When overmatched and less-talented Nebraska managed to obtain a small, short-lived lead on the superior Iowa Hawkeyes early in the third quarter this past Black Friday, I had a minor epiphany.
Nebraska now is what Iowa State was under coaches like Paul Rhoads and Dan McCarney – the perpetually aggrieved, scrappy, desperate little brother trying to prove to big brother that they can hang. Of course, being a scrappy and desperate lesser competitor can only get you so far – and like Iowa State usually does (but manages to avoid occasionally) the Cornhuskers eventually self-immolated and Iowa’s superior strength and football smarts brought home a tighter-than-wished for trophy game victory.
This is a mean - and some may say unfair - thing to say about the former blue blood, multiple national title winning Nebraska Cornhusker football program. And from a historical perspective, sure – Iowa State and Nebraska have little in common other than their shared membership in the Big 12. Iowa State hasn’t won a conference title of any kind since 1912 and the ‘Huskers have five gleaming national championship trophies. But today, here in 2020? Iowa State is the superior program to their former conference neighbors, and indeed garner more respect from national football writers, Iowa fans and it appears the Iowa coaching staff and players than Big Red.
I suspect the Nebraska program wouldn’t be mocked with so much glee if its current head coach, players and fans could muster an ounce of humility. But instead, Scott Frost and his trash talking, undisciplined gaggle of players almost seem to relish in the role of Uncle Rico – the washed-up former state champ from the movie “Napoleon Dynamite” – who wistfully remembers that “back in '82, I used to be able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile!”
The truth is Nebraska is now just another Minnesota – a program with a storage area full of titles rapidly gathering dust and now fueled primarily by a burning hatred of Iowa. It’s kind of a weird psychological phenomenon, honestly. I can admit that Iowa’s football history – while full of big wins, great bowls and fantastic teams – pales in comparison to Nebraska’s. Maybe that’s what drives them so crazy? The fact Iowa fans can enjoy their program and love football, even when dreams of national titles remain tantalizingly out of reach? I find it ironic that we are told by Nebraska fans that we should be sad and feel bad about not having as many wins, yet they are far, far more miserable as has-beens than we are as never-weres.
Besides, Iowa football fans have more pressing worries right now than where their program stacks up historically. The biggest talking point coming out of Friday’s narrow win was how it would not have been a narrow win if the play from the quarterback position was stronger. I can’t say I disagree with that assessment. Too many not-quite-there passes behind or too low for receivers, speed balls dropped by wideouts and a general propensity for panic by Spencer Petras really gummed up Iowa’s offensive flow. I am confident that had Nate Stanley been under center, Friday’s score line would have been something like 38-17, instead of the 26-20 nail-biter we witnessed.
That said, I’m not advocating for a change under center. As Nebraska demonstrated, a team with two starting quarterbacks is typically one with little offensive identity that struggles to score. For better or worse, I think the smart play for Iowa going forward is to identify and repair Petras’ flaws.
What is at once frustrating and cause for hope is that Petras has shown the physical attributes necessary to thrive. He has a very strong arm and can make throws all over the field. To me, his primary problem appears to be mental – specifically a malfunctioning internal clock that causes him to go into panic mode and rifle ill-advised passes into danger or the dirt at the first sign of any pressure. There is only one cure for getting the game to slow down for a quarterback, and that is more reps in real game situations under pressure. I’m afraid the only way the young gunslinger gains confidence is by throwing him back in the fire.
While I would not like to see Petras replaced as starter, I would like to see the backups get a few series when the game is still in doubt. Between Covid protocols and injuries, it makes little sense to me to not have Alex Padilla also learn on the job and not just in mop up time. I wonder if Kirk and Brian are worried about further cratering Petras’ confidence if he is taken out, even for a series or two.
Now that the college football schedule across the country – and certainly in the Big 10 – is a scrambled mess, why not play a ton of young players to see what you have down the depth chart? With outcomes like the best team in the Big 10 not being eligible for the conference championship game, are we still going to pretend that 2020 isn’t actually a glorified exhibition season?
Exhibition season or not, Iowa now has three of its rivalry trophies secured – two through on field victories and one a carry over from not having the Cyclones on the schedule. Go get the bull from the Badgers, pack those traveling trophies away for the winter, and let’s gear up for a REAL Big 10 season in 2021.
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and @12Saturdays
