/9 Gator Bowl against Clemson. The Huskers had scrapped all year, defeating some decent teams (KU, in particular) but hadn't registered a signature win.
And who can forget Pelini's "Nebraska's back" statement after the Holiday Bowl win against Arizona? That, however, was just icing on the cake after NU outplayed Texas for much of the game in the conference championship.
For me, however, it felt like everything was back to normal after Taylor Martinez scalded K-State on that Thursday night in Manhattan. We were back in the Top 5, and we had a superstar at QB, just like in the glory days.
Then it all went to hell.
FROST
We all assume that Frost will have as good a chance as any of getting Nebraska back to the top, or at least in consideration for titles again. But until then, when will it happen that we all get that feeling that this thing is definitely headed in the right direction based on an on-field result? And how will it manifest itself?
So when does the Frost era register its positive turning point, that time when we as fans are able to say, "OK, this looks like it is headed in the direction we want it headed"?
DEVANEY
For Bob Devaney, it was in his second game as head coach, the 26-13 road victory against Michigan. Sure, it was a typically overrated Michigan team that had gone 6-3 the year before and would go 2-7 in 1962, but it felt big because of Michigan's status as a power program and as a Big Ten member.
In truth, Devaney inherited both a talented team and a weak schedule. Nonconference included South Dakota, Michigan (2-7) and North Carolina State (3-6-1). In conference, the only team with a winning record that Nebraska beat was Kansas, so it could be argued that Nebraska's real positive turning point in 1962 was the victory over KU, a game that pitted the 6-1 Huskers against the 5-2 Jayhawks. The Gotham Bowl victory over Miami was NU's only other victory over a team with a winning record.
Of course, it wasn't until the 1963 Missouri and Oklahoma games when Nebraska scaled the summit in the Big 8, finally defeating the other conference powers. In that year, only NU, OU and Mizzou finished with winning records. The Orange Bowl against Auburn pushed us further in the national perception.
So, in short for Devaney:
- Michigan 1962 was when it "felt like" we were headed in the right direction.
- Missouri and Oklahoma in 1963 was when we proved we were a conference and national power.
- Other than 1967-68, that feeling lasted a long, long, long, long, long time.
Pelini's earliest moment came probably in that 2008/9 Gator Bowl against Clemson. The Huskers had scrapped all year, defeating some decent teams (KU, in particular) but hadn't registered a signature win.
And who can forget Pelini's "Nebraska's back" statement after the Holiday Bowl win against Arizona? That, however, was just icing on the cake after NU outplayed Texas for much of the game in the conference championship.
For me, however, it felt like everything was back to normal after Taylor Martinez scalded K-State on that Thursday night in Manhattan. We were back in the Top 5, and we had a superstar at QB, just like in the glory days.
Then it all went to hell.
FROST
We all assume that Frost will have as good a chance as any of getting Nebraska back to the top, or at least in consideration for titles again. But until then, when will it happen that we all get that feeling that this thing is definitely headed in the right direction based on an on-field result? And how will it manifest itself?
