Hope Restored

If you haven’t heard, football season is nearly here!  Okay, chances are you have already been informed.  As a matter of fact, most Nebraska fans have had August 30^th marked on their calendars since a disappointing outing in Boulder, a lack of a bowl game,  and with it a complete overhaul of the football team. 

Flashback: Callahan out, Pelini In! 

That fateful day hit home throughout Husker nation.   The agony was over, Order Restored… check that; ‘HOPE’ Restored!  It had been awhile since Husker fans had the opportunity to be hopeful for their team’s success.  Hope was lost with an embarrassing loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock, in a loss to Southern Miss, a couple losses to Missouri, and a 76 point pummeling from Kansas… KANSAS!!!  Needless to say, Husker Nation had a dark cloud over it’s head, and there wasn’t much of a light at the end of the tunnel.   But that all changed even before Callahan met his fate, it came when Callahan’s boss met his… the day that Tom Osborne again came to save the day… the day that he stood at the podium and with a soft, stoic, and assuring voice told Husker nation that he was back, he was gonna fix the problem.  A sigh of relief could be heard around the nation.  And that light at the end of the tunnel became even clearer when he stepped up at the podium once more, a coaching change was to be made!

Bo Pelini took charge and the wait for the season was as anticipated as much and more than any other.  Not because of instant success, no honest/well educated Husker fan really anticipates Nebraska to be playing in the title game in January… but of the hope that it can sooner than later!  That Nebraska will no longer be the little sister to the North, but the team that NOBODY wants to play. 

To achieve this feat, Nebraska won’t be turning to some fancy offense that takes the full play clock to set, (or say for that matter) but with what has made Nebraska successful so many times before, Tradition, Defense, Toughness… PASSION!  You can see it in Coach Pelini’s eyes, and you can again see it in the players.  That is what will make Nebraska the team to beat again! 

Interestingly enough, fan’s will not be looking at the win/loss column to measure the success of the team, that will come down the road.  Success will be measured with the performances on the field, the way they play the game, and the heart that they play it with.  If they can do that, Nebraska fan’s will have a smile on their face whether they play in the Insight bowl or the Fiesta Bowl.  But bowl season can wait, we’ve not been waiting for that… after all, we have a game marked on our calendars 4 days away!  Hope truly has been restored!