If a shot at the United Football League, doesn't work, it seems so.

Ganz, who tried out with the Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills, told the AP Tuesday he'd tryout for the Florida Tuskers of the upstart UFL, and if he didn't stick there, he'd come back to Lincoln, work for the Husker Sports Network and take a graduate assistant job at Nebraska in 2010.

The Husker record-setter would prefer to play in the UFL, of course, but the Tuskers hold the rights to Michael Vick. If Vick doesn't land in the NFL, he'll be the marquee player of the UFL.

At any rate, we're on record as suggesting Ganz would be a terrific coach, and a start at NU, under his old offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, seems perfectly logical.

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Welcome to Ten Burning Questions, Husker Locker’s version of a preseason game show!

In it we examine an issue surrounding Nebraska football from three potential perspectives, or, in this case, doors. On some of the burning question, there’ll even be a grand prize or a booby trap, so be on the lookout!

At the end of each burning question, we want you, the reader, to weigh in with your take. So have those comments ready, OK?

Burning Question No. 1: What kind of season will quarterback Zac Lee have?

Overview: Lee takes over for departing Joe Ganz, who, in his 16-game career as a starter for NU, became a kind of folk hero for the Husker faithful, and a record breaker to boot. Ganz’s quick sense of humor, easy humility and juxtaposition to Sam Keller made him an easy fan favorite. He was the kind of guy your grandmother loved.

It won’t be as easy for Lee, who has the athleticism and size of Ganz, but the NFL pedigree and flash of Keller. Lee may be faster, and he may have a stronger arm, but will he have that sixth sense, especially on the run, that Ganz used to have? Can he make plays where none exist? Will he have the exquisite chemistry Ganz enjoyed with receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson?

And does Lee have enough time to settle in before the Big 12 Conference schedule hits with a road game at Missouri and a home game vs. Texas Tech right off the jump?

“Zac’s going to have some confidence building games,” college football analyst Phil Steele said. “Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Louisana-Lafeyette. Those are nice. But if you’re talking about being tested, go against Bud Foster’s defense on the road in Blacksburg. After Zac’s gone into Blacksburg and faced a Bud Foster defense, the rest of the year will be pretty easy stuff for him.”

Let’s go to the doors!


Door No. 1: One Big Season, with Lots of Help

It’s not often that new quarterbacks, even upperclassmen, come in and shine immediately. But if Lee were looking for a target player to fit that mold, he’d do well to look at Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark’s 2008 season. Clark, who had played sparingly prior to last year, was solid through the non-conference and only had two “bad” games, both of which came later in the year at Ohio State and Iowa. For the year, Clark threw for 2,592 yards, 19 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Why was he so effective? He got help from a PSU running game that 206 yards per contest. Could NU, which averaged 170 last year, reach that number? Very possibly.

While Penn State didn’t have a test like Nebraska will at Virginia Tech, Lee should have a strong running game to take the pressure off of him. One disadvantage when compared to Clark: PSU had arguably its best receiving corps in history last year in Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams. All were seniors. Lee will throw to a bunch of largely untested or inexperienced targets.

Door No. 2: Shades of another first-year Zac – with a tougher schedule.

Although Zac Taylor finished the 2005 season on a high note, the first three games of that year were not memorable, as Taylor completed just 39-89 passes for 399 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Fortunately, NU scored four defensive touchdowns in three games against Maine, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh. Taylor, facing criticism and pressure, magically turned it on the next week with a 431-yard performance vs. Iowa State.

Lee probably won’t be throwing the ball as much, but he could begin the season out of rhythm and needing to find the groove, so to speak, with his receivers. Remember that Taylor, too, had a spectacular spring game in 2005. It meant nothing once the season began.

In Lee’s favor will be a better running game. Nebraska averaged just 96 rushing yards per game in 2005. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson would love to double that in 2009.

Working against Lee: Road games at Virginia Tech and Mizzou in the first five. Taylor played his first five at home. In 2007, Keller was never really the same after spitting the bit in Columbia.

Door No. 3: A hybrid of Watson’s former protégés.

