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Nov. 7 is a red letter day on the Nebraska schedule, a day that Cornhusker fans and players alike have marked on their calendars
What is this red letter day, and why does it have the attention of so many?
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Sooner Schooner are paying a visit to Lincoln to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
For us old-schoolers, this game won't remind us of any classic Nebraska Vs Oklahoma games.
No, we won't see Barry Switzer roaming the sidelines, laughing it up and schmoozing with his players. Long gone is the wishbone offense, made so dangerous and effective by J.C. Watts, Billy Simms, and Jamelle Holiway.
The quiet confidence of Tom Osborne and the power I option attack with Gill, Frazier, Rozier, I.M. Hipp, Phillips, Frost, Green, and Co. That is gone too.
As I reminisce for a spell about the old Nebraska fullbacks, I miss the days of Schlessinger, Rathman, and the Mackovicka brothers with the busted face masks, the gnarly scratched up, gouged helmets and the bloody noses, both their own and ones given.
I miss watching those guys burst through the open gap on a search and destroy mission for the nearest linebacker.
Then boom!
The fullback finds his target and a great Nebraska running back is slashing and dashing his way into the second and third levels of the defense.
Oh well, those days are gone now and we are now left with Big 12 offenses, even Nebraska, spreading offensive players out all over the field trying to get favorable one-on-one matchups against the defense.
On to the game at hand.
Nebraska defense Vs the Oklahoma offense
In 2008 Oklahoma's offense was nearly unstoppable, at least that is, in the Big 12. From that squad the Sooners have to replace four of five starters in the offensive line, plus two of Bradford's favorite targets, Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson.
So, what do they have on offense?
DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown give Oklahoma an explosive two-headed monster at the running back position.
The biggest X-factor outside of Bradford returning, is the return of tight end Jermaine Gresham.
Gresham will be a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators at the next level, let alone in the Big 12.
Gresham torched Nebraska last year, and unfortunately for the Huskers, nearly the same group of linebackers and safeties that he ran away from in 2008 are back in 2009.
Bad news!!
You can be sure that Oklahoma's offensive coordinator will get Gresham 10-12 opportunities against this Nebraska defense.
Nebraska might have a wild card though.
Although young, Sean Fisher, a highly sought after 6'6", 235-pound redshirt freshman strong side linebacker out of Omaha's Millard North High School with a 4.5 or better 40-yard dash. Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables offered him a scholarship but he chose to follow in his dad's footsteps and play at Nebraska.
Fisher may have the size and speed to run with Gresham, but unfortunately, and I am sure Oklahoma's offensive coordinator will know this going in, Fisher will likely leave the field in obvious passing situations or in four wide receiver sets.
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