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When Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin last year darted around the end of Nebraska's front four on a fourth-and-short play, then accelerated past all of the Cornhusker defenders for a 47-yard touchdown run, a low murmur went up in the Memorial Stadium press box. And at least some of that murmur was formed by the words “Vince Young.” That No. 10 never took a snap in Lincoln. But Griffin, wearing the same number, seemed to be an heir apparent.

That's a threat NU doesn't have to worry about in 2009. Griffin underwent season-ending knee surgery after tearing ligaments in a blowout win over Northwestern State. With the quarterback's injury likely went the Bears' bowl hopes; since starting Big 12 play, they haven't been particularly competitive, especially in the running game where Baylor, now 3-4, has gained just 138 yards on 57 carries in three games.

BU coach Art Briles isn't exactly holding his breath on establishing a running game against Nebraska's front four, which he called the best in the Big 12.

“It's important,” Briles said. “It's more important to make first downs and put points on the board. We'll have to take what they give us and be productive with it. They're good up front, without a doubt. Doesn't mean we can't run the ball. Just means we're going to have to be precise in our execution and intelligent in our schemes.”

So an offense that once posed more of a balanced threat to Nebraska's Blackshirts is now, primarily, a passing attack led by strong-armed true freshman Nick Florence, who's filling in for Blake Szymanski, still nursing a shoulder injury from the same game that sent Griffin to the shelf.

One-dimensional as it may be, it still has Husker defensive coordinator Carl Pelini plenty concerned.

Why? One word.

“Speed,” Pelini said. “Big speed. They've got speed all over the place. They've got receivers who can fly, running backs who can fly.”

Because of that, Pelini said, Baylor will try to spread out NU's defense and “take shots” downfield five or six times a game. One-on-one. Man-on-man. And the Bears will mix and match their skill players in various formations and positions to create mismatches.

BU's most dangerous receiver, sophomore Kendall Wright, will occasionally line up in the backfield, motion to a wide receiver position, and try to match up on linebackers – presuming they're still in the game. Baylor's tight ends are faster than most, Pelini said, so Briles, who also serves as offensive coordinator, will try to test defenses that way. Running backs Jay Finley and Jarred Salubi are home-run hitters who need only a crease to break a big play.

It's a “risk/reward” strategy, Pelini said, that keeps a defense on its toes – even if the Bears aren't scoring many points.

“Probably more than any team we face this year, they're willing to take those deep shots downfield,” Pelini said. “So you always have to be accountable for that...they complete 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of them per game and they're always big plays for them. They've done a nice job recruiting offensive speed.”

Baylor tries to switch its “big” and “little” personnel right before the snap, Pelini said, to catch an opposing defense in base or nickel defenses when they're prefer to switch to dime or dollar coverages. Nebraska tries to match up coverage more than most Big 12 teams – dime/nickel backs Dejon Gomes and Eric Hagg never stray too far from Pelini's side – so it needs to match BU's personnel.

NU struggled with it in last year's 32-20 win, especially in the first half, when officials weren't giving Carl and Bo Pelini enough time to counter Baylor's formation. Carl Pelini said the issue was addressed in the offseason, and the Big 12 has designed the rules to give the Huskers time to adjust before the ball is put in play.

“That's what the rule states,” said Pelini, wary anyway. “How each group of officials interprets it, it's going to be a little bit different. So we just have to get handle on that early in the game, and then adapt to it. We'll be fine.”

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Grim and a little frustrated, Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel hustled up to the podium Tuesday at the Big 12 Media Days and immediately apologized for a delay at the Dallas airport that left him tardy for his appointed engagement.

Not long after Pinkel settled in, he was quickly peppered with queries about the immense talent – especially on offense – that he lost in the offseason to the NFL. Chase Daniel. Chase Coffman. Jeremy Maclin.

First, replacing Daniel, that love him/hate him quarterback that put Mizzou in the national spotlight and won two straight Big 12 North titles.

