As Fate Would Have It

It is about one hour away from kickoff of the season opener for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the aura of last night’s volleyball event at Memorial Stadium with the last blue moon that will be seen until 2037, leaves a football fan like me a little freaked out on what’s about to take place.

Arik Gilbert has been arrested, starting linebacker Nick Henrich may be missing from the lineup suffering another injury, and it seems that players have been more going than coming. It leaves a person like me to wonder, was the volleyball event last night a ruse or distraction to keep fans from football misery? This game is all about coaching misery and the fact that the latest line hit 7 points, up two and a half from its opening says a lot. And, I have a lot to say about Scott Frost as when he was let go I let go of this blogging thing…nothing pisses me off more than a person who has an opportunity of a lifetime and cannot or will not seize it….but that is for another moment, pretty much immediately after tonight’s game.

What coaching misery would I be talking about? Well, not Scott Frost! We all have to move on from that except to accept the fact of where the program currently is, its in disarray. However, the culture may seem to have a stepped up from a year ago that will be a surprise for the Golden Gophers, Coach Rhule is a different kind of coach. He is an example of the kind of culture one needs to turn things around in short order and tonight expect no departure from that, the Huskers will cover the point spread by winning or making it a tougher game than anyone expects. One might ask, why or how? But there is something surreal about the volleyball program taking over Memorial Stadium, albeit for just one night. It is either an omen of pain for this year’s Husker football program or it is a cover to allow the freedom to play without pressure, expectations, or reservations- they have nothing to lose and a chip on their shoulder. The dirty little secret is, the Huskers could have beat the Gophers ever year of the Scott Frost era. The current coach is an exception to the Rhule over the past few years and will give us a product that will have us stunned quiet, whether we win or lose by the end of the night.

What Trev Alberts and the football program has accomplished over the past few months is really something to be proud of. I believe the right athletic director and coach are in place for Nebraska to turn things around. We are not going to win the National Championship this year and tonight may go either way, but as time goes on, it will be exposed that everything is in place is for a turnaround! And, tonight Minnesota will be a the brunt end of Husker frustration, so long as ghosts of losing in the past few years do not surface again. It takes time for a team to forget how to lose and learn how to win, and tonight will manifest itself into a “see I told you so,” moment when we realize what we have been missing and excise the demons!

As for my prediction, Nebraska wins 23-20! GO BIG RED!