In his time at Colorado and Nebraska, Watson coached a number of guys right in Lee’s size, speed and skill range. Lee might have more raw talent than any of them except Craig Ochs, who played at CU for a couple years before transferring. Watson even compared Lee to Ochs during spring football.

Let’s look at some of Watson’s guys 1999-present. We don’t count Joe Ganz in 2007 because we deem that as Bill Callahan’s “mercenary” phase when he trying to score points to polish up his resume.

1999: Mike Moschetti 203-307 (62%) 2,688 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 117 rush yards, 5 TD

2000: Craig Ochs, 145-245 (59%) 1,788 yards, 7 TDs, 7 INTs, 106 rush yards, 4TDs

2001: Bobby Pesavento/Craig Ochs: 184-305 (60%), 2,454 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs, 82 rush yards, 1 TD

2002: Robert Hodge 131-245 (51%) 1547 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT, 85 rush yards, 2 TD

2003-2005 Joel Klatt (average of 3 seasons) 222-364 (61%) 2,458 yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs, -42 rushing yards, 1 TD.

2007: Sam Keller 205-325, 2,422 yards (63%) 14 TDs, 10 INTs -97 rushing yards

2008: Joe Ganz 258-420 (67%) 3,568 yards, 25 TDs, 11 INTs, 258 rushing yards, 5 TDs.

What can we glean from this list and what might it foretell for Lee?

*Expect rewards for risks. When a Watson quarterback completes a pass, it’s usually for a first down, at least. Even dropback guys like Keller and Klatt were well above 11 yards per completion. Ganz was near 14 yards.

*But also expect some sacks and interceptions, too. Ganz, Ochs and Moschetti were all pretty mobile guys who could create yards with their feet. But they got nabbed a lot in the backfield, too. All Watson QBs, aside from Ochs in 2000, had more than ten picks. In other words, don’t expect Zac Taylor’s 2006 season, when he entered the Big 12 title game with just four interceptions.

*If Watson’s QB can run, he’ll get some shots to do so. And Lee may Watson’s fastest quarterback in a decade.

Which of the doors would you pick? Before commenting, also consider:

The Grand Prize: A season similar to that of Ganz or, if you figure in rushing yards, Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson: 3,064 passing yards, 562 rushing, 33 total touchdowns.

and

The Booby Trap: In which Lee gets injured, and Watson has his toughest QB job since Ochs took over as a true freshman in 2000.

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So reports the Washington Post. The Redskins will bring back Jason Campbell and Todd Collins, obviously, plus Colt Brennan and Chase Daniel for the next minicamp.

From what we read and heard, Ganz looked better in drills than Daniel, and certainly knows the West Coast Offense better than Daniel does.

But it seems the Redskins are more interested in giving Daniel another look in early June.

Now we'll see if Ganz tries to catch on with another team, or pursues that graduate assistant job waiting for him up in North Shore at Northwestern.

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If you had any doubt – the slightest bit, doubt the size of a single fish egg – about the utter failure of the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska, this weekend should have washed it away like the tide drags abandoned crab shells out to sea.

In 2009 NFL Draft, only three members Callahan’s vaunted recruiting classes were selected. Three. San Jose State had that many. New Mexico and Abliene Christian had two. And no Huskers higher than midway through the fifth round. You might have to go back to the 1969 NFL Draft to find such a meager NU class, although the 2008 bunch is right in there.

And the first of the 2009 picks – linebacker Cody Glenn – was stuck at fourth-string running back for much of the 2007 season, his career resurrected only by Callahan’s firing and the hiring of head coach Bo Pelini and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler, who gave Glenn a good enough crash course to eeld his skills to one of the more difficult positions on the defense.

Meanwhile, Callahan’s preferred back, Marlon Lucky, didn’t even get to be Mr. Irrelevant.

Maybe If Callahan hadn’t wasted Lucky’s first year on campus. Or burned Zach Potter’s redshirt. Or buried Joe Ganz underneath the depth chart rubble, only to be forced into giving him a shot when he was the only one left standing.

If only.

