I know, we all like to talk about how football was way better back in the day. And I agree with you. I loved it when Nebraska was 20-point favorites against 80% of the teams they played. The Huskers along with other top programs could hoard all the top talent and players stayed for 4 or 5 years. And it worked great for Nebraska, until it didn't. Then things changed, no more hoarding the players, money and TV time, and it allowed a lot of other schools to get competitive.
Now, 25 years later, Nebraska is in the same position as the other schools they used to pound. Nebraska needed a major change to move up. To quote Littlefinger in GOT, "Chaos can be a ladder", and it really can in life.
First, they needed to get out of the BIG TEN West. As Tom Shatel said, they were slumming in it. I know what you are thinking. "Hey NP, it sucked, and we still couldn't win it” “It gave us a lot better chance to win". Except it didn't. It made Nebraska think small. If we could just get a better punter we could beat Iowa. If we could just not turn the ball over, we would beat Minnesota. If we could just get one more stop, we could beat Wisconsin. We didn't even think what it would take to beat Ohio State, Penn State, USC or Michigan. That needed to change. And it did when they finally paid 9 million for a coach, gave him unlimited resources and opened up the check book. And if this doesn't work, spend 11 million on the next guy. Does any of that happen if we still just think all we need is a different punter and to not turn the ball over in the BIG West?
Next is NIL. On this you are thinking "NP, NIL is ruining college football". Yea, for small, poor, rural Southern States that were paying players under the table for years to stay home. And not paying them much either. I know it is bad for them. I live in one, and they hate it, way more than Nebraska fans do. Sure Nebraska can't compete money wise with about 7 other schools. But you know who they can beat? A big portion of the SEC, the Big 12, the ACC, every group of 5 and a lot of the BIG Ten. I hate to break it to people, but 18 to 22 year old young men are not dying to live in Lincoln Nebraska. Other teams have good fan bases, better weather, beaches, mountains and young woman on campus that put out. They also have a lot more people that they have a culture in common with. NIL helps even the playing field, or even tilt it for Nebraska.
The Portal. I wish they could make it so it isn't a free for all every year. But it allows Nebraska to pluck talent from lesser conferences, basically any conference but the SEC and the BIG. And even get some players from those big conference schools because of NIL. Nebraska was able to fill needs like punter, long snapper, and back up QB. Add legit starters other power programs wanted at receiver, D line, linebacker and corner. They also added quality depth.
Take heart Husker fans. Nebraska needed a paradigm shift, and they got it. If things stayed the way they were, Nebraska was no different then those teams 30 years ago on the outside looking in with no chance. They got that change.
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