Worst loss of the Pelini Era

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The 2012 Loss to Wisconsin was the worst loss, for a couple of reasons IMO.  It was in the CCG and the fact that they looked completely lost are big reasons.  They just got annihilated.  I would not have been surprised at losing to Wisconsin it was just the manner at which it happened.  It reminded me of the 2001 game against Colorado. 

NU limped into that game and had nothing left in the tank.  They were beat up and had a lot of hurt guys and Wisconsin was getting all their guys healthy and they were just hungry to beat Nebraska.  The game plan was terrible the adjustments were terrible.  Just an awful game. 

 
Enhance said:
2012 Wisconsin is the hands down winner here. Nebraska had no business losing by 40+ points to a 7-5 Wisconsin team that backed its way into a conference championship game because of tOSU's ineligibility. Not only was the performance uninspired but NU's defense was embarrassingly torched by some of the same plays over and over. On paper, that was BP's best chance to win a conference championship and he couldn't get it done. I'm still completely flustered by that game to this day.

As a side note, 2014 Wisconsin is an interesting choice to consider because this loss was the straw that broke the camels back for me. I felt it was time for BP to be let go after that game.
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This, ALL of this!

 
Bo had his share of very bad losses but, imo, none compare to that 2012 Wiscy game. Only Nebraska loss ever that felt worse was the 2001 debacle in Boulder but that maybe was only because that type of thing was completely foreign to Nebraska at that point. By 2012 Wiscy we had pretty much become numb to mindless, inept showings but even so that one still broke new ground. Just no excuse for it.

 
'14 wisky. I get what everyone is saying about the conf title game in 12, but we did limp into that one, and Wisconsin had healed up. Baker Steinkuhler was out, the last guy you want on the sideline then. I'm not making excuses for that embarrassment, but... 

14 wisky was worse. 408 yards. To one guy. Bo's lucky he has such a good friend in Stoops that he would have Perine break the record set on us not long after against hapless Kansas.

We were up 17-3, and Gordon goes off for 3 scores. You'd think pelini would change things up, look at a 5, maybe 6 man front. At the very least, get out of that weak 2-high shell, but no. He stubbornly stays in the defense and personnel that would give up the most rushing yards ever to one guy. It was the biggest failure schematically in the history of husker football, and turned the blackshirt moniker into a joke. 

 
There's no denying the catastrophe that was '14 Wisconsin, but 408 yards to Melvin Gordon < 70 points, 640 yards and 10.7 YPP in a conference title game... and NU was the favorite.

Both were painful, but if I had to endure one all over again it would definitely be the '14 game.

 
junior4949 said:
I was a little surprised in the poll the highlighted game wasn't included.  Sure, it was Bo's first year and a win really wasn't expected.  However, after listening to some nitwit assistant raving about the awesome game plan the week before; it was a huge cube stomping.   
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That was #6 on the list. 

 
I voted 2009 Iowa State because I was there, and seated next to some really annoying ISU fans. There are plenty of bad games to choose come, but watching us barely lose to a horrible team for no reason at all, even with eight turnovers, was easily the most agonizing experience I've had at a Husker game. I was actually thinking about that game the other day when I saw that Niles Paul is somehow still in the league. IIRC he was responsible for about half those turnovers. 

 
After thinking about it...that Texas game is my pick.

It started off great (for me)...I scored Champions Passes for me and a friend.  We left late but pulled up and snagged a free parking spot on O street.  We ran over to Champions and of course, started drinking.  We went up to the second level to eat and got stuffed...When we left my friend said "I can't believe that is all free" and I said "What?  The food isn't free" I thought he paid for it...turns out we just walked out without paying.  

The game was boring as could be but the partying was decent.  But for me, what makes it the worst/best loss is the crazy stories that came out about it.  The stories circling about that game and what went on before the game (so not true but I love that it started) in the hotel basement has made that loss legendary.  For those reasons, it is my pick is the best of the worse losses. 

 
Jeremy said:
'14 wisky. I get what everyone is saying about the conf title game in 12, but we did limp into that one, and Wisconsin had healed up. Baker Steinkuhler was out, the last guy you want on the sideline then. I'm not making excuses for that embarrassment, but... 

14 wisky was worse. 408 yards. To one guy. Bo's lucky he has such a good friend in Stoops that he would have Perine break the record set on us not long after against hapless Kansas.

We were up 17-3, and Gordon goes off for 3 scores. You'd think pelini would change things up, look at a 5, maybe 6 man front. At the very least, get out of that weak 2-high shell, but no. He stubbornly stays in the defense and personnel that would give up the most rushing yards ever to one guy. It was the biggest failure schematically in the history of husker football, and turned the blackshirt moniker into a joke. 
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I have to go with this one too. 2012 was bad, but by 2014, one would have thought that maybe this coaching staff had SOME sort of inclination to evaluate their defensive philosophies and take a critical look at what was working and what was not. This was the game where I knew they had no interest in ever doing so. This was the game where I knew Bo understood his philosophy was sound, and it was only the players "not executing" that could mess it up. This was the game where I didn't care to ever see Bo coach another game for the Huskers again.

And then we got Riley...... sigh.

I could not possibly be more excited about the next era of Husker football.

 
Jeremy said:
We were up 17-3, and Gordon goes off for 3 scores. You'd think pelini would change things up, look at a 5, maybe 6 man front. At the very least, get out of that weak 2-high shell, but no. He stubbornly stays in the defense and personnel that would give up the most rushing yards ever to one guy. It was the biggest failure schematically in the history of husker football, and turned the blackshirt moniker into a joke. 
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So you'd change scheme mid game to something your players aren't familiar with when discipline and assignments are important?

 
TheSker said:
So you'd change scheme mid game to something your players aren't familiar with when discipline and assignments are important?
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I'm not sure you'd have to change scheme so much as tell the defense to expect the run and IDK, maybe actually practice defending Wisconsin's running plays.  In '12 game Wiscy was playing a backup QB and passed something like 7 times.  They had ran the jet sweep with limited success all season but against Bo "I haven't forgotten how to defend the run" Pelini's defense it became this incredibly difficult puzzle that couldn't be solved.  IMO, Bo's defense was seriously flawed after watching it catastrophically fail numerous times.

 
I went with 2012 Wisconsin. I actually never saw the game. I had to work, so I DVRd it. I do have internet access at work, so I was following the live stats. Needless to say, around 35-10 or so I quit following it. Then knowing the final score, it seemed like rewatching it would be akin to watching a snuff film. So I deleted it and have still never seen it to this day.

 
husker_rob said:
I have to go with this one too. 2012 was bad, but by 2014, one would have thought that maybe this coaching staff had SOME sort of inclination to evaluate their defensive philosophies and take a critical look at what was working and what was not.
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I keep seeing this in reference to the 2014 game, but isn't that exactly what happened in 2012, as well? Wisconsin largely beat Nebraska in both games by exploiting a defensive weakness over and over again. In 2012 it was the jet sweep/end around. IIRC, Wisconsin was also favored in 2014 and ranked 11th, so the loss isn't overly surprising.

Considering Nebraska was the favorite in 2012 and it was a conference championship game, the stakes and impact were much more significant.

 
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