Charlie McBride, NU's defensive coordinator from 1982-99, thought Bill McCartney's idea in the early 1980s was brilliant. McCartney, upon being hired as Colorado's head coach in 1982, circled the Huskers as the team to beat. It seemed pretty bold at the time, perhaps a bit reckless.
“But I think Bill came from that Ohio State-Michigan tradition," said the former Nebraska head coach (1973-97), referring to McCartney's time as an assistant at Michigan. "I think he just kind of assumed you had to have a rival to be a great team, and why he did that, I don’t know.