Pinkel shot straight: Former prep phenom (and Nebraska commit) Blaine Gabbert is the guy.

“Any time you have a transition quarterback,” Pinkel said, “everybody sits back and goes, ‘Wow, what's going to happen?’ When you lose a high level guy like that, hopefully, we can replace him with a high-level guy.”

Pinkel said he’ll bring along Gabbert, a sophomore, much as he did Daniel in his corresponding season. Daniel was inconsistent in 2006, alternating between excellent and average. He made “the leap” in 2007. Pinkel’s hoping the same for Gabbert.

He’s not so sure Maclin, the receiving and return whiz, can be replaced. But, he added, this version of the Tigers was his fastest.

On replacing two coordinators, Pinkel referenced the “Bill Belichick approach” of training and promoting from within. Pinkel the admitted he hasn’t lost two coaches, much less coordinators, in nine years at Mizzou.

***

Baylor’s Art Briles delighted the media with clever lines and quick answers. Briles kept referring to “turning hope into happen” throughout his interviews, because, at this point, that the Bears’ next step.

Briles talked a lot of about his quarterback, Robert Griffin, the fast, gifted sophomore quarterback. Griffin has helped with TV exposure, with recruiting, with fan recognition, with everything.

But Griffin, and his Bear teammates, won’t be sneaking up on anyone in 2008. Teams that narrowly escaped with wins – like Missouri, Nebraska and Texas Tech – learned their lesson.

“People are going to approach us differently on the other side, in other staff rooms and on other practice fields because they're going to come into Baylor with a different mindset than they did a year ago,” Briles said. “We understand that. We understand we're going to have to rise up and be better in all facets
of the game, not only physically, to deal with the charges that are going to come our way.”


Briles drew laughs for his stories about accompanying Jason Smith to the NFL Draft, and his comments on the wardrobe of some of his questioners. Briles is going to make an interesting push in the Big 12 South. He’s the first with the raw charm to recruit head-to-head with Mack Brown. His program doesn’t have the facilities, it doesn’t have the tradition, and it doesn’t have any recent success. But Baylor does have Briles.


***


There’s a curious, gentlemanly quality to the way Kansas Coach Mark Mangino handles himself in front of media. You tend to see a lot of different sides of the guy. You see the pride, the attention to detail, the self-made aspect. Just about every coach brings that to the table. But with Mangino it’s something a little more – a vulnerability, perhaps? A love for the little guy?


The coach talked with great care about recruiting quarterback Todd Reesing to KU several years ago, about how Reesing, tiny as he was, just had a confidence, a style, a belief that belied his looks. You could see why that might impress a guy like Mangino, who gets more comments about his appearance than he did his coaching.


Yes, Reesing runs around a little too much – and sometimes gets himself in trouble for doing it.


“But that's what makes him unique, you know, the idea that he believes in himself and that
he can make plays when there's not one,” Mangino said. “Kind of really reflects his personality; that he always thinks he can overcome. He always wants to prove the opposition wrong. Those traits have served him well.”


Good coaches tend to know – what’s best for each player is to fulfill their potential…through their own personality.


Also appreciated that Mangino admitted he likes to recruit “tough” players – read, guys a little rough around the edges – and that “sometimes we fail in that area, but we like kids that love to play this
game.”


***


Mr. Heisman and Big Game Bob was last to appear Tuesday, as Oklahoma took the podium.


The big questions for OU, of course, revolved around its offensive line. Everything else about the Sooners – QB Sam Bradford, the running backs, the extraordinary defense – is in place. But the line, which must replace three starters, remains a weakness.


“Mistakes they were making on day one, day two, they weren’t making on day 14 and day 15,” Bradford said. “I think we still need that progress once we’re in camp.”


Bradford also touched upon the “frustration” of never having won a bowl game. Especially when reporters, who have to find something negative about the kid, ask so often.


“It’s not something we like to do – “oh, we had a good season, let’s lose the last game,’” he said. “It’s starting to really to get to everyone.”



