Tired of Losing to Iowa? Yeah, us too.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you that support this blog.  Hi mom!

I hate this time of year.  Since 2016, the Iowa game has been Nebraska’s last game of the season.  I remember in July when I was talking with a friend, we both said we would go to a bowl game, no matter where it was.  

I said, “even Detroit?” 

He said, “even Detroit!”

That’s how desperate this fan base is for a winner.  Playing Iowa is the fans bowl game yet again this season.  When the season starts, I always know that we get a dozen Husker football games.  For me, even with the losing, I always hate the end of the season.

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If the Huskers hire a new coach this weekend (by the way, I think they will) that coach has a long rebuild ahead of them.  It’s not just players and recruits, it’s the fan base that is slowly starting to turn away from Nebraska football.  High school kids just aren’t that interested in the Huskers right now.  Having a couple in my house, even those that really do like Nebraska, simply just accept that the program sucks at this point.

For those of us that lived and breathed Tom Osborne from the time we were born, to those that even watched Bob Devaney, that’s a heartbreaking proposition.  Nebraska has had some success in the last 15 years, but it has been six since Nebraska has had any relevance in the Big Ten conference.  That doesn’t mean that next year will be a lot better.  The entire offensive and defensive lines must make a large leap forward for any of that to matter.

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So, what is next?  I’ll stick with my prediction from a couple weeks ago that Matt Rhule will accept the Husker football head coaching position.  There is still some smoke about Kansas State’s head coach Chris Klieman, and this week Luke Fickell from Cincinnati has been mentioned by the media in Ohio.  

In my opinion, any of those three would be very solid hires.  Athletic Director Trev Alberts said when he started this search that he wasn’t necessarily going to win the press conference with the next coach.  I think that any of those three would still give Husker fans considerable hope.  At this point, that is all that Nebraska fans can ask for. 

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 21.  The actual score was Wisconsin 15, Nebraska 14.  It couldn’t be anymore of a kick in the gut than what happened last weekend.  Nebraska was poised to take down a huge thorn in their side for the first time in 10 years and they couldn’t hold on.  Nebraska led the game until the last minute.  Their inability to run the football cost them what should have been a relatively easy victory.  It remains a stunning fact, but Nebraska continues to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the most excruciating ways.

Quick Notes:

Malcom Hartzog…What find for Nebraska.  Hartzog was a late addition to last years recruiting class.  All he has done in lead the Big Red in interceptions.  Hartzog didn’t even start until after the first quarter of the season.  He does give up some big plays when he has bigger receivers to cover, but even experienced players do that from time to time.  There is tremendous upside for a kid that most fans didn’t even know existed in August.

Trey Palmer…Whatever happens with Palmer, if he returns, or if he decides to go to the NFL, he has left an impact in Lincoln.  You could argue he has been the most exciting wideout since Jordan Westerkamp, and certainly the most productive since Stanley Morgan.  Palmer has not had the impact that he had before the cold weather and Casey Thompson’s arm injury.  That doesn’t deny the fact that as soon as Thompson came back, Palmer scored two touchdowns against Wisconsin.  He has been a great weapon for Nebraska and fans will remember him for a long time. 

Caleb Tannor…Tannor has been about as candid with the media as anyone this week.  His career has mirrored the Husker seasons since he arrived.  Tannor was a big-time recruit but was forced into action way too early in his career.  As he put on muscle and grew into his role, he has had some memorable games for the Big Red but has been inconsistent.  I often think about a player like Tannor and how he was on this roster at the wrong time.  Had he played for Bo Pelini or Tom Osborne, Tannor would be another in a long line of players that we all remember fondly.  I will remember him fondly, even if he never had the type of career that he wanted.

Anthony Grant…Grant had such a promising start to the season.  Unfortunately, as the competition ramped up, the offensive line has not been much help to him.  Grant needs 91 yards to break a thousand for the year.  After six games, it seemed like he would be a lock to get that, but not anymore.  If Nebraska has any chance to beat Iowa, Grant must break 100 yards rushing.  I hope that he gets the holes to do that.  Nothing would be finer this year.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 21, Iowa 20

I know the game is in Iowa City, I know that the Iowa defense has been as good as any in the Big Ten.  I also know that Nebraska has been knocking on the door, over and over again, the last 5 weeks.  Iowa isn’t some great juggernaut.  They are well coached, play hard and rarely make mistakes.  Even so, Nebraska has been within one score with Iowa almost every game since the losing streak began.  If Casey Thompson is healthy and the weather holds out, I look for Nebraska to score through the air.  Iowa will try to pound Nebraska with the running game, but the Blackshirts will rise up and we will see a stunner!  Enjoy Mickey Joseph’s last game as head coach and have a Happy Holiday weekend and GBR!!

Closing Ceremonies at Memorial Stadium

If you wanted to know how far Nebraska is from being a player in the Big Ten conference look no further than two weeks ago in their game against Minnesota.  

Nebraska played arguably it’s best football on defense.  They had shut down Minnesota in the first half, had a ten-point lead and knocked out their starting quarterback.

