Neb 2021 results, going purely by final scores and taking nothing else into account):
Blow out wins: 2 (Fordham +45, NW +49)
Comfortable wins: 1 (Buffalo +25)
Respectable losses: 1 (Ohio St -9)
Within 1TD losses: 6 (@ILL -8, @OU -7, @MN -7, Pur -5, @Wisc -7, Iowa -7)
Within 1FG losses: 2 (@Mich St -3 in OT, Mich -3)
I can only accept that "bad luck" would reasonably be a significant factor in the games they lost within 1 FG. The games where it would've taken a TD (plus possibly a 2XP), I just conclude that the better team won.
There are always weird bounces and calls, and almost always go against both teams multiple times in a game. Taking advantage of short fields on offense and getting stops against long yards to gain a first down on defense, is part of being a good team.