Why Nebraska stinks

[Saboteur II]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

 

[srpst23]

In what universe is a legit CA recruit going to Nebraska? Especially with NIL now, UN can't pay under the table for an advantage in recruiting.

 

[TD_6082]

Bring on Lance Leopold. I think he can at least bring the Huskers back to respectability.

 

[Saboteur II]

In what universe is a legit CA recruit going to Nebraska? Especially with NIL now, UN can't pay under the table for an advantage in recruiting.

This one. CA is a big state with players feeding squads all over. Neb has a handful from there now. A bunch from GA.
Maybe Nebraska should drop football.

 

[4382]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

The problem is the so called county scholarships did not exist. It just one of those urban legends that pop up every few years.

 

[rmf05]

An uncle played for them in the 70's and coached in the 90's.

According to him, their bread and butter was JuCos. They had their pick of the best every year. Then the administration shut that down after some well publicized bad apples ran amuck. Those JuCo kids started going to K State, Colorado and a couple other places in the early 90's. That's how my uncle describes the downfall of N football.

 

[joeydavid]

In what universe is a legit CA recruit going to Nebraska? Especially with NIL now, UN can't pay under the table for an advantage in recruiting.

Yeah, college football has changed enough that it isn't reasonable for Nebraska to ever be a national power again.

 

[Saboteur II]

The problem is the so called county scholarships did not exist. It just one of those urban legends that pop up every few years.

Uh, not so fast.
https://nebraska_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/pdf9/2434985.pdf

Nebraska’s traditional success and fall from grace ...

Join the conversation on "Nebraska’s traditional success and fall from grace ...". Read more on the premiere Clemson board

www.tigernet.com

the only people who dispute it are Nebraska people. Remind you of anything or do you think those walks ons happened by sheer luck?

 

[djbpitt]

In what universe is a legit CA recruit going to Nebraska? Especially with NIL now, UN can't pay under the table for an advantage in recruiting.

If I'm a kid from CA or FL and I run fast, why would I go to Nebraska? Academics? Nope. Tradition? Not in my lifetime. Athletic success? Nope.

And Tom Osborne is just some guy from old, poorly lit broadcast TV tapes.

 

[4382]

Uh, not so fast.
https://nebraska_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/pdf9/2434985.pdf

Nebraska’s traditional success and fall from grace ...

Join the conversation on "Nebraska’s traditional success and fall from grace ...". Read more on the premiere Clemson board

www.tigernet.com

the only people who dispute it are Nebraska people. Remind you of anything or do you think those walks ons happened by sheer luck?

A message board post is your legit sources? That list of walk players covers a period of 65 years of which 17 walks ons from the state of Nebraska made it to the NFL. Do you really think that was the source of their success?

 

[steelcurtain55.]

Name the walk-ons who started for Nebraska from 1994-1996.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

I'm not familar with that. I think it has more to do with them not being able to recruit Texas anymore. And they used to do very well recruiting California but once they werent Top 10 every year, Cali kids realized they dont need to go cross-country to play mediocre football

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Name the walk-ons who started for Nebraska from 1994-1996.

Adam Treu, Joel Makovicka, and Jared Tomich - big time college players who also played in the pros.

 

[Las Panteras]

Nebraska's slide coincided with underclassmen leaving early.

There simply isnt enough warm bodies, let alone talent in that state to create the depth needed to remain in national title conversation.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

I think this is "misinformation." I'd have to see this documented by a reputable source. While I am sure there were some very good Nebraska OL who were walk-ons, I doubt any of them chose to walk-on with that academic scholarship over offers from Texas, Oklahoma, etc. We've had walk-on linemen pros in Morrissey and that DL from Central PA in the Wanny era. My guess is this academic scholarship program you speak of was giving these spots to FCS level players like a Morrissey. And yes, some developed like a Morrissey. But the end of this walk-on program isnt the reason they went from Top 5 to MAC level.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

They hired Steve Pederson and it's been downhill ever since.

 

[OH Pete]

This one. CA is a big state with players feeding squads all over. Neb has a handful from there now. A bunch from GA.
Maybe Nebraska should drop football.

If I were a CA recruit, Nebraska would be like paying penance for a grievous sin.

