Texas is still...

[3yrlurker]

...Texas.
I think people who are expecting a complete blowout might be mistaken. this game is going to be hardfought. make no mistake, i still think we're going to win, but it's certainly not going to be as easy a victory as some think. texas is going to come out really motivated and prepared due to their bye week. they also hate us as much as we hate them. yes, we have had lots of prep time too, but i really think the texas team that will take that field on saturday will not be the same one we have see the past 3 or 4 weeks. they will be ready to go, but unfortunately for them the huskers have been preparing for this game since december last year. i'm just trying to say people shouldn't sleep on texas just because they dropped 2 in a row, or how they've played all year.

[AlbqHusker]

Agreed.  Their record is deceiving.  I think they simply overlooked UCLA with Oklahoma looming the following week, the same way Nebraska did SDSU.  Oklahoma was a very hard fought game and they simply came up short.  Now they have had two weeks to prepare for NU, and I'm expecting a very competitive game that could go down to the wire.  Very nervous about this one.  I would have preferred Texas undefeated and cocky coming in, not wounded and backed into a corner.  The Huskers will get their best.

[opBlackshirt]

Agreed.  Their record is deceiving.  I think they simply overlooked UCLA with Oklahoma looming the following week, the same way Nebraska did SDSU.  Oklahoma was a very hard fought game and they simply came up short.  Now they have had two weeks to prepare for NU, and I'm expecting a very competitive game that could go down to the wire.  Very nervous about this one.  I would have preferred Texas undefeated and cocky coming in, not wounded and backed into a corner.  The Huskers will get their best.

Yeah, well good then. When we win, then we can say we got a talented team's best shot. They weren't overlooking us. This was the best they could possibly do. No excuses. So quite possibly they would be undefeated if they were to play UCLA and OU with the same intensity as us. This will be the mojo when we win.

[SCVHusker]

Nobody ... I mean nobody ... is taking this game for granted.  On the contrary, this game has gotten more hype than any we have played in years.  I have never seen so much focus on one game for almost an entire year as I have on this one.  Even NU/OU in 1971 didn't get this much focus ... until game week.

Texas is coming in to give us their very best shot.  They have had two full weeks to prepare and they watched us on Thursday night to get their adrenalin going.  Nebraska is full of confidence and swagger and watched last week as Texas got waylaid by OU.  That got our adrenalin going.  This is going to be a bloody, knock-down, drag-out brawl ... for about a half.  Then Nebraska runs roughshod over the bad guys ... the varmin if you will (with apologies to the Buffs) ... and wins handily. 

Texas is NOT still Texas this year.  The bevocart  is off the rails.

[mrmac429]

I'm real worried this will be the best defense we've faced all year.  I hope we don't turnover the ball.

[HuskersNC949597]

I'm real worried this will be the best defense we've faced all year.  I hope we don't turnover the ball.

I expect Nebraska to employ a somewhat similar strategy this year that they did last year, only this year Nebraska has the talent/depth along the o-line and a healthy Helu/Burkhead combination to convert 1 or 2 of those drives into TDs instead of field goals.  Also worth noting: through 5 games, Nebraska still has a lot of playbook left unseen.

I know NU doesn't have Suh, but UT don't have McCoy/Shipley either.

[Roscoe Pound]

Its cliche - penalties turnovers and special teams.  Make Texas play this game from and on their side of the field.  NU wins and moves one game closer. 

[Huusker]

I see a very close, low-scoring game.

Despite all the accolades Mack Brown was heaping on our QB today, Texas still has a lot of quality athletes and team speed that will match up with TM and company. Unless Texas turns the ball over a bunch of times, I think you're looking at a very competitive, hard-hitting game won by Nebraska in the fourth quarter.  I do like that we have the very talented foot of one Alex Henery on our side.

[Red Ghost]

Its cliche - penalties turnovers and special teams.

Its a cliche, but it is true.

With regard to penalties, look for the corrupt Big XII refs to be at their worst Saturday afternoon.  We won't catch any breaks in this department.

With regard to turnovers, if Martinez (and others such as Paul) get sloppy with the ball, we are in trouble.

Special teams - - we win that battle hands down unless our kickoff coverage goes SNAFU again.

[Lothar69]

I actually hate that Texas has lost two straight.  They will fight like heck to keep from dropping a third.

I have a feeling that Burkhead and Helu will both have big games.  I think Texas is really going to key on Martinez and leave some openings for the backs.  Hopefully Martinez plays smart and doesn't try to do too much.

[Valiantsailor]

Squad of 50 against 85000....No match.

[Husker94]

I agree that on paper Nebraska wins this game going away.

However...

The games are not played on paper they are played on the field and sometimes strange stuff happens.  That oblong pigskin can sure take some funny bounces and Lord knows that against Texas more than our share of those bounces have been detrimental.

I want to say Nebraska wins because they are way better in all thress phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams.

But the Huskers have also put the ball on the carpet far too often this season for my tastes.  And all it will take is a fumble at an inopportune time to sink the Huskers.

Bottom line, if Nebraska wants to win they they will need to knock the 'Whorns out early because if they don't, and they allow these guys to hang around then you know that the old doubt bug will begin to creep into the team's thoughts.

[HuskerFan2002]

I actually hate that Texas has lost two straight.  They will fight like heck to keep from dropping a third.

That's what I've said all along. I'd rather have Texas be on a one game winning streak than a two game losing streak.

[blackshirts_93]

I love that Martinez is getting all this attention. Go ahead and put 2 spies on Martinez, we'll just hand it off to Helu, the best back in the B12.

[SUHnami]

I love that Martinez is getting all this attention. Go ahead and put 2 spies on Martinez, we'll just hand it off to Helu, the best back in the B12.

Or Burkhead.  Or throw it 80 yards to Reed!