OK, so we're still 7 months out, but I figured it's time we took a look at a taste of things to come.

 The Bo Pelini era begins. He will be calling our defense, and he will be able to use his defensive genius on making our offense even better. Truly great to have a defensive genius. He knows how to cause offenses problems and he knows how an offense best gives a good defense problems.

Pelini's defense has consistently ranked in the top 20. LSU's D ranked in the top 10 in 3 categories this last season: #3 total D, #3 pass efficiency defense, and #3 in overall pass defense. The previous season LSU lead the SEC in six defensive categories and was also in the top 5 in the nation in total defense, scoring defense, pass defense, and pass defense efficiency.

I blogged a few months ago about how our defense used to be: Violent. Fast. Unforgiving. Brutal. Turnovers galore. It was to the point where several times I feared for the safety of opposing offenses. To the point where I pitied those poor souls who had to line up against them. I couldn't imagine lining up against Jason Peter, Grant Wistrom, or Trev Alberts.

Our defense is about to return to glory. So, in the spirit of the Blackshirts, I present to you this video I found. I truly believe it is an accurate depiction of what is about to become reality. A taste of things to come. I'll apologize for the video quality in advance. Not the best, but it is still great. Short and sweet. So without further ado:
 

And here’s my WAY too early analysis of our 2008 season. It’s months away, there are still a lot of changes and a lot to happen. However, this season is now over so we need something to pass the time. Besides, it isn’t like the NFL is cutting it. I think we’re about tired of being spoon-fed Brady and the Patriots anyway.

So Pelini is our coach, the staff is decided, recruiting is about to get back underway. I didn’t really analyze position-by-position or depth chart or possibilities therein (way too much to go over). I’m sure the recruiting will bring in good talent. I’m sure we already have good talent on the team. We might have some departures due to players not taking well to Pelini’s system of working hard. And he will demand hard work. The only one I’ll cover is Lucky. He will be an absolute fool if he declares for the draft instead of sticking around with a team that is sure to return a decent offense and a return of the true Blackshirts. With our new defensive genius at the helm, we can expect to see defenders flying around and generating turnovers once again. Opposing QB’s will be harassed. There will be sacks. We’ll be tried and tested, and very likely handed a defeat or two. We’ll also have improvement and success. Naturally, I know that success last year doesn’t translate to success this year. I also know that just because team A beats B and B beats C doesn’t mean A can beat C. Regardless, this is my quick overview, so I’m going to tell it how I see it. So, without any further ado, let’s go over the schedule…

Sat, Aug 30 Western Michigan Memorial Stadium TBA

The Broncos are your typical MAC team. They get wins and losses. Their record matched ours last year at 5-7. They fell to Mizzou by 28 points and also lost a close call against Ball St. This is going to be a home game, it’ll be Pelini’s first home game as head coach and the unveiling of the new team. Emotions will be soaring and expectations will be high. This one should be a moderately easy win. Naturally, both teams will be a bit rusty and have some things to improve on.

Sat, Sep 06 San Jose State Memorial Stadium TBA

The Spartans come to Lincoln the next week. These yellow & blue Spartans might realize that the historical Spartans wore RED. This team also matched our record of 5-7 last year. Stanford blew them out of the water, and K-State handed them a 34-14 loss. The Sun Devils also gave them a very sound beating of 45-3. This team might prove to be a little dangerous, as they did show flashes of being able to move the ball, so it could make a test out of Pelini’s defense. Many of the problems and players out of position from the previous week will be corrected. Overall, the Scarlett & Cream won’t have a problem with this one. Starting out 2-0 isn’t bad, but there are some bumps coming up…

Sat, Sep 13 New Mexico State Memorial Stadium TBA

Part 3 of our 5 game opening homestand. Great to be in Lincoln, isn’t it? This is the 2nd WAC team in as many weeks. This is going to be a test of our secondary. The safeties, CBs, & LB’s will have their work cut out chasing receivers as they had receptions worth over 4300 yds last season. Their top couple QB’s had completion ratings of over 60%. Hopefully Pelini will keep at what he said after the LSU game in keeping a QB uncomfortable. With enough pressure up front, we should be able to stop their one-dimension attack a bit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them come out rushing quite a bit to see if they can off-set a gameplan prepared to defend the pass. It won’t work though. The MAC Aggies finished 4-8 last year and should fare about the same here. They got destroyed by an overrated Hawaii team and scraped by on the Nevada Wolfpac that even we crushed last year. By now we’ll be complaining that we want to see a real challenge from these easier wins and mismatches. Well, wait no longer, the next three weeks are about to get interesting.