Does that mean Potter, Lucky, Ganz or others won’t play in the NFL? Of course not. There are some advantages, in fact, to becoming a priority free agent instead of a draft pick, and NFL teams sometimes use late-round draft picks on projects who flame out two weeks into training camp. NU has a number of players good enough for the NFL. They need the right fit and the right attitude, but they’ll get their chance.

What the 2009 class means is that Callahan’s pitch - which revolved around his NFL experience, around his ability to recognize talent, recruit it with fierce diligence and organization and turn it into a professional product – was akin to oceanfront property in Grand Island. His “talent” was more upside than finished product, and he and his staff didn’t take enough pains to finish it. Often, they rushed the talent into service before they were ready and snatched a crucial redshirt year away from guys like Glenn, Niles Paul and Prince Amukamara.

Now - had Callahan landed that gilded, magic quarterback he always pined for, like Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, I don’t doubt he would have produced, consequences be damned, the kind of player Freeman became: A big, sturdy stiff with enough intelligence and arm strength to con some poor NFL franchise, like the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, into drafting him.

Ron Prince ran Kansas State into the ground that way, protecting “his” QB to the point where, when KSU’s offensive line seemingly refused to block for Freeman, or Freeman temporarily lost his faculties, Prince pulled Freeman from the Nebraska game. Freeman sat on the bench, staring into dead space, while Ganz pounded the Wildcats’ defense with the zone read. Freeman walks away from Manhattan with a fat contract. Prince got his old job back at Virginia. KSU fans, meanwhile, must curse their twin presence for the next decade; that’s how quickly they ruined what Bill Snyder had built.

Callahan, forced to work with the chopped ham of Zac Taylor and Ganz, who often performed like the delectable pieces of Spanish jamon, didn’t get the Princely opportunity to sacrifice a whole team for one man.

But he did make sure Lucky got rushed through the system, Potter received dubious coaching from a recruiting mercenary, Andre Jones disappeared into the ether and Matt Slauson, who was selected this year, wasted 2007 at his “Chipotle” weight, far above where he belonged.

You may counter: Isn’t Ndamukong Suh headed for a first-day pick in 2010? Sure. Did Callahan recruit him? Yep. Callahan also left behind guys like Keith Williams, Mike McNeill, Eric Hagg, Roy Helu and Jacob Hickman. I forsee all of them being drafted in the next two years.

But Callahan hardly developed those guys. Indeed, Suh was backsliding in his last year under Kevin Cosgrove. Their draft positions will be small credit to Callahan recruiting them, and large credit to Pelini, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson (who, to be fair, is a Callahan disciple) and position coaches developing them.

Finally, coaches told Nebraska players why they were doing something. Coaches corrected mistakes on the field, instead of in a film session. Finally, players were treated like the kids they still remain, instead of cogs in a wheel. Finally, they developed the down-in, down-out technique that makes good NFL players.

You know, it’s interesting. ESPN’s Tim Griffin reviewed the NFL Draft picks of each Big 12 team since the inception of the league and NU, unbelievably, remains on top in terms of number of players drafted (59 in all), and the relative quality of those players. Although Oklahoma and Texas have dominated the Big 12 over the last seven years, Nebraska is close to both programs when it comes to players selected in the first three rounds of the draft.

It’s now been two years since any Husker was picked in the first four rounds.

Since Callahan took over in 2004, just one of his scholarship recruits, Brandon Jackson, was drafted in the top three rounds. And Jackson left NU after his junior season in 2006, with the legitimate concern that, if he returned, he would have been buried on the depth chart like he had been the beginning of that year, when he was fourth. Behind a guy named Cody Glenn. Who, one year later, was fourth on the depth chart.

You figure it out.

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The NFL Draft is set to begin Saturday in New York at 2 p.m.; the first two rounds should take the long day’s journey into late night, while Sunday brings rounds 3-7.

While a number of Huskers could be selected in the Draft, none are expected to land on that first day; it could be argued that tackle Lydon Murtha or defensive end Zach Potter stand a rare outside chance of it, be we doubt it. But NU should be well-represented on day two, with as many as five or six players getting drafted, and several more finding free agent contracts, if the chips fall the right way.

