Hurricane Pelini swept through the concrete tunnel outside Nebraska’s locker room Saturday night.
The apparent root of Bo and Carl’s fury: the officials and their choice to give Texas one more second.
Argue if you want about their behavior — some laud that kind of passion, others say it reflects immaturity and recklessness.
But something about the Pelinis’ actions just wasn’t logical.
Officials got the call right, and such outbursts — without even seeing a replay — seemed off the mark.
Which is why I think that the source of the Pelinis’ anger is actually something a little closer to home, something that’s been brewing for weeks, something they can’t attack as easily as officials:
The Nebraska offense.
We’re talking about two brothers whose accomplishments at Nebraska border on miraculous.
Two years ago, Nebraska had perhaps the worst defense in college football at season’s end. Now it’s the best, I have no doubt.
Two years ago, with similar personnel, Nebraska gave up 76 points at Kansas, 65 at Colorado.
Now it ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring defense. Texas managed just 202 yards and 13 points on 74 plays.
Nine of 16 drives, the Horns either went three-and-out or turned the ball over.
Has any Nebraska defense ever played so well?
Surely not under the circumstances: facing the nation’s all-time winningest quarterback and third-ranked offense in perfect scoring conditions with zero help from the NU offense.
Time and time and time again, the Blackshirts stopped Colt McCoy. When it didn’t seem they could possibly summon the will to do it again, the Blackshirts stopped Colt McCoy.
The Pelinis deserve thunderous praise for Saturday’s effort and for these past two years. They deserve to be a national story.
Why aren’t they?
Because Nebraska is 9-4 — and national praise tends to overlook 9-4 football teams.
Bo Pelini might teach defense better than any college football coach in America. Seriously. But after his crowning achievement, he will be coaching in the zero-implications Holiday Bowl.
Not the Fiesta Bowl. Not the BCS title game. The Holiday Bowl — against Arizona.
So when Pelini lashed out at Big 12 officiating head Walt Anderson and Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe on Saturday in Dallas, when he tried to find a Texas fan who heckled a member of the Husker traveling party, I wonder if Bo wasn’t venting frustration with Shawn Watson and Zac Lee and everybody else at NU who tries to move the football — and can’t.
Five first downs, 106 total yards on 15 possessions.
We didn’t expect the New Orleans Saints, but you could’ve called quarterback sneak every single snap and equaled 1.9 yards per play.
If only it stopped at ineptitude. Instead, Lee threw three interceptions, making the Blackshirts’ job even harder.
Bo has publicly backed this offense every time the subject comes up. But the stress of playing high-level defense and barely winning had to wear on the Pelinis the past two months.
Saturday may have been the emotional breaking point. Frankly, I don’t know how the Huskers get over it.
How can offensive players arrive at practice this week and look Ndamukong Suh in the eye? How can offensive coaches walk into a meeting and have any credibility with the Pelinis?
It’s as if the Blackshirts worked 90-hour weeks the past 24 months — while the offense was skipping practice to play 18 holes.
The Pelinis were told — by Nebraska fans, if not Tom Osborne himself — that they could come to Lincoln, fix the defense and return Nebraska to glory. They did their part better and faster than anyone could’ve hoped.
But Bo should’ve looked more closely at the offensive scheme and leadership before embarking on this high-stakes venture.
Since 2000, Watson has been an offensive coordinator nine seasons in the Big 12. At Colorado (2000 to ’05), and at Nebraska (2007 to ’09). His standing in the Big 12 offensive rankings:
• ’00: 8th in total offense, 10th in scoring offense
• ’01: 2nd, 4th
• ’02: 9th, 9th
• ’03: 9th, 8th
• ’04: 9th, 9th
• ’05: 8th, 9th
• ’07: 5th, 8th
• ’08: 6th, 6th
• ’09: 11th, 8th
Bo is on the verge of something big at Nebraska, but he must not allow those offensive trends to continue. He must not allow a season like this to happen again.
He must take control of this entire football team — not just the defense. He must build the offense in his vision. He must start over. No quick fixes.
Against three top-20 foes in 2009, Nebraska’s offense scored one total touchdown — on a 1-yard drive on Oklahoma set up by an interception.
On Saturday, standing at the doorstep of the program’s biggest victory in a decade, Bo watched his offense waste the defensive effort of a lifetime.
That — not the officiating — was the real injustice of the 2009 Big 12 Championship game.
Deep down, Bo must know it, too.
Contact the writer:
679-9899, dirk.chatelain@owh.com
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