Steven M. Sipple: A vow to respect the impact of parity
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You might consider joining me in a solemn vow.
No longer will I snicker silently when Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan describes a one-point win against Ball State as “a step forward.”
No longer will I deride Husker middle linebacker Corey McKeon when he says, “It doesn’t matter who you play, people are going to move the ball.”
This past weekend’s spate of upsets — seven of the top 13 teams fell — lends credence to Callahan and McKeon’s thoughts regarding parity’s impact on the college game.
Parity is strange. It is regarded as boring and passé to discuss. But it makes college football all the more exciting.
Parity is just wonderful, says the average Husker fan, as long as it doesn’t affect Big Red.
News flash: It affects every team.
If there’s one thing this past weekend told us, it’s no favorite is safe. Not even the genius of Urban Meyer is immune to parity. Not even Pete Carroll. Once again, “Big Game” Bob Stoops succumbed. Boise State was one thing. But losing to Colorado?
More than ever, underdogs have every reason to believe. The gap between traditional powers and the rest of the pack has been narrowing since scholarship reductions were imposed in the early 1990s, but it seems people in these parts are still getting used to it. Some may never get used to it.
“I really think it’s different now, and I’ve been saying that,” Callahan told reporters Sept. 22 after Nebraska sneaked past Ball State, 41-40. “I guess it kind of falls on deaf ears, and I understand that.”
Maybe we should listen more closely.
And maybe Callahan’s NFL approach to life makes sense in the current climate of the college game. At most schools, style points now take a backseat to doing whatever it takes to survive each week, a la the NFL. Just win, baby. Somehow subdue Iowa State and push forward. Don’t apologize. And don’t look backward. Ron Prince and Dan Hawkins may be gaining on you.
Kansas State stunned then-No. 7 Texas Saturday using stout defense and special teams. Colorado shocked then-No. 3 Oklahoma on the strength of sturdy defense and a between-the-tackles ground game; the Sooners wore down. Don’t look now, but the Buffaloes have the easiest league schedule of the five North contenders. Yes, five contenders.
The good news for Nebraska (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big 12) is its Oct. 27 game at Texas suddenly looks more manageable. The bad news is the Big 12 North suddenly looks like a beast. Brace for a five-team sprint to the finish. Look for the winner to stumble at least a couple times. Brush up on your tiebreaker rules.
There will be extreme ups and downs. Intangibles such as strong leadership will become critical. Coaches somehow must remain on an even-keel throughout the madness, lest their teams experience wild mood swings. Callahan has been sturdy in this area of late.
Also, credit Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. He held up well last week amid the firestorm following the defense’s collapse against Ball State. The Blackshirts took a step forward against Iowa State, albeit a small one.
“People want to take shots, and they take them,” said Nebraska nose tackle Ndamukong Suh of the pervasive negativity last week in Huskerland. “You have to deal with it. It goes with the territory, and I think our team deals with it quite well. It’s tough when people are on you, but we have to learn to work through it and kind of turn it around and use it for motivation.”
You have to wonder sometimes if Callahan knew what he was getting into at Nebraska. The affects of parity are difficult enough to handle without a fan base that has extremely high expectations. Tom Osborne was 60-3 in his last five seasons at NU; it may never happen again here, or anywhere outside the USC campus.
Callahan operates in a challenging climate. You turn on Lincoln radio and hear former All-American Jason Peter, bless his heart, talking daily about the great Husker teams of the 1990s. Callers to the show wonder why NU can’t regain such dominance. Is it really so difficult?
Meanwhile, recruiting analysts create unwieldy expectations by hiking up star rankings on Nebraska recruits to capitalize on Big Red fanaticism. It’s an intriguing game these recruiting gurus are playing with fans’ hearts, hopes and wallets.
Somewhere in the middle of the madness, Callahan pushes forward. He doesn’t make excuses. He insists he relishes the high expectations. Wouldn’t want it any other way, he says.
Just win, baby. Try to take steps forward, and don’t look back, for someone’s probably gaining ground.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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