Sat, Sep 27 Virginia Tech Memorial Stadium TBA

I’m sure we all still feel for the Hokies after their Spring 07 tragedy. Same with our Fall ’07 tragedy. This should be a meeting between unbeatens and will certainly be a good indicator of where we’re at. This one will likely be moved to prime time and will be nationally televised. We can only hope we aren’t embarrassed again. V-Tech played a decent game against Kansas in the Orange Bowl. They were on the wrong end of a 14-10 decision against Boston College and got thumped early last year by LSU. They’ve been completing around 55-60% of their passes, and are extremely balanced. They can burn a defense with the run and the pass. Our defense will need to be clicking on all cylinders at this point. It’ll be a hyped game, Pelini & staff will have the players ready, and Memorial Stadium will be electric. It’ll be a well fought battle, especially since their defense is very capable. I expect a close game and this one could go either way. Like much of Husker Nation, I won’t be upset with a close game in which we lose. But we have a lot to prove, so I think we’ll have plenty to play and fight for and could likely come out on top. Also, keep in mind that we have a week off. Pelini will definitely have time to fix a bunch of problems, scout, and gameplan the Hokies. We’ll have time to work out some bumps and bruises before this one.

Sat, Oct 04 Missouri Memorial Stadium TBA

We’ll very likely be 4-0 or 3-1 at this point. I expect that we can pull off a win with Mizzou or the Hokies, but both seems unlikely. Keep in mind unlikely is much different than unwelcome. Chase Daniels won’t be around this time, but several starters are returning. Mizzou could be unbeaten at this point if they can manage Illinois in week 1. They shouldn’t have a problem with Southeast Missouri, Nevada, or Buffalo. Either way, this team will feature two teams that are 4-0, 3-1, or a combination of that. So a prime time national audience isn’t out of the question. I’m sure there will be talk from both sides prior to the game. Memories from last year will definitely be in the minds of the fans in Lincoln, and maybe in the player’s minds as well. We have a score to settle with them running up the score from last year (I’m not bitter about it and even thank them as it helped fuel the firing of Pederson & Callahan). Should be another close one, but I expect a win here. Mizzou couldn’t do much against OU either time, and seems to be a bit stifled when going up against even a moderately good defense. Sure, there is the chance of a blowout either way, or another loss, but this should be another well fought game.

Sat, Oct 11 Texas Tech at Lubbock, Texas TBA

Our first road challenge has come. The past 5 weeks at home were nice, but time to see the road warrior in Pelini. The red raiders did well last year, and only lost a couple games. Even managed to edge Virgina in the gator bowl. They boast an impressive completion percentage. However, this is a team that has virtually no running game. Non-existent. Especially with the past couple weeks against Mizzou & V-Tech, our secondary should be more than ready for this. They’ll be tuned up and ready to go. This is another good test, but as long as we click, we’ll do fine. By now we’re going to be demanding some attention and respect, but could still be underdogs. Don’t tell that to the D as they look like the legendary blackshirts. Their defense has also been good, so this game could easily turn into a defensive battle.

Sat, Oct 18 Iowa State at Ames, Iowa TBA

Maybe it was just me, but I thought the Cyclones finished strong. Sure, they lost a few, but they hung in with OU and fought Mizzou. I’m sure they’ll be some fight in them in Iowa. They’re seemingly on the rise, and have been moderately balanced. Iowa will be just coming off an easy win against Baylor, but might still be ####ed up from the Kansas game two weeks prior. Maybe the new uniforms will trick Huskers into thinking this is USC. I doubt it. Up until here the ‘clones will have faced South Dakota State (don’t laugh, I think we play them in ’09), Kent St, Iowa, & UNLV before Kansas. That might be enough in confidence games to get some wins and get some improvements made, and could turn this into a battle. We could also struggle with being on the road for two consecutive weeks. Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t consider this a gimme. We’re going to have to earn this one. We might even take a hit in the polls for having a tight game, but it wouldn’t speak to our detriment as much as to Iowa State’s progress.

Sat, Oct 25 Baylor Memorial Stadium TBA

Ahhh, Baylor. I’m not going to go over this one in great detail. Maybe the fans will be leaving like they were in Lincoln last year, but just to beat the rush. The score might be so bad that a trip home for halftime might be made instead of a bathroom & hotdog break.

