re: Programs who've had a great past 20 years...

quote:

---

It is sad to see how far Nebraska football has fallen. They literally averaged finishing in the Top 6 every other year between 1963 and 1999

---

when they were in the Big 8 it boiled down to either Nebraska or Oklahoma every year. they each played 9 or 10 easy teams and then each other. so even the loser of that game was 9-1 or 10-1 and wrapped up a major bowl. the state of Nebraska supplied the 5 year linemen (those corn fed boys) and they "imported" the skill players. they also benefited greatly, as did Tejas and Bama, by specializing in the triple option attack before teams recruited to stop it.

nevertheless, Nebraska has lost it's identity on a national basis. no longer is it cool for great RB's from all over the country to go there. and no longer is the triple option a viable offense. and, of course, the great defenses they had are no longer being recruited due to them not being cool any longer.

I doubt that Nebraska will ever regain their national prominence. they just won't be able to recruit like they used to or excel at a difficult to defend offense.