310 days ago we watched helplessly as our beloved Big Red kicked the ball off out of bounds, horse collared a UT receiver, then pressured Colt McCoy to throw the ball away to win the Big 12 Championship for the first time since '99.  But...

We all know how it ended.  Many of us had a hard time sleeping that night; wearing out the 'rewind' and 'play' buttons of our collective DVR remote.  We were swearing, hoping, and pleading our case to the football gods that this couldn't truly be how it ended.  It had to be a dream..

I remember being a 13 year old, talking smack to a waiter at the Applebees near Oak View mall, he was a UT fan.  He told me the Longhorns were going to win, "James Brown said so."  I remember watching James Brown making it so.. 

I remember being a 15 year old teen on Halloween of '98 watching a loss to Texas.. 

I remember being 16 years old -1999- and watching my favorite team lose to Texas at Texas.  BUT, there was a rematch!  I had to be there, my parents agreed- I was there.  I watched first hand as Nebraska beat the Longhorns for the Big 12 Championship.

---Flash Forward--

2006, I'm married.  I successfully converted my Washington born wife to "The Truth."  We had been to many games together but none at Memorial Stadium.  Our first was to be Nebraska/Texas.  We had great seats: 50 yard line, row C.  We may as well have been on the field.  Marlon Lucky throws a HB pass to Nate Swift!  Pandemonium ensues!  Nebraska regains possession of the ball in order to run out the clock and win the game, people around us are talking about rushing the field.  Then third down and short.  A first down conversion seals the victory.  A pass!  Taylor to Nunn, CHEERS!  fumble..  Gasp..  A field goal won it for the Horns.

2007, I'm deployed to Iraq and listen via the Internet as the Huskers blow a 17-3 lead and lose..  I had pulled a lot of strings to be able to listen to that game.  

310 days ago I watched helplessly as my beloved Big Red kicked the ball off out of bounds, horse collared a UT receiver, then pressured Colt McCoy to throw the ball away to win the Big 12 Championship for the first time since '99 but it didn't happen...  I felt my heart sink when they put that second back on the clock.  I felt that pain we all felt when Nebraska played at Mizzou and watch Scott Frost's pass hit Shevin Wiggins in the number and fall.  But that pain didn't go away like it quickly did in '97- there was no Matt Davison flying over the line to block a field goal.  

In my head I'd always believed, "next time..."  A little over 6 days from now it will be next time, it will be this time, and it may very well be the last time.  I've been looking forward to it for 310 days, I'll be watching, we all will.  It's not about vengeance, it's about pride.  We know they can do it!  But this time, there are no 00:01 chances..

GO BIG RED!!