Nebraska Football: 11 Reasons the Cornhuskers Will Run the Big Ten Table
Oct. 1 will be here before you know it. And when that day arrives, Nebraska will finally start its first football season in the B1G Conference. The Cornhuskers are the consensus pick in the preseason magazines to win the still-unfortunately-named Legends Division of the B1G Conference.
But what will Nebraska have to do in order to win all their conference games? What would be the keys for NU to have a perfect 2011 in the B1G Conference?
T-Magic Reappears
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In 2010, the rule was pretty clear. As went Taylor Martinez, so went Nebraska. When Martinez put on his cape and assumed his T-Magic superhero identity, Nebraska dominated and won. When Martinez had the shackles put on him, either through injury or defensive scheme, Nebraska struggled.
So if Nebraska is going to run the B1G table, T-Magic will have to make a return appearance. Unless ...
Bri-Magic Appears
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Last year, Nebraska had no Plan B when Taylor Martinez struggled. Cody Green was the backup but, while a capable leader and outstanding human being, lacked the composure and athletic skills to make Nebraska's offense explosive.
At the Spring Game, red-shirt freshman Brion Carnes appeared to have secured the backup quarterback role from Green. Carnes demonstrated both the arm and the legs to suggest he could fill in for Martinez without the offense bogging down as it did in 2010.
And if Martinez, who exhibited some diva-like tendencies last year, has some legitimate competition behind him, that can't hurt the team either.
Photo originally located at the India Times.
Offensive Upgrade
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At the end of last year, Nebraska fans' frustration with the Cornhusker offense boiled over. For two years, Nebraska had a championship-caliber defense saddled with an inept offense. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson paid for those two years of frustration with his job after the 2010 season.
Enter Tim Beck, former running back coach, as Nebraska's new offensive coordinator. Beck has promised to revamp the Nebraska offense, making it simpler, less rigid and more intuitive. If Nebraska is hoping for a perfect B1G season in 2011, Beck's offensive transition must be successful.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The Kids Are All Right
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While Nebraska will be relying on returning experience, the Cornhuskers will also need to lean on some of their incoming freshman class. Players like Ryne Reeves (seen above), Jamal Turner, Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah, Charles Jackson (if he makes grades) and others will have to make an immediate impact if Nebraska wants a perfect 2011 in the B1G Conference.
Photo courtesy of Big Red Today.
Lavonte Makes His Mark
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One of the great surprises of 2010 was the performance of Lavonte David at linebacker. Pressed into service due to injury, David responded by being Nebraska's only Blackshirt to eclipse the century mark in tackles.
It is likely that Nebraska's transition to the B1G will result in the Cornhuskers playing less Peso defense with linebacker/safety hybrids and more traditional defense with three linebackers. This year, David will get a full offseason of preparation as a starter. And as Nebraska transitions into a league where linebacker performance will become more important, David's success will be critical if Nebraska has thoughts to run the table in the B1G Conference.
Bo Knows Defense
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While Nebraska's offense has struggled since the departure of Joe Ganz (let that one sink in for a little while), the Blackshirts have always been the bedrock upon which Nebraska has been built under Bo Pelini. Last year, Pelini introduced the Peso defense with hybrid linebacker/safeties to combat the proliferation of spread offenses in the Big 12.
Entering a new conference, with a new offensive coordinator and with big-time questions at quarterback, Nebraska will once again be leaning on the Pelini specialty to carry the Cornhuskers. If perfection is the dream in 2011, Pelini's defense must be a mainstay.
And, as an aside, is there anyone under the age of 25 who understands where the "Bo Knows" reference comes from?
Tressel-Gate
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When the inaugural B1G Conference football schedules were announced, most people looked at Ohio State as the odds-on favorite to win the conference in 2011. The Buckeyes had the most talent coming back and had the most successful coach in the league at the helm.
Yeah. Looks a little different now.
There's no question that Jim Tressel's resignation has dealt a serious blow to Ohio State's ability to win in 2011. If Nebraska goes perfect in the B1G Conference next year, a big thank you can be sent to the Senator.
Pryor-Gate
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Sure, Ohio State took a big hit when Jim Tressel resigned. But the players were still in place, and Terrelle Pryor was the most talented of those players. Pryor was facing a five-game suspension, but his first game back in action would have been at Nebraska.
Say what you will about Pryor's off-the-field actions and his decision-making. But he is still a talented and dangerous college quarterback. The Buckeyes will definitely feel Pryor's absence on the field against Nebraska in October, and that can only help Nebraska's chances to defeat what looked to be their toughest test in 2011.
Pomp and Circumstance
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Yes, Nebraska's inaugural schedule in the B1G Conference is about as tough as it gets. But Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State will all be breaking in new quarterbacks due to graduation (OK, in fairness, calling Terrelle Pryor's departure "graduation" is stretching things a little).
As Nebraska learned last year, it's not easy to win with a new quarterback. So, thanks to those graduations, Nebraska's path to a perfect B1G Conference season in 2011 looks a little less daunting.
New Coach (For Big) Blues
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Transitions are tough. Have Sherman set the Way-Back Machine for 2005 and ask any Nebraska fan how things went in Bill Callahan's first year. New head Wolverine Brady Hoke is facing a very similar culture change at Michigan that Bo Pelini did when he arrived in Lincoln.
If Hoke is the guy in Michigan, the Wolverines could return to national relevance in a hurry. But it's a big task to think that Big Blue's return will be in Hoke's first year, making Nebraska's task in achieving a perfect B1G Conference record in 2011 more attainable.
Home Field Rivalries
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One of the most exciting part of Nebraska's move to the B1G Conference is the nascent rivalry with Iowa. Even before Nebraska has formally joined the conference, the bad blood between the fanbases has begun to boil, and that rivalry will just get more and more heated as the season winds down.
If Nebraska-Iowa is, indeed, going to be a rivalry, then home field advantage is going to be more important in the series than it would in a non-rivalry game. Nebraska ends its 2011 B1G Conference schedule against Iowa in Lincoln, meaning that the Sea of Red will be behind Nebraska and providing a little extra wind in NU's sails to push them over the finish line of a perfect conference season.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
