For those of us who were fortunate enough to be around most, if not all, of the 40 years that Nebraska had their greatest success, we realize now just how great Devaney and Osborne and their staffs were. I am including the first 4 years of Solich since some of his best players were recruited during Toms last years. And, to be fair, Frank did a good job until the talent well ran dry.
For a school like Nebraska, with it's very small population of football athletes within its borders, to achieve what it did is almost beyond belief. What we witnessed in those 40 years was two of college footballs greatest coaches. Let that sink in for a few moments, two of the games GREATEST coaches. More than anything, that's the difference between then and now.
Now, we all know that Devaney and Osborne had their moments when it looked as if they would be sent packing, but great coaches do great things, and they have the insight to make the necessary changes to get out of trouble and get even better. In the 40 years of success, Nebraska won 398 games, a little under half of all victories since 1890. That leaves 85 other years to compare against. Let that register for awhile.
Those years are now fading into history and they don't look like they are coming back over the horizon anytime soon. And it could be awhile, maybe a long while, before Nebraska even approaches that kind of greatness, even a few years of it, again. The landscape of college football, it is said, has changed much since Nebraska's last national title in 1997. But the biggest change is the most obvious change, there have been no great coaches since then at Nebraska, and as far as I can tell, there may not be ever again.
I don't pine for the days of Bo Pelini, he was what he was, a decent coach with a most bombastic personality that couldn't win many big games. He won a few, but too few to keep him around. Neither do I desire a return of Bill Callahan. I would welcome back a Frank Solich if he could somehow recruit a lot better, but that won't happen either. It leaves us to present day and Mike Riley. A good man over anything else, a decent coach, but probably not one to reach the pinnacle that so many of us fans desire. I will pull for him the remainder of his time at Nebraska and hope he has the insight to pull himself and the team back to competing and winning. He doesn't have to win a national title or even a Big Ten title in his time at UNL, but he needs to get razor close to the latter. I just don't know if there will be enough time for him to get there.
If there is a Devaney or Osborne somewhere in Nebraska's future, who knows when that person will arrive. Then again, circumstances, for whatever reason, might keep it from occurring. One thing I'm very sure of, it will take someone of their caliber to make Nebraska great again, and Mike Riley isn't the one.
For a school like Nebraska, with it's very small population of football athletes within its borders, to achieve what it did is almost beyond belief. What we witnessed in those 40 years was two of college footballs greatest coaches. Let that sink in for a few moments, two of the games GREATEST coaches. More than anything, that's the difference between then and now.
Now, we all know that Devaney and Osborne had their moments when it looked as if they would be sent packing, but great coaches do great things, and they have the insight to make the necessary changes to get out of trouble and get even better. In the 40 years of success, Nebraska won 398 games, a little under half of all victories since 1890. That leaves 85 other years to compare against. Let that register for awhile.
Those years are now fading into history and they don't look like they are coming back over the horizon anytime soon. And it could be awhile, maybe a long while, before Nebraska even approaches that kind of greatness, even a few years of it, again. The landscape of college football, it is said, has changed much since Nebraska's last national title in 1997. But the biggest change is the most obvious change, there have been no great coaches since then at Nebraska, and as far as I can tell, there may not be ever again.
I don't pine for the days of Bo Pelini, he was what he was, a decent coach with a most bombastic personality that couldn't win many big games. He won a few, but too few to keep him around. Neither do I desire a return of Bill Callahan. I would welcome back a Frank Solich if he could somehow recruit a lot better, but that won't happen either. It leaves us to present day and Mike Riley. A good man over anything else, a decent coach, but probably not one to reach the pinnacle that so many of us fans desire. I will pull for him the remainder of his time at Nebraska and hope he has the insight to pull himself and the team back to competing and winning. He doesn't have to win a national title or even a Big Ten title in his time at UNL, but he needs to get razor close to the latter. I just don't know if there will be enough time for him to get there.
If there is a Devaney or Osborne somewhere in Nebraska's future, who knows when that person will arrive. Then again, circumstances, for whatever reason, might keep it from occurring. One thing I'm very sure of, it will take someone of their caliber to make Nebraska great again, and Mike Riley isn't the one.
