Huskers to open with solid win

It’s here ladies and gentlemen. Gameday in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Huskers start Year Two of the Bo Pelini.

Nebraska took a step toward respectability in going from 5-7 in 2007 to 9-4 last season. The big issue now is building on last season’s success and continuing that forward momentum on Saturday in the season opener against Florida Atlantic.

There are plenty of things that stand out about this game. Owls quarterback Rusty Smith is being tabbed as one that has the ability to play in the NFL. The question is, will they be able to protect him? With Nebraska’s dominant defensive line, I think not. If the Owls opt to double-team defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, that opens it up for defensive end Pierre Allen and vice versa. If the double both, Jared Crick or Barry Turner will beat one-on-one blocks.

What about the linebackers and secondary? The Huskers have a ton of youth at linebacker which is significant because linebackers are asked to do a lot in Pelini’s scheme. However, Nebraska’s dominant defensive line will take pressure off both the linebackers and safety.

And what about the secondary forcing turnovers? Takeaways came by the bushel in 2003 when Pelini was the defensive coordinator as the Huskers produced 47 that season but only 17 in 2008. Reports from the Husker camp have been that the defensive backs have shown improvement on getting to the football, which is encouraging. And frankly necessary.

Turning to the offensive side, true freshman Cody Green is listed as No. 2 behind Zac Lee. Will he see action? Probably so but will it be by design early in the game, say the third or fourth series or if it’s a blowout?

Another thing I find compelling was that after the two-deep depth chart was released, the word “or” appeared 17 times. In one respect, that number shows that the team has many interchangeable parts, which is great but at some point roles need to be defined to prevent chaos.

Prediction: This game could either be close for a half before Nebraska wears down the Owls or the Huskers could get a big lead early and it’s an even game thereafter. Regardless, Nebraska wins 45-20.