Nebraska had a legitimate top-10 team in 2010. But its final season of Big 12 play produced a bizarre sense of sabotage. Powerful forces seemed to blatantly conspire against Big Red. Some of it was angst carried over from the 90s. Some of it was Pelini himself. By any standard, it was ugly.
I’ll never forget bowl selection day. Nebraska, according to the pecking order, should’ve gone to the Insight Bowl to face Iowa, a fun little border showdown previewing their new Big Ten rivalry. Instead, the Big 12 chose Missouri — whom the Huskers had beaten — and sent Nebraska to San Diego again to face Washington again. The Huskers had demolished the Huskies just three months earlier.