This is the second in a week-long series of posts sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011. The first installment may be found here.
As I mentioned in the overview, NCAA Football's Dynasty mode allows you to dig deep into the ins and outs of running a college football program and potentially dominate the football landscape. If you are lucky, you may be able to replicate the success of the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1993-2001. In that 9 year span, Nebraska rolled up a 102-12 record and played for five national titles, winning three.
My favorite Husker team comes after the jump.
Despite this run of success, my favorite Husker team lies outside of those halcyon days. My favorite team is the 2006 squad. The team lost 5 games and didn't finish the season in the Top 25, but they put on one hell of a show with trick plays and narrow wins and losses. It also gave Husker Nation hope that the Bill Callahan years would be productive.The team was led by the incomparable quarterback Zac Taylor. Taylor wasn't the most physically gifted QB and he spent more time horizontal than vertical. However, he always popped up, straightened out his facemask and went back to work.
The Huskers jumped out to a 6-1 record, with lone loss coming at USC. Callahan looked determined to not get blown out in the Coliseum and provided the most vanilla playcalling of the year. Then came the aforementioned heartbreaker to Texas and a blowout loss at Oklahoma State.
After dispatching Missouri at home, NU travelled down to College Station to face the Aggies and this happened in the teeth of one of the loudest crowds in college football.
The touchdown sent me spinning on the floor in absolute glee followed by ferocious internet searches for cheap flights to Kansas City. That win clinched the Big 12 North title and sent the Huskers to the Big 12 title game.
The Huskers finished the season losing their last two to Oklahoma and Auburn, but the season was a blast and the team played their hearts out all year. It re-instilled hope with the Husker fans, only to be dashed the very next year. Thanks Zac & Co., I picked a great year to attend four games and I had the time of my life even though the Cornhuskers only won one of those games.