The 24 HOUR RULE: No One Expects This – That’s Why It’s Time

I arrived in Lincoln a few moments ago and it is just November college football as hell down here.

And today, of course, we are visited once again by the monosyllabic, slack-jawed denizens of Iowa City, Iowa, and other parts of that state. If they were insufferable before, winning 9 of the last 10 in the series has elevated their toxicity to new levels, but until the Huskers put one in the bag, just taking it will have to remain part of the mindset.

But – I think it’s going to happen today. Why? Because everything from the Penn State game to the CBS-fabricated “Dylan is transferring” story to the on-line “fans”/haters bellowing (Matt Rhule sucks, Donovan Railoa sucks, ALL THE RAIOLAS SUCK, fire everyone!!!, Mike Riley was better! (No seriously, someone said this, they really do prefer 56-14 and 40-10 losses)), there’s a vibe which says we’re not just in for another late loss, there’s another PSU-level beating coming courtesy of Iowa’s new amazing offense!!

One of the wonderful things about college football is how often a game which appears to be done deal blows up into something else. And this is not Ohio State on the other side of the field. You remember them – the 2024 national champs whom the Huskers came within 4 points of upsetting a week after losing to Indiana 56-7.

Just saying – college football is weird.

IOWA’S NEW AMAZING OFFENSE

Sorry to destroy this one, but it’s really not. There are 136 FBS/D1 football teams and Iowa is currently ranked #120 in total yards. That’s basically still at Brian Ferentz levels. They do rank #69 in scoring offense, but when you’re 120th in yards with a so-so rushing attack and an air game averaging just over 130 yds/game, you’re getting help from somewhere – or someone.

That someone is Kaden Wetjen who isn’t much in the Hawkeye passing game, but kick one to him at your own risk. He has returned 19 punts at a 28.3 yd avg with 3 touchdowns, including a 95-yarder. On kickoffs, it’s 12 at 29.7 and another TD. Between those and the number of short kicks in attempts to avoid him, Wetjen aids the always-sputtering offense with shorter fields perhaps?

Let’s just say I like Mike Ekeler’s chances of cancelling a chunk of that if Archie Wilson and John Hohl or Will Cunanan can deliver.

TURN THE PAGE

This is a quick one – did the Huskers turn the focus quickly from Penn State?

I’m going to say yes based on experience. The Huskers showed up at home and came out firing on all cylinders against Northwestern and the aforementioned Ohio State last season. They proven they can do this.

THE NEW HATERS

It can’t be argued that our beloved Cornhuskers and their coaches have caused fans no shortage of emotional damage ever since Tom Osborne called it a career. Much like one sworn NFL boycott after another, “‘I’m done,” or something similar, is a refrain which has been oft repeated over the past couple of decades as the team slowly sank from their position atop Division 1.

There was always plenty of griping, but it seems to have found a different place recently, and not a pretty one. Frustrations? Understood. But now there is a group who waits to go on blast at the first signs of perceived failure, such as the 30-27 loss to Michigan. There’s an evil gleefulness to it. Same with the derision leveled at Raiola since his arrival.

But it gets a little ugly.

I know there have been disappointments, but if you’re out there basically ripping on everyone who is hanging in there through thick or thin? At least we know where you stand, I guess.

And a quick paragraph as far as Raiola; perhaps it was because of his commitment process, and his four different high schools plays in as well, but part of that chunk above has basically been wishing his failure from the jump.

Someone asked on Twitter how you could trust someone like that to stick around. I can only answer Taylor Martinez – who also did the four high schools thing. He, too, was always hounded by rumors of his imminent departure, but as it turned out, he finally had the chance to make some friends. Now I don’t know any more than CBS or any of the outlets who piggy-backed their baseless claims does, but his current actions are not indicative of someone looking for the door.

FIRE MATT RHULE

This was seems harder to understand, but then again it maybe not.

Matt Rhule in his three years has progressed from 5-7 to 7-6 to 7-4 thus far becoming the first to clinch a bowl game before November and reach 7 wins since 2016. The 10 wins promised by the histories of Temple and Baylor won’t come to fruition, but a vocal minority are already demanding his firing.

Silly on its face, there is a likely suspect to blame and, to no one’s surprise, it’s none other than Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti. And it’s not just two CFP trips in his first two seasons as well those being the best seasons in Indiana history.

Subconsciously, there’s little doubt he’s the reason they call for Matt Rhule’s ouster despite him having the most success seen in Lincoln in 9 years. My gawd, if Cig can do that at Indiana, someone surely can at Nebraska!

Well, no they can’t more than likely; nothing like this has ever happened. Throw Cignetti’s penchant for brazenly letting everyone know how good he is, and it could be understood why boosters at Penn State, LSU and others have lost their damn minds and forced AD’s to show coaches the door.

In the age of parity, patience will be the power over having to rebuild a current-day football infrastructure every three seasons.

THE SENIORS

Also, I’m looking for the full fairy tale from one of the seniors on Senior Day. With Kenneth Williams back, maybe special teams warrior Derek Branch can pancake another path for a long Williams return as he did against Northwestern.

Assistant coaches, you know how Mike Ekeler reacts to these – you’ve been warned.

Go Big Red.