Nebraska Football: Well That was a Gong Show

Let’s be honest, if you had Nebraska getting crushed by 49, you were a delusional fan of either team. However, Nebraska decided to revert back to type against any team worth a damn in the last decade or so. Multiple turnovers that were converted to multiple scores, genuine lack of offense and a defense that failed to get off the bus. I know Matt Rhule talks about wanting to play early so guys don’t sit around all day, but “kegs and eggs and football” has occurred twice now, and Nebraska has looked like a giant dumpster fire for the better part of seven of the eight total quarters.

There has been plenty of warranted consternation about the program this week. Gnashing of teeth, shaking of fists and birds being flipped come part and parcel with losing such a soul-crushing beatdown. It would be one thing if Nebraska had just been beat by a better team in a game when it played relatively well (Illinois comes to mind), but it is quite another to have your lunch and lunch money taken, then given an atomic wedgie and shoved into your locker by a school bully. Nebraska, when it wears it’s “Surrender Whites”, wouldn’t even beat the French in a war.

The truly baffling thing is the Huskers were coming off a bye week, so to be as ill-prepared as they looked is inexcusable. I can understand giving up the opening touchdown, Ohio State will probably accomplish the same thing on Saturday, but when you catch the subsequent kickoff and take it straight out of bounds at your own 2, that’s the reason you get your ass kicked. To look as if you have gone back to the same old dumb mistakes when on the road, at what point do you just think this group isn’t mentally tough enough? Not having the mental stones to get the job done is just as detrimental to the team.

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Not much is expected of the Huskers this weekend, but maybe that might help them a little in a hostile environment. It might help clear their heads and forget about the pressure of playing well. Ohio State will win (please let me eat crow), but letting things rip on an early kickoff game might just loosen things up for the stretch run in November. To be 5-2 isn’t a bad thing, we were here last year as well. It’s good to show consistency, November just turns into that “extra step” developing a program needs.

Indiana has a good football team, so does Ohio State. Looking at November, USC has struggled in conference play, UCLA is up and down, Wisconsin is finding some really good form and Iowa, well not sure what the hell happened with them last week, but it’s good for us. The loss against Indiana shouldn’t break your spirit, but it definitely serves as a stark reminder of how far this program still needs to go to be elite. A bowl game is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, and there are still 5 chances left to achieve that. Get just one, then go from there. Go Big Red!