One of my buddies is what you would call a diehard Cornhusker football fan. He studies recruiting. He watches videos of the newest Huskers. He never misses a broadcast of Big Red Wrap Up on television. He has - for the past 15 years or so - predicted (incorrectly) that “this is the year” for Nebraska football to return to the sort of success that we all remember. He is a true optimist. He was…