Following last Friday’s Nebraska football loss to Iowa – a carbon copy defeat from 2023, when Nebraska turned the ball over in the final minute and Iowa kicks the winning field goal on the last play of the game to claim a 13-10 victory – it hit me that the last eight eras of Nebraska football equate to different television characters.
You are free to agree, disagree, or ask yourself: “does Kevin Horn hang around Jason Wentworth too much?”
Bill Jennings Era: 1957-1961. Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island, portrayed by Bob Denver. A nice head coach and a team with underachieving talent that once in a blue moon would pull off an upset. Not the man to be in charge even though he drew a good audience. Gilligan needed to be replaced by a new skipper.
Bob Devaney Era: 1962-1972. Denny Crane, an attorney from The Practice and Boston Legal, portrayed by William Shatner. A solid attorney who knew how to win and surround himself with good people. Most of the time he was in a good mood but could get tough and explosive when he had to. And the Huskers, like Denny Crane, could sometimes be self-deprecating. However, 82% of the time they came to win and knew they would win on the football field with as much confidence as Denny Crane had entering a courtroom.
Tom Osborne Era: 1973-1997. Sheriff Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke, portrayed by James Arness. Tall, rugged, and reassuring football. Sometimes a bullet inserted Matt’s six-foot seven-inch frame, but he usually fought it off to claim a season of no less than nine wins, or a conference championship and even three national titles. The television role model of all role models, Nebraska football from 1973 to 1997 justifiably could have been awarded 25 Emmys.
Frank Solich Era: 1998-2003. Potsie Weber from Happy Days, portrayed by Anson Williams. Tons of talent but lacking respect. Potsie was pushed aside because the NU football wannabe producers — known as overreactive administrators and fans – wanted more Gunsmoke and less Happy Days.
Bill Callahan Era: 2004-2007. Frank Burns of M*A*S*H, portrayed by Larry Linville. Four years of babble from a surgeon who constantly dropped his scalpel inside the patient.
Bo Pelini Era: 2008-2014. Lou Grant of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, portrayed by Ed Asner. Tough, no-nonsense teams that every now and then would pull a Ted Baxter. For the most part, Lou was a solid product, but, on occasion, he stayed in a neighborhood saloon too long leading to hangover football.
Mike Riley Era: 2015-2017. Ralph Kramden of the Honeymooners, portrayed by Jackie Gleason. You tuned in each week and supported him even though you knew Ralph was going nowhere, despite some entertaining play. If you don’t agree with the Ralph Kramden analogy, then insert Charlie Brown.
Scott Frost, Mickey Joseph and Matt Ruhle Eras. 2018-2024. Gomer Pyle of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., portrayed by Jim Nabors. You love him, even though you know he’s going to find a way to screw it up.
The college football bowl invitations and playoff teams will be announced this coming Sunday, and the early projection is that Nebraska will play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN on December 30.
It will be interesting to see which TV character will be displayed on the NU gridiron.
In the meantime, enjoy championship volleyball!!!