Just a Bad Hangover for Nebraska?
After the gut-punch that was the USC game a week ago, Husker fans hoped to see Nebraska dismantle Ball State on both sides of the ball and win in a blowout. The 21½ point spread in NU’s favor meant that most of the betting public expected the same. Instead, the Huskers allowed the most yards to an opponent in 16 years, rushed for a meager 3.2 yards per carry and needed to cross their fingers as Ball State lined up for a 55-yard field goal attempt that would have won the game.
This week, the discourse among the Husker Nation is sure to be filled with the same overwhelming negativity that was heard a week ago. But as Michigan fans have discovered, your season aint over ‘til it’s over. The Wolverines opened the season at home (as if you didn’t know) by allowing 34 points to I-AA Appalachian State in a historic and embarrassing loss. Appalachian State is lower on the collegiate “food chain” than even Ball State. A week later (and still smarting from that embarrassment), Michigan came out and gave up 624 yards to Oregon in a bad 39-7 loss. Yes, Oregon may have a better team than Michigan, but not that much better. It seemed clear, that Michigan was suffering some lingering effects of their opener. Also (for the record), Oregon is also regarded by most to be inferior to the USC Trojans.
Wolverine running back Mike Hart said enough is enough and guaranteed victory the next week against winless Notre Dame. Then, in a classic “get well” outing, Michigan dominated the Fighting Irish 38-0. With the “alcohol” seemingly out of their system, Michigan came into this weekend confident enough to deliver a 14-9 victory over tenth-ranked Penn State. At 1-0, the Wolverines now sit alone atop the Big Ten standings. Despite all of the heartbreak and hysteria surrounding the first two weeks in Ann Arbor, Michigan can still win their conference and play in a BCS bowl. They may no longer be the favorite, but there’s not a game on their schedule they can’t win. The season is still full of possibilities.
If the Huskers go out and dominate Iowa State (which it could be argued is a better team than Notre Dame at this point) and follow it up by beating a well-regarded Missouri team wouldn’t the Huskers be in exactly the same position? If it can happen for Michigan then why can’t it happen for Nebraska? It’s not as though Michigan’s the only team with up and down performances. How did an otherwise winless Iowa State team beat Iowa? How did an otherwise winless Syracuse team beat Louisville (a hangover victim maybe)? Why has Texas played so poorly in wins over Arkansas State and Central Florida and then looked like a quality team in its other games? College football has never been more unpredictable, so why are so many Husker fans ready to write off the season after a 3-1 start?
There is not one team on Nebraska’s remaining schedule they can’t beat. There is probably also not a single team on that schedule that couldn’t beat the Huskers. This year, it might be best to think like a Texas Tech fan. With the Huskers passing game, they can score on anyone. With the Huskers modest rushing game and porous defense, they can be scored on by anyone. While Tech has never won their division, they’ve also never had the luxury of playing in the Big 12 North. Does that mean we write off all hope of a Big 12 title? Not a chance. Getting on the field in the Big 12 championship game means you always have a chance. Ask Texas (1996), A&M (1998), Colorado (2001), or Kansas State (2003), all teams that upset a national championship contender in that game.
What we can write off is any sense that we know what’s going to happen one week to the next. We don’t. We won’t. We can’t. So buckle up, because anything can happen on the road to a Big 12 championship.
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