At one time, Bradford didn’t much care for the no-huddle offense, either.


“When we first switched to it, I didn’t it like it,” Bradford said. “It just seemed like chaos, it seemed like no one was on the same page. It sucked. If you would have seen us trying to run it the first couple days, you would have thought it was just a disaster.


“But the more time we spent on it, and the better we got, the more I fell love with it.”

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In preparation for Big 12 Media Days, Husker Locker will be counting down and breaking down each of the teams in the conference. We hope you view this series as more interesting, comprehensive and definitive than what you may find elsewhere. Where we can make strong takes – we will.

We rank the teams 12 to 1 in overall strength. Then we’ll provide for you the North/South breakdown – and the preseason All Big 12 team, as well.

Enjoy!

Today: No. 9 Baylor

Coach:Art Briles
2008 Record: 5-7

What’s Changed Since 2008: Expectations! All of the sudden, the national media knows where Waco is. Thank Briles and QB Robert Griffin, who wowed a lot of folks in a lot of losing causes. There’s now talk of the first Baylor bowl since 1994. The Bears have been the doormat of the Big 12 since its inception. Now, for once, there’s tangible hope.

2009 Non-Conference Schedule: It seems harder than it is, and is the key to BU’s bowl hopes. A game at Wake Forest isn’t only winnable – Baylor should win it; Wake’s due for a hard fall in 2009. Similarly, Connecticut lost a ton of talent to the NFL Draft and is starting at a five-win season. Northwestern State and Kent State are pushover wins. But take note: Pundits will be fooled if Baylor starts 4-0.

2009 Conference Schedule: And here’s why: BU still plays in the Big 12 South, and we don’t honestly see Baylor winning more than three league games. The schedule isn’t in the Bears’ favor. Home games vs. Oklahoma State and Texas don’t do Briles much good; Baylor won’t win them. Games at Missouri and Oklahoma don’t look promising either. That boils it down to winning three of these four: vs. Nebraska and Texas Tech (in Dallas) and at Iowa State and Texas A&M.

Offense: Spread/Mulitple
Coordinator:Briles, for intents and purposes. He’s smart, creative and a gambler. He incorporates elements of the old veer offense, Texas Tech’s “Air Raid,” I-formation, option football, and good, old-fashioned single-wing. Unlike some spread offenses, Briles has a package for short yardage situations. His offense is hard to stop, period. An NFL team should hire him.

Strength: Sophomore Griffin, the heir apparent to the Vince Young throne. In fact, Griffin (2,091 passing yards, 843 rushing yards) has more raw tools, if not the surrounding cast and offensive line. Griffin is faster and a smarter passer. But he doesn’t have Young/Tommie Frazier’s “literally impossible to sack” quality, though. Griffin tends to run around – a lot – East-West, and he got sacked 26 times last year. And now he won’t have that the franchise left tackle around to protect him. At running back, Jay Finley is a decent, bruising compliment.
Weakness:The offensive line needs to replace the two best tackles in recent school history, most notable Jason Smith, the first-round NFL Draft Pick who covered Griffin’s backside. The other tackle, Dan Gay, was a three-year starter.
Defense: 4-3
Coordinator: Brian Norwood, a Penn State guy who returned the Bears to some sanity in 2008, with a base scheme that takes advantage of the Bears’ talented safety Jordan Lake and a solid linebacker corps.

Strength: It’s really individual players, but expect Baylor to be pretty tough against the run. It has the 360-pound defensive lineman (Phil Taylor, a transfer from Penn State) to gum up the trenches, the tough-as-nails middle linebacker (Joe Pawelek) headed who reminds so much of Nebraska’s Barrett Ruud, and a free safety (Lake) who plays more like a strong safety against the run. The Bears will stack the box and force teams to beat them over the top

Weakness:Which teams will do. Baylor showed little ability to get to the QB in 2008, and teams completed 67.4 percent of their passes against the Bears. BU got a lot of turnovers, but 10 of them came in two games vs. Washington State (the worst major conference team we’ve ever seen) and Texas A&M. Always beware of the small sample size.