In the second half, Minnesota brings the backup off of the bench and the kid starts flying around making plays, mostly throwing downfield to big receivers, but taking off if Nebraska over played man to man coverage.  The kid looked like a confident Big Ten quarterback.  

Nebraska on the other hand, had two backup quarterbacks that looked like they were going to get hit by a car, while wearing cement shoes.

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As close as Nebraska has played many teams in the conference, they simply do not have depth to withstand losing their best player.  It’s been an ongoing issue since Bo Pelini took over the Husker roster.  Injuries to players like Rex Burkhead, Ameer Abdullah, Tommy Armstrong, and now Casey Thompson has spelled doom for Nebraska’s chances the last decade plus.

If you want to win in the Big Ten or SEC, you must recruit players that can play at a high level.  That’s a given.  You also have to convince players that can play at a high level to stay, work hard and sit on the bench while a better player plays while they sit.  That’s not at easy task.  Not since Tom Osborne walked the sidelines has depth been very good at Nebraska.

And that is what Michigan showed us all last week.  Nebraska had the Wolverines all but beat last year in Memorial Stadium.  They had their best roster since 2016.  In one year, after a lot of 6th year players left, Michigan restocked their lineups, and crushed the Huskers.  Nebraska clearly did not restock the roster.

The next coach has a lot to fix.  Probably the most important thing they have to do is overhaul a roster that is low on playmakers.  On top of that, they have to develop the talent they do have.  It’s not an easy task, and it gives you pause when you think of how long it might be before Nebraska will be a true contender again. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Michigan 38, Nebraska 14.  The actual score was Michigan 34, Nebraska 3.  Michigan looks like a final four contender.  They have all the pieces you could want on defense, and they have a dominant ground game.  Nebraska held their quarterback in check for the most part.  I’m curious if the Huskers may have exposed something that will keep Michigan from running the table.  I would bet Ohio State took notes on what Nebraska did to shut the passing game down.

Quick Notes:

Casey Thompson…If it wasn’t clear enough before, Nebraska has little to no chances to win any remaining games without Casey Thompson.  The deep ball that has kept Nebraska in a lot of games just isn’t happening with Chubba Purdy (now out) or Logan Smothers.  If Thompson really is healed up, and the offensive line can give him time, Nebraska has a small chance to beat Wisconsin.

Ernest Hausmann…Hausmann has not had an easy freshman year in Lincoln.  He was thrust into early action, probably quicker than anyone wanted with injuries to Luke Reimer and now Nick Henrich.  Against Michigan, Hausmann looked like he belonged and more.  He was one of the few players that drove Michigan offensive players back at the point of contact.  Kid looks like a player you can build around moving forward.  

Garrett Nelson…Nelson was asked if he would be walking with the other Seniors on Senior day against Wisconsin.  Nelson said no, not admitting if he is coming back next season or not.  I’ve been on the Nelson bus since day one.  He gives effort every play, even if he isn’t the most athletic player on the field, he still produces.  Nelson could be a player in the NFL, but he still has some growing to do.  I’m hopeful a change in staff provides him with an opportunity to hit the ceiling on his talent and growth if he returns for another season.

Javin Wright…Wright has had a tough road in his time at Nebraska, but for the first time he has started to earn playing time and I continuously see him around the football when he is in the game.  He hasn’t been the best player out there, but he is playing and after his health scare with blood clots and other issues, it’s great to see Toby Wright’s son earn his way onto the field.

Score Prediction:  Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 21

If Casey Thompson is playing, Nebraska has a chance to put some points on the board.  This is not the normal Wisconsin team fighting for a Big Ten crown.  The only issue is, if Wisconsin gets a lead on Nebraska, they can lean on the running game and their huge running back Braelon Allen.  It’s going to be windy and cold in Memorial Stadium, which likely gives the Badgers a bit of an advantage.  Nebraska should be able to run the ball, but they will have to stick with it to have any success.  I hope that Nebraska can cash in on some turnovers and force the Badgers to play from behind.  GBR!!

The Last Three Games…and Then Change

How long before Nebraska can have nice things?  It was mentioned this week, after Kansas qualified for a bowl bid, that Nebraska is the last Power Five conference member that hasn’t been to a bowl game recently.  Our last bowl was under Mike Riley in 2016.  Yep, you read it correctly.  

The program that once had the longest consecutive streak of qualifying for a bowl game, has been shutout under an entire coaching regime.

That just goes to show you how deep this hole Nebraska football has dug for itself.  This job will be a tremendous rebuild.  Not only of depth of quality players along with an increase in better play, but a jolt of self confidence is needed as well.

I say all of this, to get to another point.  Is Nebraska that far off?

Northwestern is in freefall.  The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and transfer portal has wrecked whatever chance they had of being consistently good.  Nebraska lost to them this season, but let’s be honest, a decent coaching staff easily wins that game.  Nebraska lost by a field goal.

Nebraska beat Indiana and Rutgers, two programs with newer coaches.  They lost to Purdue on a, whoever scores last wins type of game.  The Huskers were leading ranked Illinois, prior to losing Casey Thompson.  They even were ahead of Minnesota 10-0 at halftime with a back up quarterback and lousy offense.
This weekend will prove how far Nebraska is from playing on a national stage.  Michigan is the top dog in the conference, and along with Ohio State and Penn State are playing at a different level than most teams in the Big Ten.

