Nebraska coach Doc Sadler finished his pre-practice session with reporters earlier this week by asking them a question.
"When are we going to move on from the Ohio State game?" he said.
Sadler was making light of the series of questions about his team's 79-45 loss to No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday.
Did players watch film of the game? Can the team garner anything positive from the loss? Why so many turnovers?
Yes, three days later, and the worst home loss in 116 years of Husker hoops was still a pressing topic.
"I don't know why we played bad, guys. We played bad," Sadler said. "If we don't turn it over 27 times, I think there were a lot of good things that we did do.
"Probably the most surprising thing about Saturday night's game was how well we had practiced Thursday and Friday. I think again (Monday) was one of the most enthusiastic practices we've had."
Maybe that's because players know the toughest stretch of their Big Ten Conference schedule is behind them.
Beginning with Thursday night's game at Iowa, the Huskers (10-9, 2-6) will play six of seven games against teams currently not ranked.
Compare that with Nebraska's first eight games, when the Huskers played five games against ranked teams. Four of those games resulted in losses of 13, 24, 31 and 34 points, with the other game a victory over Indiana.
Now comes three straight games ? at Iowa, at Northwestern, Minnesota ? against teams in the lower half of the conference standings.
"But that's not saying that any of these are any easier. It's basically a coin flip," Nebraska junior forward Brandon Ubel said.
"You just toss it up and kind of see what happens. They'll probably be pretty close games. Whoever makes plays down the stretch, which hopefully it's us, will end up winning the game."
Iowa (11-9, 3-4) hasn't played in nine days, since losing at Purdue. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten ? one spot ahead of Nebraska.
The game is a matchup of the league's worst offense (Nebraska, ranked last in league games in scoring offense, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage) and one of the league's worst defenses (Iowa, tied for last in league games in scoring defense and ranked 10th in field-goal percentage defense).
"We've got to execute on offense," Ubel said. "We can't turn the ball over more than 10, 11 times. We've got to keep it packed in on defense and not allow anything easy."
As for the Ohio State loss ? yes, that game again ? Ubel said he's not watched film of the disaster.
"I haven't watched any of it, to be honest with you," Ubel said. "The way that we played just wasn't how we had been practicing, even. There were no signs of that. It was really out of the ordinary."
Briefly
*Sadler, in his sixth season, will be going for his 100th victory at Nebraska. He's 8-35 in conference road games.
*Nebraska and Iowa last met in 1976 ? in the Huskers' first-ever game at the Devaney Sports Center. Iowa won 71-57.
"When are we going to move on from the Ohio State game?" he said.
Sadler was making light of the series of questions about his team's 79-45 loss to No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday.
Did players watch film of the game? Can the team garner anything positive from the loss? Why so many turnovers?
Yes, three days later, and the worst home loss in 116 years of Husker hoops was still a pressing topic.
"I don't know why we played bad, guys. We played bad," Sadler said. "If we don't turn it over 27 times, I think there were a lot of good things that we did do.
"Probably the most surprising thing about Saturday night's game was how well we had practiced Thursday and Friday. I think again (Monday) was one of the most enthusiastic practices we've had."
Maybe that's because players know the toughest stretch of their Big Ten Conference schedule is behind them.
Beginning with Thursday night's game at Iowa, the Huskers (10-9, 2-6) will play six of seven games against teams currently not ranked.
Compare that with Nebraska's first eight games, when the Huskers played five games against ranked teams. Four of those games resulted in losses of 13, 24, 31 and 34 points, with the other game a victory over Indiana.
Now comes three straight games ? at Iowa, at Northwestern, Minnesota ? against teams in the lower half of the conference standings.
"But that's not saying that any of these are any easier. It's basically a coin flip," Nebraska junior forward Brandon Ubel said.
"You just toss it up and kind of see what happens. They'll probably be pretty close games. Whoever makes plays down the stretch, which hopefully it's us, will end up winning the game."
Iowa (11-9, 3-4) hasn't played in nine days, since losing at Purdue. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten ? one spot ahead of Nebraska.
The game is a matchup of the league's worst offense (Nebraska, ranked last in league games in scoring offense, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage) and one of the league's worst defenses (Iowa, tied for last in league games in scoring defense and ranked 10th in field-goal percentage defense).
"We've got to execute on offense," Ubel said. "We can't turn the ball over more than 10, 11 times. We've got to keep it packed in on defense and not allow anything easy."
As for the Ohio State loss ? yes, that game again ? Ubel said he's not watched film of the disaster.
"I haven't watched any of it, to be honest with you," Ubel said. "The way that we played just wasn't how we had been practicing, even. There were no signs of that. It was really out of the ordinary."
Briefly
*Sadler, in his sixth season, will be going for his 100th victory at Nebraska. He's 8-35 in conference road games.
*Nebraska and Iowa last met in 1976 ? in the Huskers' first-ever game at the Devaney Sports Center. Iowa won 71-57.
