With ‘no new answers,’ where do reeling Huskers go from here? | Football

A couple others, like freshman defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher and redshirt freshman safety Noa Pola-Gates, got a little bit of rotational work Saturday because of injuries. Perhaps a freshman like tight end Thomas Fidone will see a little bit of time down the stretch.

Overall, though, 17 of Nebraska’s 35 scholarship freshmen (2020 and 2021 class) haven’t cracked a travel roster so far this year. Maybe someone like defensive back and special teams regular Marques Buford Jr., or receiver Alante Brown or outside linebacker Jimari Butler sees a slight adjustment in role, but it’s pretty clear most of the rest are on track to redshirt without any playing time against three rugged Big Ten foes down the stretch.

So, with three games to go and no major adjustments to make, no change at quarterback coming and not many stones left to turn over in the younger ranks of the roster, what’s left for the Huskers as they prepare to host the steamrolling Buckeyes?

They can still technically win out and qualify for a bowl game at 6-6, though that will take three upsets and the biggest, by far, would have to come first against OSU. Essentially, it’s that outside chance and pride.

“We talked in the locker room about how it would be easy to give up right about now. Really easy,” senior outside linebacker JoJo Domann said. “Less painful when you’re one foot in, one foot out. But that’s not what this program stands for, that’s not what Coach Frost stands for, that’s not what I stand for and we have to continue to lean into this. Three games, spoiler alert, win all three, go to a bowl game. The ups and downs that we’ve been through, the adversity we’ve faced, everything that we want is still in front of us, which is hard to fathom even at this point.”