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That really doesn’t matter though.  Nebraska is already right on the heals of the lower end of the Big Ten.  With shoddy recruiting, poor player development, lack of strength and cohesion in the trenches, along with bad coaching, the Husker are STILL not that far off from being in the race for the Western Division in a season where almost everything has not gone well for them.

If I’m selling the program to a new coach, I just say look at what Nebraska has. Starting with brand new state of the art facilities, a stadium that fills every Saturday for one of the worst teams in the conference, money to recruit and develop players, and a team that may not be as far away as everyone thinks.

If the right person steps in, the path back to solid could be taken quickly. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Minnesota 28, Nebraska 14.  The actual score was Minnesota 20, Nebraska 13.  Oh, to yearn for a healthy Casey Thompson.  I know it’s unlikely, but I think if Thompson was able to not get drilled a dozen times a game, Nebraska would have 4 or even 5 wins with three to play.  The offense against Minnesota after the first drive was abysmal.  Whatever the Husker coaches decided after lining up running it down the Gopher’s throats, it was the wrong decision.  Thompson would have put at least 28 points on the board.  Another win, just evaporated for Nebraska.

Quick Notes:

Logan Smothers…Whatever you think of Chubba Purdy, he either isn’t ready or isn’t healthy enough to play right now.  Smothers has proven that he has a much better grasp of the offense.  He also has proven that right now, he is the man for the quarterback job.  Purdy has had plenty of reps the last two games and Smothers seems to light a fire under the team.  If Nebraska has any chance at Michigan, Smothers will need to be the starting quarterback.

Anthony Grant…I read people saying that Grant misses holes and takes bad angles sometimes.  Who cares? He deserves to have more carries and Nebraska should load up with more two tight end personnel to help him.  Grant was the man on the first drive against Minnesota, racking up almost 70% of his game total 115 yards rushing.  He was basically nonexistent after that.  I get that Minnesota was loading the box because Nebraska couldn’t throw, but I don’t understand Grant going into witness protection after the first series either.  

Caleb Tannor…I give Tannor a lot of credit.  He has been overshadowed on the defense by Garrett Nelson and Ochaun Mathis this season.  Tannor came to play against Minnesota.  If he continues to play like that and if Casey Thompson comes back after Michigan, Nebraska might be able to play defense well enough to upset Wisconsin or Iowa.

Myles Farmer…After playing arguably his best game at Nebraska, Farmer made a huge error in judgement and got a DWI last weekend.  I’m not going to bag on the kid a lot, I’m sure he is going to pay what he needs to pay with the law, but for the football team that was just starting to play with a level of confidence, his absence is a huge blow for the Blackshirts.  His actions were selfish for a lot of reasons, hopefully he learns from his mistake and Nebraska can overcome it as well.

Score Prediction:  Michigan 38, Nebraska 14

Nebraska had a chance last week against Minnesota.  Michigan is not in the same realm of competition.  It’s hard to believe that Nebraska was a late fumble away from beating Michigan last year in Lincoln.  So much has changed since that game.  I really felt like that game was the beginning of the end for Scott Frost.  Jim Harbaugh does not let off the gas against opponents.  If Nebraska wants to keep from getting blown out, they will have to be able to slow down Michigan’s running game.  I hope the Blackshirts are up to the task! GBR!!

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Can the Huskers Catch a Break?

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “It’s Déjà vu, all over again!”

Nebraska can’t seem to catch enough wind in their sails to upset a top team.  Not that Illinois was a juggernaut, but it really looked to me that Nebraska may have had enough juice to hang with them for four quarters, prior to Casey Thompson going down.

Such is life the last five years.  Even when you think Nebraska might get something rolling, it simply doesn’t have a full arsenal to put it all together for an extended period of time.

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Unfortunately for this group, the other ships have likely already sailed off.  Nebraska has four games left in their season, with little chance of winning more than one.  You can pretty much write off Michigan on the road, and the way Wisconsin has pulled itself off the mat, that seems to be a tall order as well.

Nebraska could upset Minnesota this weekend, but with Casey Thompson not likely to play, that seems like a stretch.

So, what is there to turn too?  Well, the coaching search has been silenced for the most part, up until this week.  In all honesty, this is the first time a rumor was made that I said to myself that makes some sense.

On Thursday, an Auburn website said that they had reached out to see if Matt Rhule, formerly the coach of the Carolina Panthers, Baylor Bears and Temple Owls, would have interest in coaching at Auburn.  The report said that they were told that Matt Rhule is already connected to the Nebraska job and likely wouldn’t be available.

Normally, I wouldn’t give that any thought, other than one reporter saying what they “thought” was happening.  On the other hand, why would an Auburn reporter put that out there?  They have little skin in the game, as far as Nebraska is concerned.  Second, if Mickey Joseph is telling recruits that he will be here next season, it makes sense that if Matt Rhule is going to be the coach, Rhule would be putting the wheels in motion to hire assistants.  It doesn’t take long to think that if Joseph knows who is getting the job, that he may already have a spot on the next staff.  Rhule not having a job right now makes the transition that much easier if he really is the next coach.