 

[revampedpanthers]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

Didn't know about the ol. They also used to recruit California and Texas well. Harder to do that in the big 10. A great coach can win there but it's not a easy place to win anymore as there is zero local talent. Add in the boosters still think it's 1990 and it's not a very good job.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

For those of us who watched the Huskers in 70s, 80s, 90s, we saw them play with lineman straight off the farm.
Nebraska used to have a bunch of “walk ons” on both lines.
How did they get so many quality walk ons?
Simple answer. Each Husker club in each county would give a local player (usually lineman) an academic scholarship. It was a charade.
But it achieved 2 important things. 1. It freed up scholarships so they could recruit liberally on skill positions, and 2, It freed up a recruiter to go elsewhere.
That charade was outlawed and poof, now they don’t get free lineman and must use the scholarships to fill the gap.
Now they have to devote resources to recruiting lineman.
Too far from FL and buffered by Oklahoma they can’t get big names out of Texas.
_Skolich gets fired. Callahan is a disaster and Orlando gets pushed out.
Now they are in the BigTen and they don’t have the usual patsies to rely on.
Frost was a good coach when he had Florida speed and average foes. But without FL speed and better competition they just can’t cut it.
The number of losses by less than a touchdown has to hurt…but it also proves they don’t have an advantage.
Whoever they bring in as a coach needs to hit TEXAS and CA hard on the recruiting trail.

Also, they were pioneers in linemen made better by chemistry.

 

[redbyrds]

Same reason Maryland stinks. Went for the Big Ten $$ and lost their rivals and identity leading to losing recruiting. Nobody wants to play for them. Rivals now Iowa (Nebraska) and Rutgers (Maryland). Used to be Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, North Carolina.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

Also, they were pioneers in linemen made better by chemistry.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1990/07/...ng-it-his-business-to-rid-the-nfl-of-steroids

Fralic, who was 6'5", 270 pounds and coming off a freshman season for which he was named an honorable-mention All-America, admitted he was four weeks into a six-week cycle of steroid use. "Everybody else is doing them," he told his father. "If I want to be a player, I've got to do them."

"You're crazy!" Bill Sr. railed. "You're big enough and strong enough! You don't need these!"

Fralic stopped taking steroids. The next fall he was first team All-America, but after the season, back in his local gym and in the Pitt weight room, Fralic felt the need to use steroids again. "I knew I was good," he says now, "but there's so much competition in the weight room. You want to be bigger and stronger each year, and you see other guys making these gains, and you want to make gains, too. That mind-set takes over."

So he started taking steroids again, this time more heavily. He took three Dianabol pills a day and had a weightlifting buddy inject him with Deca-Durabolin, another anabolic steroid, once a week.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see - Nebraska was not an outlier when it came to chemical advantages...

 

[cashisking884]

Same reason Maryland stinks. Went for the Big Ten $$ and lost their rivals and identity leading to losing recruiting. Nobody wants to play for them. Rivals now Iowa (Nebraska) and Rutgers (Maryland). Used to be Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia, North Carolina.

MD and Nebraska weren’t exactly setting the world on fire before the Big Ten.

MD would probably be the same program it was in the ACC, maybe even better, if the Big Ten ditched divisions.

 

[happjack]

https://vault.si.com/vault/1990/07/...ng-it-his-business-to-rid-the-nfl-of-steroids

Fralic, who was 6'5", 270 pounds and coming off a freshman season for which he was named an honorable-mention All-America, admitted he was four weeks into a six-week cycle of steroid use. "Everybody else is doing them," he told his father. "If I want to be a player, I've got to do them."

"You're crazy!" Bill Sr. railed. "You're big enough and strong enough! You don't need these!"

Fralic stopped taking steroids. The next fall he was first team All-America, but after the season, back in his local gym and in the Pitt weight room, Fralic felt the need to use steroids again. "I knew I was good," he says now, "but there's so much competition in the weight room. You want to be bigger and stronger each year, and you see other guys making these gains, and you want to make gains, too. That mind-set takes over."

So he started taking steroids again, this time more heavily. He took three Dianabol pills a day and had a weightlifting buddy inject him with Deca-Durabolin, another anabolic steroid, once a week.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see - Nebraska was not an outlier when it came to chemical advantages...

They weren't illegal back then and no one really cared about athletes taking steroids until Ben Johnson gasp a Canadian beat American Carl Lewis in the 100m dash.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

They weren't illegal back then and no one really cared about athletes taking steroids until Ben Johnson gasp a Canadian beat American Carl Lewis in the 100m dash.

exactly.. The ironic thing is Lewis has had samples come up hot prior to Johnson beating him.