The Morning After: Minnesota

Wonder if Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst needed aspirin after the Huskers fell to 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten with their second straight loss, and second loss to the Gophers in as many years.

Eichorst knows a significant part of Nebraska's loyal fan base thinks Bo Pelini's program is in a rut. "Four losses, here we go again," is what Eichorst will hear.

He'll also hear that Pelini tried to take the bullet for Beck's awful fourth-quarter play call that basically stalled a drive that had picked up steam. With a score on that possession, the Huskers might've put away the game. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. But Bo's loyalty to his staff and players is part of his strong overall character.

Eichorst watched Nebraska lose to a top-25 team while playing without leading receiver Kenny Bell, who left the game for good during the first series with a head injury; and starting center Mark Pelini, who also left for good during the opening series because of a high-ankle sprain. Both are seniors.

Husker standout senior running back Ameer Abdullah showed the heart of a lion, gaining 98 yards on 20 carries despite his injured knee and shoulder.

Yes, there were legitimate mitigating factors.

Still, Eichorst will hear howls of displeasure from fans — some warranted, some not.

Nebraska appears on track for a seventh straight four-loss season under Pelini (although five losses looms as a possibility). The conference-title drought has officially reached 15 seasons. Bottom line, Eichorst must gauge the temperature of the fan base and guard against discernible apathy and, worse, acceptance.

Eichorst, of course, likely will remain mum until after the regular season, at least, per his policy.

Might he ultimately feel compelled to ask Pelini to shake up his staff? You have to wonder.

Two years ago, the Gophers came to Lincoln and were defeated before the conclusion of the national anthem. They had no chance against the Cornhuskers that day.

On Saturday, the Gophers ended the game in Victory formation after a resolute second-half effort left an unmistakable statement on the scoreboard: Minnesota 28, Nebraska 24. They weren’t going to be denied.

And now a program that stood as a symbol of ineptitude not so long ago will play at Wisconsin next week with a berth to the Big Ten championship game at stake.

Think about that for a second. Then go ahead and pinch yourself, Gophers fans.

Enjoy this team, this moment, this week. They’ve earned this.

"We’ve come a long way," senior running back Donnell Kirkwood said. "I was part of two 3-9 seasons. I’ve been a part of those seasons, and being a part of this one now, you can just see how a program develops and how guys kind of buy in."

Kill preached patience after inheriting a mess from Tim Brewster. Kill told university administrators that a turnaround won’t happen overnight. Might take seven, eight years, he said.

The Gophers still have areas in need of growth and improvement, but they sit here with a chance to win a Big Ten championship in Year 4 of Kill’s regime.

"It’s gone a lot faster than I certainly would think," he said.

The Gophers are 9-4 in their past 13 Big Ten games. They have won five conference games in a season for the first time since 2003.

They won at Michigan and at Nebraska this season. They treated Iowa like a chew toy. They made Ohio State work until the final minute to secure a win.

Say what you will about the state of the Big Ten these days, but that doesn’t diminish the strides the Gophers program has made under Kill.

The team that Nebraska holds itself above can win the Big Ten West Division next week by beating Wisconsin. The team that Nebraska should beat annually just beat the Huskers for the second straight season.

The team that has — maybe — a handful of players that were recruited by Nebraska, now has back-to-back eight-win seasons for only the second time since 1961. Meanwhile, at Nebraska, Pelini is closing in on his seventh straight season of at least four losses.

All it will take is a loss at Iowa in the season final, or a loss in the bowl game (if Pelini makes it to the postseason) to complete this strange — but clearly fitting — Huskers trend under Pelini.

This is Pelini in a nutshell: win just enough to make them wonder what it would be like with a few more breaks, and lose just enough to make them second-guess what it would be like if they let you go.

There can be no doubt now. This loss, a week after an absolute emasculation at the hands of Wisconsin, moves Pelini to 7-17 vs. ranked teams. Dress up Pelini’s 66-31 overall record all you want; the only thing that matters is how his teams perform in big games and where the trend line is headed.

If you’re Nebraska, and you haven’t won a conference championship in Pelini’s seven years; if you can’t win big games in your conference and can’t win big non-conference games, what’s left? You either admit that your program isn’t what it used to be and that’s not all that bad, or you rip off the bandage that has hidden the festering sore and do something about it.

You hire Jerry Kill from Minnesota and watch how quickly things turn around.