2011 College Season Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Cornhuskers had Oklahoma right where they wanted them in the Big 12 Title and yet they seemingly could not pull away in the fourth quarter.

It has now been back to back years where Texas and Oklahoma squeaked by the Cornhuskers in games that Nebraska was winning for the first three quarters. They then left the Big 12 conference and are now a part of the Big Ten conference, which now has 12 teams. 

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is the perfect example of an in your face coach that is not afraid to tell you what exactly is on his mind. He is a defensive minded coach and looking at this defense alongside his brother Carl, you may see the best overall defense in the entire conference.

Still, can Nebraska win the Big Ten in their very first season?

Big Nasty Blackshirts

This defense for three years now has been all about the front four. First it was a boy named Suh and then the duo of Pierre Allen and Jared Crick stepped in and put the clamps on the Big 12. Now moving to the Big Ten should not change things by any means. 

Crick will tee off on running backs and will have no issues getting in the backfield harassing returning QB’s. Baker Steinkuhler and Cameron Meredith, who were formidable players that had productive seasons, last season.

Expect more of the same and while most may think of the Huskers' linemen as big uglies— not so fast my friend. They are a tad undersized when talking about the NFL, but they run so well and have great awareness around the football.

Best LB's in Big Ten?

The linebackers are the guys who are flat out freaks. Look no further than Lavonte David, who just showed off his skills in a 16 tackle effort in a 48-13 victory over Kansas State last season. David has exceptional speed for a man that is 6’1”, 210-pounds out of Miami.

Eric Martin has been battling a rash of injuries but has plenty of help from David, Matthew May, Alonzo Whaley and Will Compton. Collectively as a group this may very well be the best LB unit in the Big Ten as far as depth and overall talent.  

David may be the only true NFL star in the making in this unit, but the Cornhuskers have a few incoming freshmen who may make an impact.

David Santos is a player out of Texas that should play immediately on special team kickoffs and possibly see some linebacker action as a backup role player. 

Fisher, Compton and David are the expected starters since Martin is likely to start at defensive end. This unit will be led by Lavonte David who is looking to become a First Team All-American this season.

The Prince Has Left the Building

This secondary may have been the finest in the country the past two seasons ranking 18th and fifth respectively.  They only allowed a miniscule, 153 yards per game last year so passing may not be a good decision for new offenses in the Big Ten.

Let’s not take anything away from the Big Ten as it has been among the top three conferences in America for some time. They are just reliant on the running games whether it is spread attacks/I-formations, but once they are bottled up solid SEC defenses can just dominate them (see January 1, 2011). 

This secondary at the end of the day have been a proven commodity that Pelini has a bundle of confidence where he can send his safeties off the edge coming on blitzes. Offenses cannot pick up the blitzes because they do not where they are coming from. 

PJ Smith, Austin Cassidy, Andrew Green and Courtney Osborne will wreak some havoc on opposing QB’s if they cannot pass protect against the array of blitz packages that Husker nation brings.

Lastly, don’t forget about one of the finest corners in all of the land, Alfonzo Dennard. Dennard is questionable to start in the opener with a muscle cramp leg injury, but comes into the season as one of the elites in America. He will look to produce like former All-American Prince Amukamara.

Spread Attack in Full Gear

The man calling the shots behind the scenes is Tim Beck, who will be in his first full season as the coordinator.

Beck coached the running backs the previous three seasons and is a solid X’s and O’s coach who loves threading the needle to his receivers. He turned some once called no name players into NFL players when he was at Kansas four years ago.

Four years ago Taylor Martinez was still playing high school ball in Coronoa, California with Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict, and here he is now coming off a redshirt freshmen season where he was named as the Big 12 Freshmen of the Year.

He has all the tools needed in a spread offense attack with great speed, solid size as well as perfect mobility in the pocket to escape pressure.

One may always look for arm strength , awareness and intangibles, but Martinez is still learning on the fly in this system and quite frankly he has all the weapons at his disposal to become the next great, successful Husker QB. 

“T-Magic” did lose Roy Helu Jr. who was a solid back, but Rex Burkhead and blocking fullback Tyler Legate both return. Burkhead split most of the load with Helu and is expected to become an All-Big Ten performer in 2011.

T-Magic and Rexy Should Be Quite the Duo

Burkhead has underrated, deceptive speed where he can get around the corner and break off long runs. Incoming freshmen Aaron Green (4.4 speed) is expected to contribute right away and he should make quite the impact in the new and improved Big Ten.

Martinez broke off a run of at least 23 yards in every regular season game he took snaps in, while running for a total of 965 yards and 10 touchdowns. The long runs he breaks if often because of the respect teams have for Burkhead and because of the push the line gets up front.

Still, T-Magic is easily the top option for the Huskers running the rock and the better he becomes as a passer, the more impossible this offense is to stifle. 

Extra Corn Up Front

The offensive line has been the main reason why there is so much success. The Huskers line was mediocre a few seasons ago and nowadays they get to the second level without being pushed away by any front four.

Center Mike Caputo returns as one of the top centers in America alongside left tackle Jeremiah Sirles. The two are very talented and could receive a ton of accolades this season if their success continues in the Big Ten. 

Husker nation is expecting the other three linemen  (Jake Cotton, Andrew Rodriguez and Tyler Moore) to fill in without too much of a drop off.

Stretching the Field

Expect a huge increase in the receiving core as everybody returns outside of Niles Paul.

Brandon Kinnie is a solid deep threat that can beat many corners, but the Huskers TE's are the ones who get most of the looks in the passing game. Kyler Reed who is a bit of tweener between a WR and TE has the speed to get past the secondary.

Ben Cotton is more of your typical TE, where he is a good blocker and has sure hands in the redzone. Martinez can throw the deep ball half way decent, but is better on short slants across the middle of the field as well as quick button hooks over the middle to specifically those TE’s.

This offense clearly starts and ends with this incoming redshirt sophomore from California. Taylor Martinez could become special because he has that special “it” factor that most QB’s never find as a freshman.

Drama's Forecast

This defense had an awful taste in their mouth from the finale in the Holiday Bowl against Washington and Jake Locker, so expect them to have the business attitude approach in 2011.

They are a more experience defense which is certainly a positive going into a brand new conference. A favorable schedule with only three tough road tests at Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State is not too tough to overcome.

It should be noted that the Big Ten is wide open as you make a case of several or perhaps zero BCS National Championship contenders. Who is the legit favorite to win the conference and meet in the first annual Big Ten Championship?

The majority of returning QB’s in this league are up to a maximum with seven back (Only Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin have new signal callers).

However, many of the playmakers in the defensive front four are gone in the Big Ten: Watt, Kerrigan, Liguit, Clayborn and Heyward.

So if the Huskers can continue to play sensational defense on top of running the ball with a ton of success there may be a whiff of roses in Lincoln.

RETURNING STARTERS: 6 OFFENSE/ 7 DEFENSE

PROJECTED RECORD: 13-1, 8-1

PROJECTED FINISH: First in Legends, First Overall

PROJECTED BOWL: BCS Rose Bowl