Daily Nebraskan
All right, start looking ahead to Dallas. Nebraska center Jacob Hickman says it's OK, too.
"Now we clean it up and go to Texas," Hickman said. "It was definitely something you had in the back of your mind. Now it's good that we get to focus on next week."
No more lip service to the Buffaloes needed. The Cornhuskers squeaked by 28-20.
The optimistic Husker fan will say Colorado stole a touchdown at the end of regulation during garbage time, and Nebraska never trailed. The pessimistic will retort with a comment about how the first team defense was still on the field for garbage time and that Nebraska needed two missed field goals and several bad Buffalo penalties to win this game.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini will tell you he's not thrilled by his team's performance. Though, just watching him on the sidelines during that final touchdown, I'm sure you could have guessed that.
"We didn't execute, and we didn't play well," Pelini said. "I'm not happy with it; the team's not happy with it."
But they sure are used to it.
This woefully inept offense and this stingy defense make a frustrating and odd couple. Despite the difference in the team's records, the game with Colorado played out much like every Big 12 game for Nebraska this season: The opponent kept hanging around, despite the defense setting up the offense over and over again.
In the first half alone, the defense gave its offense wonderful field position, but Nebraska converted it into one touchdown. Dejon Gomes' interception in the second quarter with NU up 14-0 gave the Huskers a chance to kill the will of Colorado. Instead it turned into a failed field goal. Nebraska's offense picked up one first down before the missed kick. Colorado then seized momentum and rolled down the field to score and remain in the game.
This is the team going to Dallas. It's horribly flawed. No one can know what to expect going into next week because Nebraska has not played a team on Texas' level. The Huskers have beaten two teams that are bowl eligible and its best win came against a 7-5 Oklahoma team that was missing playmakers Jermaine Gresham and Sam Bradford.
Against Oklahoma, the Huskers used a power running game with Roy Helu Jr. and a conservative game plan to a 10-3 victory. Expect more of the same next Saturday.
The idea, of course, is to keep running the clock and leaving Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy and his roommate, explosive wide receiver Jordan Shipley, off the field.
Nebraska doesn't have someone like Texas A&M's quarterback, Jerrod Johnson, who kept the Aggies in the game during a 49-39 loss to Texas last week. The multi-talented quarterback used both his legs and his arms to terrorize the Longhorns. Johnson threw for four touchdowns. He attacked the Texas coverage aggressively.
Don't look for the Huskers to do the same.
Quarterback Zac Lee will trot out on the field and try to not turn the ball over. He's not a threat to run, but Lee throws a good deep ball. He just lacks targets. Plus offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has resigned himself to taking the ball out of the air. He knows Nebraska can't afford quick possessions that are derailed by incompletions.
The Huskers do have Pelini. He's played and coached in enough games in his career to know that no game is over before it starts. Pelini stressed after the Colorado game that he would have his team ready, and there is no reason to think otherwise.
"We've got to be ready this week," Pelini said. "We don't need to be ready now; we have to be ready in Dallas."
Michael Schaefer is a senior news-editorial major. Reach him at michaelschaefer@dailynebraskan.com.
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