Since 2000 I don't think NU has spent too much time during the regular season in the Top 5 or even the Top 10. I believe NU finished the season in the Top 10 a couple times in the early '00. I think most NU fans would say the program is "down" at least by their standards. Even though NU fans have very high standards, it seems like the national media has placed NU in the same category as Da U; waiting for the return to glory.

I am getting ready to turn 40 next month and I don't disagree with you about the national implication associated with NU. Then again I am just old enough to remember the glory years of the 80s and 90s under Osborne. My first question to you is how much longer do you think NU can afford to go without sniffing the Top 5 or even the Top 10 before the luster of the national implication starts to fade away? Once that luster does fade away, then will that change your perception of the rivalry?

One of my mom's closest friend from HS lives in NE and is married to a huge NU fan. He has had season tickets forever and they came to visit when NU played at VT. During the game we talked about NU's glory years and the NU-OU rivalry. One of the points he agreed with was that NU benefited from having no roster limits. Now that the NCAA had placed roster limits, he wasn't sure if NU could adapt and still achieve the same level of success under Osborne. He seemed to like Solich and was a little disappointed when the school decided to fire him. If Solich is as high as the program can go under these new rules and it isn't enough to appease the fans, then it makes me wonder if NU will ever regain its glory under Osborne.