7 was the story today for Nebraska. The "Cornhuskers" started great, grabbed 7-0 lead after a 77-yard drive. And then Oklahoma scored 7 straight TD's.
Wrote Tad Stryker of AllHuskers FN,
...there’s not a player on Nebraska’s first-string offense or defense who would start this year for OU...
Former Nebraska AD Bill Moos puts some of the cause on the conference switch in 2011. The B1G "never felt right and still doesn’t", says Moos. The loss of the rivalry with Oklahoma; is there a different style of play in the B1G that the 'Huskers couldn't handle, a "formula" (current AD Trev Alberts) Nebraska has not been able to unlock? The fit may not feel right but the switch occurred right in the middle of Bo Pelini's tenure and Bo never lost more than four games with Nebraska in the Big XII or the Big X.
Faux Pelini has an article in The Athletic. Can't read it cuz it's behind a pay wall but I assume it's true to its title,
Time to enjoy Nebraska football as God
intended, Husker nation
I understand Faux to mean a run-first offense behind mammoth corn-fed Nebraska lads, deemphasis on passing and all the newfangled iterations, and a ferocious D. I looked it up after I saw the title: Nebraska's head coaches since Tom Osborne retired have been Frank Solich, Oh! how 'Husker fans wish they had him these past 19 years, Bill Callahan who came from the NFL and first tried to make "Cornhuskers" fly, Bo Pelini who did very well on the field except in certain B1G games and who insulted Nebraska types with his putdowns and who embarrassed them with his outbursts, Mike Riley who made an attempt at a second flight, and Scott Frost who tried to instill the whiz-bang spread at N.
Faux seems to be right, it just has not worked out at Nebraska. But, can you win in today's game with the option? With Turner Gill, Tommy Frazier, Jerry Tagge types at QB? Or, to put it another way, why was Oklahoma able to transition successfully away from J.C. Watts, Jack Mildrin and Jamelle Holieway to Josh Heupel, Baker Mayfield, Kyle Murray and Jalen Hurts? OU and NU were the same team in the '70's. They're not now and haven't been in twenty-four years. Tackle football is the most complex, most intellectual major team sport there is, but it still comes down to the players. Or put another way, if Tad Stryker is right, Faux Pelini is wrong.
