As I watched the closing moments of Nebraska’s 45-17 loss (or would train wreck be a better term if you are a Husker fan?) Saturday, I heard ESPN commentator Urban Meyer say something to the effect of “don’t underestimate Nebraska’s ability to finish strong and if they do that it will help recruiting.”
I disagree with the “help recruiting” part. Seriously, by the time bowl games come around, a high school kid has generally made up his mind on where he’s going so I find it hard to believe that the outcome of a bowl game is going to be the ultimate reason a kid will choose one school over another.
However, I completely agree that for Nebraska (or any team for that matter) to finish strong is very important. Remember the saying, “You’re only as good as your last game?” Think about it for just a moment, the Huskers went 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010 but the perception of those two seasons could not be more opposite.
In 2009, the Huskers were 4-3 at one point but won six of their last seven games including a season-ending 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing over Arizona. In 2010, the Huskers started the season 5-0 and were a Top Five team but went 5-4 the rest of the way including a season-ending run of three losses in the final four games. The last game was an uninspired 19-7 loss to Washington.
In 2005 and 2008, Nebraska was 5-4 at one point. In 2005, the Huskers closed the season with three straight wins including a 32-28 Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. That was what most people remember as the high point of the Bill Callahan era. In 2008, which was the first of the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska finished the season with four straight wins including a season-ending 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson.
In 2000 and 2001, Nebraska finished 11-2 but the legacy of those two seasons could not be more opposite. In 2000, the Huskers finished the season with a 66-17 win over Northwestern. In 2001, Nebraska was 11-0 but finished the season with back-to-back embarrassing losses to Colorado (62-36) and Miami (37-14).
Point being, the last game is the one you often remember most. From 1987-1993, Nebraska never had a record that was worse than 9-3. However, every one of those seasons ended with a loss in its bowl game.
The Huskers enter their regular season finale at home against Iowa with an 8-3 record. Considering that Nebraska entered its maiden voyage in the Big Ten Conference with visions of a conference title, the season will not be viewed as an overwhelming success even if the team wins its last two games and goes 10-3. There will be no conference title. Heck, there won’t even be a Legends Division title.
So for the Huskers, the outcome of the last two games are an issue of “how do you want the season to be perceived?” Losing the last two and going 8-5 would be considered a colossal failure. Seriously, an 8-5 season might be fine for Purdue. Splitting the last two and going 9-4 would classify as nondescript. I see a 9-4 season as the minimum of what Nebraska should achieve. However, winning the last two and going 10-3, the season could at least be considered a borderline success. I think it’s safe to say that winning the last two and going 10-3 would be the best way to remember the season.
College football is so much different from every other sport. I know the cynics would bemoan the fact that there is no playoff system. However, the benefit of having the current system is that a team can win its last two games and whether its final record is 12-2 or 8-5 can still, on some level, feel good about its season.
In the NFL, however, it is not uncommon for a team to go 13-3 and lose in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons went a franchise-best 13-3 and garnered the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs only to get their doors blown off in a 48-21 Division Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Granted, the NFL is such where only one team is going to end its season victoriously and feel good (the Super Bowl champion) but while 13-3 is an impressive record, a team with that mark should at minimum reach the conference title game.
Point being, if the Huskers want the season to be viewed as even a borderline success, 2011 becomes a two-game season beginning Friday.
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