Finally - mercifully - the college sports season is upon us.
It's a mixed bag for students, I know. Sports mean school, and school means homework. But the fall always brings plenty of excitement, and this year is no different.
OK, it's a little different. And the difference is only two letters.
Bo.
By now, everyone has read ad nauseam about Nebraska's new head football coach/guru, Bo Pelini. When a storied football program like the one at Memorial Stadium struggles as massively as it did last season (5-7 would have been a good year for some schools) fans want to know who's responsible for the program's new direction.
In this case it's Pelini, a familiar face who spent 2003 as NU's defensive coordinator before serving as the team's interim head coach for the bowl game following Frank Solich's firing.
Now, finally, Cornhusker fans will get a chance to see their new man with something real on the line.
It's hard to believe it's been nearly nine months since Pelini stood in front of a jam-packed room in Memorial Stadium and spoke about his plans for Nebraska football, and still a legitimate game has yet to be played.
Sure, fans have gotten to know Pelini in some ways. He showed up to some NU baseball games in the spring and attended other sports events as well. He refuses to be the all-nighter type in the office. When it comes to player discipline, on the occasions it has come up, he's handled each situation individually and internally. He doesn't have a zero tolerance policy, but it isn't too far from it.
But plenty of unknowns remain. What type of recruiters will the new head coach and his staff be as they assemble their first full class? How will Pelini react if Nebraska loses its first game of the season?
Perhaps more important: How will fans react if Pelini and Co. struggle to a handful of losses in Year One? For what it's worth, I believe the Huskers have it in them to win nine games this year and have a big say in who wins the Big 12 North Division title.
Interestingly, not many national media outlets are giving Big Red nearly the same chance. The team is largely picked to finish behind Missouri, Kansas and even Colorado in the standings when all is said and done.
Yes, Nebraska will be playing the underdog card more than a few times this year.
This is where the Pelini Effect comes in. In chatting with more than a few players and coaches, it seems they're already beginning to take on Bo's fiery personality.
Optimism abounds, and it certainly isn't because of how last season played out.
"It's a whole new attitude, a whole new vibe," said senior cornerback Armando Murillo earlier this week. "It's fun to come out here every day with these guys and coaches. I'm loving it."
The word from players is that last year wasn't so fun. Fall camp and in-season practices took on more of an NFL-type feel, and Xs and Os sometimes bogged down everything else.
Already players are noting coaches for their enthusiasm, an observation rarely made in previous seasons. The staff also has shown early flexibility to adjust playbooks to players and their skills, not the other way around.
Other moves, like Cody Glenn shifting from a loaded running back position to a thinner linebacker one, play to the idea that a player plays football, and the best ones find field time somehow.
Of course, the good feelings will diminish if the Huskers struggle like they did in 2007. But make no mistake, Pelini has already made a considerable impact on this formerly beaten-down bunch.
Finally, we'll see just how big that difference is.
evanbland@dailynebraskan.com
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