It’s a bad look. I think our card for looking down on the SEC for not scheduling more challenging non-conference games has been revoked.
Tennessee v Nebraska canceled
- Thread starter mwulf
- Start date
I'm probably in the minority because I'm a Nebraska fan that hasn't looked down on anyone for a long time. Be honest, Nebraska has been the dumbest program in power conference football for a long time. I haven't decided about Rhule and Dannen yet, but I'm glad they're willing to anger Nebraska fans who have no touch with reality in order to rebuild the program.
edit: deleted boomer. Not fair, plenty of out of touch Nebraska fans of all ages.
There really isn't a need for teams from the B1G and SEC to go out of conference and prove themselves with how the playoff is shaping up. It still would have been nice to play another meaningful game in the non-con, but have to also think if you make a run in the playoff, the totality of the season, we will be playing more good/great teams then was ever common in the past and the totality of the wear and tear is going to add up. Wear and tear against Tennessee is going to be a bit more than Bowling Green, Miami (OH) and Northern Iowa.
Need to expand and recalibrate our mindsets a little bit about given the potential schedule (playoffs) vs. given schedule.. and revenue.
Need to expand and recalibrate our mindsets a little bit about given the potential schedule (playoffs) vs. given schedule.. and revenue.
Timing is bad and excuse is lame. It’s too bad this wasn’t done as soon as we went to nine conference games rather than this late — and that excuse at least held more water.
Ironically, SEC and B1G are supposedly discussing scheduling to include annual games between conference teams. I’ll bet this late cancellation and Tennessee’s unhappiness will make things a bit awkward for NU if that happens.
Ironically, SEC and B1G are supposedly discussing scheduling to include annual games between conference teams. I’ll bet this late cancellation and Tennessee’s unhappiness will make things a bit awkward for NU if that happens.
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non-con 2025 sampling:
Ohio st vs Texas
LSU @ Clemson
Michigan @ OU
Wisconsin @ Bama
aTm @ Notre Dame
among many, many more
we are simply choosing not to participate & completely disregarding the fans in doing so
playing big non-con games is a proud NU tradition.
for f*cks sake we played a game in Japan amidst a National Title run.
Ohio st vs Texas
LSU @ Clemson
Michigan @ OU
Wisconsin @ Bama
aTm @ Notre Dame
among many, many more
we are simply choosing not to participate & completely disregarding the fans in doing so
playing big non-con games is a proud NU tradition.
for f*cks sake we played a game in Japan amidst a National Title run.
Having only 8 conf games is the way to do it. B1G needs to follow the SEC model of 3 cupcakes at home and one decent opponent from a power confof course it's us who want to cancel
bitchmade
Not sure how fast it's going to happen but canceling might actually help if sooner than later.
And extra home game is important.
All this got me thinking and comparing. Think back to the big 8 days. 3 non conference cupcakes and 1 marquee game that would be considered a 50/50 type. So i figure there's 3 categories or tiers. Tier 1 50/50 type for all the marbles that determine our bowl game. Tier 2 that we expect to win but could sneak up on you....a Missouri or isu type and then the doormats where you expect all walkons getting playing time in Tier 3.
Looking at 2026 schedule I've got more teams in Tier 1 and 2 than in the glory days percentage wise. We've gotta play long ball when scheduling. As a season ticket holder I'd rather play 8 and win.
Yes!!!!
And anyone who thinks this isn’t a good idea is a complete buffoon when it comes to understanding how to get into the playoffs.
If we played in a dog shit conference we would need a strong non con game to “prove” that we were actually good against “real competition”. That single game would be our litmus test for success.
Since we play in an absolutely STACKED conference, we we have to do is win 3 non conference games and then win MOST of our conference games. Up to 3 losses against the right conference teams would still probably get us in.
We don’t need to play anyone with a pulse in non con. Keep the boys healthy, get the backups reps in the blowouts to identify who else can play in the event that disaster strikes. Then go to war every week in the Big Ten
Oregon
USC
Ohio State
Penn State
Michigan
Iowa
Wisconsin
Plenty of name recognition there to give us a nice juicy lofty ranking.
Then beat other name teams like
UCLA
Michigan State
Indiana (now)
Then beat the crap out of everyone else. Add that to 3 easy non con wins and we are playoff bound.
