In football, the trenches are everything. I’m talking about the offensive and defensive lines here, folks—the big boys, the hogs. Arguably, in Big Ten football, the trenches are even more important because the conference is defined by its physicality and style of play.
Hold on to that thought, and let’s rewind to last Saturday.
Nebraska squared off against Michigan in its first conference game of the season. The Huskers lost by three, but while watching live, the game never felt particularly winnable. Nebraska got dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The tackles were embarrassingly overmatched, giving up seven sacks. On defense, the line surrendered three explosive running plays that combined for 21 points—one to the quarterback, one to RB1, and one to RB2. Early in the game, on a key 4th-down attempt, the offensive line failed to get the push needed to convert, a play that could have changed the complexion of the game.
A couple of key things stand out. First, Nebraska went all-in on transfer LT Elijah Pritchett from Alabama, reportedly giving him north of a one-million-dollar NIL deal. He played, I believe, one snap. Second, Nebraska lost three defensive linemen last year: Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, and Elijah Judy (transfer). On the first point—you simply cannot afford to swing and miss on a high-level transfer like Pritchett. He still has another year of eligibility, but Nebraska needs him to start performing to expectations now. On the second point—when you lose that much size and talent up front, you need a plan in place. Developmentally, the high school recruits aren’t up to size or talent yet. So why didn’t the Huskers dive deeper into the portal to fill those gaps with one or two big bodies?
Matt Rhule was asked about that in his Monday press conference and explained it came down to money. Nebraska simply didn’t have enough left to go after big nose tackles or defensive ends.
That’s not to say Rhule doesn’t recognize the shortcoming. In fact, he admitted, “We need to play better up front to be the team we want to be.”
The bye week comes at a good time, and Nebraska will likely focus on improving tackle play on offense and eliminating explosive runs on defense.
One thing is certain: you won’t win much when you’re outplayed and bullied at the line of scrimmage. Expect that to be the Huskers’ top focus over the bye week.
Go Big Red.