A fresh start. A new beginning. A restoration of tradition and the Nebraska way. These types of phrases rang through the state in late 2007 when Bo Pelini was officially hired as the next Head Football Coach of the University of Nebraska.
Times were tough in Huskerland. Bill Callahan took over in 2004 and led the program into a total headspin. The once-vaunted Cornhuskers, who boast 5 national championships, 3 Heisman Trophy winners, and 2 legendary coaches, became one of the laughing stocks of college football. People began referring to the Blackshirt Defense as "The Pinkshirts." After athletic director Steve Pederson met the axe, former 3-time national championship coach Tom Osborne, took over as interim AD. Shortly thereafter, he fired Bill Callahan. Bo Pelini was the obvious choice to replace Callahan. Tom Osborne liked him too, and hied him two weeks later.
Pelini had the resume to be successful at Nebraska. National championship defensive coordinator at both Oklahoma and LSU, professional experience in the NFL, and even a stint as defensive coordinator for Nebraska in 2003. He was no nonsense, passionate, a players coach. He had everything that a Husker fan dreamt of in a head coach. He was the man to lead Nebraska back to its old place among college football's elite.
In his first three seasons, it appeared Pelini would do just that. In his first season he took a desperate team and made them 9-4 with a Gator bowl win over Clemson. In 2009, he had one of the best defenses in the country, led by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. 2010 was similar to 2009. Pelini again fielded one of America's best defenses, but this time led by the secondary.
Things began to change by 2011. The offense was sputtering and the defense seemed to be losing some of its luster. Another thing began to work against Pelini: His lack of championships. While his teams were winning 9-10 games per year, they werent winning anything of substance. His on-field antics also began to bite him. Outbursts at players on national TV and other media encounters have tampered his reputation and the university's as well.
Now its 2013. Pelini still hasnt won a championship. His defense is ranked 105th in the nation. His offense isn't living up to its preseason hype. His recruiting efforts have been extremely pathetic. And now the Deadspin audio tape.
It will be interesting to watch Pelini over the next two months. Fans are angry with him, his record isn't looking so good, his teams are getting blown out in the games that count, and he still has a goose egg in the championship column. Nebraska has been waiting 15 years to get back to national prominence. The University has a tough decision looming this offseason; keep Bo or let him go.
Since this blog was written, things have been going well for the Huskers. They haven't lost, and the Deadspin audio tape wasn't made in to as big of a deal as it could have been. I think this blog was a accurate assessment of the program, though. The Nebraska program seems as if it has recently lost its luster, and it is relatively disappointing for me. Growing up in Norman, I was always told about how great the Nebraska-OU rivalry just a decade or two ago. Now, since Nebraska moved to the Big 10, it is nonexistent. Nebraska hasn't exactly dominated their new conference, or established any new significant rivalries. If they decide to keep Pelini, I think that he has the potential to turn things around, but he will have to get his act together, both on and off the field. The Big 10 isn't exactly full of powerhouses right now, and if Nebraska can get it together, they can dominate the conference for years to come.
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