Program Crushing Losses

filed in Opinion on Nov.20, 2002

A few months ago, I remember reading an article by Mark Collins about program crushing losses. It struck me an I will try to relate some of it here to you during this extended Nebraska Week.
Every once in a while a college football program suffers a loss, so horrible and so distinct that the entire program suffers. The whole program staggers and struggles to recover. These don’t happen very often, but when they do it often takes a program several seasons to recover.
You may remember when CU played Michigan back in 1997, or maybe not. You may have purposely blocked this game from your memory. Because it was on this day that CU suffered a program crushing defeat. The Buffs went into the Big House undefeated and ranked 7th in the nation on September 13th 1997. They hadn’t lost more than 3 games since 1988. But in that game, nothing seemed to go the right way for the Buffs. They were manhandled by a more physical Michigan team on national TV. The team was demoralized in a 27-3 loss. They never recovered and ended up 5-6, unranked and unloved when bowl season came around.
Some people say that this was all simply a result of the soft Rick Neuheisel team. This kind of performance happens when there is too much skiing and tubing. You know it really doesn’t matter why it happened, the fact is that it did. And it wasn’t until last year that the Buffs were fully able to recover. 5 football seasons and 1 new head coach later.
Only 1 season removed, it looks like the 62-36 defeat the Buffs handed to the Huskers at Folsom field last season may be just that same kind of program crushing loss. They followed that loss up by being humiliated by Miami in the national title game. (We won’t even want to talk about how they ended up there). Since 62, the Huskers are 0-5 against ranked teams. They have only won one game outside of Lincoln since Chris “Six Touchdown” Brown ran all over them. Nebraska is 7-7 since Colorado scored the most points ever against them. The Huskers stand at 7-5 and unranked right now, one loss away from having their 33 year streak of 9 wins or more broken. They are being compared to that dreadful team of 1961 who went 3-6-1. And now Husker nation is even demanding coaching changes.
Well, the Huskers have one opportunity that the 1997 Buffs did not. They have the opportunity to take some revenge for that miserable day. And they should be glad to have that opportunity, it may be the only thing that saves their program from several more seasons of humiliation.
But for Colorado this is an even better opportunity. Win in Lincoln, and it may just push Nebraska over the edge for seasons to come, destined to live amongst Kansas and Baylor at the bottom of the Big XII.
Go Buffs!

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9 comments

Ryno said:
November 20th, 2002 on 12:21 pm
Well written my man. Very good point. Indeed the Huskers of old seem to have vanished and it certainly seems like a really big coincidence that it happened right after we defeated them. I mean its not as if we were talking about a team that was in an obvious decline last year. They were still considered a powerhouse and there was no talk about them being on a downward path. Some people might say its because they lost their Heisman QB. But come on, the guy couldn’t even make it in the pros! The mark of a dynasty is a team that can consistently win even though they are losing great players each year. As much as I want to cut my own fingers off for typing this, Nebraska was such a team. They should have been able to go on this year without Crotch. Indeed there is something more here. Their spirits were crushed and the entire program was sent into a tailspin.
On a semi-related note, this year’s game is going to be huge again. Thankfully, we wrapped up the Division championship last week so we don’t have that riding on this game. But there is still a lot of respect, bragging rights and machismo riding on this game. We have to win for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the standard come back to taunting last year was, “we have to let you win once every 10 years to make it semi-interesting.” We need to set that story straight. Of course winning in Lincoln is huge. We need the confidence and swagger a win will give us for the next week in Houston. And finally, we beat them last year when they were atop the world, this year they are has beens. A team we should beat handily.
My name’s Ryno and that’s My Two Cents.

Pzo said:
November 20th, 2002 on 9:29 pm
I like being on this side. Aside from continuing to rub Huskers’ noses in the dirt we acutally have nothing riding on this game. But somehow that makes this game seem that much more important.
I am a huge believer that football pride & status should be decided on the field, in head to head match-ups, not by computers or has been players. So, more than ever I hope we spoil the entire state of Nebraska’s year and make recruits question moving to such a hell hole to play for a second rate team.

marky d said:
November 23rd, 2002 on 5:08 am
Sorry, guys. As much as I have criticized my Husker team this year, I just don’t see the Buffs pulling it out in Lincoln. Too much “revenge factor” involved. Not to mention 2 weeks to be reminded of last years drubbing. NU 27 CU 17

marky d said:
November 23rd, 2002 on 5:10 am
pzo- “hell hole”??! Gimme a break! Such class!

Gampp said:
November 27th, 2002 on 10:21 am
The revenge factor only carries so much weight. That will be good for maybe one series and then all of the emotion of the actual game takes hold. Nebraska better be more concerned about how they are going to tackle our running backs then how they will get revenge. CU 35 NU 20