Special TeamsThe league’s best punter in Derek Epperson (38.8 yard average), and an up-and-coming kicker in Ben Parks, who made 6-of-9 tries last year. As a kick returner last year Mikail Baker average 25.3 yards per return and scored a touchdown. We expect receiver Kendall Wright to take over as the punt returner.

Intangibles: Casey Stadium is a morgue to play in, often half full of dispassionate, reasonably wealthy fans looking for a suntan. It’s simply no kind of home field advantage. It might be in 2009. But we’ll see. Usually, it’s home for the opposing team’s getaway day.

But BU has some intangibles in its favor. One of them is Briles, who is, right now, a smarter football coach than a lot of the guys in the Big 12. And he had the guts to put Griffin out there right away. Against all logical odds, Griffin rarely turned the ball over. And that’s because Briles put him in plays to succeed. It helped Baylor stay in a lot of games last year. A lot of coaches are just too stubborn to limit their playbook.

Best-Case Scenario: Baylor goes 4-0 in the non-conference and wins all four of those swing games, including beating Nebraska. We see at least four losses on Baylor’s slate no matter what.

Worst-Case Scenario: Griffin falls into a sophomore slump, and that defense is forced to bear too much of the burden of winning. Trust us: The defense can’t do it. The line isn’t good enough yet.

Our Take: It’ll come down to the last two games – A&M and Tech – as to whether Baylor makes a bowl. We think they do – at 6-6.

See other Big 12 Breakdowns: No. 12 ISU, No. 11 A&M, No. 10 CU, No. 9 BU, No. 8 KU, No. 7 KSU, No. 6 Texas Tech

Agree? Disagree?Tell us about it.

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Today we continue with part two of our Big 12 coaches “toughest jobs” list. We’ve already covered what we consider to be the easier jobs. Now we flip the switch and come at from the more difficult end.

Again, the criteria:

Recruiting Base/Interest
Administrative/Booster Support
Media/Fan Expectation
Chance of “Success,” defined in part by the school’s tradition
An “X” factor unique to each program, which may be positive or negative.

On with the list!

No. 6 OKLAHOMA STATE

Head Coach: Mike Gundy Compensation: $2.2 Million

Recruiting Base: Oklahoma State combs over much of the same turf as Oklahoma and Texas, but can’t land many of the best players in the area. OSU tends to locate some of their best players, like running back Kendall Hunter, where OU and UT weren’t looking. Still, a ton of rough diamonds in the Pokes’ neck of the woods. And OSU is gaining momentum.

Administrative/Booster Support: Gundy has the money and watchful eye of T. Boone Pickens, who has flooded OSU with enough donor dollars to attract a top-flight coaching staff and vastly improve facilities. With that money comes expectations, though, and if OSU can’t get over the hump vs. Oklahoma soon, times may be a-changin in Stillwater.

Media/Fan Expectation: OU casts a large shadow over OSU, but the expectations, given the money and the coaching staff, are higher than they’ve ever been. The Cowboys are akin to Jay Gatsby – nouveau riche. Now they have to move into East Egg, if you will.

Chance of “Success”: It’s not easy to play Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech every year. That said, all the money, support and momentum is there. Nine wins is a reasonable, achievable standard each year. So is a win over Georgia to open the 2009 season.

“X” Factor: Gundy draws attention to himself, whether it’s with his “I’m a Man!” speech, his hair, or his penchant for completely ignoring his team while the defense is on the field so he can draw up plays. Right now, it’s working for him. One day, it might not.

No. 5 MISSOURI

Head coach: Gary Pinkel Compensation: $2.5 million

Recruiting Base: Better than any team in the Big 12 North, frankly. Mizzou can draw from the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas. The rest of the Show-Me state isn’t bad, either. The Tigers also have good ties with one of the best programs in Texas, Southlake Carroll, because they took a chance on Chase Daniel when others wouldn’t.

