Nebraska Football: Previewing the Cornhuskers' Game Against Kansas

For Nebraska fans watching the game against Kansas (November 13, 6:00 p.m. central, Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE, FOX pay-per-view):

YOU'LL BE HAPPY IF...

THE MAGIC IS BACK

There's been a lot of noise surrounding the game against KU about how quarterback Taylor Martinez shouldn't play unless he's super-duper, no-questions-asked healed from his injury. The argument is that Nebraska can easily handle KU with Cody Green, LaTravis Washington, or Patrick Runge at quarterback, so Martinez should get another week of rest.

Nonsense (except for maybe that third guy, kid's got some skills and a lot of eligibility left). Against South Dakota State, Nebraska almost learned a harsh lesson about taking games for granted. Plus, keep in mind that Martinez is still a freshman who has only played a total of five full games. Sending a rusty freshman onto Kyle Field next week against a resurgent Texas A&M squad is a recipe for disaster. If Martinez can go, he should go.

THE FONZ GETS A RERUN

While Martinez's injury and absence was the most noticeable, the absence of cornerback Alfonzo Dennard may have been a bigger loss for Nebraska last week in Ames. In his absence, Iowa State noticeably attacked his replacements, true freshman Ciante Evans and Anthony West, with some degree of success.

All reports have Dennard returning from his concussion suffered against Missouri, and if he does, Nebraska has a lot more flexibility in what it can run defensively. If so, it will be Happy Days again in Lincoln. (I promise, that's the last 70's-era sitcom pun. This week.)

NU FINDS A KILLER INSTINCT

It's common wisdom that an athletically-superior team needs to get up early and end the game against a weaker opponent early. But after KU's 35-point coach-firing comeback in the fourth quarter against Colorado, the Jayhawks are unlikely to see themselves as out of the game at any point. Therefore, what will be more important for NU is something they've struggled with this season—putting a team to the sword when it has a chance.

Remember, NU was up 24-10 on Iowa State going into the fourth quarter. The lack of a knockout punch left NU needing its' opponent to panic and make bad decisions to leave Ames with a win. If, as is likely, NU gets a lead, finding that killer instinct to finish off the Jayhawks would serve NU well.

YOU'LL BE SAD IF...

THE NATIVES GET RESTLESS

I'm convinced one of the reasons things went so badly for NU against Texas was the quick 10-point lead the Longhorns built up, getting the home crowd antsy and turning NU's home field advantage against it. With the experience against the Jackrabbits (and, as it turns out, the Longhorns), NU fans know this squad is capable of putting up a clunker against inferior opponents.

If NU struggles early, the crowd could see that pattern repeating and make the game even harder for NU to get control of.

THE SLIPPERY PIG SYNDROME RETURNS

Once again, Nebraska put the ball on the ground against Iowa State. NU fumbled five times, and lost two, including the infamous Niles Paul fumble that gave the 'Clones the chance to tie the score. But the other three fumbles were eminently lose-able, and if NU loses one more of those, the game could very well have ended differently.

The Jayhawks' miracle comeback against Colorado was fueled in large part by CU turnovers, and if Nebraska gives Turner Gill's team the same opportunities, the game gets stickier.

THE WIND BLOWS HARD

In the two games with high winds (Texas and Iowa State), Nebraska has seemed stymied on offense going into the wind. Some of the struggles last week included an offensive coordinator with a lack of confidence in third-string quarterback Green, of course. But Saturday's forecast finally looks like a November day, with cold temperatures and a wind.

NU will need both the confidence and the ability to run its' offense into the teeth of that November wind to be successful on Saturday and for the rest of the season.

THE BIG PICTURE

Blah, blah, blah...worst opponent in Lincoln since Pacific in 1995...blah, blah, blah...Nebraska can win this with its third string...blah, blah, blah...cupcakes on the front cover of the sports page of the Omaha World-Herald...blah, blah, blah.

Does anyone else think the coverage of the Kansas game sounds hauntingly familiar to the buildup to the South Dakota State game? A certain Omaha radio host (of whom I am a huge fan) could literally be using clips from the South Dakota State week as his commentary for the Kansas preview. Sure, Nebraska is better athletically than Kansas, and sure, Nebraska SHOULD win the game comfortably.

But, as has been observed here before, those are college kids in those white helmets with the red N's on the side. They've already shown themselves to fall victim to believing their own press clippings and playing down to their competition. If head coach Bo Pelini gets his team sharp and ready, the game should be over by halftime.

But there have been times this year where he hasn't accomplished that—and at least after the SDSU game, by his own admission, he didn't know why after the game. This game will be a test of Nebraska's maturity as the season winds to a close.

FEARLESS FORECAST: Nebraska 35, Kansas 9

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