40-10. Bitter defeat. Total domination.
Not exactly the way Nebraska football wanted to end their regular season against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
If you watched, you already know the cold, hard reality: The Huskers were never really in the game. From the moment they stepped off the bus, to the moment the final whistle sounded, Nebraska was out-punched, out-run, and pretty much totally dominated by the Hawkeyes.
You have to tip your cap to Iowa – they had the Huskers well scouted, and simply wanted the game more. Despite finishing the season 8-4, this was a Hawkeye team that played well down the stretch and fully deserved the victory.
Still, for Nebraska it wasn’t pretty. Where was the fight, in a supposed “rivalry game?” How could the Husker offensive AND defensive lines get man-handled like that? Why couldn’t the Blackshirts tackle? How could, after 11 weeks, this be a Nebraska team that appeared to lack any sort offensive identity?
Granted, we all understand that Tommy Armstrong wasn’t 100 percent, but was that really the mitigating factor in the game? Even if he was a full-go, would it have made a difference, the way Nebraska was dominated up front?
Well, now that the dust has settled, and emotions cooled a bit, it’s time to address the big picture question: Should the Huskers’ 9-3 regular season be viewed as a success?
Despite the sting of losing to the Hawkeyes, there’s only one real answer to that question: Yes, 2016 should be viewed as a success.
Coming off a season in which Nebraska went 5-7, and snuck into a bowl game through the back door, nine wins must be considered significant progress in itself.
Do you know how many other Big Ten teams can boast a four game improvement from 2015 to 2016?
Zero. That’s how many.
Counting bowl games from a year ago, Penn State and Maryland both have improved three wins so far. If Nebraska manages a victory in their bowl game, a five win improvement would nearly double their win total from a year ago. To look at that and not consider it a successful campaign would make no sense.
Not sold? Let’s consider another metric: bad losses. In 2015, Nebraska lost two games to teams that ultimately finished below .500 (Illinois, Purdue). This year, the combined record of the three teams the Huskers fell to is 28-7. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
How about the good old eyeball test? Does anyone want to debate that the 2016 Huskers would crush the 2015 edition of this team? The defense made huge gains this year (22nd in total defense), and Tommy Armstrong Jr. limited his turnovers from a year ago (16 INT in 2015, 8 INT in 2016). Granted, the offense lost some punch overall (Falling from 446 YPG to 386.1 YPG), but when you consider the difference in turnover margin, it comes out pretty close.
We can all agree, losing rivalry games is tough. Getting blown out makes it even worse. But you also can’t make it the sole defining feature of success.
Consider that Michigan and Ohio State have one of the most bitter rivalries in sports, and the Wolverines have won just two of the past 16 games against the Buckeyes. Is anyone ready to look at Michigan this year (or this last decade and a half) and call them an absolute failure? Of course not.
Nebraska clearly still has work to do, but to call their 2016 season anything other than a success isn't doing them justice.