Booster/Administrative Support: Since Pinkel underwent a conversion, of sorts, after the death of a player four years ago - and Mizzou gutted its administration in the wake of a real mess with the basketball program – life in Columbia has been a lot better. But the fans remain a little tepid and, after losing his offensive coordinator, Daniel, Chase Coffman and Jeremy Maclin, people want to see just how much magic Pinkel has.

Fan/Media Expectation: Pinkel is on better terms with the media in the last three years, but, again, there is a sense that 2009 is a litmus test. We’ll see how he handles it. Four/five years ago, the atmosphere around Mizzou was fairly toxic and Pinkel was rumored on his way out. These days, Missouri is expected to win nine and beat Kansas. Might be a tall order.

Chance of “Success”: This remains a tough job. Missouri didn’t quite take advantage of its opportunities over the last two years, and it may affect how fans view Pinkel if things turn south in 2009.

“X” Factor: Mizzou’s spread, no-huddle offense takes just the right quarterback.

No. 4 NEBRASKA

Head Coach: Bo Pelini Compensation: $1.851 million

Recruiting Base: We can wax poetic all we want about the NU walk-on program, but the fact is, Nebraska often gets two-thirds of its starters from other states. In some years, it’s more than that. And while NU used to own the surrounding states, particularly Missouri, that’s just not the case anymore. Pelini and Co. have to work much harder and smarter than just about every other staff in the Big 12. Even Iowa State and Colorado are closer to population centers with football talent.

Booster/Administrative Support: Nebraska arguably has the best facilities in the Big 12, and Pelini has a mentor and friend in athletic director Tom Osborne. The NU fan base is so grateful to be rid of Bill Callahan that Pelini will be given the time and latitude he thinks he needs to build a consistent 10-game winner.

Fan/Media Expectation: At least nine wins yearly, and preferably ten. Conference titles, BCS games, and the occasional national title. The Big Red Nation has been a little spoiled by Osborne. And Pelini won’t diminish those expectations for a second. Still – he has to live up to them.

Chance of “Success”: It’s still good, mind you, but, as Pelini will learn, recruiting is such a crucial part of keeping up with OU and Texas and staying ahead of KU and Mizzou. Nebraska has all the amenities, great fans, and other perks. But you’ve still got to convince kids to leave home, family and friends. Not always easy.

“X” Factor: The longer Osborne stays, the better this job is for Pelini. He’s the ultimate coach’s ally.

No. 3 COLORADO

Head Coach: Dan Hawkins Compensation: $1.1 million

Recruiting base: Denver and Colorado Springs usually have their share of players, and Utah tends to produce quite a few for its small population but, like Nebraska, CU is spending a lot of its time in other states. Particularly California.

Booster/Administrative Support: Average at best. CU football is more of a pastime in Boulder, not a passion. Gary Barnett’s been gone for nearly four years, but what happened under his watch won’t ever be forgotten. Hawkins struggles to rile up a fan base that mostly cares about beating Nebraska and Colorado State every year.

Fan/Media Expectation: Let’s put it this way: They think Hawkins is a little nutty for suggesting 10 wins in possible. It’s an apathetic place, Boulder, to traditional sports. The basketball team couldn’t buy a fanbase.

Chance of “Success”: Getting slimmer. CU may always hang around that 6/7 win mark, but becoming a consistent contender? It may never happen again. The Buffs had to take too many risks on California kids just to get to that point, and you wonder whether the administration or campus would ever allow that again.

“X” Factor: Boulder is really appealing to some. Just strange to others.

No. 2 IOWA STATE

Head Coach: Paul Rhoads Compensation: $1.15 million

Recruiting Base: Worse than Nebraska’s in a lot of ways, because most of the best players in Iowa head out of state or play for the Hawkeyes.