Rhule would be an excellent hire for Nebraska.  He has rebuilt two college football programs in a short amount of time.  He is considered a coach that knows how to recruit and develop talent.  Developing talent has been in short supply around Lincoln for a long time.

I would be fully on board with Urban Meyer, however long of a long shot it is, and my favorite for the job has been Lane Kiffin.  If Rhule were to be named the next head coach at Nebraska, I would consider that as a big win, almost as big as getting Kiffin. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Illinois 34, Nebraska 28.  The actual score was Illinois 26, Nebraska 9.  Unlike against Purdue, Nebraska’s defense played their hearts out for four quarters.  Once Casey Thompson went out, it was a disaster behind center.  Chubba Purdy was no where near prepared to play.  For whatever reason, the staff decided not to go with Logan Smothers.  That was a big mistake.  You have to account for him in the run game, and if that is the best talent you have, you need to play him.  I was scratching my head after each errant Purdy pass.  Nebraska let one get away from them, no matter how bad the final score may have seemed.

Quick Notes:

Luke Reimer…Reimer completely changed the linebacking group last week.  His ability to make plays from sideline to sideline allowed Nebraska to turn other players loose from the defensive backfield and Nebraska could apply some pressure to the Illinois quarterback.  It’s unfortunate that the offense was so bad, Reimer showed how valuable he is to the team.

Offensive Line…It has been bad, maybe historically bad, this season for Nebraska.  I don’t know if I remember a time where Nebraska simply could not run the football, game after game.  Anthony Grant  looked like he could be an all-conference type player at the beginning of the season.  That has evaporated.  When Ajay Allen went down with an injury, it is as if the entire running game went down with him.  The line creates few holes and even fewer blocks down field.  They have pass protected well at times, but Casey Thompson has taken a beating.  Whoever the new coach is, offensive line rebuild will be their top priority.

Casey Thompson…He is so valuable to Nebraska.  We saw it firsthand after he left the Illinois game.  Thankfully it wasn’t a broken hand like I had feared and Thompson likely will be back after the Minnesota game.  If Nebraska is going to have any chance to win a game the rest of the season, Thompson will need to be in the lineup.

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Score Prediction:  Minnesota 28, Nebraska 14

P.J. Fleck hates Nebraska, I feel very safe in guessing.  He has made it a point to beat Scott Frost and the Huskers every year.  If Nebraska has Casey Thompson, I think they would win this game.  Unfortunately, Nebraska likely will be playing a combo of Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers.  The Gophers have Tanner Morgan back for what seems like the 9th season.  Throw in Mo Ibrahim, who has torched the Huskers on the ground, and it looks like a bleak day in Memorial Stadium.  If Thompson plays, I think Nebraska will pull the upset. The score up top is what I predict if he doesn’t play. GBR!!

Can Nebraska Deny The Illini A Win In Lincoln?

If the first half the Husker season was soap opera, it would have won multiple daytime Emmy awards.  Intrigue, sudden twists, surprising results, and out and out drama have been the focus of the first half plus one game.

What’s the stretch run going to bring?

We already know that a coaching search is already over one month in and still has a month to go.  That alone has been a crazy ride.  Rumor and innuendo radiate all over Husker Nation, be it on the radio airwaves, message boards or newspaper articles.  I can barely talk to anyone that doesn’t ask me who the frontrunner might be, who is a dark horse candidate, will Mickey Joseph get the job or is it going to be Lane Kiffin?

On the inside of the University, the players and coaches are still trying to put together a season to qualify for a bowl game.  While it’s not likely, the fact is, winning three more games is within reach, but Nebraska will need to pull an upset somewhere along the way.  It’s also doubtful that they will be favored in more than one game going forward.  That would mean they will have to win at least two games they aren’t expected to win.

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After the Purdue game, it became apparent that Nebraska simply doesn’t have the horses on defense to keep up with many good offenses.  I’m not talking about great offenses, I’m talking about good ones.  The only team left with a poor offense is Iowa, but they would be just as happy winning 5-3 as they would be scoring 24 points in a game and winning, so that’s far from an easy victory.

Nebraska has proven to have likely the best wide receiver in the conference outside of Columbus, Ohio.  Unfortunately, they can’t seem to put together a running game to compliment him.  If you throw in a defense that can’t seem to stop the run, then you start to wonder if Nebraska will win any of their remaining five games.

Each team left on the schedule is a power team.  Each one will make Nebraska pay for not fighting to own the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively.

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So far Mickey Joseph has surprised us by making Nebraska more competitive and a little tougher than they thought they were a month ago.  If he truly wants to be the head coach at Nebraska, finishing with three more wins, with this team and this schedule, might be enough to get it done.

(Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Purdue 31 Nebraska 23.  The actual score was Purdue 43, Nebraska 37.  Nebraska’s defense didn’t bother to show up and Nebraska still had its chances to take this game.  If the defense had made two more stops in the game, it’s likely the offense would have done enough to win.  With the sieve for an offensive line, the offense itself was a minor miracle.  Trey Palmer made Purdue’s defense look like they were in high school.  Unfortunately, the former Blackshirts made Aiden O’Connell look like an NFL All Pro.

Quick Notes:

Trey Palmer…What else can you say about Palmer after a game like that?  He was unstoppable.  He dropped a pass that was costly during the game, but he more than made up for it by beating his coverage so often that I was beginning to wonder if anyone was even covering him.  For good measure he added a 60-yard run to tack onto his career night.  If Palmer has anywhere near as good of a game the rest of the season, it’s likely that he will be in the NFL next year.  Not bad for a transfer.

Sacks…Nebraska was unable to touch O’Connell for most of the night.  I was surprised that he had 19 incompletions because it felt like he was throwing against the air most of the night.  If Nebraska is going to have any chance the remainder of the season, Garrett Nelson, Caleb Tannor and Ochaun Mathis are going to have to deliver at least two combined sacks a game.  Not getting to the quarterback is simply unacceptable.

Casey Thompson…If you remember one thing about this season, remember Thompson’s toughness.  Thompson has been hit so many times, I’m starting to wonder if he can feel his arms.  To his credit, he has hung in their and provide Nebraska with only offense that they have in the majority of their games.  If Anthony Grant doesn’t get it back together, it’s doubtful Thompson will play more than three more games this season.

Milk Carton…I feel like there are too many faces on the Husker bench that need to contribute as the season goes on.  First is Rahmir Johnson.  Nebraska is at its best when Johnson was able to stretch the field horizontally and vertically last season.  Hopefully he is healthy now.  Tack on Alante Brown and Omar Manning.  Those two guys have virtually disappeared from the game plan.  Nebraska needs at least two of those three to come back and provide some help.  If Tommi Hill can somehow get worked into the offensive game plan, maybe Grant and Palmer will have their load lessened to keep them fresh for the rest of the season.  And why can’t there be a Logan Smothers package?  Why keep your fastest quarterback out of the action each week?  Bring him in for some surprise plays once in a while.

Score Prediction:  Illinois 34, Nebraska 28

I so badly want to pick the Huskers this weekend.  Coming off from a bye week, getting a chance to heal up a bit, should be great for Nebraska.  The fact that the game is at home, and the crowd can help them when momentum seems to be shifting should be worth at least 10 points in this game.  My biggest concern is the Illini’s ability to create turnovers.  Nebraska won’t play a more aggressive defense until they play Iowa when it comes to trying to create big plays on defense.  How the Huskers offensive line handles the Illinois front, along with the turnover differential will be the reason the Huskers win or lose this game.  I hope I’m wrong, I’d love to see this score flipped.  Cheer loud Husker Fans and GBR!!

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Mickey Continues to Work

It wasn’t pretty.  It wasn’t easy.  I said to my family after Nebraska turned the ball over after a blocked punt in the first half that the game was probably over at that point.  No way the Huskers would come back from the debacle of the first half of the game.

Something happened though, something that we have not seen for a long time.  Rutgers didn’t take advantage of Nebraska’s screw ups.  The inability to move the ball on offense wasn’t offset by a myriad of defensive blunders.  Nebraska continued to fight.  The fought, almost to the point that I was surprised they weren’t down 24-0 at halftime.  I let my mind wander.  Could Nebraska come back? 

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I’ve harped often that in the last five years, something was missing in Lincoln.  Nebraska was so close so many times but fell short way too often.  There was a sense of dread under Scott Frost, wondering how Nebraska would blow it in the end.  In a strange way, Mickey Joseph has cleared that hurdle in two weeks.  Nebraska has bowed, but they have not been broken.  At least not yet.

Nebraska’s defense has completely flipped the script from the first quarter of the season.  They play with passion, energy, and a fight that they didn’t have until after Oklahoma.  They also play with a sense of togetherness that we may not have seen this season without a change in coaching.

The other thing I noticed is that the team seems to be a team now.  Special teams, defense, offense, all celebrating one another when they come off the field.  I’m not saying it never happened under Coach Frost, but it seems like it stands out more.

The season is halfway over.  Nebraska hits the meat of their schedule with a beat-up offensive line, limited running backs, a banged up tight end room.  These are not markers of a team that is about to go on a run.  In the past, I had a hard time seeing how Nebraska would win another game this season.  After last week, I don’t know that I can tell which games Nebraska will win on their schedule, but for the first time in years, I feel like they will win more games.  That has been a big change.  You can thank Mickey Joseph for that. (Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 35, Rutgers 27.  The actual score was Nebraska 14, Rutgers 13.  So, I was a little off on how the offense would do last week.  It happens.  Nebraska could barely block long enough to hold Rutgers out of the backfield at all last week.  They must improve or Casey Thompson won’t make it through six more games.  On the flip side, the Blackshirts (even if they aren’t coming back this season, they earned them back in my mind) played with the fury of a team that wouldn’t be beat.  Nebraska did what they had to do to win.  It’s been a while since we have seen a game like that.

