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.

Husker defense needs to at least contain Miller

This week’s football game in Columbus Ohio, between No. 21 Nebraska and No. 12 Ohio State, features a pretty simple task for the Nebraska defense – slow down Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller.

Trying to so and actually performing the task have been two different matters. Miller has accounted for 1,510 net yards of offense (933 passing, 477 rushing), good for 72.2 percent of the team’s total.

Miller, who is a sophomore, caused Nebraska’s defense a lot of headaches last season in rushing for 91 yards on 10 carries in the Huskers’ 34-27 come-from-behind win in Lincoln. Nebraska rallied from a 27-6 mid third quarter deficit spearheaded by linebacker LaVonte David’s forced and recovered fumble that the Huskers turned into a touchdown. One series later, Miller left the game with an ankle sprain giving way to the statue-esque Joe Bauserman.

What makes Miller even more dangerous is that he now has a head coach (Urban Meyer) that knows how to develop quarterbacks. Look no further than his development of Alex Smith at Utah and Tim Tebow at Florida. Meyer is operating Miller much the same way as he did Smith and Tebow – out of the shotgun, this giving him the freedom to read the defense and pick a hole.

With that running style, Nebraska has to play a “gap sound” defense because Miller will feast on defenses that overpursue. You have to concede that Miller will get his yards. The key is limiting him to 5-10 yard gains as opposed to say 40 or more.

While it could be said of any game, third down success will be vital because if you give Miller too many extra sets of downs it will be a long day.

The biggest dilemma that Husker head coach Bo Pelini faces is do you play more man-to-man defense instead of zone. Pelini prefers the latter but neither is foolproof against running quarterbacks because in man-to-man defense, linebackers and defensive backs will have their backs turned at the line of scrimmage whereas in zone they are facing the line of scrimmage. Since the Buckeyes have not had huge success passing, perhaps you commit an extra safety toward the line of scrimmage.

The No. 1 area where Nebraska must unequivocally executed Saturday is tackling because it was a “lack of” tackling that caused the Huskers to give up 653 yards of total offense, including 344 yards rushing in a 36-30 loss at UCLA. Many of those yards were due to lousy tackling or no poor tackling on the part of Nebraska defenders that were in position to make a play. If the Huskers are to have any defensive success Saturday, secure tackling is mandatory because a football team that does not tackle is like a basketball team that gives up easy transitions baskets.

Of course the Husker offense can indirectly help on this matter as well by protecting the football and controlling the time of possession because Miller can’t hurt you if he is on the sideline. Nebraska’s up-tempo offensive strategy runs somewhat counter to this goal, but has been effective in putting points on the board. If Nebraska is able to get a running game established and can put some long drives together, the Huskers can keep Miller on the sidelines and unable to do damage.

 

An early look ahead to Nebraska-Ohio State

When Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2010, there’s no doubt that this was one matchup the powers that be and fans alike were looking forward to – Nebraska and Ohio State. After all, you have two storied programs that play in storied venues. 

If Saturday’s game in Columbus is anything like last year’s contest in Lincoln, we should be in for a treat. Last season, Nebraska rallied from a 27-6 third quarter deficit to win 34-27 thanks in large part to LaVonte David, Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead. Both teams enter the weekend coming off emotional victories. No. 21 Nebraska rallied from a 27-10 deficit to beat Wisconsin 30-27 at home while No. 12 Ohio State defeated Michigan State 17-16 on the road.

Nebraska’s win over a Wisconsin club that had been struggling, and continues to, was crucial for psychological reasons. Ohio State is ineligible for Big Ten Championship and bowl games this year based on NCAA sanctions but under new head coach Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes are using 2012 to lay the groundwork for future success. Ohio State enters Saturday’s game as a 5-point favorite. 

This Husker defense has taken its knocks but has bounced back admirably. The offensive struggles (two turnovers inside the Wisconsin 25) put them in some bad spots against the Badgers, but the defense rose to the challenge and played lights out in the second half. I don’t know what was said at halftime, but that was a different defense in the second half.

Over the past two years, I’ve seen opposing runners get hit at the line of scrimmage and fall forward for four more yards. I’ve seen a lot of Nebraska defenders make tackles in the run game, but not a lot of gang tackling. That was not the case in the second half against Wisconsin. Against arguably one of the best running backs (Montee Ball) in the nation, the Huskers were ferocious against the run (as in 56 yards on 41 carries). For the first time in a long time, I felt confident that they could stop a team in short-yardage situations.

