A Few (Unorganized) Thoughts on Game Day

[Husker_x]

Let's start with this: It doesn't really matter.

 

The college football industry is built on generating and sustaining hype. It's like Fox News. String a story together any way you like. Analyze the last fifty matches, break out the calculator and stat sheets, call Vegas. All bullsh#t aside, Nebraska can weather a reasonable loss with all of the reasonable goals and expectations the General Consensus deemed them worthy of before the season began. We can still win the West. We can claw our way to a rematch in Indie. We might not be able to secure a spot in the final four, but depending on the particulars of a loss and how this three-ring circus of a sport turns out between now and the million years before the season is over, I wouldn't assume anything there, either. Going undefeated is a luxury, and if/when it happens––to any team––it should be celebrated like the feat of discipline, strength, focus, talent, and (frankly) luck that it is.

 

That's the big picture.

 

More immediately, the fast-approaching moment does offer Nebraska several chances. And this goes into what I personally am hoping to see tonight. I've seen a lot of talk about what we might do tonight to throw MSU off-balance. What kinds of packages can we run? What trick plays or exotic formations does Beck have up his sleeve?

 

Ideally? ~0.

 

Our opening three/four drives should so closely resemble Miami and Illinois that folks are checking their DVRs to make sure they didn't hit the wrong button. Make Sparty prove to us they can stop the run. If they can't stop it, why on earth would you do anything else? Why would you trade the success of the option/run game for some hypothetical Other offense? Say MSU's defense stalls a few drives. It happens. Can they do it all night? Can they smother Ameer, Armstrong, Cross, and Newby four straight quarters? Oregon (who btw blew one against a 3-TD underdog) seemed to believe that's how long a football game lasts.

 

If a shiny new play or a busted coverage gives you the chance to slip a dagger between the ribs, fine, have fun. But if we can go on the road and run the ball, you want to talk about chances? This is a chance to cement an offensive identity in stone while collecting a pelt for the den.

 

Defensively I hope to see aggression like we haven't seen yet this season––both in scheme and attitude. It's time to attack with every athlete we have. If that means sending 6-7 and giving up a bomb a couple times, whoopie ding. We give up a score every first drive anyway. There are a lot of ways to lose a game. Do not let playing it safe be one of them. Get after Cook early and as often as possible. And if the pressure gets to him, do not let him breathe.

 

Longer post than I was going for, but that's my two cents. I am very confident in this team. Give it everything you got, fellas.

 

And For Ameer, you f'ing freak of nature, just go do your thing.

[True2tRA]

Good stuff. Also, I agree with you, no tricks needed. I don't think we need to unveil some diamond formation we've hardly ran in two seasons. Stick to what we've done and are obviously very good at. Abdullah is leading the country in rushing for a reason.

 

Still, Abdullah wouldn't be leading the country in rushing if defenses didn't respect and fear our passing threat. If we have to go to the air to keep Michigan St. Honest and off balance once in awhile, we do so.

 

That's the game of football. You don't live in fear like some around here seem to think. I would expect this gameplan to very closely resemble the Miami gameplan except that it's in their house and rain is possible so that could really have an impact. We better be prepared offensively to be able to communicate in a tough atmosphere.

[NUance]

Good post. Mostly agree, except for the very first sentence. It does matter somewhat. Right now we don't really know how good this team is. Might be around the 20th best in the nation. Or might be in the top half dozen or so. Tonight our first true test inasmuch as this is the first game we've not been favored to win. That, and a win tonight will push us up in the rankings to around 12th or so.