Sooners or Horns? NU awaits
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star ANALYSIS
Imagine this crazy, but not totally far-fetched, college football scene next weekend. Texas sees the ghost of Josh Freeman and loses to Texas A&M at home on Friday, leaving Oklahoma in control of the Big 12 Conference South Division. But then the Sooners throw away the gift by losing at Oklahoma State, leaving the Longhorns with a backdoor entry to the league title game in Kansas City, Mo.
Hmmm. Wasn’t the North Division — which last year had Colorado and Iowa State trade you-take-it, I-don’t-want-it scenarios on the final weekend — supposed to be the dreaded in-laws in this league?
How quickly the tables could turn.
OK, I know. The Big 12 wasn’t even in existence the last time A&M went into Austin and won a game of significance, and so Nebraska probably should be expecting to see Mack Brown’s team for the second time on Dec. 2. Don’t know a Husker who wouldn’t love that.
Then again, last we saw of Texas, it was looking winded in the cold climate of Manhattan, Kan., while chasing Freeman and giving up 45 points in a loss to Kansas State.
And so maybe longtime Husker die-hards who feel cheated they don’t get to do this every year will have their prayers answered and get to see their true rivals, the Sooners, in Arrowhead Stadium.
What a headache that would be for NU quarterback and Norman, Okla., product Zac Taylor. Right, Zac?
“I’ve never had a problem with the Oklahoma people asking me for tickets,” he said, grinning.
For the senior, beating Oklahoma for a Big 12 title would come about as close to a storybook ending as possible. But I’ll suggest that after disposing of Colorado, he and his teammates will be better off if they get their rematch with the Hook ’Ems.
Not that you shouldn’t be extremely careful about what you wish for, because whichever team stands on the opposite sideline will be considered the favorite. I just think Nebraska matches up better with Texas.
For starters, the Huskers have proven they can handle the Longhorns’ impressive physical talent.
In their October meeting, in a game where plans were dictated by cold, windy conditions, the Huskers were coming on strong and clearly looked like the better team in the fourth quarter. And as everyone knows — even the Texas media who until their boys lost to the Wildcats were pushing for a law that would require the Longhorns to be the team to play either Ohio State or Michigan in the BCS championship — Nebraska never should have walked off the field that day with a loss.
“I would like to play Texas, only because we lost to them,” NU receiver Maurice Purify said. “Whoever gets in, we’re going to be prepared and go out and play our hardest.”
That should be a given. But I do think in a second-time-around situation, Bill Callahan would shine. Give Nebraska grief for its third-quarter lulls, but Callahan and his staff have consistently mapped the Huskers off to fast starts. And in a rematch, particularly for the team that lost the first meeting, I think it’s critical to show your opponent early that there will be no easy sledding.
Remember what happened when Colorado didn’t do that last year? 70-3 Texas. But in the 2001 Big 12 Championship Game, the Buffs came out swinging and avenged their regular-season loss to the Longhorns.
And didn’t Nebraska do that to Texas in 1999?
Here’s a couple more things about the Longhorns. Colt McCoy has played at an all-league level, and he definitely showed the Huskers his toughness. What we don’t know is how the redshirt freshman quarterback is feeling. Remember, he had to leave the Kansas State game with a neck/shoulder injury, and the hush-hush about his status only creates more uncertainty.
Finally, and this is another X-factor, you’ve got the running backs. Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young are nice runners, but not game breakers.
At least nothing like Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson. And yes, Peterson would plan on playing if the Sooners make it to Kansas City.
Of course, it takes more than one guy. But as OU has proven all season long — first when quarterback Rhett Bomar was removed from the team before the opener, and then after Peterson broke his collarbone — this team not only has been the most resilient but the most improved in the league (allowing an average of just 12 points while running off six straight wins).
Want another barometer? Ask yourself this: Who would you like right now if Texas and Oklahoma played again at a neutral site?
My opinion on that one sways me even more to think the Huskers should want a rematch with the Longhorns rather than a renewal of their storied series with the Sooners.
The fact Nebraska is even waiting for its opponent is something that back in August seemed unimaginable.
“Anybody we face after Colorado will be a tough challenge for us,” Taylor acknowledged. But “I think the rest of our games we’re not going to be intimidated by anybody. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves after the way we’ve won the last two games.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@jpournalstar.com.
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