Just minutes after getting shellacked by Wisconsin 70-31 in the Big Ten Championship, Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez was already hunched over a textbook.

“Man, I’ve got this killer Sociology final coming up that I’ve been totally stressing over,” said Martinez, who threw two picks in the losing effort. “I wish I could say my mind was entirely focused on football lately, but I haven’t even been sleeping well knowing I’ve got this exam next week.”

Senior safety P.J. Smith echoed Martinez.

“There’s a lot of pressure on us at Nebraska to be great football players,” said Smith. “But there’s even more pressure to be great students. I once was five minutes late to a class and coach threatened to cut me from the team. That’s a lot to deal with so I can’t be sorry if occasionally my devotion to my studies takes away from my efforts on the football field.”

hecklerbrad