Three Games That Will Define the Season for Nebraska Football in 2024
By T.J. Birkel Nebraska can win every single game on its schedule in 2024*. The operative word here is can. Recent history would suggest we can just as easily lose quite a few games on this schedule. While optimism is high heading into Year 2 of the Matt Rhule era, the Huskers are still in […]
Wrapping Up The Reckoning and Looking to 2024
By T.J. Birkel One month from today, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will play a game of American football. One month, Common Fans. I can almost smell the Fairbury hot dogs and see the perfectly-placed Dylan Raiola touchdown passes. We’re almost there. Last week completed The Reckoning Series on the Common Fan Podcast, taking an in-depth look […]
The Promise of Matt Rhule
By T.J. Birkel Turnovers. After all the talk about coaches over the last month, after all the kicking of tires and looking under rocks to try to figure out what’s gone wrong and what could have been different for Nebraska football since Tom Osborne retired, the first thing Mike’l Severe brought up as the main […]
How in the World Did Scott Frost Not Work at Nebraska?
By T.J. Birkel I promise, Common Fans, we are pivoting to the future very soon. We’re going to talk all about the 2024 season. We’re going to talk about the promise of Matt Rhule. Here at the Common Fan podcast, we are big believers that the future is bright for Nebraska football. We’re going to […]
Defending the Greatness of Nebraska Football
By T.J. Birkel Andy Staples knows better than this. Recently, the well respected national college football reporter came out with his list of college football “blue blood” programs. You see these conversations pop up regularly, especially on social media. There are varying definitions of what makes for a college football blue blood, and which teams […]
Was Mike Riley the Biggest Miss of the Post-Osborne Era?
By T.J. Birkel Four days. That’s how long it took Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst to announce the hire of Mike Riley after he fired Bo Pelini. Four days. You’re the Athletic Director at one of the most accomplished, prestigious football schools in all the land. You fire a coach who played for three conference championships […]
Bo-liever or Bo-leaver?
To this day, the firing of Bo Pelini probably divides the Husker fan base more than any other decision of the post-Osborne era. It’s not a stretch to argue Pelini’s tenure was a success: he never won fewer than 9 games in a season; his teams played in three conference championship games; and, he infused […]
Would Bill Callahan Have Worked with More Time?
Common Fans of a certain age remember. Then-Athletic Director Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich – a Husker legend who gave most of his adult life to Nebraska football – after going 9-3 in 2003. Then Pederson stumbled through a 41 day coaching search and ultimately settled for his fifth choice, someone with no college head […]
What if Nebraska Had Never Fired Frank Solich?
Man, we had it good for a long time, didn’t we? For those Husker fans whose minds consistently wander back to Nebraska football while driving along I-80, or watching the kids chase fireflies on a summer evening, this has likely crossed the mind a few times. We were spoiled beyond belief by the success of […]