Number 9, Number 9, Number 9: Texas 28, Nebraska 25

I can't believe the number of columnists in spin mode right now. About how the Corn showed so much fight against Texas. (Remember kids, the idea here is to WIN the game.) Or how this team sure has some guts left in them. Nobody wants to mention that a Texas running back ran for 290 yards against the Blackshirts on Saturday (that would be one Jamaal Charles, and 216 of those yards came in the uhm, ahem, 4th quarter).

What else was so great about yesterday? Well, ESPN Classic did choose it as it's College Game of the Day for rebroadcast on Sunday (so you didn't really have to go out and BUY the DVD of this one). And oh by the way, this makes the first October that Nebraska didn't win a football game since....1948. I kept thinking about the similarities between this Husker season and Billy C's last year with Oakland in the NFL (you know, the one where those guys in the above picture were on the Husker coaching staff). Or last year's Cotton Bowl (you know, the early morning New Year's Day game that NU SHOULD have won against a good opponent). Or hell, last year's Texas game in Lincoln.

Even with the barrage of "Can you believe this shit" text messages I kept getting in the third quarter that made my cell phone light up like a slot machine, we all kept reminding each other one thing: Even if Nebraska pulls off the colossal upset (and one that would most definitely have to be considered the biggest of the Callahan Error -- I mean Era -- at NU), Bill Callahan is still toast at season's end.

Even after I still tried to find reasons to dig Sam Keller as a Quarterback, an interesting stat came up after he bobbled a snap yesterday. Keller has FIVE of those this season, which only leads me to believe that this was reason number one that Arizona State, despite being in love with his talent and right arm, dropped him down on their depth chart. Obviously, there were issues with him handling the football. Now, I firmly believe that Billy C overlooked this, because he was getting bad press for losing Harrison Beck and needed the next savior to fall into his lap. Which isn't to see nobody else was going to take a shot on Keller, who I still think can play in the NFL.

But it's become obvious that nobody on this coaching staff gives a shit about fundamentals. Nobody cares about conditioning (otherwise that Charles kid doesn't run for over 200 yards in the FOURTH quarter alone). All they care about is implementing a system. Never mind how many 18, 19 and 20 year old students you have under your wing. Students who still need to maintain a certain GPA to stay scholarshipped (yes, I just made that word up), no matter how much help they get. After talking to former players who used to play against Nebraska, all they talked about was how tired they'd make them come the 4th quarter. Which meant that even a Scott Frost could run an option right on 3rd and 8 and come up with 15 yards.

There are no more silver linings. So everyone needs to stop trying to dress up this pig. It's a mess. A 4-5 mess. That's right. It's not even Halloween yet, and the Nebraska football program already has five losses.

All that's left is advice from The Denver Post of all places. And for those still clinging to something, a chance to play in a bowl game on December 21st.