Many people in the country doubt the Huskers, but I'm not sure why. Anyone is able to win any game regardless of rankings. Look at any other college sport or even professional game, the underdogs are always winning. Just this year Coastal Carolina, a team who has never been to the College World Series won the 2016 title. During March Madness top seeds go down by unranked teams all the time. In professional sports, teams come back from a 3-1 deficit of games to win the championship in extra innings, quarters, and downs. Anything can happen. So why, why is it not possible for the Nebraska Huskers to be a top ten team, to make it into the playoffs?
You've got to admit, coming from a losing season in 2015, the Huskers sure have come a long way. Some people may say that their schedule hasn't been that hard and that they should have won those games but if you look at the history between Nebraska and the teams that they've played you wouldn't be so quick to judge on whether or not they were easy competition. One rival in the Big Ten that the Huskers have played already this season is Northwestern. The two teams have a long history since Nebraska joined the Big Ten. Close games between the two and tough competition have always been present, where a winning score was once determined by a hail Mary in 2013. Then, there was Wisconsin.
The game people were sure would prove that the Huskers were not top ten worthy. The game they were sure that we would fall apart in and lose by at least two scores. The game the Huskers happened to show that they deserved to be placed at a higher ranking. The Wisconsin game was the start of a bigger challenge for the Huskers where they had a lot to show to the entire country of what they were made of. Dominating the fourth quarter like always, the Huskers held on to tie the game and go into overtime. The Badgers were quick to score with a run into the end zone. It was over, at least for a few seconds until their kicker missed the extra point. Nebraska had them, at least the nation thought they did. Unfortunately, the Huskers missed the opportunity to capitalize off their possession in overtime, giving the game to Wisconsin.
The Huskers lost with grace. No excuses were made for why they lost. Quarterback, Tommy Armstrong told the press that the better team had won and that he himself had made mistakes that ultimately lost them the game. However, leaving the field in the manner the Huskers did shows that they not only have the talent to be a competitive team but also shows that they have the dignity to leave with heads held high, ready for the next game.
Ohio was a disaster. 62-3, Buckeyes. Any Husker fan will admit that Nebraska played terribly and that we may still not yet be that top dog team. They had no defense, the offense might as well have slept the entire game. There are no excuses for why we lost other than the fact that it looked like the players had stepped onto the football field for the first time in their lives. Would the Huskers have had a closer game if Tommy didn't go out? There really is no telling. Ohio did nothing special. In my opinion, Wisconsin has a better offense than Ohio State and Nebraska had the Badgers in clutch. The Huskers just did not have it in them.
Maybe the country is right. The Huskers may be overrated, I will admit to that but I think they're still good enough to play in a New Year's six game. The Huskers have a long way to go still to be the team they could be and are not quite out of the running to be a Big West champion. Three more games they have to play, three more games they can prove themselves in.
Huskers, do you have what it takes?
