AD Top 15...... # SIX

#6 THE NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS


WHO THEY ARE


COACHED BY BO PELINI OVERALL RECORD (30-12)
AT HOME UNDER PELINI (17-5)
AWAY UNDER PELINI (10-4)
VS TOP 10 UNDER PELINI (1-5)
VS FORMERLY BIG 12 (17-9) FIRST SEASON IN BIG 10
RETURNING STARTERS 12 FIVE ON OFFENSE AND SEVEN ON DEFENSE
QB TAYLOR MARTINEZ 1631 YARDS 10-7 TD TO INT 965 YARDS RSH 12 TD
RB REX BURKHEAD (BACKUP LY) 951 YARDS AND 7 TD
MLB LAVONTE DAVID 152 TKLS 6 SACKS 9 FOR LOSS


WHO THEY PLAY


SEP.3   (H)  CHATTANOOGA
SEP.10  (H)  FRESNO STATE
SEP.17  (H)  WASHINGTON
SEP.24   @   WYOMING
OCT.1    @   WISCONSIN
OCT.8   (H)  OHIO STATE
OCT.15  BYE
OCT.22   @   MINNESOTA
OCT.29  (H)  MICHIGAN STATE
NOV.5   (H)  NORTHWESTERN
NOV.12   @   PENN STATE
NOV.19   @   MICHIGAN
NOV.25  (H)  IOWA (FRIDAY) 
DEC.3   BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME




WHY #6


Nebraska has returned to the national spot light the last few years under Bo Pelini. In the mid 90's Nebraska was the best college football program in the nation winning multiple national championships. Nebraska was hurt by being in the Big 12 North for those years after the amazing run in the 90's as they didnt play major spot light games every week. Kansas,Kansas State,Iowa State have not been major players for years. I will always argue that the Big 12 North held Nebraska back for the last few years due to the lack of good teams in the division as it created bad TV slots and possible high school players lost interest in the chance to play at Nebraska.  Pelini has done a wonderful job of bringing back the hard nosed blackshirt defense that once was a terror on the nation.  Allowing only 17.4 points per game last year that defense returns 7 players and they have been seriously good since the arrival of Pelini 3 years ago. I don't see any loss of production on the defensive side of the ball this year. On Offense I would say that it will honestly be all on the shoulders of Taylor Martinez's growth progress. If he is a improved passer by just 50% the Huskers offense will flourish. Taylor ran for almost 1000 yards last year and 12 TD more TDs then anybody on the team. If his passing numbers get to 18 and 7 TD to INT and he keeps up solid production on the ground the Huskers offense around him will fall into place. I Hate Nebraska's schedule. They play Wisconsin,Penn State,and Michigan all on the road with the last two being back to back games. They also draw Iowa and Ohio State this year. The three road games are to 3 of the hardest places to play in the nation and back to back at Penn state and Michigan is going to be a testament to this teams will. I think the huskers open 4-0 and the season will rest on the game @ Wisconsin on OCT.1st. If the Huskers go on the road and win that game I see a 11-1 season and a trip to the first ever Big Ten Championship game.