The former Nebraska coach appeared on a recent episode of “Pardon My Take” and delved into his view on the Cornhuskers’ controversial loss to Texas in the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game.
A little backstory: the Longhorns entered into that game with a perfect 12-0 record. Mack Brown’s squad was the No. 3 team in the nation, but No. 1 Florida was playing No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The stakes were clear for Texas; beat Nebraska and the Longhorns were headed to the national title game.
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The Cornhuskers, who entered the game with a 9-3 record, frustrated the Longhorns all night long. Nebraska sunk Colt McCoy’s Heisman chances, forcing Texas’ star quarterback into three interceptions.
All that amounted to a 12-10 Cornhuskers lead in the last minute. With nine seconds left, McCoy rolled right and flung a ball into the sidelines. The clock appeared to have expired and Nebraska’s players streamed onto the field. There was just one problem, though; the referees ruled that there was one second left in the game.
Brown sent kicker Hunter Lawrence on the field, who proceeded to nail a 46-yarder as time expired to send the Longhorns to the national championship.
Pelini made it clear that he believes Texas’ victory in that game was … undeserved. Fair warning kids, this language is NSFW.
The Longhorns went on to lose the national title game to Alabama, 37-21. As for Pelini, who knows what would have happened if he had gotten his moment under the sun with the Cornhuskers. Pelini went 67-27 during his seven-year tenure in Lincoln and Nebraska made two more appearances in the Big 12 Championship Game.
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But the Huskers would never get as close as they did that brisk December night at Cowboys Stadium, a game that Pelini thought was already over.
