What Nebraska Football Does Next Will Tell Us Everything

For a few glorious minutes Saturday afternoon, it felt like Nebraska football was finally going to have its moment.

Anthony Colandrea had just galloped into the end zone, giving the Huskers a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead over defending national champion Indiana. Memorial Stadium was absolutely electric. Strangers were hugging. Fathers and sons were dreaming about storming the field together. After years of disappointment, Husker Nation was knocking on the door in a big way.

And then, in a way that felt all too familiar, it was gone. Indiana rallied to win 20-17, leaving Nebraska fans with that same old combination of anger, frustration and disbelief.

The Common Fans were plenty angry on Saturday. But when you stop and take a breath, you realize Nebraska didn’t just hang around with the defending national champions. For much of the game, the Huskers outplayed them.