Sept. 18th, 2021 Nebraska’s New Era Begins Against Their Natural Fated Foe

It can be hard to believe…

You know?

It can be really hard to believe at this point in time for so many young college football fans around the country that fifty years ago this year Nebraska vs. Oklahoma was a game that defined the college football world. A game so good that it was, and in the eyes of many still is, The Game of the Century. A game between two great programs throughout college football’s long and storied history. A game defined by this play…

And you know what?

I don’t remember it. At least not having personally experienced that Game of the Century. I wasn’t even alive.

I’m 29 going on 30 coming up early in this next year. I grew up with only a hint of the greatness that can come from the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The only reason I cheered when the 94′, 95′ and 97′ teams won was because my family was cheering for it so I was excited.

I’ve talked about this before but the Nebraska Cornhuskers I know would lose this game coming up this next Saturday. It makes total sense given what we’ve been the past few years. Hell, even if we were good enough to beat them, like in some years past, we would still lose because that is what we do now.

So why even write this?

Well because I have hope.

What hope? You may ask.

How on earth do we have hope against the #3 ranked team in the nation this upcoming weekend? At their house by the way.

I’d ask “why not?”

That’s not a good enough answer though.

What gives me hope?

Well, let’s see. There’s the fact that Tulane kept it close versus Oklahoma. There’s Nebraska’s defense (even if Oklahoma’s offense can score on a whim). Oh, and I know you’re gonna hate me for this, but, there was a hint of optimism there in how Nebraska played offense against Buffalo.

No, these are not the types of things that show we will definitely beat Oklahoma. If you’ve read my past article I don’t think it’s entirely about winning the game this weekend.

Sure a win this weekend would be amazing. Yet, what if we lose a close game? Wouldn’t that still show some progress. Even from the first week of the season against Illinois to now. For sure from the time Scott Frost has been head coach here at Nebraska.

Who wants that though? Just a close game?

I mean that is cool and all and it does show some progress as a team, but we as Nebraska Cornhusker fans want Nebraska back. We want that sweet sweet W over Oklahoma. Something. A sign we can do it, that we can make it back into the spotlight.

Nearly fifty years since we won The Game of the Century why not this year?

You still don’t believe, do you?

Our offense still hasn’t played anywhere near it’s potential. Which always hurts our defense. So how the hell our we, the Nebraska Cornhuskers of 2021, going to win against a really good Oklahoma team?

In so many ways all I can do is be honest and say I don’t know.

But…

I’ll always allow myself to believe. Why not? Why not us? Why not this time? Why not this week? Why not this year?

The year we celebrate fifty years since our win in The Greatest Game of the 20th Century.

So I say this year would be the year for us to make our return to the big stage, wouldn’t it?

We wouldn’t be the first and we sure as hell won’t be the last of teams in the colllege football world that lost a game to a mediocre team in the beginning of the season only to get better and better along the way. To just make clear we still belong.

I say it happens September 18th, 2021.

The day we know, the day Nebraska declared in one voice. We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today…

Wait…

Just a second.

Damn it! That’s Independence Day.

Sorry guys. That’s my bad. You know what let’s just do it like this…

There, that’s more befitting of the day the Cornhuskers let it be known we are still here. We are still a team to be reckoned with.

I implore you to join me, whether at your TV, in Norman, Lincoln, anywhere around the country, the world, to root your ass off for the ultimate statement made this regular season by your Nebraska Cornhuskers.