Nebraska Not Great, But Good Enough to Contend in Big 12 North

The resemblance to the old Blackshirt defense is there, but make no mistake -- this isn't your father's Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Still, in this current cycle where parity and mediocrity have met to transform the mightiest of college football programs into mere mortals, these Cornhuskers are good enough to be part of the Big 12 North championship conversation. Seriously, these very Cornhuskers who a few weeks seemed down after dropping back-to-back home games against Texas Tech and ... gasp ... Iowa State could actually fulfill the preseason prophecy of the Big 12 media by winning the North.

The Cornhuskers, on the heels of rare consecutive losses at Memorial Stadium, have put together two straight wins to climb back into a race many thought they were well out of following the stunning loss to the Cyclones on Oct. 24. Saturday's rugged 10-3 upset win of old rival and 20th-ranked Oklahoma in Memorial Stadium has set into motion a showdown between Nebraska and division leader Kansas State (6-4, 4-2 Big 12) for the North title on Nov. 21.

For those who think the North has once again returned to its glory days when K-State and Nebraska ran roughshod over the North, think again. But they are the best the North has to offer in a wacky year for the division.

Neither team is very good in all phases of the game. In fact, both teams are virtual mirror images of each other. They survive on hard-hitting, gritty defense and just enough production from the running game to give the defense a breather before having to hit the field again.

It's a formula for success that could set back modern football a decade or two, but it also could propel the Cornhuskers (6-3, 3-2) to an anticipated Dec. 5 matchup with Texas in Dallas for the Big 12 Championship.

"I don't mind it as long as we come out with the win," said Nebraska's certain All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

If the formula holds, the Cornhuskers could be set for another fantastic finish with three critical games left. They travel to Kansas on Saturday to face a reeling Jayhawks team that has lost four straight before coming home to take on Kansas State followed by the regular-season finale at Colorado. Win out and the North title is theirs.

Last season, Nebraska won four straight at the end (including a bowl win over Clemson) and six of its final seven to generate high expectations coming into this season.

But what the Cornhuskers will need is another defensive performance like the Blackshirt-worthy showing Saturday against the Sooners to mask some pretty serious issues on the offensive side of the ball. Nebraska intercepted OU redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones five times. Five times.

In fact, it was cornerback Prince Amukamara's interception and subsequent return to the Oklahoma 2 that virtually gift-wrapped the only touchdown of Saturday's game. An OU penalty and a play later, quarterback Zac Lee completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Hill to take a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

"We knew we had to cause turnovers for the simple fact that we had to put our offense in great field position," said Nebraska defensive back Larry Asante. " All game we were just ripping at the ball and trying to get the ball out anyway that we could."

Senior safety Matt O'Hanlon was easily the game MVP and should be a lock for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors Monday after tying a school record with three interceptions and a career-high 12 tackles to lead the Blackshirts. Suh wasn't half bad either with four tackles, three quarterback hurries, one pass breakup and a blocked field goal.


With all that activity, hardly anyone noticed the Nebraska offense mustered just 180 total yards, seven first downs and was just of 1-of-14 on third down conversions. The quarterback situation seems a mess. Lee, a first-year starter, was benched at the start in favor of freshman Cody Green. But with Green seemingly ineffective in front of the home crowd, Bo Pelini turned back to Lee, who executed the offense effectively enough not to blow the game.

Pelini tried to explain his decision to bench Green following the game.

"It just felt right," he said. "Cody (Green) is a freshman, it's a good defense, there were a lot of things going on -- it just felt like the right thing. Make no mistake about it, I have a tremendous confidence in Cody Green, but you have to go with your gut. I felt that way and Wats (Shawn Watson) felt that way.

"Trust me when I tell you, I still have a lot of confidence in Cody Green and what he does."

The decision to remove Green on Saturday was probably the key move in getting a must-win that re-entered the Cornhuskers back into the North Division mix. But Pelini wisely dismissed any talk of Saturday's win being a statement game.

"It's just one win," Pelini said. "This game means nothing if we don't come back and go to Lawrence and take care of business next weekend. I told our football team, that game is over, enjoy tonight, be careful because I think the town might get turned upside down tonight. At the end of the day, you get back to business as usual tomorrow and go back to work."