Bo Knows Mizery

As I drove home from Lincoln this morning, I listened to Bo Pelini take the blame for Missouri's demolition of the Huskers. And while that's fine, and there's no shortage of blame to go around, I think Missouri's 52-17 victory makes two things very clear.

• Bill Callahan may have gotten too much of a bum rap for for his game day coaching.
• Bill Callahan might be the worst recruiter of any head coach at Nebraska since Bill Glassford (1949-1955). And that's only because there probably (a) aren't many people still around that can remember what Glassford's players looked like and (b) the game of college football has evolved to the point that any comparison is futile.

Tom Shatel repeated his statement that Frank Solich was a better recruiter than Bill Callahan to the Columbia Tribune this past week. Is anybody going to dispute this statement? Do you see many players on the 2008 Huskers that would start for the 2003 Huskers?

I don't think we'll have many takers on that one. To be sure, there are some decent players in Lincoln, but no difference makers. None. Zippo. Nada.

We saw plenty of difference makers on the field tonight. All wearing white. Chase Daniel is a machine out there. Derrick Washington was lethal tonight. And Jeremy Maclin was, well, Jeremy Maclin.

Want some salt in those wounds, Husker fans? Jeremy Maclin seriously considered attending Nebraska...but Bill Callahan only offered Maclin a grayshirt opportunity at first. Pay your own way to Lincoln at first, and then go on scholarship. Eventually, Callahan offered a full scholarship, but by that time, Maclin had decided to go elsewhere.

It gets even worse. Derrick Washington grew up a Husker fan...but Callahan wasn't interested either.

Think Nebraska could have used those two guys tonight?

And as long as we're thinking... what does the prognosis look for the Huskers for the rest of this season? In August, I had the most optimistic prediction was 11-1. That ain't happening. My most likely prediction was 8-4/9-3. That's looking kind of high now. My pessimistic? 3-9.

Well, I'm not sure that's happening. Kansas State looked horrible this afternoon, as did Colorado tonight. Iowa State nearly upset Kansas. An awful lot of football still to play.

But first, Nebraska has to travel to Lubbock to play Texas Tech. Remember what happened last time in Lubbock, with a new coaching staff?

To be sure, Bo Pelini deserves plenty of criticism. How many penalties did the Huskers take tonight? WTF was Joe Ganz doing in the game at the end? And what about that game plan that Mike Ekeler was so pumped up about?

I don't want to throw Pelini and this staff under the bus yet. It's only their fifth game, and they are merely playing the cards they were given. Earlier this week, Bo Pelini remained silent when the Denver Post's John Henderson asked Pelini about the defensive talent he inherited.

That non-answer says it all, really.