Sat, Nov 01 Oklahoma at Norman, Okla. TBA

Well. Here we are. This is my first predicted loss of the season. Sure, we might have a loss or two before we get here, but this is the first one where I’d be surprised if we win. The media will play up the rivalry and history. They’ll examine how Pelini was on OU’s staff a couple years ago. They’ll get ready for a good game, and they will probably get one. Being as that it’s in Norman, I wouldn’t get too hopeful, especially since OU definitely peaks toward the end of the season. I’m not saying we’ll definitely lose or don’t have a chance, just that this one could get rough. Hell, the Buffs beat OU last year, so maybe we can slide one by. But by now, we’ll have made it known that we aren’t the Huskers of last year, so I don’t see anyone taking us lightly enough to win in such fashion.

If this girl is at the game, I might be distracted enough to not pay attention. Let’s hope our OU brothers don’t use that weapon.

Sat, Nov 08 Kansas Memorial Stadium TBA

We’ll have a much improved team from last year, but I’m not sure we’ll have one ready enough to take on the winners of last year’s Orange Bowl. Maybe Kansas was only having a Cinderella year, but I doubt it. They’ve been on the rise. They’ve got a good defense, a balanced offense, and a decent special teams. However, they’re losing some players and coaches. Our new RB coach might be able to help us through this one. Since it’s in Lincoln, and both teams will probably be doing well, this could be yet another spotlight game. Could do wonders for recruiting. Another hard fought battle, but if I were to predict now, I’d say it’s close, but we make just enough mistakes to shoot ourselves in the foot. Playing OU the week prior probably won’t help much either.

Sat, Nov 15 Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan. TBA

This one is going to be interesting. No doubt K-State could be a little ####ed and bruised from playing OU, Kansas, & Mizzou the weeks prior to this game. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s enough to get us to pull one out. However, they could be hungry for a much-needed win at our expense, possibly even to stay bowl-eligible. I would also guess that it isn’t likely they forgot us running up the score this last year in Lincoln, and could have a score to settle. Unless they have a great season, are uber-hyped, or we make a lot of dumb mistakes, we should have a great shot at winning this one.

Fri, Nov 28 OR
Sat, Nov 29 Colorado Memorial Stadium TBA

And our last game of the regular season. This time it very likely won’t be the decision on whether we go to a bowl or not. With what happened last year, I think the fans in Memorial Stadium will want to feast on some Buffalo. The extra time off will certainly work in our favor. We can get healed up and game plan, and work on fundamentals. Pelini will have them scouted and we should roll to an easy win. By now the Buffs will have played a tight one against Colorado St, a good one against Florida State, Texas, Mizzou, & A&M. They play Oklahoma State the week before us, so this could easily be a bowl-eligible decision for them. Not in our house though.

Well, I won’t go into who I think will win the division or bowl games. You might’ve noticed how my predictions and comments got shorter as the season progressed. Well, of course they did, and for good reason. A football season is incredibly difficult to predict, as we all learned this past year. So I won’t make any bold predictions, but I think we can win 8 or 9 pretty soundly. Even if we only win 7, we’ll still be ok because we’ll be back to tradition. No matter how you put it, it’ll be an improvement over last year.

GO BIG RED!

I love my wife, even though she isn’t a native Nebraskan, barely a football fan, and is just now being indoctrinated into Husker Nation. I’ve already apologized for such a brutal entry. To show her our rich tradition, I’ve spent some time showing her some highlight videos and watching past games on ESPN Classic.

One thing that glaringly stuck out was the fierceness. One of the first things she said watching the 90’s Blackshirts was “Damn, they used to be violent.” That really got me thinking. Trev Alberts, Jason Peter, Christian Peter, Grant Wistrom, Mike Rucker, Ralph Brown, Mike Brown… you don’t become a legendary defensive player by playing with rainbows and flowers and sunshine. You can’t win by not practicing full pads, full blast. Hitting and being a mean SOB. Violence.

Here is what I’m talking about, if anyone is interested:

Or Here for a clip half the length:

Quite a difference from what we’ve been seeing recently. That controlled rage is gone. That feeling that you know those players are trying to lay a hit so hard on the ball carrier that he’ll be feeling it for weeks. The feeling that you know those DB’s are out to punish someone and punish them hard. Harder than they’ve ever been hit.