There was a new confidence that I don’t think I’ve seen since 2010. Wisconsin’s offensive line, despite the coaching staff turmoil, still averages around 320 pounds but the Husker line got some penetration, fought off blocks, and they met the back at the point of attack and didn’t give up ground. I know it’s two days after a great win, and emotions are still bubbling over, but hopefully this defense turned the corner.

The offense was sloppy at times, very crisp at other times. If not for giving the Badgers a short field with turnovers, this could have easily been a 17-point win for Nebraska – but it wasn’t. I still think that the Huskers have a potent offense, and running back Ameer Abdullah might be the Husker MVP so far, with apologies to Martinez. I love Rex Burkhead but I think he’s still shaking off some rust from his knee injury in the season-opening game. He still seems hesitant at times when he needed to just hit the hole and go. However, I have no doubt he’ll round into form. Having some competition behind him can be nothing but a good thing. The offense has the potential to be explosive. Martinez still needs to clean up some things but I think he showed more confidence in his running than he has in quite a while.

Nebraska moved the ball well against Ohio State last year, and I see no reason why the Huskers can’t do it again this year because they are much better offensively than a year ago. Ohio State, however, has one common denominator that was a headache for Nebraska last season and is the central figure behind the Buckeyes’ 5-0 start – quarterback Braxton Miller. Before leaving last season’s game in Lincoln in the third quarter with an ankle injury, Miller’s feet frustrated Nebraska for 91 yards on 10 carries. Miller left the game with the Buckeyes leading 27-13 before giving way to the statue-esque Joe Bauserman. Bo Pelini defenses have struggled in the past against mobile quarterbacks like Miller.

Last season, it was only Miller’s third career start when he visited Lincoln, and his first on the road. He’s grown up quite a bit since and now with a coach that knows how to develop quarterbacks, which makes him an even tougher cover.

While Wisconsin is more of a classic Big Ten team than mixes I-formation or “12 personnel” (one running, two tight ends), Ohio State is a spread team that does not throw very well (ranked 98th in the nation). They depend largely on the athletic ability of Miller and he is the Huskers No. 1 priority in limiting as the Buckeyes offense that is ranked 21st in rushing and Miller is their leading rusher by far. The team is built around him. Of course, controlling him is easier said than done.

Ohio State just faced the toughest defense they will see all season in Michigan St., which pushed them into three turnovers. One thing I notice from Miller is that as much as he runs, he rarely secures the ball at contact, which has caused him to fumble quite often. The question is, will Pelini (normally one for a 4-3 alignment) play more 3-4?

While it could be said about any game, Nebraska has to protect the ball on offense and not fall behind early. Meyer coached teams are not going to surrender a 17-21 point lead.

Whatever happens next Saturday in Columbus will likely speak very loudly about the current status of the Huskers. At this point, I’m still not at all sure where they stand. Ohio State is likely the best all-around team Nebraska face in the regular season.

Examining Year Two in the Big 10

For the first time since 2009, the Nebraska football team enters the season where its outgoing or incoming conference will not be a significant weekly discussion.

Before the 2010 season, Nebraska announced that it would move from the Big 12 to Big 10 in a move that University chancellor Harvey Perlman deemed was a better fit when it came to academics, culture and athletics. For much of the 2010 season, it seemed like a weekly discussion that the Huskers were leaving the Big 12 for the Big 10. For much of the 2011 campaign, it was seemingly a weekly discussion about how Nebraska was adjusting to the Big 10.

The Huskers went 10-4 in 2010 but tailed off after a 5-0 and 9-1 start. In 2011, Nebraska went 9-4 but was also 7-1 at one point. Even more disappointing that not winning the Legends Division, Nebraska had clunker road losses to Wisconsin (48-17) and Michigan (45-17) and a disturbing 28-25 loss at home to Northwestern. After two years in the Big 12 title game, most Nebraska fans viewed anything other than a trip to Indianapolis as a failed season.

Most would argue that Nebraska spending last season adjusting to Big 10 opponents. While it is true that the Husker coaching staff did not have the luxury of past experience against an opponent, that argument is also a wash because opponents were at the same disadvantage when preparing for Nebraska.

What should help, at least psychologically, is that the Huskers will host Wisconsin in their first conference game this season. After a close game for much of the first half, three Taylor Martinez interceptions helped pave the way to a blowout loss. The Badgers still have running back Montee Ball but the good news is that quarterback Russell Wilson is gone.

Nebraska also had to play road games at Michigan and Penn State. While Nebraska escaped Penn State with a win, the game at Michigan was somewhat similar to the Wisconsin loss. The Huskers gained momentum by pulling within 31-17 late in the third quarter but two special teams miscues gave the Wolverines offense a short field that led to two touchdowns that put the game out of reach.

