Is there anything that can be counted on in this world? Death, taxes and the Nebraska running game used to be the three surest things in life, but it's all changing now under new head coach Bill Callahan.
Fearing a permanent slip into the world of Big XII also-rans, Frank Solich was let go and Callahan was brought in to bring the offense into the 21st century. It might take a little while for things to come together as the program doesn't just need to take baby steps when it comes to the passing game, it has to learn how to crawl.
We're not just talking about a philosophy adjustment here, we're talking about a total change of ideology. Nebraska wasn't another program that ran the football effectively, it was one of the most consistently dominant offenses in all of sports. For decades you knew the run was coming, and for decades there was nothing you could do to stop it. The ground attack gave the Nebraska an identity as the third winningest program in college football history, and was where you went if you wanted to be a part of one of a legendary college football offensive machine.
Now the forward pass has arrived to Lincoln, and it'll take a little bit of time for everyone to get adjusted. The defense will be good enough to carry things for a while even though it probably won't be the killer it was last year. The offense, even with dozens of kinks to work out, should blow up bad teams, but it'll have problems with good defenses used to good passing offenses. If nothing else, this first year will be a fun one. If not, it'll be even more interesting to see how the Husker nation reacts.
The Schedule: If Nebraska plans on being Nebraska again, it has to look at the schedule and expect to be 6-0 before the showdown at Kansas State. If the Huskers can beat the Wildcats, they have to demand a 10-1 season with this not-that-bad schedule. The early road game at Pittsburgh won't as tough as it might seem to be.
Best Offensive Player: Junior TE Matt Herian. Many Huskers were ticked off at the firing of Frank Solich and the arrival of a new regime with the wide-open attack. Herian probably wasn't one of them. One of college football's premier receiving tight ends should see his draft stock go through the roof as he gets a chance to become a superstar in the new attack.
Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Barrett Ruud. Only 53 tackles away from being Nebraska's all-time leading tackler, Ruud needs to be a superstar again in the middle with new outside linebackers coming into the mix.
Key player to a successful season: As passing offense is only as good as its quarterback. The coaching staff has decided to sink-or-swim with sophomore Joe Dailey who showed flashes of brilliance at times this spring. He still has a long way to go to absorb everything, but he has the potential to become a superstar in this attack.
The season will be a success if ... the Huskers win the Big XII North. The defense is too good and the schedule too favorable to demand anything less. When the athletic department demanded to stop the slide into mediocrity, that meant right now.
Key game: October 23rd at Kansas State. With Missouri and Colorado coming to Lincoln, the battle in Manhattan should be the main obstacle between the Huskers and the North title.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interceptions: Nebraska 32 - Opponents 10
- Passing attempts: Opponents 432 - Nebraska 192
- Third quarter scoring: Nebraska 95 - Opponents 22
- Fourth quarter scoring: Opponents 75 - Nebraska 60
Fearing a permanent slip into the world of Big XII also-rans, Frank Solich was let go and Callahan was brought in to bring the offense into the 21st century. It might take a little while for things to come together as the program doesn't just need to take baby steps when it comes to the passing game, it has to learn how to crawl.
We're not just talking about a philosophy adjustment here, we're talking about a total change of ideology. Nebraska wasn't another program that ran the football effectively, it was one of the most consistently dominant offenses in all of sports. For decades you knew the run was coming, and for decades there was nothing you could do to stop it. The ground attack gave the Nebraska an identity as the third winningest program in college football history, and was where you went if you wanted to be a part of one of a legendary college football offensive machine.
Now the forward pass has arrived to Lincoln, and it'll take a little bit of time for everyone to get adjusted. The defense will be good enough to carry things for a while even though it probably won't be the killer it was last year. The offense, even with dozens of kinks to work out, should blow up bad teams, but it'll have problems with good defenses used to good passing offenses. If nothing else, this first year will be a fun one. If not, it'll be even more interesting to see how the Husker nation reacts.
The Schedule: If Nebraska plans on being Nebraska again, it has to look at the schedule and expect to be 6-0 before the showdown at Kansas State. If the Huskers can beat the Wildcats, they have to demand a 10-1 season with this not-that-bad schedule. The early road game at Pittsburgh won't as tough as it might seem to be.
Best Offensive Player: Junior TE Matt Herian. Many Huskers were ticked off at the firing of Frank Solich and the arrival of a new regime with the wide-open attack. Herian probably wasn't one of them. One of college football's premier receiving tight ends should see his draft stock go through the roof as he gets a chance to become a superstar in the new attack.
Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Barrett Ruud. Only 53 tackles away from being Nebraska's all-time leading tackler, Ruud needs to be a superstar again in the middle with new outside linebackers coming into the mix.
Key player to a successful season: As passing offense is only as good as its quarterback. The coaching staff has decided to sink-or-swim with sophomore Joe Dailey who showed flashes of brilliance at times this spring. He still has a long way to go to absorb everything, but he has the potential to become a superstar in this attack.
The season will be a success if ... the Huskers win the Big XII North. The defense is too good and the schedule too favorable to demand anything less. When the athletic department demanded to stop the slide into mediocrity, that meant right now.
Key game: October 23rd at Kansas State. With Missouri and Colorado coming to Lincoln, the battle in Manhattan should be the main obstacle between the Huskers and the North title.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interceptions: Nebraska 32 - Opponents 10
- Passing attempts: Opponents 432 - Nebraska 192
- Third quarter scoring: Nebraska 95 - Opponents 22
- Fourth quarter scoring: Opponents 75 - Nebraska 60
