Even the bye week feels like a loss for Nebraska football fans

Everybody gets to watch their favorite college football team beat a ranked opponent, except Nebraska football fans.

That’s how it felt on Saturday, at least, watching former Nebraska football head coach Scott Frost and others score marquee victories.

Frost was the one who probably stung Husker fans the most. As a former player and the head coach, I still want to see Frost succeed. I’ll never forget him helping Nebraska win the 1997 national championship.

Still, it was sort of ironic that Frost, in his second season of his second stint at UCF, already has a better record than Matt Rhule does during his four years at Nebraska. The win over second-ranked BYU was a reminder that there is more parity than ever in college football.

That’s why it’s hard to understand how the Huskers can’t break through for a major win. The Huskers had an 11-point lead against Indiana, the same Indiana team that needed overtime to beat Michigan.

Oregon lost on the road against Illinois. It’s a tough trip to make, but Dylan Raiola had two turnovers and some empty passing stats in a loss.

However, Luke Fickell, another coach hired the same year as Rhule who has had some struggles, notched another ranked win, his third, by knocking off USC on Saturday night. The win over Penn State doesn’t feel like a ranked win, but it still counts. That’s three more ranked wins than Rhule has at Nebraska.

It’s a good reason for patience, too. But it’s a kick in the groin all the same. UCLA and Northwestern are both ranked, too. The close loss to Indiana feels like even more of a missed opportunity after watching the Hoosier offense fail to score any points on a drive that started in its own territory against Michigan.

The Illinois game also feels more challenging. Every game does, based on what happened Saturday. Minnesota knocked off Iowa, giving the Golden Gophers a ranked win, something that has eluded Nebraska football fans for a decade.

That’s why even a bye week sort of felt like a loss.

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