Administrative/Booster Support: ISU has a small, loyal, and wounded base of fans who clearly felt betrayed by the departure of Gene Chizik. Athletic director Jamie Pollard has a vision, and it isn’t working out too well for football or men’s basketball. Some people rightly question whether firing Dan McCarney was a useful, smart thing to do.

Fan/Media Expectation: What McCarney was doing clearly wasn’t enough, and Iowa State has no real tradition upon which to fall back. The expectations are too high given the history. They just are. It’ll take several years, and maybe another uniform/helmet change, for the ship to right itself. May we suggest the yellow helmets again?

Chance of “Success”: Not real high. ISU has the odds and momentum stacked against it. We wish Rhoads well.

“X” Factor: Ames is a tough place to recruit to.

No. 1 BAYLOR

Head Coach: Art Briles Compensation: $1.8 million

Recruiting Base: Baylor’s base is made smaller by its academic standards and by its location in Waco. The Bears are situated in Texas but usually have to pick after Texas, A&M, OU, OSU, Tech, TCU, Houston, LSU, NU, Kansas and a few other schools.

Booster/Administrative Support: Have you seen the stands at a Baylor home game lately? The money is there. The passion is not.

Fan/Media Expectation: The expectation is that Baylor, a small private school, will somehow legitimately compete against the giants of the Big 12 South. That happens in basketball. Rarely does it occur in football.

Chance of “Success”: Art Briles really did a terrific job in 2008, and his team still couldn’t muster a winning record. His job, right now, is about as tough as Bill Snyder’s job was in the 1989. Since Big 12 inception, BU has never beaten Texas or Oklahoma. It’s not about to happen, either.

“X” Factor: Briles is a darn good coach who wants to turn Baylor around, and has some high school connections he can rely upon for recruiting.

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Following a game when Baylor couldn’t collect even one first-down conversion, one miscue in particular haunted quarterback Robert Griffin.

With the Bears leading Nebraska 20-17 midway through the third quarter, the freshman stood just a yard away from the Husker goal line and a potential 10-point cushion. On the third down play, Baylor ran a quick option to the left, with Griffin searching for a hole.

The Husker line stuffed him for a loss. Then Baylor kicker Ben Parks missed a 19-yard field goal.

Nebraska scored on its ensuing possession en route to a 32-20 Baylor loss, the team’s fourth in the last five games.

BU coach Art Briles said the empty drive was a crucial point in the game – and part of a 0-for-10 effort on third down tries. Upon reflection, he said some of his play calls were worthy of a little criticism.

“We felt like we were executing pretty well, making some plays,” Briles said. “And to get down there and stalemate, it stings you a little bit.”

Griffin refused to make any excuses as the Bears dropped to 3-5, including 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference.

“The coaches can say they made bad calls, but what makes a bad call a good call is when players make plays,” Griffin said. “So it’s up to us to go out there and execute, and we can’t just keep falling back on the coaches’ play calling. We got to be football players out there and do the job.”

Griffin finished with 121 rushing yards on 16 attempts and passed for 134 yards, completing nine of 20 throws. The freshman’s rushing output was among his finest of the season behind only a 225-yard, two-touchdown effort against Washington State.

Saturday, Griffin ran for 99 in the first quarter. The Copperas Cove, Texas, native broke loose for a 40-yard scamper and 47-yard touchdown run during a first-quarter drive that led to a 14-7 advantage for the visitors.

“(The Huskers) are a good, tough defense – solid – but when it comes to running (laterally) and up and down the field, they couldn’t stick with us,” Griffin said. “That just shows you that when it gets down the field, nobody can run with us.”

Unfortunately for the Bears, they didn’t get many chances to prove it. BU ran 53 offensive plays to Nebraska’s 83, and the Huskers held the edge in time of possession by more than 17 minutes.

Unlike Baylor’s offense, the Huskers flourished on third down tries, converting 11 of 17. Trailing 30-20, the Bears put Nebraska into a third-and-16 situation with more than seven minutes left in the game.

