Yesterday Clay Travis from Outkick said Nebraska football is in the wrong conference—that we should be in the SEC. Honestly, I find that bizarre. I’ve never thought of Nebraska as an SEC school, and the idea that we’d somehow “fit better” playing Texas, Missouri, or Texas A&M just doesn’t hold up. This take ignores the real story of Nebraska in the Big Ten.

For over a decade, people have told me Nebraska should leave the Big Ten and go back to the Big 12.

The argument is always the same: we’d win more games. But that’s just not true.

It’s an insult to both conferences and a misunderstanding of Nebraska’s problems since Tom Osborne retired.

We didn’t fail in the Big Ten West because of recruiting—we consistently out-recruited our peers like Minnesota, Iowa, and Northwestern. The issue has always been personnel. Coaches and athletic directors made bad decisions, and leadership faltered.

I walked through it all in my video:

Frank Solich wasn’t Osborne, and he got fired by a megalomaniac AD.

Bill Callahan could coach an offensive line but never lead a program.

Bo Pelini refused to adapt, struggled in recruiting, and ultimately would have failed no matter the conference.

Mike Riley wasn’t built for Nebraska’s expectations, and Scott Frost turned into one of the biggest disappointments in school history.

Time after time, Nebraska football has been undermined by people problems, not conference affiliation.

The truth is that Nebraska belongs in the Big Ten. Switching back to the Big 12—or jumping to the SEC—wouldn’t solve anything.

What will matter is finding the right leaders, both in the athletic department and on the sideline.

Legends like Tom Osborne had great assistants who stayed and built something lasting. That’s what it will take again. So no, Nebraska football isn’t in the wrong conference. We’re in the right place. The challenge is making the right hires, building stability, and facing the new era of NIL and roster-building head-on.

Until then, blaming the Big Ten is just another excuse.