This isn’t to say that the Blackshirts didn’t display good sportsmanship. They could regularly be seen helping pick up the QB they sacked or the RB they put a ferocious hit on. They weren’t out to injure anyone. They weren’t out there trying to play dirty. They simply had that controlled rage, that violence. That active “I’m going to attack the ball” attitude instead of “I wonder what play they’re running so I can adjust to it.” The difference between a hunter and prey.

Outside of that, I wanted to address another situation. Many have pointed out that the Huskers are now receiving what they’ve dished out for so long. I have no contest to that. I do have an argument that teams are running up the score on us because we used to do that to them. That is utter nonsense. Tom Osborne is one of the most decent coaches in the history of the game. When the 3rd and 4th string plays more than the starters, when the coach is trying NOT to score, when only running plays are called and the other team is given some of the plays, how is that running up the score? We respected and still respect our opponents as much as possible. Were we supposed to march down to their one yard line and take a knee? Or maybe just take a knee every play? Is it our fault that our 3rd and 4th string were better than the opposing team’s starters? I’d much rather have an opponent crushing me just score than to take a knee and treat me like a baby.

On some levels, the running-up the score arguers are correct. We have definitely learned humility. Husker Nation has taken the wins for granted, and know very well the feeling of defeat we’ve left with others for so long.

I want to be very clear that I’m not hurt that other teams have blown out or run up the score on us. Too many years have gone by where our opponents couldn’t do that, so I can’t blame them. Hell, if anything, thanks for showing how far we have to go. For helping our argument that we need better coaches. There are extenuating circumstances anyway. USC was out to prove they deserved the #1 spot. Mizzou had something to prove and still does. Kansas… they didn’t run up the score. I applaud them the most. They took it to us for as long as we wanted it. When our inept so called ‘coaches’ finally conceded and started calling running plays, the Jayhawks backed off and did the same. They just wanted to get us in a headlock and hurt us until we cried uncle. I don’t fault that. It is commendable. My point with this rant is that saying we used to run up the score is pretty baseless. Any amount of research will tell quite a different story. Many times on Osborne’s show, he would review film and say that he didn’t want a TD, they only wanted a field goal, or were trying not to score entirely.

In closing, just wanted to address the violence that is missing, and show anyone who isn’t indoctrinated what it used to look like, as well as address some people thinking that we’re being given payback for poor sportsmanship. Anyone who has played in Lincoln can attest to the great sportsmanship of Husker Nation.

Husker Nation is getting used to turmoil, sadly.  It has gotten to the point where some of our so-called 'fans' disrespect the players and themselves so much as to sling insults during a game at our players.  How de####able. 

Any recent interviews with some of our players yield the same results.  Sadness.  Dejected.  Hurt.  Miserable.  Hopeless.  Failure.  It can be seen in the body language, the speech, and inbetween the lines.  These players feel like they've failed their fans.   They feel like they've failed their coach.  They feel the sting of failure and the pressure we've placed on them.

Realistically, who failed who?

Obviously, our coaches have failed our players.  They have treated our players like NFL stars: not practicing on Mondays, too much time in film sessions instead of on the field, not practicing in full pads, and a general lack of fundamentals and physicality.  Even Osborne said "we missed the boat  on that one."

A coach is primarily a teacher.  Any good coach will tell you it isn't about barking plays and orders.  Players need taught the plays, they need taught how to tackle, how to throw a block, how to use their athletic talent.  In this respect, our coaches have failed our players.

Our fans have gotten used to winning.  We've taken winning for granted, and have become spoiled.  We've let our expectations soar, and put enormous pressure on the program.  Are we wrong in doing so?  Like Matt Davison said during the Missouri game "I refuse to apologize for my expectations."  But for the fans that can't control their frustration, that can only support the players while winning:  To the players, I apologize. 

Our fans have also let mediocrity carry on too long.  Callahan went 5-6 in his first season.  We chalked it up to installing new schemes.  He went 8-4, we figured improvement.  He went 9-5, we figured we're still ok.  We failed to see that both 8-4 and 9-5, and failing to finish a season ranked is pretty mediocre.  We failed to question Pederson or Callahan early enough. 

The players failed their coach?  Not a chance, the coaches have failed the players.  And the school, the tradition, the past players, and just about everything associated with Nebraska football. 

The players failed the fans?  Absolutely not, if anything, we have failed them by letting the insults ring louder than our cheers.  By not silencing those voices in the stands criticizing the players.  By letting the pieces stay in place long enough to fail them.  I feel so very bad and so very sorry for those players.  That it has come to this.  Certainly they want to win as bad as we want them to.  They don't want remembered as the worst Huskers team in history any more than what we want them to.  But they will.  They have my sympathy, my apologies, and my undying support.  There are better times ahead.  There will be a day when our sea of red will make opponents tremble.  When our battle cry will once again put fear in their hearts.