They failed – again – in collecting a stop, blitzing one way while Nebraska ran a screen play in the opposite direction for 69 yards.

“It’s pretty frustrating,” said BU linebacker Joe Pawelek. “It’s showtime. Third and 16 – get off the field.”

It was one of a bevy of regrets downtrodden players expressed following the loss. Griffin said the Huskers were focusing on stopping the quick slant passes he had found success with earlier in the season.

He found it frustrating that Baylor failed to counter with a strong rushing attack.

“We spread them out and they went with us,” Griffin said. “We should have been able to run the ball all day on them and we didn’t do that.”

Among the silver linings for Baylor was Griffin establishing a program record for pass attempts without an interception (175). The freshman also became the first Bear quarterback with three career 100-yard games on the ground.

“(The Huskers) are not as fast as we are,” Griffin said. “The speed that we have on the field is an asset for us, so we try to utilize that. It just didn’t work out that good.”

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Seemed like old times around the Nebraska football team this week. After a 35-7 win over Iowa State, NU coaches were in the mood to joke and chat and players were trying to crack each other up as they were interviewed. Even the weather was comfortably crappy and familiar.



It felt like an October from eight years ago, when a speed bump like Baylor rolled into Memorial Stadium for its election-year pounding and rolled out by supper time as Husker fans tucked into a hot beef sandwich and a beer. It can be deceiving like that around Lincoln; easy to forget that NU is 4-3 and in the midst of its second major overhaul in five years.



We’re halfway through year one of the Bo Pelini Project, and the Big Red Nation has reason to be cautiously optimistic. After Nebraska looked undisciplined and disheveled in consecutive losses to Virginia Tech and Missouri, Pelini and Co. reshaped practices. Players responded. Two road games came at the right time for bonding purposes, and the Huskers enter the final stretch looking for three, possibly four wins.



“Now they are starting to have a better understanding of what we’re asking, how we game plan, how we adjust week-to-week,” Pelini said. “As that happens and they become more confident with it, that breeds confidence and it’s going to lend toward, as you’re together longer, less mistakes.”



But Nebraska is hardly polished. A “ho-hum” can turn into an “uh-oh” in the time it takes Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin to bust contain and scramble 60 yards to the house.



The Cornhuskers do not want to let this true freshman, or this team, linger around. A loss Saturday would be a tsunami to the team’s emboldened psyche.



On to the keys.



Trap Game: Here’s how I define a “trap” team: An opponent you should beat - but might overlook because of circumstances – that still has enough talented players to put a stake in your heart.



Baylor fits the bill. Not merely because of Griffin, either. The Bears have a better-than-average offensive line, and two defensive players – safety Jordan Lake and Joe Pawelek – who are NFL prospects. BU has a good punter, a dangerous freshman receiver in Kendall Wright, a shifty running back in sophomore Jay Finley, and some other decent pieces. Baylor doesn’t necessarily play a Big 12 team on television, but it has some guys who would belong on any team in the league,



And these Bears are believers. They crapped out on the road against Oklahoma State, but gave Connecticut – a team that’s about equal with Nebraska – a run for its money. After a disastrous first quarter, BU played Oklahoma evenly for the last three.



The Art Briles Factor:You’re going to know this guy’s name a lot better in four years when Baylor makes its next trip to Lincoln. By then, the Bears could very well have visited the San Antonio’s River Walk in preparation for an Alamo Bowl.



If Pelini is a good match for the Midwestern mentality of Nebraska football, Briles is the same for “who us?” mindset in Waco. Briles’ answer since he stepped on campus has been simple: “Yes, you.”



“He’s not going to let anything get us down,” Lake said. “He’s always in high spirits, talking about how we can do this. It rubs off on the coaching staff and it rubs off on the players. It all kind of trickles down.”



