The biggest two games of Nebraska’s season upcoming…

Yeah, HG said it.

The Huskers are facing must-win games against Baylor and Iowa State. Why?

If the Huskers are to go ‘bowling,’ they will need 6 wins. After the last 3 losses, HG believes a bowl game topped off with a win can be labeled a “successful season.”

It doesn’t matter if they play in the Insight Bowl or Pets.com Bowl and it doesn’t matter if they beat Purdue or some other mediocre Big 10 football team. A bowl game topped with a win would give the state and the program a much-needed shot of realistic optimism and additional confidence in the Pelini Administration.

We can’t go from missing bowl games 2 out of the past 4 years to going to the Fiesta Bowl the next. But the Huskers can make progress this year needed to reach that goal.

And looking at the schedule, it will only get tougher with games against Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State (should be our 6th win), and (gulp!) Oklahoma.

Yes, the Huskers can pick off a win (or maybe even two or three) in that batch. We are not by any means underestimating the potential of the 2008 Huskers.

Joe Ganz was almost flawless in regulation, the game plan was perfectly suited to Nebraska’s strengths and weaknesses, and we showed some guts and heart.

But, potential also means you haven’t done it yet. And while you can take ‘moral victories’ out of Virginia Tech and Texas Tech, you have to cash those ‘moral victories’ into real victories when you are facing winnable games.

Otherwise, this team may be headed for a downward spiral.

This team has been competitive against Texas Tech and Virginia Tech and it’s up to the coaching staff to make sure the Huskers are up for Iowa State.

To HG, getting the team up for Big 12 opponents we should be beating every year (including this one) is the biggest test the coaching staff will face in 2008.