Somewhere along the way, Nebraska lost its confidence, coach Bo Pelini said following Saturday's 59-24 setback in Madison, Wis.
Nebraska built a 17-3 lead on the road against a good Wisconsin team — and then fell apart, giving up 56 consecutive points and disappearing on offense.
The big letdown at Camp Randall Stadium pushed the Cornhuskers out of consideration for the College Football Playoff and made them a long shot for a Big Ten West Division title. They play host on Saturday to the Gophers, another team clinging to its midseason promise and West title hopes.
"Obviously upset. In some cases embarrassed. Mad," Pelini said of his reaction to the blowout. "Especially after you look at the film. Disappointing. You put as much work into it as you do, players and coaches alike, and obviously you don't like a result like that."
This is not the first time Pelini's Cornhuskers have flopped late in the season. Wisconsin scored 70 points for a lopsided victory against Nebraska in the 2012 Big Ten championship game. Last year, the Huskers lost two of their final three conference games by giving up a total of 79 points in the defeats.
Fans in Lincoln, Neb., don't easily forget those collapses, and certainly not last Saturday's disaster. It's one Pelini will remember as well.
"Some of our guys put so much pressure on themselves to win that they're not going to play to win, they're playing not to lose," he said. "And that's a bad recipe. Sometimes these kids want to win in the worst way. … You try not to put pressure on them and make sure they go out there and have fun in the game. I don't know if that was the case."
A lot will be revealed about this 21st-ranked Nebraska team Saturday against the Gophers, defensive coordinator John Papuchis said. Both teams sit at 4-2 in conference play and still are alive in the West race. If Wisconsin wins at Iowa on Saturday, Nebraska is eliminated from title contention regardless of the Gophers-Huskers result. A Gophers victory Saturday would set up a Minnesota-Wisconsin showdown for the West title the following Saturday in Madison.