Whew, am I glad that’s over with.
Don’t feel bad if you felt that sentiment in the wake of Nebraska’s 34-3 loss to Michigan on Saturday. You were not alone.
There was a sense of dread that preceded this game; not only that the Huskers were facing a bad matchup, or that they’d struggle to win, but that there was next to no chance of winning at all.
The third-ranked Wolverines simultaneously looked disinterested and yet capable of boat-racing NU if they really wanted to. Some of that is byproduct of their run-first offense, but the advantages were plain to see.
Michigan is the opposite of Nebraska: depth, talent, and dominance on both lines, consistency in coaching staff and recruiting philosophy over almost a decade, and a solid win-loss performance under Jim Harbaugh that evolved into elite after his first win over Ohio State last year. They’re a playoff contender in 2022 after landing there in 2021.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s offense is now attempting to play Big Ten football games without Casey Thompson. It’s not been going well. Trey Palmer, after shattering the single-game receiving yardage record against Purdue, has disappeared.
Nebraska was a 30.5-point underdog, and they lost by 31 points.
It was all so predictable.
So, then, what is there to be learned from a day like Saturday?
- The transfer portal is as important as ever.
It’s obvious by now that there have been some misses in recruiting over the past 4-5 years. Mickey Joseph, and whoever the next head coach is if it’s not him, are fortunate to have portal players at their disposal who could play in 2023 without sitting out a season.
Setting aside Thompson and Palmer for a second – think about what some of these games would have looked like without Brian Buschini or Timmy Bleekrode.
The portal gives the 2023 Huskers an slim chance at a bowl game, but it’s better than no chance.
- There’s still some material to work with next season.
Regardless of what coach leads this program next year, there are still dudes who can help him win games.
Ernest Hausmann is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound silver lining at middle linebacker. When captain Nick Henrich went down, it forced the true freshman into the fray, but he has held his own. Hausmann logged ten tackles against Michigan, and he looked like he belonged on the field with a top-five opponent. You can work with that.
Fellow true freshman Malcolm Hartzog broke through against Rutgers, but same goes for him. Now that the undersized-but-tough cornerback has strung together multiple solid performances, count him as another piece for a defensive coordinator to build multiple years around.
As for the other classes, it all depends on how long some of these players want to stay in school. The list of actual seniors on the roster is much smaller than you’d think, and re-recruiting some of them to stick around will be even more important than getting new players to join the team.
- Mickey Joseph’s outlook is right.
When asked postgame about how to improve the team, his answer was simple. “Recruiting. We have to recruit better.” Where? “Every position. We’re 3-7. We have to recruit better as a staff. And we will”
To more plainly state it, Joseph was also quoted in a Sports Illustrated piece earlier this fall as saying, “We ain’t chasing Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We are chasing Ohio State.”
Not only does that perspective ring true if you are a Big Ten West team trying to win the division, but it will take on increased significance once the conference abolishes divisions altogether, likely for the 2024 season when USC and UCLA join.
Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are built to win games against the Big Ten West. Will those programs think to proactively change their approach when they are no longer incentivized to merely win over half of the teams to qualify for a Big Ten Championship game? It won’t be enough in two years.
Nebraska has an opportunity with this hire in that the timing is right for them to fundamentally change how they want to build their program for a new era of Big Ten football, and for the sport in general with the eventual expansion of the College Football Playoff.
If Trev Alberts knows the Huskers will have to be top two out of 16 to play for a conference title, or top three or four to qualify for the CFP, I’d venture a guess that he’ll prioritize a candidate who understands and plans for that future.
- Nebraska football has a long way to go.
Ok, maybe you knew that one already.
Look, weeks like this suck. Husker fans should not get used to this feeling of hopelessness. The good news is 2022 is almost over, and there are reasons for optimism. Other programs have changed their fortunes, some over time and a few overnight. It can happen here, too.
If there’s one thing to take with you after that Michigan loss, that’s it.