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Perspective Piece: Nebraska-USC
By Matt Zemek
Staff Columnist
Posted Sep 14, 2006
Is it likely that Nebraska can march into the Los Angeles Coliseum at night and stun the Trojan Empire? No. But that doesn't mean there isn't reason for Pete Carroll's team to fear the Huskers in this intriguing matchup of big-name college football schools.
Nebraska, you see, is playing with house money in this game. Bill Callahan's team has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Even if the Huskers get drubbed, they'll learn so much (or at least, the residents of Lincoln sure hope they would) that they should be able to win a Big XII North that no longer features Colorado (winner of the division for the last two years and four of the last five) as a legitimate contender. And oh, if the former coach of the NFL Raiders can win in the former stadium of the NFL Raiders, the Nebraska program won't just affirm its status as the North favorite; the Big Red will become a resurgent national force that would be favored to beat Texas later this season.
What further adds to the fear factor for the homestanding Trojans is that Nebraska--while having nothing to lose--has the coach in Callahan with an offensive mind fertile enough to not only take chances, but to do so creatively. Carroll, a defensive guru, and coordinator Nick Holt could have their hands full against a team that has every reason to throw a full playbook at the Cardinal and Gold defense. In some ways, this matchup is reminiscent of the Fresno State-USC game from last November at the Coliseum. A visiting team with no pressure on its back will enter LA with a full tank of energy and belief. If Nebraska's confidence is fed and heightened early on, look out. John David Booty, just two games into his USC career as a starting quarterback, could find himself in a position where he has to win a shootout. Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were able to overcome and outscore Fresno ten months ago; if a calculator game emerges this Saturday night in the City of Angels, it's definitely to Nebraska's advantage.
Now that Nebraska's dream scenario has been unrolled in painstaking detail, however, the reality of this matchup is that the Trojans--while playing at home--have a profoundly stronger defense and are likely to punch the Huskers in the mouth on both sides of the ball. The most impressive dimension of SC's opening-night win in Arkansas was the physicality with which Troy pushed around the Razorbacks, bludgeoning the Hogs with a relentless defense and a billy-basic offense that relied on power and never needed much of any finesse. And while Nebraska stands to win the Big XII North this year (that's the good news in Lincoln), the bad news is that winning the Big XII North doesn't exactly represent the zenith of football excellence. The Big XII's fortunes have gone South--literally--over the past few years, as the power center of the conference has resided in Texas and Oklahoma. While Nebraska shows some indications of returning to prominence as a legitimate national power, the Huskers have many more miles to go before they can sleep on a top-10 ranking and a Tom Osborne-like set of credentials. This larger reality is what is likely to limit Nebraska's chances of coming away with a victory in Tinseltown.
So no one will be caught dead saying that USC's likely to have an even-steven fistfight on its hands this Saturday. But just the same, there's reason to be wary of a Nebraska team that's playing with extra poker chips. Should make for an interesting battle between two of the best brand names in college football.
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scout link
Perspective Piece: Nebraska-USC
By Matt Zemek
Staff Columnist
Posted Sep 14, 2006
Is it likely that Nebraska can march into the Los Angeles Coliseum at night and stun the Trojan Empire? No. But that doesn't mean there isn't reason for Pete Carroll's team to fear the Huskers in this intriguing matchup of big-name college football schools.
Nebraska, you see, is playing with house money in this game. Bill Callahan's team has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Even if the Huskers get drubbed, they'll learn so much (or at least, the residents of Lincoln sure hope they would) that they should be able to win a Big XII North that no longer features Colorado (winner of the division for the last two years and four of the last five) as a legitimate contender. And oh, if the former coach of the NFL Raiders can win in the former stadium of the NFL Raiders, the Nebraska program won't just affirm its status as the North favorite; the Big Red will become a resurgent national force that would be favored to beat Texas later this season.
What further adds to the fear factor for the homestanding Trojans is that Nebraska--while having nothing to lose--has the coach in Callahan with an offensive mind fertile enough to not only take chances, but to do so creatively. Carroll, a defensive guru, and coordinator Nick Holt could have their hands full against a team that has every reason to throw a full playbook at the Cardinal and Gold defense. In some ways, this matchup is reminiscent of the Fresno State-USC game from last November at the Coliseum. A visiting team with no pressure on its back will enter LA with a full tank of energy and belief. If Nebraska's confidence is fed and heightened early on, look out. John David Booty, just two games into his USC career as a starting quarterback, could find himself in a position where he has to win a shootout. Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were able to overcome and outscore Fresno ten months ago; if a calculator game emerges this Saturday night in the City of Angels, it's definitely to Nebraska's advantage.
Now that Nebraska's dream scenario has been unrolled in painstaking detail, however, the reality of this matchup is that the Trojans--while playing at home--have a profoundly stronger defense and are likely to punch the Huskers in the mouth on both sides of the ball. The most impressive dimension of SC's opening-night win in Arkansas was the physicality with which Troy pushed around the Razorbacks, bludgeoning the Hogs with a relentless defense and a billy-basic offense that relied on power and never needed much of any finesse. And while Nebraska stands to win the Big XII North this year (that's the good news in Lincoln), the bad news is that winning the Big XII North doesn't exactly represent the zenith of football excellence. The Big XII's fortunes have gone South--literally--over the past few years, as the power center of the conference has resided in Texas and Oklahoma. While Nebraska shows some indications of returning to prominence as a legitimate national power, the Huskers have many more miles to go before they can sleep on a top-10 ranking and a Tom Osborne-like set of credentials. This larger reality is what is likely to limit Nebraska's chances of coming away with a victory in Tinseltown.
So no one will be caught dead saying that USC's likely to have an even-steven fistfight on its hands this Saturday. But just the same, there's reason to be wary of a Nebraska team that's playing with extra poker chips. Should make for an interesting battle between two of the best brand names in college football.
:restore
