Another tough, last second loss for the Huskers. This has been a very difficult season for Nebraska, and a rough start for first year coach Mike Riley. Nebraska has lost by a combined total of 12 points in the last 15 seconds of the game in their four losses. I always say that there's a little bit of luck in all of those, but there's also poor execution by the Huskers. My biggest concern has now officially shifted to the offense. They can't blame the weather or an early start on this one, last Saturday was a perfect day for football.
The defense has made tremendous strides in the past few outings, even with lots of injuries piling up. The defense may still be giving up yards throughout the game, but points have been tough to come by. However, they have not been able to close out the games and hold the opposing offense down in the final minute. The last two games have been won by last minute drives by the Illini and the Badgers. The defense gives up the big drives at the most in opportune time in the game. This is an issue that needs to be fixed soon, the Blackshirts need to finish out these games to get the win.
Even with all of the last second drives, the offense must shoulder most of the blame in my opinion. I'm not sure if the players are struggling with the new system, or the play-calling is just bad, but something is wrong on the offensive side of the ball for the Huskers. We have play-makers, and we have plays to get them the ball. However, we're not executing these plays, we're not moving the ball on drives, and most importantly, we're not scoring. Our offense has scored 35 points in the last two games. Illinois is definitely not a defense a team should only score 14 on, and with the number of opportunities that the Huskers have had on offense, 21 against the Badgers isn't quite good enough either. The play-calling has really been getting to me. I watch us line up in our formation and look at how the defense is lined up as well. I can usually predict what play or type of play will be ran, and I can tell even before the snap that it's not going to work. This was very apparent to me on the final offensive drive for the Huskers against Wisconsin. The Huskers ran three straight runs right into the middle of the line for a total of four yards. The last play especially angered me because we set up in the "I" formation with a wide receiver on the right side. Wisconsin had a Corner head up on the WR and then a Safety shadowing over the top. The rest of their defense was in the box, giving the Huskers a 2-on-2 matchup for an outside run. Instead they ran a full back dive up the middle, just like Wisconsin was expecting. If they had faked the dive and ran an option to the right side with the Receiver, they would've chewed up more clock with a longer play, and had a decent chance at getting the first down with only the Safety to beat. Instead, we got a one yard gain, took off three seconds and punted the ball away allowing Wisconsin to drive in for the winning field goal. If they Huskers are going to make a bowl game this year (Yes, it is still a possibility) the offense really needs to step up and help the defense. We cannot afford to let teams hang around in close games, the defense struggles just enough to give up points at the wrong time. If the Huskers can build up a solid lead while the defense is playing strong, we will be able to close out these tight games in our favor.
Elsewhere around the nation, the College Football world is erupting with news. Starting with the games, Texas upset Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry with an amazing rushing performance of 313 yards compared to OU's 67. TCU and Michigan State survive another possible upset, and the boys in blue up in Ann Arbor have proven they are the real deal stomping Northwestern 38-10. I ended up with a 3-4 record for my Week 6 picks, hopefully I can keep improving.
Other news in the CFB world includes: Florida's starting QB receiving a 1 year suspension for testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs, Steve Sarkisian being asked to take an indefinite leave of absence and then getting fired the next day from USC, and finally, "The Old Ball Coach" is stepping down from being the head coach at South Carolina. The Florida situation comes at a difficult time for the program as they travel to Death Valley to take on the unbeaten Tigers of LSU this week. Sarkisian checked himself into a rehab facility soon after being fired and is going to be treated for alcohol addiction. I've heard numerous stories in the past few days from sources near the Trojan football program about Sarkisian coming to team functions drunk and getting blackout drunk after the Holiday Bowl win last December. None have been confirmed yet, but there is definitely a problem and it's good to see Sarkisian addressing it, no matter how late. Finally, on Spurrier's "resigning", it's an interesting topic. His interview was intriguing to watch as he discussed his future plans and how he wants to continue coaching on a smaller scale. Finding a replacement for both USC's will be a big task this off-season for these two major programs.
Lastly, I would like to give my top 4 teams that would make the playoff if we had to choose today. At number 4, I have Clemson. The Tigers have proven that they still have one of the best defenses in the country and an offense that can still put up solid points even without big name play-makers. Number 3 is Baylor. Yes, the lack of competition has made for a fairly simple road to a 5-0 start, but the Bears have been quite impressive in their wins. At number 2, I have Utah. The Utes have played a decently challenging schedule so far this season, and have played it well. Stealing 5 passes away from Jared Goff last week was nothing to overlook, their defense is fast and disciplined. A little more offense, and they could win it all this year. Finally, at number 1, I have the Bayou Bengals. LSU, mostly Leonard Fournette, has been running over, around and through every defense they've faced this year. He'll have a big test against a strong Gator defense this week, but right now, they are playing better than anyone in the nation. I hope everyone likes my reflections, and if you want me to take a look at any other teams or topics specifically, please comment! Have a great week and GO BIG RED!
#CollegeFootballKnowItAll
Alex Fernando
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