Nebraska Preview Part 3: The Schedule

Why would I talk about the schedule in Nebraska's preview? Well, a lot can be learned from a team's schedule, such as how a team will be prepared going into conference play, what teams will be played from another division (in Nebraska's case, the South Division), and one of the biggest determinants of two equal teams, where the games are played. On to the schedule...

Florida Atlantic, Sept. 5, 6:00 PM
Arkansas State, Sept 12, 1:00 PM
@ Virginia Tech, Sept 19, 2:30 PM
Louisiana-Lafayette, Sept. 26, 6:00 PM
@ Missouri, Oct. 8, Thursday 8:00 PM
Texas Tech, Oct. 17
Iowa State, Oct. 24
@ Baylor, Oct. 31
Oklahoma, Nov. 7
@ Kansas, Nov. 14
Kansas State, Nov. 21
@ Colorado, Nov. 27, Friday 2:30 PM

Later today or tomorrow I will do a piece on the three Sun Belt teams Nebraska will be playing (Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette). However, all you need to know for now is none of these teams are named Troy (popular #1 pick for the final Sun Belt Standings) and the Huskers will be favored by double-digits in each of those contests. The third game of the season at Virginia Tech is a great game to prepare Nebraska for conference play. This will be the first ever road game for Zac Lee and the teams first of 2009. This won't be an ordinary road game either, the Hokies of Blacksburg, Virginia, averaged 66,233 people in attendance during the '08 season (which is also the maximum capacity at Lane Stadium). Add to the fact that since 2000, Virginia Tech has won 85.2% of their home games (conversely, Nebraska during the same time span has won only 45.2% of their road games). I haven't even mentioned that the Hokies will be ranked anywhere from #5-#15 in the AP standings before they play Alabama in their first game of the season or that VT beat Nebraska in Memorial Stadium last year 35-30. The most important part of this game will be for Nebraska to gain experience playing a top notch team to prepare them for Missouri (first conference opponent) and the rest of the Big XII.

Fast forward past Louisiana-Lafayette and the bye week to Nebraska's first conference game at Missouri on a Thursday night. Can you imagine the atmosphere in Columbia, Missouri which should be attended by more than 68,000 fans? Nebraska has not won in Columbia since 2001 when Eric Crouch won the Heisman.

I see Nebraska's schedule in three parts, the non-conference games of September, the first four conference games of October, and the final four conference games of November.

The middle part, at Missouri, home against Texas Tech and Iowa State, and then at Baylor, will be crucial for a run to be North division champs. Missouri and Texas Tech will look much different from last years 10 and 11 win teams, however neither team will be a pushover. One would think Nebraska should and has to win against Iowa State to have a chance at winning the North. Then comes the game in Waco, Texas against Baylor. The Bears, the keepers of the Big XII basement, have lost at least 8 games every year since 1997 except in '05 (went 5-6). However, this year the Bears will be quite the handful. QB Robert Griffin is one of the most exciting players in the nation, the Baylor defense has at least one quality player at each unit on defense with DL Phil Taylor Jr. (Media's '09 pick for newcomer of the Big XII, transfer from Penn State), LB Joe Pawelek (Media '09 Preseason Big XII First Team member, 128 tkls and 6 ints in '08), and DB Jordan Lake (also a Media '09 Preseason Big XII First Team member, 97 tkls and 3 ints in '08). If the Huskers limp through this part of the schedule, they will need to regroup quickly for the third and final part.

Part three of the schedule includes Oklahoma, at Kansas, Kansas State, and at Colorado. This will be the section of the schedule where Bo Pelini and the rest of the staff will really work for their salary. Oklahoma is predicted by most and assumed to be #3 when the AP poll is released. The game in Lawrence against Kansas is where most forecasters think the North will be decided. NU hasn't won at Kansas since 2003, the first and only year with Bo Pelini as the Huskers defensive coordinator. Never count out Bill Snyder with Kansas State (easily the most successful KSU coach), even though his team struggled his final two years before retiring in '05 (9-13 combined in '04 and '05). Then the final game in Boulder against Colorado. Dan Hawkins is a quote machine, such as when he said his team will have "10 wins and no excuses" (Hawkins did say on his turn at Big XII Media Days that "I didn't guarantee anything. I didn't promise anything").

After an in depth view of Nebraska's schedule, this will hardly be an easy season for Nebraska. Yes, NU avoids Texas and Oklahoma State from the South, but as of previewing the conference on this date in July, the only team from the South that would appear as a likely win, isn't on the schedule either (Texas A&M). Possibly the most important factor when looking through Nebraska's conference schedule is looking at the away games. The Huskers play Missouri, Baylor, Kansas, and Colorado all on the road. Nebraska would most likely be favored in all those games if they were played in Lincoln. Can NU trade the home games of Iowa State and Kansas State for home games against any of the four scheduled on the road? Probably not. For Nebraska to win the North, it will have to be won on the road.