After 10 months and 25 days, Nebraska football has returned. For months before, Nebraska fought endlessly with the Big Ten to get a season scheduled despite the current pandemic.
Their kickoff game was against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the 5th best team in the nation. Some Husker fans laughed when they found out their first game was going to be against a top ranked team. Maybe the Huskers should not have pushed so hard for a season this year after all.
Within the first couple minutes of the game, the Huskers were able to put a quick 7 points on the scoreboard. It wasn’t too long after until the Buckeyes did the same. Once Ohio State was able to inch forward with a lead, Nebraska seemed to have lost all composure. The chance of winning quickly got away from the Huskers. The game ended with a score of 17-52.
Although the Big Ten ultimately agreed to a season, one exception was that no fans could attend. Ohio State was permitted 1,500 fans at their home field yesterday which is restricted to only family members of players and coaches. The Huskers were able to bring 500 guests to the stadium. Although it wasn’t Ohio State’s typical 103,000 fans, some is always better than none.
Saturday gamedays are arguably one of the biggest days in the state of Nebraska. Because of the rising COVID-19 cases in the nation and especially Nebraska, it didn’t feel like a typical game day. No tailgating on campus was allowed, bars were empty compared to usual, and watch parties weren’t a safe option. Nothing has been the same this year, not even game days.
The Huskers will have their first home game on Halloween as they kick off against Wisconsin, the 9th ranked team in the nation. This game will again be a challenge for the Huskers. With a week to prepare and make changes, the Huskers may be able to come out on top. If the Huskers pull off a win against Wisconsin, the year of 2020 may not be considered so horrible after all.