GO BIG RED

Stop right there.  This isn't a bed of roses.  This isn't the false promises and sunshine and rainbows and the "we're going to win the rest of these games and go to the conference championship game" kinda thing.  This isn't being pessimistic.  This is being realistic.  This is where we are.  What breaks our heart more?  That our team is doing so well, or that with every loss we actually get a bittersweet feeling?  Pretty new feeling to Husker Nation that we'd feel at least slightly happy with a loss, only because every one cements the changes to come. 

The Huskers are now .500, sitting at 4-4 and about to face two ranked, and three very good teams.  We almost beat Texas last year, in our own house and with a much better team.  In fairness, Texas isn't the team they were last year either.  However, they have more than enough drive and firepower to deliver another blowout loss to the Big Red.

Following the road trip at Texas is a road trip at Kansas.  Kansas, the feel-good story of the Big 12 so far, has been an up and coming team for some time now.  We blew a 17 point lead against them last year and took it into overtime...once again in our own house, once again with a better team than what we have now.  The frightening thing is that the Jayhawks are a much better team this year.

Kansas-State at home.  The road trip beatings from the previous two weeks will still be lingering at this point.  This will be a must-win to remain bowl eligible.  It may be a valiant attempt, but will still fall short.  K-State is simply better than Nebraska this year.  I don't mean to take anything away from any team, but saying that they're better than Nebraska this year isn't saying much. 

Colorado?  A toss up.  A who-cares game when we're all full of turkey and likely just wanting this nightmarish season to end so we can lay to rest the Pederson-Callahan era. 

Do we need to get a coach with Nebraska ties?  Absolutely not.  Should we be concerned about getting the right guy?  Of course.  We can only hope they'll go after whoever they want very aggressively and compile an all-star coaching staff.  I doubt many remnants of the current staff would be welcome.  We just want it over.

And now we've arrived at the main topic:  Callahan's promises.  Is anyone else sick of his rhetoric?  Of hearing how bad the coaching staff and the players are hurting?  There is a clear-cut remedy for this hurting, and it's called a win.  Is anyone else sick of hearing the "we just didn't execute" excuse?  Or maybe the parity excuse?  Poor coaching and poor leadership.  Simple as that.  Callahan seems to think he's doing a great job, that they have made improvements.  Talk about ice skating uphill.  Husker Nation wants to know what improvement this is, as it certainly is not apparent in the win-loss column.  Nor is improvement apparent in any stat column.  Is he talking about the new athletic complex?  The food at the training table?  The car he drives? 

No, Husker Nation has been fed a bunch of bull.  We were told fairy tales of improvement and then given a healthy dose of reality.  Pederson and Callahan sold us a lemon.  If he wants to say that the staff and players are hurting, or that they're making improvements, fine.  If he wants to sling insults at our fans and past legends, fine.  But what reason do we have to believe anything he says?  Seems that his bank of promises is running a little dry.  With this load of lies and lack of improvement and constant backsliding, there is little doubt that Callahan won't be coaching in Nebraska anymore.  He might be an offensive coordinator or head coach for the AAA Kentucky Turtlebacks or some such team, and rightly so.  Either way, we've been fed enough lies, rhetoric, and outright fantasy that I don't see a reason why we should wait to fire him.  I'm generally opposed to coaching changes mid-season, but really, what do we have to lose?  Make no mistake, Husker Nation, we are going to lose 3 of the next 4.  These teams are much better than an embattled aTm.

Why not do it now?  We can salvage what we can from a recruiting class, we can be honest with our players, we can start down the road of redemption, and we can try to keep our dignity. 

Every minute that Callahan is wearing a red N is a minute Husker Nation spends in agony.  We need the cure, and we know damn well what the cure is.  And even looking at this from Callahan's view, how fair is it to not fire him?  He could retire, go enjoy his millions, go find another job, or go get lost in the sandhills.  We really aren't being fair to ourselves or to him.  It's time that both sides move on. 

We've all seen the news in Husker Nation recently.  Seen a lot of rumors as well.  A common theme that keeps arising is unity and the fractured fan base.

Are the fans really fractured?  No.  It isn't like the fans are split into different camps.  It isn't like groups of fans have opposing views on what to do.  It isn't like we've ever faltered in our support of the university, the tradition, the team, the players.  Fractured?  No.  Bleeding Husker Red isn't dependent upon wins or losses.  Fans are fans throughout. 

