Which Play In Nebraska Football History Would You Change?

On this week's Saturday Morning Coffee Show, Josh Peterson and Jack Mitchell answered a question from a subscriber about Husker football history.

I-80 Club

On this week's Saturday Morning Coffee Show, Josh Peterson and Jack Mitchell answered a question from a subscriber about Husker football history: Which play would you change? They tried to find the most important plays in losses and the impact those plays and games had on what came next.

Below is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.

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Dec 5, 2009; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns kicker Hunter Lawrence (15) kicks the winning field goal for a 13-12 victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Big 12 championship game at Cowboys Stadium. / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Josh: "If you could change the result of one play in Husker football to have the maximum impact, what would it be? Maybe one for good impact and one for bad impact." Jack, you can change one play in the history of Husker football for maximum impact. What's the one play that you are changing? There are two responses already and both of them are the same: Texas 2009.

Jack: Yeah, there are a ton of them that you could pick. It's hard to pick between them, but it is fun to think of the implications. Let’s start with that one. The implications, right? Does it really change that much?

Josh: OK, here's my hot take: If they win, are they in the Big Ten? There’s a part of me that thinks that if they do not lose to Texas that the whole next offseason was about sticking it to Texas. I really believe that in my heart of hearts that a large portion of Nebraska leaving the conference was because of that game and that that kind of kick started, “We gotta get out of this this conference” from Nebraska people.

Jack: Ok, by that argument it could be, but let's say they win that game.  Let's set that aside for a moment, because I don't think you make a bad point with that, but let's set that aside. They went 10-4 the next year, right? They were really solid next year. How much is 2010 changed or made better by them winning the Big 12 championship the year before, right? How much of a different trajectory does that really send the program on?

Josh: Well, I mean, it depends on if you believe that getting over the hump one year can allow you to play looser or be better as a program the next year because the 2010 team had a lot of pressure of, “now they gotta be the one to win the conference title” for the first time since 1999.

Jack: You wouldn't say that 2010 team stunted the program's progress or anything like that. They got to the Big 12 championship, right?

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What could the 2010 Nebraska football season tell us about 2025?

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule looks for an explanation on a call against them while his team is playing Ohio State Buckeyes during the fourth quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Josh: Do you think that was a disappointing season to have four losses that year? That was the most talented roster top to bottom that Bo ever had, but they still lost four games. That season was disappointing.

Jack: Look at the games. They lost the Texas game. Bo had an incident during that game. They lost the Texas A&M game. Bo went berserk during that game, right? And then they lose the Oklahoma game, where they're up 17-0, and then a bowl game nobody cared about at that point. I feel like you're harsher on looking at that season than I am.

Josh: Dude. They started in the top 10. They got to number five! Jack, they started 5-0 and then went 5-4.

Dec 4, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Bo Pelini talks to a referee against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter of the 2010 Big 12 championship game at Cowboys Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Jack: But they had two regular season losses and in retrospect, it feels like it was so much about Bo losing control during that year.

Josh: Yeah, because he did! He confronted a fan in the basement of the Cornhusker Hotel on the morning of the Texas game. That season is so disappointing. 

Jack: And the A&M game was Taylor Martinez freak out on the sideline on his phone. And Carl going after the camera [guy].  Those are the two regular season losses.

Josh: Harvey Perlman had to had to give a statement.

Oct 16, 2007; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers former football coach Tom Osborne addresses the media at the Van Brunt Visitors Center during a press conference where Chancellor Harvey Perlman (left) introduced Osborne as the interim athletic director. Perlman on Monday, Oct. 15 fired athletic director Steve Pederson. Osborne coached the Cornhuskers from 1972 to 1997, winning three national championships in his final four years. / Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

Jack: He went my show with John and me the Monday after.

Josh: Did he really?

Jack: Yeah.

Josh: I didn't know that. That's amazing.

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