WTF do we need to add Tennessee to that slate for?
While it wasn’t the intent of your post, I think you are approaching the real reason. It rankles B1G members that they have nine conference games while SEC teams have only eight and can schedule one more home cupcake each year than we can. Too bad Dannen wouldn’t or couldn’t cite that as the real reason🤣
Tell me exactly why other than some false “bravado” that you think it’s a good idea for a Big Ten or SEC team to play each other in non conference?
Can’t wait to hear it.
The only teams that will want crossover games aren’t in the SEC or Big Ten.
They will be trying to play SEC and Big Ten teams to “prove their ability”. Big ten and SEC teams have the upper hand in conference reputation now and have everything to lose and little to gain by playing a Big 12 or ACC team
Bingo.. that’s why I have no problem Nebraska scheduling three cupcakes for ooc schedule going forward. No advantage to playing anyone good.
The idiots do. But those same fans would be bitching the loudest when we got left out of the playoffs
Thank God there are smarter people in charge
Yeah, Johnny SuperFan. Keep telling yourself that everyone who wanted to play Tennessee was just dying to see Nebraska lose. Good Lord.
who got left out of the playoffs for playing a tough non-con game?
nobody?
that's what I thought.
there is no downside to playing a premier non-con game. massive upside.
only 1+1=2 level intelligence needed to understand this (sorry, Bill, that excludes you)
ohio st vs texas
michigan vs OU
wisconsin vs bama
all on the schedule in 2025
try again
a 1-11 purdue team was part of our 9 game conference "gauntlet" last year
10 of 18 B1G teams won 7 games or less in 2024
the people who point to this as a reason to be a cowardly bitchmade program deserve more games against the MAC, northwestern, purdue, rutgers, etc.
10 of 18 B1G teams won 7 games or less in 2024
the people who point to this as a reason to be a cowardly bitchmade program deserve more games against the MAC, northwestern, purdue, rutgers, etc.
Tennessee would have eventually cancelled this series when they add the 9th SEC game to the schedule. My guess is that Nebraska wanted to make sure they had opponents for the weekends in question and it was cheaper to drop the $500k cancellation fee than pay for a cancellation fee for a potential opponent they already have on their schedule plus pay them their fee to come to Lincoln.
NU has revenue targets that they want to hit to service their athletic programs. As for the rest of it, the work NU needs to do to get into the playoffs is purely a function of the how they fare against the upper tier of the league, provided they win the games they are "supposed" to win. A win or loss against TN means nothing if we lose don't get the league wins needed.
a loss means nothing regardless of context.
a win could mean a lot for seeding or pushing us in if we're on the bubble.
You know I am not the only one thinking this
NU = Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Arkansas
NU < Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma
NU <<< Texas, Georgia, Alabama and LSU
We are what we are and currently that is a lower tier P2 Team. Until we prove otherwise this is where our once proud program is.
no, you're acting like every marquee non-con series has already been canceled & none will ever be scheduled again
equally idiotic
Seems earily similar to 2021 when UT, who was coming off 4 straight losing seasons, and ole Danny White dropped a back to back 9 game winning Army team from the 2022 slate, only to schedule the mighty Zips instead...
Easy to want to play when you know your teams better than the other.... Kinda like OU trying to smack talk a few years ago, after they walked away from one of the greatest series of all time when their program was in the crapper..
I don't know that Tenn in 2027 is better than NU in 2027
to assume this says a lot about the confidence in this coaching staff
IMO should've looked like a pretty even matchup featuring two probable 1st round QBs.
According to Dannen, Nebraska asked Tennessee to push the series back, not cancel it (which is what Nebraska agreed to do when Tennessee asked that the series be pushed back from 2016-2017). Tennessee wouldn't do that, so Nebraska decided to cancel the series.
this is what people don't seem to understand:
9 B1G games guarantees at least 1 late season cupcake will be on the schedule.
1/3 of the conference won 5 games or fewer last year.
folks act like we play ohio state every week in this league. couldn't be farther from the truth.
So with that rational, White must not have been confident enough that Huepel would turn it around in his sophmore season to beat a service academy... Schools do what the feel is in the best interest at the time... Just like OU did in 1994... Maybe Nebraska will be better by 2027, maybe not... Again easy for White to chirp after a playoff season knowing Nebraska hasnt been good for a while now...