It helps that Briles has cultivated his own, quite successful version of the spread offense. It incorporates the option, bubble screens, wide-open stuff, even some I-formation power football. Like Houston under Briles, Baylor likes plays to “hit” quickly and overwhelm a defense. Briles will often spread a team out, then attack a softened middle. Plays are rarely drawn out unless Griffin does the drawing. It’ll be a tough adjustment for Nebraska’s defense, especially a secondary that, as of two weeks ago, still struggled with alignments and assignments.



Third verse, same at the first two: Nebraska will be facing its third consecutive bend-but-don’t-break 4-3 defense that’s going to give NU the short passing lanes take away the big play and the running game. Lake, the Bears’ best safety, is very good in run support, so Nebraska’s running backs will need to stick to their holes and not try to look for chances to bounce. Quarterback Joe Ganz, meanwhile, just has to do more of the same. Manage the offense, avoid the occasional blitz and find the holes in Baylor’s zone.



One thing to watch: NU’s offense seemed more effective on the road than at Memorial Stadium. Could it have anything to do with wanting to impress the home crowd, and tightening up as a result?



The Specials: Gotta keep harping on it, and now we’ve got a reason: Nebraska is 118th in net punting with 27.4 yards per punt. NU might as well just go for it fourth downs, if that’s all the Huskers are going to get out of a punt.



Baylor, meanwhile, has a solid punting game – 7th nationally. And a good kickoff and punt coverage unit, too. May mean nothing – what’s a couple punts in a blowout game? – and it may mean a lot. You figure the Huskers’ horse has to come in one of these weeks, and Dan Titchener or Jake Wesch has to punt well. You would think.



The New Kid on the Block: We’ve talked a lot about Robert Griffin already. For a true freshman, yeah, he’s special. But Oklahoma State contained him, and Nebraska can, too. The front four has to stay smart, keep their rush lanes and force Griffin to step up inside of out – keep funneling down the middle of the field. At least then he’s less of a threat to throw on the run and beat Nebraska’s safeties down the field.



Then, Pelini has to pick his blitzes well. Briles has Griffin trained not to make dumb throws, and Griffin is such a good runner that he can step backward from pressure and run all the way around it.



Finally, the Huskers really have to shut down the zone read play that gave them such fits last year. Baylor will run it and run it if it can, Griffin has already become deft at pulling the ball out and getting to the perimeter quickly. It’s a staple of what the Bears do on the ground, where they average 182.7 yards per game. If Griffin can make hay here, it opens up the rest of the playbook. If he doesn’t, Baylor is likely to stay conservative and try not to lose.

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Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin poses a stiff challenge for Nebraska’s defense, head coach Bo Pelini said Monday during the Big 12 Coaches Teleconference.

A true freshman who has accounted for more than 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns, Griffin has yet to throw an interception this year, Pelini said, because the Bears are designed around his talents.

“They do a good job of protecting him,” Pelini said. “Their offense kinda sets up well for him. They throw a lot of short things, a lot of screens, a lot of quick rhythm stuff.”

Pelini said BU Coach Art Briles “knows what he’s doing.”

“They’ve thought it out well,” said Pelini, referring Baylor’s offense, which is third in the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 182.7 yards per game.

Briles runs a spread offense, but it tends to place more emphasis on the ground game. Some fans might mistakenly believe that Briles’ old team, Houston, was a pass-happy bunch along the lines of Texas Tech or Tulsa; on the contrary, UH averaged more than 160 rushing yards per game in Briles’ last three seasons there, including 223.9 yards in 2007.

“I’ve always been kind of a run guy growing up,” Briles said Monday, referring to his own playing days at Houston in the mid-1970s, when the Cougars ran the famed “Houston Veer” option offense.

An improved Nebraska running game, Pelini said, has helped NU’s defense over the last two weeks, limiting the number of possessions for opponents Texas Tech and Iowa State.

“The best defense is not being out there for a ton of plays,” Pelini said.

NU’s linebacker corps – Phillip Dillard, Cody Glenn and Tyler Wortman – all played significant snaps together for the first time since the Virginia Tech game. Pelini termed their play “better.”

“Still too many mistakes,” he said.

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