Nebraska: Humbling Defeats No Longer A Thing of the Past

Thud!

That was the sound after the collective jaws of the Husker faithful hit the ground early yesterday afternoon following a 9-7 home defeat at the hands of Iowa State.

In years past, it has been winning teams with tradition and great players on their side that have delivered decisive blows to the once-mighty Huskers.

Not this time. 

Not even close.

No disrespect to Iowa State, but this was a Cyclone team that had won a grand total of three Big 12 games in the previous three seasons combined. Zero of those wins came on the road. In fact, just last week Iowa State broke a nine-game Big 12 losing streak by beating the consistently cellar-dwelling Big 12 South Baylor Bears at home.

Now for the really painful information. Iowa State's starting QB and RB were held out of the game due to injuries. 

Not only did the Huskers get beat at home by Iowa State, but they got beat by their backup QB and RB. 

Ouch!

Yes, any Husker fan can point to eight sloppy turnovers and countless scoring opportunities thrown out the window, but the sad reality is that we just got beat by a first-year coach rebuilding a 2-10 team from ashes. At home, and without their starting QB or RB.  

Not only that, but Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson are easily recognized as the two best players on the Cyclone team. 

Just a few short weeks ago, I had to plead with my friends and fellow Husker fans from saying that "we are back" after a come-from-behind victory over Missouri.

Now? I'm having to keep them from putting a gun to their heads a short two weeks later.  (Sarcasm, obviously.)  But in all honesty, this is as painful a loss as I can ever remember since becoming a Husker fan.

I can take a 37-14 pasting at the hands of Miami in the 2001 national championship game. I can handle a 62-36 loss to Colorado in that same season. The 31-30 1984 Orange Bowl loss that kept us from earning a 1983 National Championship? Mere child's play compared to this one. 

At least in those games we were playing quality opponents in games that actually meant something.

This loss comes at home to the perennial Big 12 North cellar-dwellars from Iowa State.  A team that Nebraska had not lost to at home since 1977.

Sadly, this was the second-to-last Big 12 North team that we have held any kind of win streak against that dated back to the Tom Osborne era of Husker football. Gone are all of the 30-plus year streaks of nine-win seasons, bowl game invites, and wins against conference teams.

Only one of these "streaks" is left: A 41-year home win streak over Kansas. And I'm not exactly holding my breath that streak will remain alive come Nov. 14.

The belief that Pelini and crew had righted the ship has taken a serious shot on the chin the past couple of weeks, courtesy of two devastating home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State.

So what is the real flavor right now?

Maybe us Husker fans deserve what we are getting right now; a nice big huge serving of humble pie. Except this pie is a la mode, with ice cream, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate syrup, and a big red cherry..........err, Cyclone on top. And I'm finding that it doesn't taste very good. 

Not very good at all.