By Brian Towle
When you think about it, the effort given by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 2012 Capital One Bowl was a microcosm for the 2011 season. From the many little mistakes, to the game-changing big ones, it was nothing we hadn't seen before, and what we all hoped were aberrations.
Not so much, huh?
Nebraska's bowl game momentum was lost following the Hail Mary catch by South Carolina super freak wide receiver Alshon Jeffery at the end of the first half. It was a touchdown given up by a secondary that, like all year, was good, but not good enough.
What happened afterwards (the Dennard ejection, the Pelini meltdowns on the sideline, the Stafford late hit) shows that after four seasons of his coaches, players and implementation, Mark Pelini is just a shade above the coach that was hired in 2008 - a raw, emotional guy that needs to learn how to become the head man.
Granted, the first half was full of the imagination that we hoped Tim Beck, being a student of Mark Mangino among other offensive innovators, would show throughout the whole year. There were also inklings of a defensive day to remember with pressure on Connor Shaw and great secondary play. Many fans were hoping of a drubbing that would allow every fan to say “Hey, that SEC team isn’t very good!”
Then Jeffrey’s catch flipped the whole script. From Bo’s blow off of ESPN sideline man Quinn Kessnich (“We’ll be fine”, remember?) to the meltdown of both players and coaches in both poise and game play, the second half was terrible to see.
The snowball began rolling at approximately the same point as it did during meltdowns against Wisconsin and Michigan. Notice a trend? It picks up as the game goes along before crashing to a dead halt in the postgame press conferences. Pelini let everyone know that the team was the one to blame, as always.
All while reminding everyone at the press conference that, “our football team, even at the end of the game, felt like we were a better team than them.” However, his next comment canceled all that when he said “you have to go earn it.” Something that Nebraska, through the penalties, missed assignments and blowups couldn’t to do.
Four years into a job, you've been repeatedly judged on what you have accomplished. When you have a public, cut and dried gig, there’s no denying that eventually the results speak for themselves.
Right now, Nebraska is a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten and FBS overall. That won't change until the man at the top of the program, Mark “Bo” Pelini, embraces his role as Nebraska’s head football coach and the attention said position comes with.
After four seasons, there should be no more growing into a job or trying to gauge what you need to learn. There is, however, understanding what you need to improve on and taking the necessary steps to do so.
Things like stepping up player development, year-round recruiting and challenging everyone associated with the program, both players and coaches, to give you more and more every day. These are the things that need to happen to get over the hump that Nebraska fell back down in 2009 and 2010.
Where does the program go from here? Don’t look past National Signing Day. Nebraska still has 10-plus spots to fill in this recruiting cycle. Some of the commits are not locked in right now, either.
Wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp isn’t solid. Jared Afalava would be a nice to put in a linebacking corps that will finally include David Santos. Defensive tackle Vincent Valentine is needed to get to the quarterback or help cornerback Mohammad Seisay work to become the next Lavonte David.
Brandon Beaver and Amos Leggett look like cornerbacks that could help immediately since Stanley Jean-Baptiste isn’t going to see the field. There are a lot of needs, even in positions that are already technically stocked such as quarterback. Tommy Armstrong and Devin Fuller pushing Taylor Martinez and hopefully making Brion Carnes better would be a good problem to have in August.
After four seasons, you don't have a young staff that simply needs time. You shouldn’t have holes in your program that you can’t figure out how to fill (Ask Nebraska head basketball coach Doc Sadler about that).
You’re not a young coach that just has to learn and you can’t honestly believe that “Nebraska is back and here to stay” when you are 10-7 in your last 17 games and 7-7 in your last 14 games against BCS opponents.
As of 2011, nine wins every 13 or 14 games apparently resembles dominance. That nine-win “standard” that many swear by won’t get the Cornhuskers ranked come the wee hours after the BCS title game.
There were great moments during the 2011 football season, but this team will be remembered for what it was– nothing more than “coulda, woulda, shoulda...again.”
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