How to Overcome the Husker Hangover

January through August can be a painful half of the year for Husker fans.

Football season is over, volleyball is long gone and Nebraska basketball never quite seems to do the trick for most Husker fans.

For Husker Nation to keep its sanity, fans need sane, yet satisfying ways to spend their time in the offseason. Husker Corner breaks down the best ways to fight the Husker Hangover.

Supercharge your brain

The offseason is the perfect time to get a jump on 2012. In the age of the internet, there are tons of online resources with which to boost your Husker knowledge. Learn about incoming recruits, watch some game film from last year and read Husker player bios so you can gain the conversational upper hand at 2012’s tailgates.

Go to an Omaha Beef game

The Omaha Beef, Omaha’s indoor football team, have always been good about bringing in ex-Huskers. This season, they will have running back Marlon Lucky, strong safety Rickey Thenarse and cornerback Cortney Grixby on their roster. With the field running only 50 yards, indoor football in fast-paced and high scoring, so while you likely won’t know many names outside former Huskers, there should be a slew of scoring to keep you entertained until fall camp.

Go watch one of Nebraska’s other Top 25 teams

Women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, wrestling, men’s and women’s gymnastics and bowling are all Top 25 teams that play for Nebraska. These teams are knocking off elite competition seemingly every weekend, and while some of the sports listed aren’t quite as glamorous as football, these teams are producing conference championships, something Nebraska football hasn’t done since 1999. Admission prices are low, and if you can find an interest in one of these sports, the reward could be high.

Relive the glory days

Another benefit of the internet age is that you can find anything online. That means championship game film and major bowl games will all be online if you look in the right place. ESPN Classic replays championship games religiously, and if you keep checking cable listings, it should be easy to track down a Nebraska game (they air them twice a month or so). Also, the Big Ten Network has shown a few of Nebraska’s championships on their stations, so keep an eye out, and relive the “good old days.”

Build your Husker mancave

Before you know it, football season will be back. That means you only have a little more than seven months to get your butt in gear and build that mancave you’ve been putting off. So start scouring home improvement stores and garage sales, because game time is approaching. Move the minivan out of the garage, tell the kids to store their bikes in the neighbor’s shed and throw away all that boxed up junk you’ll never look at, because you need that garage for gameday.

One last bit of advice…

Take a dang breath. Nebraska football can be exhausting, especially for the hardcore fan. The fumbles, the flags and the humiliation of losing can take its toll. Enjoy a little serenity from the insanity that is Nebraska football and just exhale for a couple months.

By Chris Peters

Contact the writer at ChrisHuskerCorner@gmail.com or on Twitter @_ChrisPeters

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Photo Courtesy Grand Island Independent