Quick Notes:

Trey Palmer…The best transfer in Nebraska history?  Well maybe not yet, but Palmer is making the case.  The former LSU Tiger has been everything the Huskers could have hoped for and more.  He is on pace to shatter multiple receiver records for a season.  Nebraska must continue to find other receivers to take pressure off of Palmer as teams start to shift coverage.  If the Huskers can do that, Palmer can continue to make big plays when teams lose sight of him.

Garrett Nelson…People often ask me if I think Nelson will play in the NFL.  I think there isn’t much doubt that he will.  If he plays with the fire that he brings to the table every week, he will make a roster out of sheer will.  Nelson is a throwback to the 90s if there ever was one.  It’s unfortunate that he had to play so much when he was young and wasn’t quite ready.  If he stays healthy, Nelson is Nebraska’s best chance for an All-Conference defensive player.

Luke Reimer…No one seems to have unleased themselves under Bill Busch as defensive coordinator, quite as much as Reimer.  Reimer has always been fast, but he seems to be playing with more freedom and a better understanding of his role this season.  Reimer is playing banged up this week, but if Nebraska has any chance to win, he must play at a high level.

Colton Feist…Talk about a walk on story to use to recruit small town Nebraska kids.  Feist has been a huge blessing on the defensive line.  The Yutan native played arguably his best game against Rutgers.  Along with Ty Robinson and Devin Drew, the defensive tackles are starting to be a strength for the Huskers.  If Nebraska is to have any chance against the run heavy teams at the back end of their schedule, these three will have to continue to stand tall.

Score Prediction:  Purdue 31, Nebraska 23

At the beginning of the week, I thought Purdue would cover the two touchdowns they are favored by, possibly easy.  After hearing about their injury woes, that may be worse than Nebraska’s, I think the Huskers will be in this game.  Aiden O’Connell is likely the best quarterback in the Big Ten outside of Columbus, Ohio.  He has tormented Nebraska fans for the last few years, and I doubt that stops this week.  Nebraska will have to play sound in the defensive backfield to have any chance at winning this game.  Nebraska should move the ball on offense and hopefully they will get their running game going enough to keep the ball away from O’Connell.  I expect a hard-fought game, even if Nebraska comes up short. GBR!!

Friday Night Husker Lights

What an interesting week in Lincoln.  For the first time in a long time, it was ok to think about football and not the circus surrounding the program.  Winning will do that to you.

It won’t be an easy season for Mickey Joseph and the Huskers, but it may not be impossible either.  It is easy to think that Nebraska really could have been 0-4 going against Indiana, and you could argue maybe they should have been.  

Last week did something I didn’t know if we would have again this year.  It gave Husker Nation hope.  

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Nebraska has never been as bad as their record under Scott Frost.  The most maddening thing about his regime was that Nebraska lost close games at a rate that we may never see again.  It was so frustrating to think that Nebraska was close every week, only to see it slip away, or the Huskers were unable to come back even with momentum on their side.

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As Nebraska moves forward with their Big Ten schedule, the Big Ten West seems more wide open than ever.  Nebraska probably is still a long way from competing for the division title, but the Huskers could be a major pain the ass for all the other teams fighting to come out on top.  

Nebraska still has a premier running back (Anthony Grant), along with what I think is a premier quarterback (Casey Thompson).  Add in what is likely a premier wide receiver with Trey Palmer, and it’s hard to find an offense in the west that has as many solid players as the Huskers.

So, what will Joseph and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple be able to shake out of this outfit the rest of the season?  Nebraska still has one of the worst offensive lines in the Big Ten and unless they start to protect the quarterback at a much more consistent manner, one or two more wins might be a stretch.

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We also have to wonder if the defense actually made a leap, or if they just played a bad Indiana team?

What will we see going forward?  Will there be actual improvement as the season moves forward?  We haven’t seen that since Scott Frost’s first year.  Can the special teams continue to find ways to help and make plays that change games in Nebraska’s favor?  Will new players continue to come out of the woodwork to provide playmaking that the Huskers desperately need?

So many answers to be had, and a lot of season left to find out.  Finally, we may have a little hope.

(Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 35, Indiana 34.  The actual score was Nebraska 35, Indiana 21.  It wasn’t always pretty.  Nebraska likely should have been up at least 24-14 at the halftime and you could argue they should have been ahead more than that.  The defense showed up in the second half to dominate an opponent.  It has been a long time since Nebraska made adjustments that shut down a team in the fourth quarter.  It was an ugly game, but a beautiful win for the Huskers.

Quick Notes:

Anthony Grant…If Grant can stay healthy, he could have the best Husker running back season since Ameer Abdullah was All Conference a decade ago.  Grant continues to find space when there is little.  When the offensive line does make holes, he takes advantage.  As the season turns colder, the more Grant and Gabe Ervin are able to carry the ball, the better chance Nebraska has to win games.

Malcom Hartzog…Hartzog reminded me a lot of Cam Taylor-Britt when he committed to the Huskers.  Super athlete from the south that may have been overlooked but could be athletic enough to compete at corner right away.  It took a few games, but Hartzog started and played a big game against Indiana.  Nebraska will need Hartzog to learn fast as teams will start to pick on him.  A great special teams touchdown was a small taste of what we could see from Hartzog during his career.

Casey Thompson…Can’t get to upset at Thompson.  He continues to take hits game after game and still has three or four drives a game where you go, man, really missed something there.  The thing with Thompson is, he is so good on the other half of his drives that you just wonder what it would take for him to have a great, all around four quarters?  I think his best games are yet to come.  He needs another receiver to pop outside of Palmer, but Thompson continues to show he could be the class of the Big Ten West.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 35, Rutgers 27

If Nebraska is able to continue the defense we saw against Indiana, then they will win this game at Rutgers by three scores.  I don’t know that the Blackshirts are back, but if they can be halfway consistent, the Huskers should pull this game out on the road.  Another thing about this game, if Mickey Joseph wants to have any chance at the head coaching job next season, this is a game that he must win.  A lot riding on this game.  Especially on a crazy Friday Night Lights schedule.  Rutgers will be physical, and Nebraska will need to match them.  It is time for Nebraska to win two Big Ten games in a row since 2018.  That’s exactly what they will do. GBR!!

Husk the Hoosiers!

If you thought the Husker season couldn’t get any stranger, or worse, along comes the Big Ten schedule.  Nebraska has been awful in the Big Ten for over half a decade.  It’s hard to imagine that much will be different this season, but the schedule is intriguing enough that the Huskers could squeeze out some victories if they hit the right chords.

The question is, what are those chords?  Oklahoma came to Lincoln to take care of business and they hammered a Nebraska team that was simply running on steam.  Nebraska scored early on scripted plays, but after that series, breakdowns by the line and then missed assignments made the offense predictable.  Unable to protect Casey Thompson, the Sooners crashed the line of scrimmage with abandon and the offense stopped working.

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Throw in a terrible defense, and you have the fixings of a good ole ass whipping.  Nebraska’s defense has so many holes, you might be hard pressed to find an actual defense right now.  Firing Erik Chinander was another move that needed to be made.  Now Bill Busch takes on a task that he never imagined would be his when he came back to Lincoln.

The Huskers have had two weeks off and although that isn’t enough time to fix everything, you can at least catch your breath.  Like it or not, Nebraska has eight more games to play.  They can either figure out that they can win a couple or pack it in and take beating after beating.  Something tells me they have a little more fight in them than that. (As always you may skip to the end to my prediction.)

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ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Oklahoma 41 Nebraska 31.  The actual score was Oklahoma 49, Nebraska 14.  As we said before, Nebraska was overmatched after the first series.  Nebraska looked like a team that had nothing left and OU took them to the cleaners.

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Quick Notes:

Turner Corcoran…Corcoran moves back to left tackle.  He was playing left guard before Teddy Prochaska went out for the rest of the season with an injury.  Corcoran was solid as a guard, but he will need to play at another level for Nebraska to have any success in the passing game.  This may be the one move Nebraska can make some lemonade out of some lemons.  Corcoran has the pedigree and the size to be all conference.  He will need to step up and play like it.

Luke Reimer…Reimer has played like he has to do it all.  The problem is, he has unable to do much of anything.  Reimer has overplayed the run and had little to do with defending the pass.  It may behoove Bill Busch to turn the uber fast linebacker lose in the passing game to rush the passer.  He also needs to maintain his gaps and do his job.  Reimer has the best chance of any defender to play at a high level moving forward.  Hopefully he allows himself to just compete and not get taken out of plays.

Trey Palmer…So far, Palmer has played at an all-conference level.  Palmer leads the team in catches and yards.  He has the ability to stretch the field and clearly has been able to get open against a better team like Oklahoma.  Palmer will have to stay healthy to help Nebraska, but I can see him eclipsing 1,000 yards this season if he does.

Score Prediction:  Nebraska 35, Indiana 34

Nebraska needs to come out and set the tone on offense early and the defense has to make a couple stops in the first half.  If they are able to do that, I think Nebraska can ride the home crowd to a victory.  Fail to stop the Hoosiers and their go, go, go tempo and the game can get out of hand in a hurry.  Nebraska will have the nighttime crowd behind them.  I believe that this time they will come out with a Big Ten victory.  Here is to a good game and GBR!!

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A Different Era Off and Running 

I thought about writing this earlier in the week but decided to let the dust settle a bit.  I think I was more emotional about Scott Frost being let go on Monday, for some reason that has all kind of faded away as we get ready for Oklahoma to come to Lincoln.  Mickey Joseph has taken over the interim coaching job, and I guess I feel like we are just moving forward. 

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What a strange feeling it was to read Sean Callahan’s report that Frost was likely going to be let go on Sunday morning.  I knew the aftermath of losing to Georgia Southern was bad, but I didn’t think it would be 7 million dollars of buy out money bad.  I was like a lot of people, if Frost was going to get fired it would be after the Indiana game and we would have 7 weeks to figure out who was going to be on the hot list of new coaches.

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After the news broke, and Mickey Joseph was named the interim coach, I also had a sense of relief.  I thought at the beginning of the season, if they made an in season coaching change that it might be Erik Chinander the defensive coordinator, who would be given the title.  While I think Chinander is a good coach, Joseph has the energy and the temperament to light a fire under what has so far been a listless team.

Nebraska is in a bad place right now.  I feel like the pressure to perform had killed whatever joy there was in the team and coaching at Nebraska for Coach Frost.  He brought a lot of that on himself.  He never seemed to embrace the job, all the work that it entails and the actual fun of coaching college kids.  It was more as if he wanted to be home, be around friends and old college teammates, but really wasn’t interested in putting in the time that is required to be a topflight Big Ten coach.  Nebraska never really seemed to bring him the joy that he had at the University of Central Florida.

These jobs are intense.  You need to have a one-track mind all the time, trying to make your team better, no matter what.  Frost didn’t act like he wanted to do that.  He made massive changes to the offensive staff, but it was probably two years too late.  He failed to upgrade certain position coaches with better coaches when some chose to go elsewhere.  Frost never seemed like he wanted to go after the really big fish in recruiting and the losing certainly brought down the cache that Frost had earned at Central Florida.  Not everyone can be successful being a big-time college football coach.  There are multiple reasons why it didn’t work for Frost, but to be honest, the next person will probably have to grind twice as hard to help this program get back to the level it was before Bo Pelini was fired.

Whatever is going to happen in December, when the new coach is hired, there will be optimism in place once again in Lincoln.  How much optimism will be short lived unless that new coach can make a huge splash in recruiting or come out and win multiple games out of the gate next season.  Nebraska is in a major slump right now.  The next coach certainly will have his work cut out for him.  Hopefully it will provide some excitement for the beat down fans that are simply losing faith that anyone will turn it around.

(Predictions are at the end if you don’t want to read the rest!)

ON WITH THE REWIND…

Last game prediction was Nebraska 38, Georgia Southern 28.  The actual score was Georgia Southern 45 Nebraska 42.  It felt like going into the game that the defense might give up a lot of points, but this was astonishing.  I would say that this was the most devastating loss in Husker football history, but honestly, losing to Troy State and Northern Illinois had softened me up for this one.  I sat in disbelief watching the “Blackshirts” give up big play after big play.  You can’t imagine how bad you need to play to lose a game to a Sun Belt conference team, while your offense puts up 42 points and basically has there way with them.  Nebraska still found a way.  Like I said, astonishing.

Quick Notes:

Casey Thompson…I tweeted it out after the game on Saturday, but Nebraska is wasting a star on offense.  Thompson may be the best quarterback at Nebraska since Eric Crouch.  Thompson has had a couple of rough drives, but he is a college player, and you expect some of that.  Thompson continues to make the passing game look simple and is remarkably accurate.  I just shudder to think what Thompson would have been like with a defense like last years Husker team.  The offense is almost single handedly winning games for Nebraska.  He just needs some help from defense and special teams.  Will he ever get it?

Blackshirts…I don’t know what to say.  Smarter football people than I can explain the scheme problems that plague the Huskers so far.  The one thing I do know, you will never win games if you allow the opposing teams’ quarterbacks to sit in the pocket as long as they like.  Nebraska should be getting a pass rush and they need to figure it out now.  The personnel are supposed to be adept at that, but they have failed immensely.  Right now, nothing is working, so it’s possible we need to see different players out there because the current group simply isn’t good enough.

Next Coach…I will go on record today, if I’m Trev Alberts, my first call would be to Urban Meyer.  I understand the background on Meyer, and I get why people would have trepidation.  If Nebraska wants to be a big time program, Meyer would make it that the day he put on the “N”.  My second call would be Lane Kiffin.  Kiffin would be a home run hire.  He recruits at a high level, is a phenomenal offensive mind and he would surround himself with great coaches and staff.  After that, I’d look at Dave Aranda at Baylor.  He has turned that program around and is very familiar with the Big Ten and all that it entails.  

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I think all three of those choices would have Nebraska competing for the Big Ten west division title in 3 years or less.  Nebraska is not an easy place to recruit at, and all three of those coaches have proven their abilities to coach and recruit at a high level.  They all have some type of tie to Nebraska as well, be it through current staff, or former staff that they have worked with in the past.  

I get that people are going to say that you might want a dependable program builder like Lance Leipold at Kansas or Matt Campbell at Iowa State, but if you don’t try and hit a home run this go around, you may not get another opportunity if you are Trev Alberts.  And for good measure, I’d steal Kendal Briles from Arkansas as my offensive coordinator while I’m at it.

Score Prediction:  Oklahoma 41, Nebraska 31

I would love to see Mickey Joseph come out and waste the Sooners in his debut as Husker head coach.  Nebraska should see an increase in juice in Memorial Stadium this weekend.  I just don’t think that will be enough.  Oklahoma has a strong defense and great pass rush.  Nebraska’s offensive line is playing better, but they still are about average at best.  If Nebraska puts up more than 35 points, they have a great shot to win, but I think we may just come up short.  I’m all aboard the Mickey Joseph train, either way! GBR!!