Huskers get little to no love from preseason previews

Some of you might be thinking, "But wait, what about being ranked in the top 20 in most of the polls? Doesn't that count?". And your right, that's not too bad, and it's certainly a ranking that we earned last year with our late-season swoon against the Sooners and Auburn. But what I'm referring to is the fact that not one "expert" from any major media organization has predicted Nebraska to win the Big XII title. Surprising? No, especially in light of the fact that we lost to 3 south teams last year. Yet the pundits act like the loss of our front 4 will single-handedly cost us a shot at the conference championship. But if you look around the Big XII, every team is dealing with circumstances that could cost them. For starters, look at Texas.

The Longhorns secondary, despite all the accolades and the presence of Thorpe winner Aaron Ross, was ranked 99th in the country last year in pass defense. Now, they have to replace Ross, Safety Michael Griffin, and underrated corner Tarell Brown. This is just as bad as losing your front 4 in my opinion, especially in light of the fact the Longhorns gave up a lot of yardage DESPITE those studs in the secondary. Husker fans can't raise that much of a fuss though, as we have yet to prove that we belong on that stage. The only way to shut up Mark May and the other morons over at ESPN is to win the Big XII, which is exactly what I expect to happen this year.

A few things from camp I'd like to touch on in today's entry..........

First off, the emergence of Quentin Castille is one of the most-publicized stories coming out of Lincoln, especially with the nagging injuries to Marlon Lucky (mild concussion) and Cody Glenn (who at this point just needs to get a prosthetic for his foot). Castille, a freshmen workhorse from Texas, was the #2 ranked fullback in the country according to Rivals.com, and his rise up the depth chart has been a relief to Husker fans who were concerned that there was no power back present for short-yardage duties due to the loss of Glenn, whose nagging foot injury has been an issue since last year's nail-biter against the Aggies.

Kevin Cosgrove continues to tinker with the defense in hopes of adding more fronts and confusing opposing offenses in the lethal Big XII. While some in Husker nation have bemoaned the addition of the 3-4, it has been one of my favorite developments of camp. With the proliferation of 4-wide sets in the conference (and throughout the country, for that matter), the 3-4 is becoming a more widely used defensive front, as it gives the defense more coverage options, as well as adding more blitz packages to it's arsenal. Now, let me admit something: When I played at Bethel University, we ran the 3-4. So I am partially biased in writing this. But from a player's perspective (particularly a linebacker's), the 3-4 is a very exciting set that provides ample opportunity for game-changing plays. Which isn't to say the 4-3 is a bad defense, I love it, particularly against the run. But when you have the depth Nebraska has at linebacker (and when you lack it on the d-line), adding the 3-4 is a no-brainer. With a 3-4, you can roll a safety over the top to the strong-side receiver, blitz an outside backer (like Octavien), and not have the QB be prepared because you can wait until the last possible minute to show it. I've seen it in action, and there are significantly more hurries on the QB, which leads to bad decisions with the ball, and as a result, more turnovers. My favorite play was what we called "Nasty Games", which calls for a blitz by all front 7 players. Being an OLB, I'd always call an "X-you", meaning that the D-end would go first, luring the tackle outside and leaving a HUGE alley for me that led straight to the QB. The D-end hated it because he was a decoy, but wow were there some collisions. Either way, I just love defenses that are attacking, and the 3-4 lends itself to that more than a 4-3, which tends to be a more read-and-react set. The only thing that worries me is that when you run multiple sets, there can be no room for confusion, so hopefully Cosgrove is drilling these guys into the ground when it comes to film study and repetition. I've never fully believed in Cosgrove, but I am optimistic about this year's personnel being able to execute his new schemes.

The last thing I want to mention is the news that the Huskers are breaking huddles with the phrase "National Champs". THIS IS THE MENTALITY WE NEED. Winners don't hope for glory, they EXPECT it. The meek may inherit the earth, but they don't win national titles. Confidence and belief in your team are paramount, and to be national champs, you have to KNOW your going to win games. When I heard this, I was thrilled, because it signals to me that we are finally ready (at least mentally) to make the leap back to where we belong.