Husker Dan: Lions Roar, Soar and Score, Down NU 56-44

First of all, yesterday’s Penn State-Nebraska game wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.  Years from now, people looking at that score may think Nebraska just fell short in a see-saw battle at Penn State.

Sorry, but no cigar.

With the exception of a brief first quarter 10-7 Husker lead, Nebraska was out classed, out hustled, out performed and out coached by Penn State most of the day.

The score could have been whatever the Nittany Lions wanted it to be last night, but up 42-24 at the end of the third quarter, Penn State head coach James Franklin mercifully called off the dogs – or rather the Lions – and made wholesale substitutions. That decision allowed the Huskers to claw back.

ONE-LEGGED RUNNING BACK?
The sad thing about another Husker butt kicking loss is that people have become numb to the process.  The Nebraska defense (they can’t be called Blackshirts anymore) is so inept that it’s very possible a one-legged running back could gain 100 yards against them.

Pathetic.

The only good thing is that this whole mess will soon be over.  Look for a press conference Saturday, November 25th to announce the dismissal of Mike Riley and most (if not all) of his staff.

And look for Sunday, December 3rd as the day Riley’s replacement, (hopefully Scott Frost) will be announced.

And after that comes an enormous rebuilding process, not necessarily regarding talent, but an overhaul effort to get players, coaches and the Husker athletic administration to return to doing things “The Nebraska Way.”

For years, Nebraska has done things the Steve Pederson Way, the Bill Callahan Way. the Bo Pelini Way, the Shawn Eichorst Way and the Mike Riley Way.   And we all know how that’s worked.

Just one more train wreck before things start to get better.

THE SOD COUPLE
A very unpredictable Iowa Hawkeye team comes to Lincoln this Friday in what likely will be Mike Riley’s last football game at Nebraska.

If the Iowa football team that came within one play of beating Penn State or the one that humiliated mighty Ohio State comes to Lincoln Friday, it  will be another thrashing of the Huskers.  Or, if the Iowa team that lost Saturday to Purdue (a team Nebraska beat) shows up in Lincoln, maybe the Huskers have a chance to make it close.

Sadly, either way, it won’t make much difference.

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