College Football Rankings 2011: Nebraska's Season in Trouble After Ugly Victory

When Nebraska moved from the Big 12 to the Big Ten at the end of last season, it seemed like a smart move. The Cornhuskers were the best defensive team in the conference, but the offense was lagging behind the high-flying teams that inhabited the “new” Big 12.

However, against Fresno State on Saturday—their first real test since the big switch—the Cornhuskers failed miserably.

Sure, they won 42-29 and racked up nearly 450 yards of total offense. But when you look past that artificial good you see that there are real problems this Cornhusker team must figure out before they begin Big Ten play.

Fresno State running back Robbie Rouse torched that vaunted Cornhuskers defensive line to the tune of 169 yards and quarterback Derek Carr threw for 254 yards.

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, doing his best spin job ever, said that this was just one of those games that every team has.

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"Every year you're going to have some games like this," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. "You're going to have some games where you have to find a way—and we did. There were a couple times early in this football game where it had a chance to go south on us pretty quick and I think we rose up."

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The Cornhuskers were not going to survive in the Big 12 because they were built to play close, hard fought, low-scoring games. Instead, they switch conferences but still play the same old style of football that has cost them wins during the last 10 years.

Let’s not forget that the Big Ten is not exactly short on teams that can score if they go up against the right defense. Wisconsin might be the toughest team in the country and those players are just itching to ram the ball down your throat. Ohio State, despite all the changes the roster and coaching staff has undergone, is still very dangerous.

The Cornhuskers have BCS aspirations in their new conference, but if this first test against Fresno State is any indication then there is a lot more work to do before this team takes over the conference.