Nebraska Cornhuskers 2010 NCAAF Preview, Schedule, Odds, and Predictions: Head football Coach Bo Pelini led Nebraska’s 33–0 bashing of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, giving him 3 bowl wins in his first three seasons as the Cornhuskers head coach. “I’ve got something on Tom then, don’t I?” Pelini said jokingly, referring to something even Hall of Fame coach and current Cornhusker athletic director Tom Osborne hadn’t accomplished on the Nebraska sideline. “We’ve come a long way in the last two years,” says Pelini. A recurring theme in the FBS College Football Power Rankings is coaching, and Nebraska has a winner in Bo Pelini with a 10-4 season and a favorable schedule and talent returning look for the Cornhusker comeback to continue. This will be the last season in the Big 12 as they are moving to the Big 10 in 2011 and will have a tougher time being ranked as high. Vegas odds makers have the Nebraska Cornhuskers +1200 odds to win the 2011 BCS National Championship.
Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson will be searching for the quarterback that can best run his system. Cody Green is the player most likely to replace Zac Lee who is finally 100 percent after January surgery on the flexor tendon in his throwing arm. Lee played with the injury throughout most of last season and missed spring football practices. Green is considered a better runner. Returning to help carry the load are running backs in Roy Helu Jr. and Rex Burkhead. Helu ran for 1,147 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season. The Huskers are stacked at wide out with the top four receivers and five of the top six receivers are back from 2009, led by Niles Paul who snagged 40 balls for 796 yards. Paul is a game changer, not only from the wideout position but also in the return game. He poses matchup nightmares because of his excellent size and quickness. Niles is among the fastest on the Cornhuskers. The odds makers at Bodog have the Nebraska Cornhuskers +200 to win the Big 12 Conference.
Bo Pelini says this defense can be just as good, if not better than last year’s team. Ndamukong Suh will be missed. “You don’t replace him,” says defensive coordinator Carl Pelini. Nebraska’s secondary will be deep and interchangeable with the new Peso defense, which utilizes a hybrid linebacker/safety position, likely filled by talented senior Eric Hagg. The defensive line will be deeper but miss Suh the NFL first rounder. The odds makers at Bodog have the Nebraska Cornhuskers middle number listed at over/under 10 wins for the 2010 NCAAF regular season.
“There’s so many ifs, and things that could happen,” Pelini said. “I can’t really look into a crystal ball and figure it out. It’s a deal that you figure out as you go along.” A few things seem certain. I predict an 11-2 season record, winning the Big 12 North and meeting Texas in the Big 12 Championship game with an opportunity to play in a BCS Bowl.
2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers College Football Schedule
Sat, Sept 4 vs Western Kentucky 7:00 PM ET
Sat, Sept 11 vs Idaho 12:30 PM ET
Sat, Sept 18 @ Washington 3:30 PM ET
Sat, Sept 25 vs South Dakota State TBD
Thu, Oct 7 @ Kansas State 7:30 PM ET
Sat, Oct 16 vs Texas TBD
Sat, Oct 23 @ Oklahoma State TBD
Sat, Oct 30 vs Missouri TBD
Sat, Nov 6 @ Iowa State TBD
Sat, Nov 13 vs Kansas TBD
Sat, Nov 20 @ Texas A&M TBD
Fri, Nov 26 vs Colorado 3:30 PM ET