NU FOOTBALL - Missouri 52, Nebraska 17

THE GOOD ...
- MISSOURI: Let's take the time to acknowledge a legitimate Top-5 team we saw at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. I do not recall seeing a more ruthlessly efficient team on offense. The Tigers executed everything they needed to, and did not make the mistakes that would have given NU a glimmer of hope, or at least a little traction.
- PRESS CONFERENCE HONESTY: Bo Pelini, to his credit, took the responsibility for the loss on his shoulders, stating the obvious about NU being out-coached and out-played. He said it wouldn't happen again. Unfortunately, the product on the field leaves no real reason to believe him.
- THE WEATHER: It was a beautiful night on Saturday to watch a game. Seriously, that's all I've got, in terms of "goods" for NU.

THE BAD ...
- OUTCLASSED: Missouri was clearly the better team, so Nebraska's only hope was to get a break or two and keep the game close. Nothing of the sort happened. Nebraska kept drawing flags (although more on that in a moment). They did not turn Missouri over, just like they didn't turn Virginia Tech over. The best performance the we-may-never-call-them-Blackshirts had was forcing a field goal - Missouri didn't take the cellophane off their punter the entire game. Missouri dominated Nebraska in a way that hasn't been seen since the 2002 Rose Bowl against Miami. None of the Callahan-era games was this bad.
- LIMITED OFFENSE: Early in the season, I was wondering why NU was not running the ball, and giving all the reasons why the run is important. I'm becoming convinced the reason they aren't running is simply because they cannot. Same for any kind of down-field passing to stretch the field. NU's offense is limited to screens, Ganz's scrambling, and quick-hitting pass plays. And if that's all NU can do, they're pretty easy to stop.
- BAD ZEBRA DAY: I am the last guy to pick on the officials, and they had no bearing on the outcome of the game. But it did seem like some soft penalties early. And I have yet to get an answer as to why, at the end of the first half, an NU receiver was shoved out of bounds by a Missouri defender, and the official directed the clock to run.

... AND THE GRIM FUTURE.
If the Virginia Tech game showed Nebraska isn't ready for prime-time, then the Missouri game showed Nebraska isn't even ready for late-night TV. NU has played hard in all five games, that's not in question. But they haven't played smart, and they haven't played well. Can Pelini get that out of the players? We haven't seen it yet. Cast your eyes down the schedule upcoming, based on what we've seen so far. The games at Texas Tech and at Oklahoma have 40-point losses written all over them. Iowa State in Ames had the Jayhawks on the ropes. Colorado has played well at times this season. If we chalk Texas Tech and Oklahoma up as losses, that means NU must win three of the following five games to get to .500 and go to a bowl: at Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, at Kansas State, and Colorado. All five of those teams are better than the three teams Nebraska has beaten so far. NU desperately needs something good to happen. It's almost assuredly not going to be in Lubbock, and Ames has been a snakepit for Nebraska the last few years. It is entirely possible for Nebraska to be 3-4 coming home to an improved Baylor squad, needing to go 3-1 out to get to .500 for the season. An eerie similarity to year one - and year four - of the Callahan era, don't you think?

THE NEXT GAME
Don't look now, but the "air raid" Red Raiders have been running the ball effectively this year. Texas Tech is going to look a lot like Virginia Tech and Missouri, and NU is going to have to come up with something better than the gimmicky three-man-down plan they tried with Missouri. Texas Tech is not as talented as Missouri, but this is also Nebraska's first road game under a rookie head coach after reeling from the worst home loss since 1955. Four years ago, I think most 'Husker fans were relishing the chance to come back to Lubbock and repay Mike Leach for the 70-10 debacle. Now, they might be tempted to find some yardwork to do Saturday afternoon rather than watch the contest.

GBR, baby.