Indiana Exposes Plodding Nebraska as a Pitiful, Helpless, Wannabe Giant

By Rock Westfall

With two weeks to prepare for their Fox Big Noon matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers, the Nebraska Cornhuskers flopped in alarming and humiliating fashion. Indiana emasculated the Huskers in a 56-7 disembowelment that has sent shockwaves throughout Husker Nation.

Indiana was clearly the superior team on both sides of the line. The Indiana defense pressured quarterback Dylan Raiola all day, forcing him into mistakes and rendering the running game useless. The Blackshirt defense, touted as the team's strength, was cut to ribbons and bombed into rubble. Just as bad, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and his staff completely schooled Matt Rhule and his coaches, who never came up with answers or adjustments.

Nebraska looked outclassed, surprised, unprepared, uncreative, significantly slower, and lethargic from the start. The Huskers are now 5-2 and need one more win to make it to that ultimate holiday destination, downtown Detroit, Michigan, for the GameAbove Sports Bowl, formerly known as the Quick Lane Bowl, and always reputed to be on par with the dearly departed Weed Eater Bowl in stature. What is frightening is that Nebraska may need plenty of luck to reach that modest achievement.

The Rhule-Aid that was flowing freely all summer and g enerously spiked after the Colorado win has been dumped out. Indeed, Matt Rhule’s honeymoon is over.

Rhule’s Honeymoon Ends - Cignetti Becomes National Sensation

There were signs that a bad loss at Indiana was possible. But Big Red blinders prevented Husker Nation from preparing for the potential of disaster at Indiana. Since the signing of Dylan Raiola last December, the Nebraska outlook has been nothing but blue skies.

Previously this season, Nebraska’s loss to Illinois was excused as a fluke , as the freshman Raiola misfired on what should have been the game-winning TD pass, which was followed by a botched field goal. Husker Nation chalked the defeat off to “growing pains.”

Following Illinois was a pig-slop road win against a terrible Purdue team that was excused because it ended in victory, even after three-quarters of doubt. Next, Nebraska escaped against the curse of Jim Delaney, the eyesore bore that is Rutgers, and was again being excused for a close call because of getting the win.

On Saturday at Purdue, there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. There was no excuse. In fact, the slaughter was like watching old Nebraska horror movies of Big Ten blowout losses of the past under Bo Pelini, Mike Riley, and Scott Frost.

Because of the power of its brand and history, Nebraska continues to be given the benefit of the doubt by a fawning national media that wants the Huskers to return to glory because it would be “good for the sport.” But against Indiana, Nebraska was exposed as overrated, outclassed, and way over its skis.

During the IU debacle, Social media frequently addressed the elephant in the room: why Cignetti can instantly turn around a basketball school with no football culture, budget, or winning history into a national power while Rhule, with the full support and commitment of the state and administration at a renowned blueblood, is so far behind in his second year.

You can say Cignetti has the unique advantage of getting his best players from James Madison to move with him to Indiana via the transfer portal and that this advantage has caused a perfect storm. But isn’t a new coach supposed to find solutions quickly? Cignetti has, while Rhule has not. Furthermore and most importantly, it was Cignetti who originally recruited those players that routed Nebraska on Saturday.

Raiola Hits a Wall – Bowl Game No Lock

Since that misfire of a game-clinching TD pass against Illinois, Dylan Raiola has not been the same. He is rapidly losing confidence with each series, and his development is being stunted. The 5-star phenom looks every bit the true freshman that he is. Yet it is not Raiola’s fault.

Nebraska’s offensive line was touted as an asset all summer and has proven utterly incapable of sustaining a legitimate rushing attack to keep defenses balanced. Without having to honor the run, enemy defenses are teeing off on Raiola with great success.

Additionally, when Raiola has time, his receivers are not able to get open, especially on deep routes that can break open games. It is alarming how badly Nebraska lacks playmakers, and how that weakness must become a point of emphasis in the offseason recruiting and transfer portal trails.

Last year, Nebraska was 5-3 and seemed assured of a bowl berth. Instead, it went four and out to finish 5-7 and home for the holidays. Now at 5-2, the Huskers need one more win in their final five games. Next week brings probable Armageddon at Ohio State, followed by a home game with UCLA, a road game with USC, a home tilt with rapidly improving and resurgent Wisconsin, and then the season finale at Iowa.

There is not a certain win on that slate. UCLA was thought to be a cinch , but its win at Rutgers shot that presumption down fast.

Matt Rhule's culture, sold as the glue that would hold Nebraska together, is about to be put to the ultimate test. Will the culture sustain Nebraska through the current crisis or will the Big Red fold like a house of cards?

Could Nebraska go six and out for bowl eligibility?

Yes, it could.