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First year Colorado head coach Mel Tucker takes a jab Nebraska
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We’re still two months away from Nebraska traveling to Colorado for a rematch among old Big 12 rivals, but a shot has already been fired by the Buffaloes.
Colorado first year head coach Mel Tucker was recently asked about the state of recruiting for his new program. He admitted that it’s been a bit of a tough sell early in the process and that Nebraska seems to be a dream destination for a lot of top Colorado targets. That, apparently, is a bit confusing for Tucker.
“There are in-state kids here who don’t care a thing about CU, so it’s a sell job,” Tucker told The Denver Post. “It’s like, you’ve got to win games before they’ll even consider you. I’ve been through that before, that’s just how it is. There are kids right now that you (ask), ‘Well, who are your top guys? And they’ll say, ‘Nebraska.’
“And you look and say, ‘Well, what has Nebraska done?’ But in their mind, that’s like way, way better than CU.”
Don’t think those comments won’t find their way to Lincoln.
Tucker does make a decent point in terms of recruiting. While Nebraska has a lot more success and tradition on the field, the Huskers’ last national title came in 1997, a few years before current recruits were even born. Over the last two decades, Nebraska has enjoyed some successful years, but it hasn’t been the dominant power it once was on a yearly basis.
So, in terms of recent success, he’s not too far off the mark. But Colorado’s recent past has been far worse than Nebraska. In the last 11 years, the Buffaloes have attended just one bowl game and ended with just one winning record — a 10-4 mark in 2016.
While Tucker may not have intended for those comments to be a shot at Nebraska’s rich football tradition, it will certainly be perceived that way. And his comments will almost certainly be used as bulletin board material for the Sept. 7 showdown at Folsom Field.
Last year, Colorado defeated Nebraska 33-28 in Lincoln. Perhaps if the Buffs can make it two straight over the Huskers, they’ll be able to sway some of those top in-state prospects to commit to CU.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB