Another inexcuseable performance

The Nebraska football team’s 63-38 loss is like watching the same damn Star Trek movie.

The Huskers have a chance to show that they are ready to become an elite program again, only to show that they are even further away from such. Much has been said about how the Big Ten is a junior varsity quality conference. Well, the Buckeyes are unbeaten. Not the most impressive unbeaten club you’ll see but unbeaten nonetheless. However, Ohio State played like they are ready to take the luster off whoever is hoisting the Big Ten Championship trophy. The Buckeyes are not eligible for conference title or any bowl game this year based on NCAA sanctions.

It’s pretty simple to break this game down. The offense generated its share of yardage (437 total yards) but what good is that real estate when you turn the ball over four times and commit nine penalties for 75 yards. The defense had an outstanding first quarter but wilted like four-day old lettuce sitting in a refrigerator. Granted, the offense and special teams did the defense no favors. Martinez threw a Pick Six and had two other interceptions that gave the Buckeyes a short field after two more and the special teams gave up a punt return for a score. That’s 28 points but even if you eliminate that, the defense was still responsible for giving up 35 points off legitimate drives and yielded 481 yards in the final 45 minutes.

And just think, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini puffed his chest out last week after Nebraska beat Wisconsin 30-27 after the Huskers shut down the nation’s 109th-ranked offense in the second half, that he hadn’t forgotten how to coach defense. On Saturday the tale of the tape showed otherwise.

It gets more irritating to watch this melt down and this one came on a night when Nebraska started with a 17-7 lead early in the third quarter. To top it off, Pelini gets irritated and loses his composure. Well, coach, here is a tip. If you can learn to keep your composure on the sideline and in interviews the team might learn to keep theirs. The Huskers inability to be able to adjust to what other teams are doing is unforgiveable. I have been told too many times that this team is special or we are back or whatever catch phrase Pelini wants to drudge up to appease the masses.

Why does this team frequently implode in a big game on national television? Why does this team consistently shoot itself in the foot with undisciplined penalties? Why is our secondary gashed for a big pass play so often, why can’t our front four get any pressure? Pelini refuses to move away from the two gap system. Well, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. If it isn’t working then change your ideology and stop making the players conform to what you want but isn’t working.

Your defense is looking no better than Kevin Cosgrove’s unit before you came to Nebraska. If you are calling the defensive plays then why do you have a defensive coordinator? If your defensive coordinator is calling these plays then why don’t you step in?

 

Before we label Ohio State's offense a juggernaut, remember that Alabama-Birmingham held the Buckeyes to 29 points. That’s UAB. So the fact Nebraska allowed 63 points is really inexcusable. And, of course, the fashion in which this game unfolded, with the turnovers and penalties, all too much resembled last year’s games at Wisconsin and Michigan. But Nebraska still scored 38 points. You’d think that’d be enough for a team coached by guy who prides himself on defense.