After watching ourcomplete meltdown in Minnesota, I’ve had enough. I said after the Michigan game that Matt Rule would “probably” need to make some tough decisions this offseason. Well, scratch the “probably” – he absolutely must make changes, starting with our offensive line coach.
Nine sacks. Nine. And before everyone starts the blame game trying to pin this on one single issue, let me be clear: this is a systemic failure. Yes, Dylan Raiola has his issues with getting the ball out quickly and reading
the field. But our offensive line looks like that State Farm commercial with the crossing guard – absolutely useless at protecting anyone.
The evidence has been there all season. Remember when we couldn’t move Houston Christian – HOUSTON CHRISTIAN – off the line on short yardage plays? If you’re Nebraska, playing in the Big Ten, and you can’t push around a team like that for two or three yards, something is fundamentally broken.
I spent some time this weekend reading Milt Tenopir’s “The Assembly Line” – what I call the Book of Milt. He talks about having nine offensive linemen ready to play championship football going into the ’95 season. Nine players ready for that level. Do we have three or four right now? Can you name a single lineman who’s come to Nebraska in the last few years and actually gotten better? Maybe Bryce Benhart, who we used to criticize constantly, turned into something serviceable. But who else? Grant Brix was supposed to be a four-star recruit – does he even see the field?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth about Dylan Raiola: if things don’t improve on the offensive line, he needs to transfer. Not because I want him gone, but because it would be best for his career. He’s getting paid millions to get beaten to death behind this line. His goal is the NFL, and at this rate, he won’t make it there from Nebraska. Whether the sacks are his fault or not, for his own sake, he needs to consider his options if nothing changes.
The offense itself is another disaster. We’re not running Dana Holgorsen’s actual offense – we’re running some watered-down version that Matt Rule is making him use. If I were Holgorsen and had to deal with this next year, I’d be gone. You bring in a nationally recognized offensive guru and then handcuff him with your own system? That’s not how you win games.
Matt Rule keeps talking about needing more money, but this isn’t a money problem – it’s a development problem. The best coaches evaluate themselves honestly and make tough changes, even when it involves their friends. They cut dead weight, develop talent, and adapt their systems. If Rule can make these changes – fire the offensive line coach, let Holgorsen actually run his offense, and focus on player development – then maybe we have a path forward. If not, we’re just wasting more time with someone who’s proving to be exactly what many fans suspect: all talk, no results.
Looking at next year’s schedule makes this even more urgent. If we continue playing like we did in Minnesota, we might not win another game this season. The team looked like they gave up toward the end of that game, and while I understand the frustration, these players are getting paid to play Division I Big Ten football. They need to show up and finish, regardless of the score.
The time for excuses is over. Nebraska football needs real, substantial changes – not more money, not more promises, but actual coaching changes and philosophical shifts. Otherwise, we’re just delaying the inevitable and wasting everyone’s time.
Go Big Red!
