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Finally, Texas at Nebraska. How will it turn out? Read on, brave Husker fan, and learn what NU must do to keep this story from ever being written.
From the Omaha World-Herald, Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010:
Bo Pelini walked briskly toward Memorial Stadium's north tunnel, saying nothing to no one, looking nowhere but the turf before him.
Behind him, a herd of Texans gathered at the stadium's southwest corner. They threw up their horns, waited for the band to begin and belted out their traditional battle cry: “The Eyes of Texas.”
When they finished, Texas players loitered on the turf. This was likely the final meeting between Texas and Nebraska for a long, long time, and they wanted to relish their upset win.
“We knew they had a special season going. We knew how bad they wanted to beat us. They couldn't do it,” a Longhorn said. “They'll have to live with that for the rest of their lives.”
Not far away, Pelini's team tried to put its emotion into words.
“We've been thinking about this day forever,” one Husker said. “This is why we worked so hard in the offseason. To come out and fail to execute like that ... I think we wanted to win too bad.”
History smiles on Texas, but Bo Pelini is good at writing new chapters.
* * *
Flash Forward
Can Texas do it again?
Husker fanatics may lose sleep this week considering the possibility. Their team, on paper, is better in just about every phase.
Since the tug-of-war in Dallas in December, Nebraska hasn't lost — 6-0. It's a trendy choice for national champion.
Texas is 3-2. Loser of two straight. Unranked for the first time in 10 years.
But this is Texas. And the Longhorns have beaten Nebraska plenty when Nebraska had the better team. Four times since 1996 the Huskers had a higher ranking and lost.
Nebraska is 1-8 overall since the Big 12 formed, and each loss seems a new form of psychological trauma.
In the form of a bold fourth-down conversion to upend a national title shot ('96). Or an 85-yard touchdown drive to ruin a 47-game home winning streak ('98). Or a goal-line fumble, leading to Nebraska's only loss of the year ('99).
Or a last-second interception after a furious rally in Lincoln (2002). Or a last-minute fumble after a furious rally in Lincoln (2006). Or a defensive collapse after racing to a 17-3 lead ('07).
The latest kick in the gut: pushing the undefeated Horns to the limit at the Big 12 championship game, only to see officials restore one second to the game clock. Texas kicked a field goal at the gun and extended Nebraska's drought without a conference championship to 10 years.
Forget the details. Forget the score. A loss this time would be worst of all.
The nightmare
Sometimes the congregation meets at Memorial Stadium on Saturdays out of habit. Social routine — like raising a hand above the steering wheel when you see a familiar car.
This time was different.
In living rooms and office complexes, on street corners and phone calls, they vowed to see Nebraska-Texas if it cost them a week's salary. And they showed up acting like lottery winners — boisterous from the moment they entered the gates.
The tunnel walk was a rush. The first hit intense. And Memorial Stadium turned into an 8-year-old's birthday party when Taylor Martinez dashed 50 yards on the opening drive for a touchdown. 7-0.
But the Horns rallied. Made a few plays offensively. Took advantage of a fumble deep in Husker territory. Texas slowed Martinez on the zone read, and he struggled to hit receivers.
In the end, the decisive blow was a touchdown on special teams.
A new way to lose to Texas.
Pressure shifts
Bo Pelini restored Nebraska under extremely high expectations. We're talking about a program with the highest winning percentage in the country since 1960.
But there's a hint of irony. Pelini's team not once has faced the expectation to beat an elite program.
Nebraska wasn't supposed to beat Oklahoma or Virginia Tech either of the past two years. And it wasn't supposed to beat Texas in Dallas.
Look closer and you'll see that, since 2008, Nebraska played its best football when it wasn't supposed to. When it didn't feel the burden of expectation.
In 2008, Virginia Tech and Missouri humbled the Huskers at home. A week later, with the walls closing in, they went to Texas Tech and nearly shocked a top-10 team.
A month later, Oklahoma embarrassed NU. Nebraska came home and got a gut-check win over Kansas.
In 2009, miserable back-to-back home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State turned the world upside down. Then Nebraska won five straight.
When no one thought it could beat Texas, it almost did. And when we questioned its ability to respond to the disappointment in Dallas, it drubbed Arizona.
Maybe there's a reason. Pelini, as competitive as any coach in the business, has never shied away from confrontation. His teams — that typically play better on the road — thrive in adverse situations. The Huskers feed off a strong sense of doubt.
This week, Nebraska will not have that weapon in its arsenal. NU is an overwhelming favorite to beat Texas. The tables have turned. Will Nebraska feel the pressure?
All week, Husker players will hear and absorb praise from family, friends and fans. Can't wait to see what you do to Texas, they'll say.
Players will walk onto the field Saturday not with the task of toppling big, bad Texas in enemy territory, but with 85,000 — and millions more on TV — in their back pocket, waiting for them to expose, exploit and punish lowly, limping Texas.
They won't want to win. They'll have to win.
And yet, despite all the good vibes, rosy predictions and tea leaves suggesting this is the week Nebraska gets its revenge, you have to wonder about the orange ghosts. Does doubt dwell somewhere in the back of these Huskers' minds?
Head games
So the psychological challenge exceeds the football challenge.
Bo Pelini has to convince his players they're the better team — but ultimately still disrespected. The Huskers have to feed off the overwhelming support — but not be burdened by it. Tap into the emotion and immensity of the moment — but not be paralyzed by it.
If it works, Taylor Martinez makes Texas look slow and the Blackshirts make Garrett Gilbert look immature and Oct. 16, 2010, becomes a banner day in Husker football history — the day the boys in red sent Texas back to its Big 12 pasture, tail between its hoofs.
The reward for winning is great. The penalty for losing is greater.
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) Nebraska comes out on a mission and takes care of business. It's time to relish the fact that we finally are back, and a letdown is just not going to happen, and that now in the 3rd year of Pelini, the attitude and killer instinct is back.
