Nebraska Football: 10 Reasons the 'Huskers Are Big Ten Frontrunners in Year One
You may have heard something about Nebraska playing in a new conference in 2011. It was in all the papers. And there was something about hidden agendas, conspiracies and something about aliens, I think.
But how will the Big Red do in the Big Ten next year? How will the cornheads mix in with college football's blue bloods?
We'll find out on the field, but for Nebraska fans, here are 10 reasons why Nebraska could rule the B1G Conference in 2011.
The T-Magic Is Back
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At the start of 2010, redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez stunned the college football world with his offensive prowess. With both his legs and his arms, Martinez broke records and set himself up as a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate.
A combination of injuries and defensive scheming significantly limited Martinez's output in the second half of the season. But if Martinez can find his early-season form (dare I say, his T-Magic) Nebraska's offense will be hard to stop.
King David Reigneth
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Injuries to Nebraska's linebacker corps leading up to the 2010 season forced Bo Pelini to press JUCO Lavonte David into a starting role.
David repaid that trust with a total of 152 (!) tackles, including 12.5 tackles for loss. And that was without the benefit of a spring practice schedule knowing he would be a starter.
Now that David is firmly entrenched in the role, and with a year's experience under his belt, David could be the linchpin of a Blackshirts defense as they enter their new conference home.
Speed Kills
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There were a number of reasons why Nebraska's offense floundered, especially towards the end of the season.
One of the reasons was a lack of downfield speed to threaten a defense and to prevent them from cheating short and taking away Martinez's running lanes.
Nebraska answered this concern with their 2011 recruiting class, including Jamal Turner (pictured above, in mid-showboat), Aaron Green, and Ameer Abdullah, among others.
While that speed will be young, the threat it poses will make defenses more honest and provide more avenues to attack.
Photo originally located here.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
There's a New Sheriff in the Pressbox
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Former Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson was responsible for global warming, African famines, overpopulation, and the travesty of Supernova defeating Voltage in Fan-DEW-Monium.
I mean, seriously, have you tried Supernova? I don't care if Erin Andrews is cuter than Kenny Mayne, that stuff is vile.
But I digress. Watson's curious blend of a spread and West Coast offense had soured on the fan base and had failed to deliver any silverware to Nebraska's trophy cases.
New offensive coordinator Tim Beck promises a simpler, up-tempo offense that takes advantage of the skills of his players.
If that not-so-revolutionary-sounding idea ends up working, Nebraska could enjoy great success in the B1G Conference.
Photo originally located here.
Bo Knows Defense
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Sure, Bo Pelini's Blackshirts have lost two first-round draft picks off his defense. But throughout Pelini's career, he has shown the ability to take the talents available to him and forge a salty, opportunistic defense.
Even with the most anemic of offenses, Pelini's defense brought Nebraska to the brink of a Big 12 championship and a BCS berth in the last two years.
Nebraska's offense will be a significant question mark going into a new conference. But Pelini's defenses have been a consistent throughout his career.
A Pelini-led Blackshirts crew could wreak havoc with their new conference foes, and be the bedrock on which Pelini builds his first championship.
New Kids on the Block
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No, not those guys.
The Big Ten awarded its first football champion in 1896 (bonus points if you know who it was). These teams know each other inside and out, and therefore it's awfully hard to pull a surprise.
Nebraska doesn't have decades of history with their new B1G rivals, and therefore those teams don't have decades of scouting tape to use against NU.
(Bonus answer: Wisconsin)
Photo originally located here.
Tattoo-Gate
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For the last decade, the team to beat in the B1G Conference has been Ohio State. Jim Tressel has taken the Buckeyes to new heights and made them a regular in the discussion for a national championship, and the first name thought of when looking at conference honors.
Then, there was the little matter of the gold pants and the tattoos. And all of a sudden, star Buckeye quarterback Terrell Pryor and four other players were suspended for the first five games of 2011, along with their head coach.
And while they will all be back for Game 6 against Nebraska, it's a tall order for Ohio State to have all those players seeing their first live action of the season against the Blackshirts. In Lincoln.
Before the suspensions, Ohio State looked to be one of Nebraska's biggest hurdles. Now, the Buckeyes could be much more manageable, paving the way for NU's success in year one of the B1G.
Rookie Blues for Big Blue
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A team fires a conservative, underachieving coach, and brings in an outsider with an exciting offense and a dramatic change in culture. After a few disastrous years, the outsider is fired and a new coach is brought in to steady the ship and return the tradition.
Michigan in 2011 under Brady Hoke? How about Nebraska in 2007? Michigan's experience is eerily reminiscent of Nebraska's under Bill Callahan, then Bo Pelini.
Certainly, Michigan fans are hoping for the kind of turnaround that Pelini has engineered in Lincoln, but recall that Pelini's first year as Head Husker had some rocky moments.
So, while Hoke might be Michigan's Man to return Big Blue to greatness, the fact that it likely won't happen overnight should help Nebraska in their Year One in the B1G Conference.
Graduation Situation
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On paper, Nebraska's 2011 conference schedule looks daunting. But a number of schools on that schedule, including Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Iowa, have been hit hard by graduation.
Those losses could help make Nebraska's 2011 B1G Conference campaign a little less daunting, and give NU a smoother path to that elusive conference title.
Nebraska Getting Kicked out of the AAU
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The American Association of Universities is a prestigious group of research institutions. Nebraska had been a member of this group since 1909, and Nebraska's membership was touted as a non-football reason why NU was a good fit with the B1G Conference.
Did you notice the "had been" there? Nebraska was kicked out of the AAU recently, for reasons that have yet to be adequately explained. And while that may embarrassing for the university as a whole, it may have benefits for football.
After all, if the eggheads at Wisconsin and Ohio State are busy studying astrophysics, thermodynamics, and all those other big words, the kids at Nebraska will be able to just focus on their football and get a leg up on the competition.
And I suspect if Nebraska brings home a B1G Conference championship, there will be very few fans in Memorial Stadium that stay mad about the whole AAU thing.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