Now, is Husker Nation hurt?  Absolutely.  We're hurt that our athletic director shunned our former stars, that boosters, faculty, and staff were turned away.  We're hurt by the product on the field.  We're shamed that we aren't even competitive.  Does our support for the players waiver?  Absolutely not.  But when our athletic director and head coach disrespect tradition and go so far as to call Osborne a "crusty old f---," we can definitely stop supporting the coaches.  This is exactly what has happened.  Anyone in Husker Nation would gladly tell you they love the players and support them fully.  Those same people will say that the coaching staff isn't cutting it and must go.  Many (including myself) in Husker Nation would rather be losing under a new coaching staff than winning under the current staff.

If anything, Husker fans aren't fractured.  We're united.  We're united in the cause of making our program better, in wanting to force changes to ensure that we become competitive again.  To make sure that our tradition isn't disrespected again. 

Husker fans have repeatedly been called the greatest in college football.  That doesn't happen through only supporting the team through the good times.  And make no mistake, these are not good times.  There is hope that they will be soon.  Respect and accountability are returning to Lincoln.  What makes us great fans?  Is it because when we were 4 year olds we asked our dad or older brother during a game "who are the bad guys?" and got a response "there are no bad guys."  Sure, we've all been indoctrinated that respect is a huge part of being a Huskers fan.  Is it because we've always placed a premium on the respect of our tradition?  Sure.  Is it because we don't falter in our support of the ideals, of the players, of the school?  Sure.  Or is it a combination of all of the above?  Absolutely.

We're not fractured.  We're hurt because of the program's suffering, and hurt that people would allow it to suffer.  But we are strong and united in our support.  We are hopeful the changes have been made, the changes are coming.  We are strong in that we'll demand that whatever needs to happen to make our team better, to make them more competitive, to make them dominant, is done and done quickly.

Tough times may be ahead, but the end of an era is upon us.  There is most definitely a light at the end of this tunnel, and we're fast approaching it. 

GO BIG RED

With Husker Nation in turmoil, and rumors swirling about staff and coaching changes in Lincoln, many are wondering when, not if, Callahan gets the ax. 

Solich went 7-7, and promptly got new coordinators.  We all remember Pelini and Barney Cotton.  It turned around and the season ended 10-3.  A respectable 10-3.  Sure, we weren't competitive against Oklahoma, Texas, or K-State, but let's keep in mind that those teams were beasts that year.  Few teams could have been competitive.  But defending Solich isn't the point.  Would Callahan fare better with different coordinators?

17-18.  That is Callahan's NFL record.  His first season, after taking over from Gruden, he went 13-6.  Got blown out in a Superbowl (yet another big game choke).  The following season yielded 4-12, and the loss of his job. 

Since then, he's hired his friends as his staff at Nebraska.  He's 26-18 right now.  14-14 in the conference.  0-7 against teams ranked higher than 20th.  He's lost several huge games, including USC twice and an agonizingly close call against Texas. 

Now we're 4-3, and could very easily finish 4-8.  We are literally only two plays away from being 2-5 right now.  Had those two plays went the other way, we could easily be finishing 2-10, much like CU last year.

As of right now, Callahan's record, including NFL, is .544, just under 55%

By the end of the season?  Possibly down around 52 or 53%

What's more, this man couldn't lead players like Charles Woodson, Jerry Rice, or Tim Brown.  He lost the players then, and lost them at Nebraska as well.  He probably lost them against USC a year ago when the players saw the calls and knew the coach wasn't even trying to win.  He was only trying to not get embarrassed.  This man has fractured the fan base yet again.

Now Callahan says things like "In my heart of hearts, I know I'm doing an excellent job."  How can he justify even uttering those words?  He speaks of progress and achievement, but fails to cite any examples of either. 

Even with new assistants and coordinators, I doubt this man can have success.  He has always been too offense-oriented.  I don't blame him, it's all he's been.  He'd probably make a fine coordinator somewhere, but probably little beyond that. 

Pederson is gone.  The fan base is all but calling for Callahan's head.  Several of our blue-chippers and other members of our incoming recruiting class are reconsidering.  There simply is no reason to believe that Callahan will succeed here.  There is simply no better time to rid ourselves of him.  He is simply a cancer to Husker Nation.  The sooner we cut the cancer out, the sooner we can heal, and become dominant yet again.