You’ll always have the 80s and 90s, Nebraska

[HawkOptimist]

At least that’s the feeling I get this morning after reading some social media posts from Nebraska fans. Stuff like: “Tell us again about all your national titles. Oh, you don’t have any? Bwahaha.” Or, “How cute, you won a trophy. Come over to Lincoln and we’ll show you what a REAL trophy looks like.”

Us lowly Iowa fans can win all the regular season games against Nebraska we want, but at least they got all the glory 30+ years ago, before any of today’s college football players were born. Hell, before a chunk of NFL players were even born.

Seems the further away they get from when Nebraska football was actually relevant, the tighter they hold on to those glory years of the 80s and 90s. It’s sad, really. Like the star athlete from high school who, 30-40 years later, still likes to tell everyone how great he was in high school.

 

[eyesofhawk]

Their main success was in the 70's and 90's, but point taken

 

[TampaHawkfan]

Sure, they have all of that success in the previous millennium. I get it. But crowing about championships they won 30 years ago after losing is pretty weak sauce.

Nebraska football is now just as irrelevant as Iowa as. Even more so. They'll get their first bowl game in 8 years.. And just barely with that 6-6 record.

 

[Scott559]

In a somewhat related thought, When does the statute of limitations expire on being a “Blue blood”? You still hear some members of the media and of course their fanbase still refer to their program as one of the blue blood programs. Minnesota has more National Championships than Nebraska yet I don’t hear them being regarded as a blue blood program.

27 years since last N.C.
Over 20 years since major bowl win

Kinda seems to me the clock has expired.

 

[Hendy hawk]

The thing that stands out is that all the NC's were in the big 12 not the BIG 10.
Things got tough and they can't perform to the standards.

 

[swihawk]

Their main success was in the 70's and 90's, but point taken

Five MNC. Popularity contest voted by writers and coaching staffers. Not earned on the field. Our Mythical National Championships were achieved the same way.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

The thing that stands out is that all the NC's were in the big 12 not the BIG 10.
Things got tough and they can't perform to the standards.

I don't think conference has much to do with it. I mean, this is the first time they've even gotten to 6 wins since 2016? That's just inept football.

I give credit to Tom Osborne for all that success. They were never the same after he retired, and they went off a cliff when Pelini was out the door.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

In a somewhat related thought, When does the statute of limitations expire on being a “Blue blood”? You still hear some members of the media and of course their fanbase still refer to their program as one of the blue blood programs. Minnesota has more National Championships than Nebraska yet I don’t hear them being regarded as a blue blood program.

27 years since last N.C.
Over 20 years since major bowl win

Kinda seems to me the clock has expired.

Yeah, about like UCLA and Indiana basketball. Only difference is I think those programs could get back there with the right coach.. I don't see it with Nebraska football.

 

[HerkieBachZewinski]

Which trophy case would you take ... not sure Big 10 west trophys and a few toilet bowls are worth bragging about
Enjoy the win but Huskers might beat us by 40 ... well 20 next year, Oregon and others might win by 40. Going to be a long season(s) coming up.

 

[hawkcub]

I've never seen a 5 loss (now 6 loss) chirp pre-game and through most of 3 quarters so much. You would have thought they were a top 10 team.

 

[HerkieBachZewinski]

The thing that stands out is that all the NC's were in the big 12 not the BIG 10.
Things got tough and they can't perform to the standards.

Hawks haven't exactly dominated the Big 10 either past 40 years. Looks like the same two teams for pasy 6 decades. Well now a pussy west coast team comes in a dominates the conference. West coast ! LA kids to boot and we lost to UCLA !

 

[hawkcub]

Which trophy case would you take ... not sure Big 10 west trophys and a few toilet bowls are worth bragging about
Enjoy the win but Huskers might beat us by 40 ... well 20 next year, Oregon and others might win by 40. Going to be a long season(s) coming up.

Us?

 

[LukaDuka]

The thing that stands out is that all the NC's were in the big 12 not the BIG 10.
Things got tough and they can't perform to the standards.

More so in the Big 8. And only had to beat Okie

 

[squeezebox]

Which trophy case would you take ... not sure Big 10 west trophys and a few toilet bowls are worth bragging about
Enjoy the win but Huskers might beat us by 40 ... well 20 next year, Oregon and others might win by 40. Going to be a long season(s) coming up.

Why not look at their depth on defense and let me know how they will beat Iowa by 40 prior to speaking again.

 

[swihawk]

Which trophy case would you take ... not sure Big 10 west trophys and a few toilet bowls are worth bragging about
Enjoy the win but Huskers might beat us by 40 ... well 20 next year, Oregon and others might win by 40. Going to be a long season(s) coming up.

Ours. They can keep on dusting off those old Popularity trophies. We'll keep earning the rivalry trophies.

Debbie isn't beating us next year either. We own them. Debbie salt will flow.

 

[swihawk]

More so in the Big 8. And only had to beat Okie

And Switzer owned them. so did Texas when they joined.

 

[HawkOptimist]

In a somewhat related thought, When does the statute of limitations expire on being a “Blue blood”? You still hear some members of the media and of course their fanbase still refer to their program as one of the blue blood programs. Minnesota has more National Championships than Nebraska yet I don’t hear them being regarded as a blue blood program.

27 years since last N.C.
Over 20 years since major bowl win

Kinda seems to me the clock has expired.

Great question. I just looked, and Minnesota won 7 “claimed” national titles in 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941 and 1960, and 2 “unclaimed” national titles in 1911 and 1915.

So if you use the 1960 title as a basis, did anyone in 1990 consider Minnesota football a blue blood? My dad says he remembers how good Minnesota was back in the 50s, but that he never considered them a power in the 80s or 90s. That’d be like anyone today still considering Nebraska a blue blood for what they did back in the 90s and before.

So I think Nebraska’s statute of limitations has long expired.

 

[nck24]

More so in the Big 8. And only had to beat Okie

And Oklahoma wasn't very good in the 90s

 

[Bloody Run Hawk]

Those criminals fueled by steroids had a few good football teams. Mostly beat up on terrible big eight teams and got humiliated in their bowl game. Pretty sure they have a losing bowl record. Tells you everything you need to know.

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

I'm honestly surprised that they haven't left for the Big 12.

They are desperate for their old glory days. Maybe playing in the dog sh*t conference would make themselves feel better