Worst loss of the Pelini Era

[commando]

is his lost temper an option?

 

[Whistlebritches]

2012 Badger game and it’s not even close imo.  That was the worst effort I’ve ever seen a team give in a meaningful game.

There is no reason whatsoever for Nebraska to give up 600 yards rushing to a 7-5 team.

Wisconsin didn't even have their starting QB (Stave) for this game. Any decent gameplan would have revolved around stopping the run and making the backup QB try to win the game in the air.

 

[Enhance]

2012 UCLA

Why this game and not the aforementioned Wisconsin game? Because this is where that gameplan came from. This is the game that exposed Nebraska in the flats. Wisconsin relentlessly attacked Nebraska outside the numbers, running and passing, with their backs. 

I would say this ultimately makes the '12 Wisconsin game worse. Sort of a fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[MichiganDad3]

I went with the 09' Iowa State game.  Iowa State came into our house with their backup QB and backup RB and won the game. 

I don't even count this game. I never saw anything like it. The Niles P. fumble inside the 5 with no one around was ridiculous. And it took every Husker mistake to cost us the game.

 

[Redux]

Statistically, it's 2012 Wisconsin part 2....by a mile.  You can't get much more embarrassing than that.  Personally the 2010 Texas game when we were ranked 5th in the country,  hadn't trailed in a game yet on the scoreboard, revenge for the 2009 title game, were playing at home, and were playing a Texas team that finished 5-7........that was just the biggest kick in the crotch imaginable.

 

[TheSker]

.......that was just the biggest kick in the crotch imaginable.

Cotton might say it was at Texas A&M a couple of weeks later.

 

[Xmas32]

Good poll with some tough choices.  I went with Whisky 2, Electric Bugaloo but I came really, really close to picking 2010 Texas.  Don't get me wrong, the beatdown losses stink but after a while you just block it out.  Nebraska hyped that game against Texas to the Nth degree (no pun intended) and Nebraska came out and laid an absolute egg against Texas.  It was maddeningly frustrating.  I can still picture Rex Burkhead and Brandon Kinnie dropping sure TDs passes.  Plus....Texas.

 

[Ulty]

In the thread about Pelini’s best win, I was reminded that there were so many exciting moments during the Pelini years, but then this thread comes along and reminds of all the gut-punches and flabbergasting disappointments.

Some losses to bad teams simply should not have been, but others were defeats snatched from the jaws of victory that prevented us from taking that next step toward relevancy and/or hardware in the trophy case: 

Think about the title games vs Texas and OU, and our series against V Tech. Not to mention Texas A&M.

So much frustration. Makes ya want to swing a hat at a ref.

 

[Treand3]

2012 UCLA

Why this game and not the aforementioned Wisconsin game? Because this is where that gameplan came from. This is the game that exposed Nebraska in the flats. Wisconsin relentlessly attacked Nebraska outside the numbers, running and passing, with their backs. 

I voted Wisconsin '12 just for the simple fact they were embarrassed in a CCG. However, that Ucla game made start to really dislike Beck and they made Franklin look like a Heisman candidate. That loss also kept Nebraska out of a BCS bowl.

The '14 game was the last straw for me and the Pelini era. That team quit and was unable to take advantage of being up on them.

 

[Redux]

Cotton might say it was at Texas A&M a couple of weeks later.

That wasn't a kick, that was molestation.

 

[RedDenver]

I went with Wisky 2 for all the reasons already listed. And all the other losses people have mentioned that were absolutely embarassing. But one that was an absolute gut-punch was the 2008 Mizzou game. I had an event that night and DVR'ed the game, but I checked the score on my way home and called my brother to confirm. He told me to burn the DVR and never see the recording. It remains the only Husker game I've never seen.

 

[Pedro Guerrero]

 

[junior4949]

I went with Wisky 2 for all the reasons already listed. And all the other losses people have mentioned that were absolutely embarassing. But one that was an absolute gut-punch was the 2008 Mizzou game. I had an event that night and DVR'ed the game, but I checked the score on my way home and called my brother to confirm. He told me to burn the DVR and never see the recording. It remains the only Husker game I've never seen.

I was a little surprised in the poll the highlighted game wasn't included.  Sure, it was Bo's first year and a win really wasn't expected.  However, after listening to some nitwit assistant raving about the awesome game plan the week before; it was a huge cube stomping.   

 

[Thanks_Tom RR]

2012 Wisconsin is the hands down winner here. Nebraska had no business losing by 40+ points to a 7-5 Wisconsin team that backed its way into a conference championship game because of tOSU's ineligibility. Not only was the performance uninspired but NU's defense was embarrassingly torched by some of the same plays over and over. On paper, that was BP's best chance to win a conference championship and he couldn't get it done. I'm still completely flustered by that game to this day.

As a side note, 2014 Wisconsin is an interesting choice to consider because this loss was the straw that broke the camels back for me. I felt it was time for BP to be let go after that game.

I agree. I have to rank conference title game losses as worse than other losses because of their greater significance. The fact that Nebraska got blown out by that 2012 Wisconsin team makes it by far the worst conference title game loss in the Pelini Era.

 

[NUinID]

The 2012 Loss to Wisconsin was the worst loss, for a couple of reasons IMO.  It was in the CCG and the fact that they looked completely lost are big reasons.  They just got annihilated.  I would not have been surprised at losing to Wisconsin it was just the manner at which it happened.  It reminded me of the 2001 game against Colorado. 

NU limped into that game and had nothing left in the tank.  They were beat up and had a lot of hurt guys and Wisconsin was getting all their guys healthy and they were just hungry to beat Nebraska.  The game plan was terrible the adjustments were terrible.  Just an awful game.