OK. Let's start with the good. Great win for Nebraska all things considered. The defense won the game by itself--again. Five interceptions. The Blackshirts didn't allow Laundry Jones to do anything all game. They set the offense up at the one yard line for its only touchdown of the night. How long can they go at this pace? Who knows, but we know this defense is a top-five unit nationally.
Ndamukong Suh deserves to be a Heisman finalist. The schemes the Pelini brothers brought to Lincoln are developing into the same confusing traps that Bo brought in his one-year stint as DC under Rat Solich. Anytime Matt O'Hanlon can get three INTs thrown right to him, you know the zone schemes are confusing the other QB. Walk-on-program-apologists will mark this as a sign that NU needs to scour the state for more hacks like O'Hanlon, conveniently forgetting he dropped a pick one play earlier that could have sealed the game. His drop could have tanked it for NU, just like he did against VT and Iowa State with blown coverages. Anyway, I digress.
The bottom line is that Bo brought NU an SEC-type defense.
Too bad he has also brought in a Big Ten-type offense. Seven fucking first downs. SEVEN--including one by penalty. One for 14 on third-down conversions. Pulling the starting quarterback for no reason whatsoever (well apparently, he was supposed to look like John Elway in the first few series of his first big game). Then Zac Lee comes in to replace him and fires the ball off Roy Helu's face and stays in the game?
Apparently, Shawn Watson thinks that just because Cody Green is a good runner, that he is automatically an option quarterback and runs it eight times the first few series, even though it hasn't been a staple of the offense to this point. Still no passes that would help a new QB get in to the flow, rolling him out where he can see the receivers and run if there is nothing open. To quote a friend, "Watson just seems lost."
Roy Helu looked like he felt better, though still not 100 percent. He still favored his shoulder at the end of runs or when falling to the turf. That being said, Helu at 80% is better than any other Cornhusker on the roster. His 120 yards was gritty and saved the game for NU.
Other than Helu, there is not one other offensive playmaker. Not one....especially given the lack of timing and imagination that Watson continues to show. Sure, you can't polish a turd. This offense is not very good. But like Jay said to Andy in 'The 40-Year Old Virgin'...."You got to highlight your attributes!" Hammer the ball up the middle, then at least try so play action to get the tight ends or slow-footed WRs open.
Somehow, NU is in position to win the Big 12 North. Is that a blessing? For that, you get the honor of traveling to play Texas in its home state and get blasted on national television. Sure, the Blackshirts can play with the Texas offense, but it's doubtful they can score three or four TDs to win the game on their own. Would it help recruiting? Maybe. But first things first, this squad can't even look past Iowa State or Baylor, much less Kansas in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks are reeling. Overrated Todd Reesing has crashed down to earth. I guess when you play the big boys like Colorado and Kansas State, the stats you put up versus cream puffs like Southern Miss don't matter much. Their defense is not very good. But Nebraska's offense may be worse. We'll find out Saturday.
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