From:http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=38&u_sid=2009754
Tom Shatel: First downs, second guesses
BY TOM SHATEL
WORLD-HERALD COLUMNIST
First downs and second guesses:
Forget Andy Roddick. Has anyone seen Nebraska football's mojo?
After rushing for a mere 121 yards against Division I-AA Maine, and failing to try one rush on a first-and-goal at the 2 late in the first half, the last bastion of old-time Nebraska football has apparently left the building.
Can the Huskers run the ball when they want to?
This may one day be a terrific, lights-out offense to behold. But for now, this offense has no identity. It has no bread-and-butter play. And it's downright sad to see a Nebraska football team unable, or, worse, unwilling, to ram it down a Division I-AA's throat from the 2-yard line.
Was there a minute left with no timeouts? Yes. But you have time to run it once, if not twice, and then spike it and chuck it into the end zone.
Remember when one rushing attempt used to be enough?
Better question: Does coach Bill Callahan trust his offensive line?
Bingo. Callahan says his line is fine, and it was off by one or two blocks. That's what a coach is going to say. He is not going to incite a panic by saying his O-line couldn't block Maine.
But Callahan's actions, and the line's performance, say otherwise. The Black Bears were blitzing, yes, but they were also beating NU's linemen one-on-one. The sad truth is: NU's line ain't what it used to be.
Why? Maintenance. Recruiting. There has been attrition, from Richie Incognito to Ryan Schuler to Jermaine Leslie and Jon Dawson. And now Nebraska is knocking down all sorts of recruiting doors. But one recruiting class won't fix an O-line. It takes awhile, a few seasons.
Meanwhile, this line will improve. But does it have a ceiling? We'll find out, next time the Huskers are first-and-goal.
• I have no problem with linebacker Steve Octavien being on a punt return team. NU's special teams needed an upgrade. You put your best players out there. Octavien could have had a Maine guy fall on his leg while playing defense.
• OK, so I guess Charlie Weis doesn't look like Woody Widenhofer.
• After this weekend's games, every game remaining on Nebraska's schedule is winnable. And loseable.
• You gotta love Bob Stoops' honesty. He'll tell it to you straight, win or lose. After the TCU loss, Stoops said his team had been outplayed and outcoached and he questioned their dedication. That's refreshing.
• By limiting news media access to only two players this season, Texas Tech coach "Mad Mike" Leach has accomplished a brilliant stroke of genius: giving the news media a reason not to go to Lubbock, Texas. Why didn't I think of that?
• Miami football has dropped a notch. But against Florida State, the Hurricanes' biggest problem was not recruiting a holder.
• Legends should retire on their own terms. Who are we to tell them when to quit? I will remember Jerry Rice for his glory years as a 49er, not hanging on as a Bronco.
That said, I'm glad Rice upheld his own high standards and refused to be the fourth receiver in an average Denver offense. Good for you, No. 80. You'll be missed.
• The situation in New Orleans is depressing, period. But one of the sad byproducts of the disaster is the loss of the Superdome and probably the Sugar Bowl.
There are some great memories in that building. It's where Dean Smith, Joe Paterno and Steve Spurrier won their first national titles. The Big Easy knew how to throw a big event. The Sugar Bowl? It is synonymous with New Orleans.
But how can you dare throw millions into a new dome when an entire city must be rebuilt? How can you justify it? You can't. That's why the Saints will likely relocate, possibly to San Antonio or Los Angeles, as will the Sugar Bowl.
Look for the Bowl Championship Series commissioners to vote to put the Sugar Bowl in a temporary home like San Antonio or Houston this year. Long term, the game belongs in the south. It's an SEC bowl. I would put it in the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta. Not in Texas. The Sugar Bowl doesn't belong in Texas.
• Sorry, Chiefs fans. There are too many questions with injuries (Will Shields, Trent Green), the receiving corps wasn't upgraded and the defense will be better, but not championship level. Looks like a wild-card year.
On that note, here are this year's NFL picks, or, again, the absolute opposite of the way things will turn out:
AFC division winners: San Diego, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New England.
AFC wild cards: Kansas City, Baltimore.
NFC division winners: St. Louis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Philadelphia.
NFC wild cards: Arizona, Dallas.
Super Bowl: Philadelphia over Indianapolis.
B)