Nebraska Football: Huskers won’t go bowling and I don’t blame them
Nebraska football is better off preparing for next year.
I’ve seen people weigh in on this topic throughout the course of the entire day, and so I thought it would be best at my two cents to this. Nebraska football has elected to opt out of playing in a bowl game. This effectively ends their season, and puts a bow on what was a hectic 2020 campaign.
For starters, I’ll say I definitely support their decision. This has been a long couple of months both emotionally and on the field. The players have not been home to see their families, and they have had to cram academics in the mix as well. Sure, they have to do these things in a normal calendar year. However, in the midst of a pandemic, everything has seemed that much harder.
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I have seen fans say that the players really don’t love the game of football and that it is embarrassing for them to opt out of the opportunity of a bowl. I’ll counter that by saying that I don’t think they earned it this year. They didn’t play well enough, and I’m not a big fan of giving out bowl games like candy. It’s better to focus on 2021, and making a bowl game the traditional way next season.
Secondly, like I said above, they have not been able to see their families in quite some time. Missing time with their family on Christmas is not worth playing a game that won’t do too much in the grand scheme of things. It’s one thing if Nebraska reached the six-win requirements to normally go to a bowl. This year however, the requirements are lax enough to where it doesn’t feel like going to a bowl this year means that much.
Thirdly, I’ve seen fans question whether the players have a love of the game. This point of view also comes with the line of thinking that they fought to play this season, and now they should finish it out. They can want to play football in August, while also be mentally exhausted at the end of a trying season. Their desire to play football in August, their love of the game, and choice to not play in a bowl game are not connected. They are three different scenarios at three different points in time.
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Do I fault them for not wanting to play in a bowl? No I do not. Would I like to have seen some more football? Sure, it would give me a chance to see this team one last time. However, don’t fault the kids for not wanting to play in this game. In a season where the condensed schedule made every game matter that much more, this bowl game does not mean as much.