While Nebraska draws Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State at home, that’s not to say that it does not have stringent road tests. The Huskers visit Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa. Ohio State should be a much improved club over last year’s 6-7 team with Urban Meyer but the Buckeyes are also on probation, which mean they are not eligible for the Big 10 Conference Title Game. Michigan State is also breaking in a new quarterback with the graduation of Kirk Cousins.

In 2012, the Badgers, Lions and Wolverines come to Lincoln. Nebraska’s sternest road tests will be against an Ohio State team on probation and with a new coach, a Michigan State team breaking in a new quarterback and Iowa. While the schedule as a whole is challenging, Nebraska's 2012 road conference schedule is less salty than its 2011 counterpart.

Perhaps the biggest thing that will help the Huskers in Year Two of their Big 10 voyage will be having a third-year starter at quarterback returning in Martinez as well as a senior at running back in Rex Burkhead. It also should help that offensive coordinator Tim Beck is in his second season. If all the returning offensive parts for Nebraska translate into better offensive production, then Nebraska could be looking at a dramatic turnaround in year two of its Big 10 adventure.

Perception is about how the Huskers finish the season

As I watched the closing moments of Nebraska’s 45-17 loss (or would train wreck be a better term if you are a Husker fan?) Saturday, I heard ESPN commentator Urban Meyer say something to the effect of “don’t underestimate Nebraska’s ability to finish strong and if they do that it will help recruiting.”


I disagree with the “help recruiting” part. Seriously, by the time bowl games come around, a high school kid has generally made up his mind on where he’s going so I find it hard to believe that the outcome of a bowl game is going to be the ultimate reason a kid will choose one school over another.

However, I completely agree that for Nebraska (or any team for that matter) to finish strong is very important. Remember the saying, “You’re only as good as your last game?” Think about it for just a moment, the Huskers went 10-4 in both 2009 and 2010 but the perception of those two seasons could not be more opposite.

In 2009, the Huskers were 4-3 at one point but won six of their last seven games including a season-ending 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing over Arizona. In 2010, the Huskers started the season 5-0 and were a Top Five team but went 5-4 the rest of the way including a season-ending run of three losses in the final four games. The last game was an uninspired 19-7 loss to Washington.

In 2005 and 2008, Nebraska was 5-4 at one point. In 2005, the Huskers closed the season with three straight wins including a 32-28 Alamo Bowl win over Michigan. That was what most people remember as the high point of the Bill Callahan era. In 2008, which was the first of the Bo Pelini era, Nebraska finished the season with four straight wins including a season-ending 26-21 Gator Bowl win over Clemson.

In 2000 and 2001, Nebraska finished 11-2 but the legacy of those two seasons could not be more opposite. In 2000, the Huskers finished the season with a 66-17 win over Northwestern. In 2001, Nebraska was 11-0 but finished the season with back-to-back embarrassing losses to Colorado (62-36) and Miami (37-14).

Point being, the last game is the one you often remember most. From 1987-1993, Nebraska never had a record that was worse than 9-3. However, every one of those seasons ended with a loss in its bowl game.

The Huskers enter their regular season finale at home against Iowa with an 8-3 record. Considering that Nebraska entered its maiden voyage in the Big Ten Conference with visions of a conference title, the season will not be viewed as an overwhelming success even if the team wins its last two games and goes 10-3. There will be no conference title. Heck, there won’t even be a Legends Division title.

So for the Huskers, the outcome of the last two games are an issue of “how do you want the season to be perceived?” Losing the last two and going 8-5 would be considered a colossal failure. Seriously, an 8-5 season might be fine for Purdue. Splitting the last two and going 9-4 would classify as nondescript. I see a 9-4 season as the minimum of what Nebraska should achieve. However, winning the last two and going 10-3, the season could at least be considered a borderline success. I think it’s safe to say that winning the last two and going 10-3 would be the best way to remember the season.

College football is so much different from every other sport. I know the cynics would bemoan the fact that there is no playoff system. However, the benefit of having the current system is that a team can win its last two games and whether its final record is 12-2 or 8-5 can still, on some level, feel good about its season.

In the NFL, however, it is not uncommon for a team to go 13-3 and lose in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons went a franchise-best 13-3 and garnered the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs only to get their doors blown off in a 48-21 Division Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Granted, the NFL is such where only one team is going to end its season victoriously and feel good (the Super Bowl champion) but while 13-3 is an impressive record, a team with that mark should at minimum reach the conference title game.

Point being, if the Huskers want the season to be viewed as even a borderline success, 2011 becomes a two-game season beginning Friday.