To some, it had become a tired cliché; a tired, oversimplistic explanation of what Nebraska's issues were. But if you listened to Mike Riley during Christmas week, you heard tacit admission that his critics had a point.
And as the Foster Farms Bowl played out, the talk started to walk. Or more precisely: run.
Run, run, run the ball. Then more run, run, run the ball.
Against Minnesota, Nebraska's run/pass ratio was 60% run/40% pass, and afterwards Mike Riley called it "optimal" for the Huskers. But in subsequent games, Mike Riley returned to trying to have Nebraska run Oregon State's offense.