Trev Alberts Makes Bank As Nebraska Keeps Pretending

It has long been said that Alberts’ ultimate goal is to be commissioner of college football, if there ever is such a thing. The former Nebraska All-American linebacker shockingly left his “dream job” as his alma mater’s AD in the spring of 2024 for a strange land and school with unique traditions, among them never being able to be a relevant national power, at least until now. But Alberts saw the potential of Texas A&M compared to Nebraska’s ceiling and bet on himself.

Alberts’ defection was quite a tell, as he saw Nebraska as a limited program. He never verbally said Nebraska could only go so far and would never be what it used to be, but he didn’t have to. Actions speak louder than words.

On Saturday night, Alberts was looking like the smartest man in the room in faraway College Station.

A Perpetual Pretender is Outed Again

Last week in this space, I wrote that gamblers were disrespecting Nebraska (7-4, 4-4 Big Ten) by making it a 7.5-point underdog to the Penn State Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6). As it turned out, the college football wagering community was far too kind to Nebraska, which was humiliated 37-10 in front of an NBC national prime time TV audience and a stadium with large sections of empty seats.

The debacle serves as a stinging indictment of a program that is unable to keep up with the traditional powers, even when they are wounded. The Huskers were outgained 412-318 and had their manhood mauled for 231 yards rushing. Penn State averaged 5.9 yards per carry against a defense known as the “Blackshirts” in name only.

The difference in the teams was decided on Nebraska’s opening drive. Facing a fourth-and-goal at Penn State’s one-yard line, Nebraska did what everyone knew it would do. The Huskers ran star back Emmett Johnson into the line, and Penn State slammed the door shut. A viable alternative would have been a play-action bootleg with the shifty and speedy QB TJ Lateef. Sadly, the meathead mentality prevailed. At that moment, the game was over.

The Year Three Rhule is No More

At his previous stops at Temple and Baylor, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule engineered breakout seasons. Thus, the expectation during the summer was that he would do so again at Nebraska. Nebraska is barely better than last year, when it went 7-6, winning the Pinstripe Bowl, while going 3-6 in the Big Ten.

In some ways, the program is regressing. In Rhule’s first two years, the Huskers relied upon a steady defense to stay in games. But Rhule has not replenished the roster with the same level of defenders, especially up front, and Nebraska ranks a defenseless 96^th in the nation at stopping the run, which is suicidal in the lumbering Big Ten.

Meanwhile, the offensive line remains hapless, as evidenced but its inability to deliver on the goal line against the Nittany Lions. Despite having Johnson and his 1131 rushing yards this season, Nebraska ranks 86^th in the nation for rushing offense. The sad truth is that most of Johnson’s yards this season are of the do-it-himself variety.

Upon taking over, Rhule retained offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and vowed that his teams would bring back the Nebraska tradition of size and physicality. Additionally, there is no doubt that part of that equation regarded the recruitment of 5-star QB Dylan Raiola. The problem is that Rhule is handcuffed, unable to change his O-Line coach should he want to, for fear of offending his quarterback and the Raiola family, led by Nebraska legend Dominic Raiola, Dylan’s dad, and Donovan’s brother.

Rhule is known for being loyal to his assistants, keeping former special teams coach Ed Foley and former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield on the staff after they failed to deliver. Rhule must consider a similar arrangement for Donovan Raiola in 2026.

The Reality of Nebraska Football

When it comes to Nebraska Football, there is the ultimate dichotomy. There is Nebraska, the brand, built on five national championships from 1970 through 1997. From 1962 through 2001, Nebraska was a perennial double-digit-win, Top 10-ranked program. And from 2008 through 2014, it never won fewer than nine games, cracking the Top 25 four times. With all that success comes generational tradition and expectations that no longer fit Nebraska’s current reality.

The reality is that, while financially lucrative, Nebraska has proven to be a poor fit in the Big Ten, starting with the loss of its traditional recruiting footprint. Additionally, the Big Red built its dynasty era at a time when many schools were not all-in for football. Those days are over, with almost every school investing in its football programs.

Matt Rhule has made Nebraska better than when he began, and deserved his recent extension based on that. A coaching change would have been potentially catastrophic, so Nebraska did what it had to do. But as Rhule’s third year approaches the end, the lack of physicality and mental toughness is cause for disillusionment.

Indeed, the harsh reality is that Nebraska is on par with Minnesota and Northwestern. The Big Ten standings bear that out. Earlier this year, Nebraska was routed at Minnesota in an unfathomable humiliation and was on the ropes at home against Northwestern before pulling out the win late. It is a sobering reality, but reality it is.

The Huskers were unable to take advantage of a Penn State team having a down season with nothing to play for, and could not gain the one yard they needed to seize control of the game.

Dare to Compare

On Saturday, in a 51-47 loss at Utah, the Kansas State Wildcats still managed to run roughshod for 472 yards and 11.2 yards per rush, gashing and thrashing the rock-ribbed and always tough Utes, in the intimidating MUSS. Does anyone think Nebraska and its offensive line could roll into Utah and do that? No way. And that explains the problem.

Nebraska ends its regular season at home against its arch-rival and nemesis, the tough-as-nails Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa plays at a level of smarts and physicality that Nebraska can only dream of.

Good luck with that, Husker Nation.

Indeed, Trev Alberts knew what he was doing. He was the smartest man in the room.

But take heart, Husker Nation. You could be Colorado.