The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers are members of the Big XII Conference and play in the North division along with Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Missouri. They come in at #24 in the pre-season rankings based on potential and tradition at the University. For decades, Nebraska has been one of the faces of college football right along side the likes of Notre Dame, Alabama, and Michigan, but in recent years, the team has fallen on hard times. Legendary coach Tom Osborne is gone, and his handpicked successor Frank Solich was removed after the 2003 season. Bill Callahan, only two years removed from leading the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl, is the new man in charge. The old option system of offense will take a back seat to a more modern form of the game.

Nebraska was known for the option and speedy quarterbacks that made the defense try to guess what was coming at them. The system began to fall apart a few years ago, and after watching new QB Joe Dailey throw 49 passes in a recent scrimmage, fans of the Huskers know that the good ol’ days are long gone. There’s no doubt that it will take time for the players to feel more comfortable in the system, and the odds of a national championship run aren’t as good as past years, but this team can still compete in arguably the deepest conference in the nation. Dailey spent much of last season behind option QB Jamaal Lord and now will be able to show that he can lead the team. Center Richie Incognito is one of the best linemen in college football but has a temper that often times gets the best of him. LB Barrett Rudd will fill the void left by Demorrio Williams, even though Rudd finished last season as the team’s leader in tackles with 149, a Nebraska single-season record. Callahan has also played with the idea of moving from a 3-4 defensive alignment to a 4-3 on 3rd and long situations and moving DE Adam Carriker to a speed rushing position.

If Nebraska wants to improve on their 2003 season, they’ll need to post wins against some of the best teams in the nation, many of which reside in their own conference. Three big games will be on the road at Pittsburgh, Texas Tech, and Kansas State before playing Missouri at home. The showcase game is undoubtedly November 13 in Norman, Oklahoma, against the Sooners of Oklahoma before they’ll host Colorado in their traditional day-after-Thanksgiving game to finish the season. The Cornhuskers led the nation in defense and turnover margin last season, and much of that can be attributed to defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. The “Blackshirts”, as the defensive unit is known, played with an aggressive style all season and never quit on any play. Many around Huskerland thought Pelini deserved to be moved to head coach despite his young age, but the school favored bringing in a more experienced head coach in Callahan.

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