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MADISON, Wis. — Is it too late to go back to the Big 12?
OK, it wasn't that bad. But this wasn't good. Actually, this was a disaster, Bo Pelini's biggest, considering it's his fourth year, with his players, coaches and way of football.
Here's how bad Nebraska's Big Ten debut was: Late in the 48-17 debacle, the Wisconsin crowd was cheering "Na-na-na-na, hey, hey, good-bye!"
The Huskers just got here and they want them to leave already?
Oh sure, they're having a good belly laugh all around the Big 12 today. And know that the other Big Ten frat members are smiling. They wanted Husker Power, but the last thing they wanted was for NU to waltz in and own the place.
No chance of that. Still, there was irony as the Badger students chanted "Big Ten foot-ball!" late in the game. I'm not sure the Big Red helped the brand last night.
Big Ten expansion was on the national stage Saturday night. Two top 10 teams. Well, make that one. Wisconsin looked like a national title contender. Nebraska couldn't have looked farther from the image that Jim Delany coveted over a year ago.
The Huskers were that bad for almost three quarters. But here's the thing: For the first quarter and a half, they were good. They were holding their own. They had quieted the crowd. They had a lead in big, bad Madtown.
And then it all fell apart, and we'll commence with finger-pointing here in a minute.
This is the part where we say take a deep breath. It was ugly, but Wisconsin is the best team in the Big Ten. Will it be tougher than this again? No. Michigan and Iowa have offenses that could hurt NU, but their defenses are another story. The rest? It's not a banner year in the league. Again.
You can make the case that the Huskers are still going to grow, still going to have a chance to be in the Big Ten title game.
But that road looks harder all the time.
Nebraska came here with flaws, and those were opened and exposed by an able Wisconsin team. The schedule may not look that daunting. But neither do the Huskers.
Where they go from here will depend on how well Pelini and Co. plug holes and make adjustments.
Start with offense. Taylor Martinez is not a passing quarterback. He's a runner who can thread a needle and occasionally keep a defense honest — and fool his offensive coordinator into thinking he's on a roll.
Nebraska had a 14-13 lead with 9:48 left in the first half. It was an interesting thing. Nebraska looked strong, aggressive early, got the first turnover, struck first on the scoreboard. Martinez hit some nice passes.
But Wisconsin's Russell Wilson was getting loose and it looked like the Blackshirts were going to have their hands full all night.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck made a decision. He stuck with trying Martinez the passer. The plan was to be aggressive. That's fine with a dependable arm. Yet, even with the Badgers missing a starter at defensive end and safety, which might have prompted a perimeter run attack, it was time for Peyton Martinez.
Rex Burkhead rushed seven yards on a first down. But an illegal formation wiped it out. Then it was pass, pass, pass. A three-and-out and two bad interceptions later the Badgers had a 27-14 lead at halftime.
The second interception, with 1:59 left, was a killer. With Wisconsin up 20-14 why not run the ball, go down six at the half, with Nebraska getting the ball to start the second half? Beck played with fire. Was it because he thought he had to keep scoring in a track meet with Wilson?
Wouldn't a heavy dose of Martinez and Burkhead on the ground be the way to slow the track meet and still keep up?
This is not new. I've said it before, last year and now: Relying on a heavy dose of Martinez in the pocket is a ticket to meltdowns, like last year's Big 12 title game, and what we witnessed last night.
Goodness, after all that and a halftime to change, the first play of the second half was a Martinez interception.
It all changed so fast, just like that, on a night that doesn't have to change NU's season.
But Beck must do what he pledged in the offseason: play to his strengths and get the ball to his playmakers. That means Burkhead and Martinez carrying the ball. Hmm. Was Beck paying attention while Wisconsin was schooling Bo and Carl with bootlegs and screen passes to the fullback?
To be fair, Wilson is a great quarterback. He's all that and a side of kraut. The Pelini brothers came out firing with middle blitzes early, and Jared Crick was an impact man again.
But Wilson time and again darted and skipped around would-be tacklers most of the night. And his accuracy, even on the move, was uncanny. He toyed with the Blackshirts most of the night.
So now we have this: Was Wilson that good? Or are there some serious problems on the defense?
I'll say it was both. But this much is clear: The growing pains in the secondary aren't easily solved by Alfonzo Dennard's appearance. The hybrids are missed, in the secondary and at linebacker. The Badgers made NU's 'backers look slow.
Up front: It's not the group that was advertised and now that it's October, you wonder when or if they'll arrive.
Again, deep breath. Is Wisconsin just that good? Is this still a Nebraska defense that can grow into its old self? Don't know. But it was hard watching them in the second half, looking defeated, while the Badgers jumped around. The only people wearing black shirts should be in the stands.
It was one game. It was still a memorable weekend. History was made. Nebraska is in the Big Ten. Now, it's time to show it belongs.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com
twitter.com/tomshatelOWH
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