Huskers falling apart

Nebraska fading into mediocrity

Every time Nebraska loses - and sometimes when it wins - every time the Bill Callahan Cornhuskers reach a new low, these words come back to haunt Steve Pederson:

"I refuse to let the program gravitate into mediocrity," the Nebraska athletics director said four years ago when coach Frank Solich was fired after a nine-win regular season. "We won't surrender the Big 12 to Oklahoma and Texas."

Mediocrity would be an improvement for the Cornhuskers these days. Forget about surrendering to Oklahoma and Texas. Nebraska is now waving the white flag to Missouri.

College football's winningest program since 1970 has lost its past two games by a combined 86-20.

A 45-14 loss at home to Oklahoma State on Saturday was the Cornhuskers' most lopsided defeat in Lincoln in 49 years. As if any of those among the NCAA-record 287th consecutive sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium needed a reminder about how far the program has fallen, Tom Osborne and his unbeaten 1997 team were honored before the game.

"I feel bad for the players and coaches," Osborne said after the game. "I'm sorry it didn't work out better today."

Osborne stepped down after winning a share of the national title in 1997, handing the program to Solich, his longtime assistant. In six seasons leading Nebraska, Solich won 75 percent of his games.

Make no mistake, though, Nebraska had slipped in the Solich years. The 2001 season ended with two humiliating blowouts to Colorado (62-36) and in the national title game to Miami (37-14).

The Cornhuskers went 7-7 in 2002, the first non-winning season in 41 years. The next season they went 9-3, but when they did lose they were beaten badly.

Pederson had seen enough. Solich was a good football coach but Nebraska need a dynamic and charismatic leader.

In came Callahan, fired by the Oakland Raiders a year after leading them to a Super Bowl, and his West Coast offense.

There was progress in each of Callahan's first three seasons -- 5-6 the first, 8-4 the next, 9-5 last season. This season the Cornhuskers are in reverse. They're 4-3 and lucky to be there -- remember that 41-40 victory at home against Ball State?

The Blackshirts defense has been brutal, ranked last in the Big 12 and seemingly getting worse every week. For the first time in the 118 years Nebraska has been playing football, the Cornhuskers have allowed at least 40 points four times in a season.