Here’s where we at Husker Locker see the former Nebraska players fitting in over the weekend:

Position rankings, in order, are by NFLDraftScout, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated (out of a 6.0 scale)

Offensive tackle Lydon Murtha: 6-7, 309 4.78 40-yard
Ranked: No. 19, No. 14, and 3.39 (“fence player”)
Round Projection: 4th-7th

Our take: Murtha missed the equivalent of a whole season of football, and maybe more, to injuries and illnesses. For a tackle, he plays a little high in the running game, and is better chipping a defender and going to the next level than he is clearing out a single guy. Murtha’s draft workouts, especially at the NFL Combine, were terrific, showing off the athleticism and speed that made him a solid pass blocker at NU. It’s a tackle-heavy draft, which may cause Murtha slide into the middle part of day two. We think, by the end of the fourth round, he’ll be gone.

Defensive end Zach Potter: 6-7, 280, 4.79
Ranked: No. 15, No. 27, 3.39 (“fence player)
Round Projection: 3rd-7th

Our take: Potter is an intriguing prospect that could, one day, become a pretty good offensive tackle if he so wished. Potter’s biggest advantage – and in some ways a slight disadvantage – is his height, which helps him bat down passes and become a general backside nuisance for smallish quarterbacks. That height, though, could make it hard for him to play inside at a defensive tackle position in a 4-3 defense. Potter is plenty tough and technically sound against the run. He’s not a great pass rusher, but if he can keep contain, he collapses a pocket pretty well. We also imagine Potter interviewed well; he’s a natural leader with a good sense of humor, and he’d fit well in an NFL locker room. We think Potter may drop below Murtha, but the fourth or fifth round is a pretty good guess.

Running back Marlon Lucky: 6-0, 215, 4.52
Ranked: No. 26, No. 18, 3.34 (“fence player”)
Round Projection: 6th-7th

Our take: If used correctly, Lucky could make some NFL team pretty happy. He’s an NFL third-down back from the minute he enters the league, and arguably the most gifted pass-catching running back in the draft. Lucky makes tough catches, runs well in the open field, and generally doesn’t fumble in the open field, either. Lucky is also a polished enough pass-blocker to stay in for protection. Where Lucky struggles is the carry-for-carry grind that is running the football. He doesn’t attack holes, and in the NFL, you need to. He doesn’t break a lot of tackles. He can seem indifferent, as well, to his play on the field. He can get little, nagging injuries, too, like toe problems or chronic headaches. Lucky’s a bit too fine-tuned, sometimes. But when he’s plugged in, he’s pretty good, and we think a team could nab him as early at the fifth round, if the fit is right. Or he could go undrafted.

Offensive guard Matt Slauson: 6-6, 313, 5.14
Ranked: No. 19, No. 10, 3.21 (“practice squad”)
Round Projection: 6th-free agent

Our take: Whether or not Slauson gets drafted, we predict he’ll make a team’s final roster come fall, because he’s burly, aggressive and not afraid to mix it up. He can move earth on a short-yardage play, if nothing else, and had the versatility to fit in at guard or tackle. He’s not the fastest guard and probably isn’t your first pick to pull, but Slauson can fill in capably should a starter get hurt. The free agent route may suit Slauson better, for then he can pick his team.

Quarterback Joe Ganz: 6-0, 212, 4.84
Ranked: No. 44, No. 23, 2.80 (“free agent”)
Round Projection: Free Agent

Our take: Ganz doesn’t have a lot of the physical tools you’d like in an NFL QB, but he knows how the play the position, and for a short guy with only a decent arm, he makes quite a few big plays. Excellent leader, learns and knows the offense, rarely audibles into the wrong plays, and has a sixth sense when he’s scrambling outside the pocket. Ganz occasionally makes bad decisions when rolling to his right, and needs to find a rhythm early in the game, or he struggles. He could fit as a third quarterback somewhere. We think he’s better than Zac Taylor, though, for what it’s worth.

Linebacker Cody Glenn: 6-0, 244, 4.78
Ranked: No. 34, No. 27, 3.30 (“practice squad”)
Round Projection: 7th-Free Agent

Our take: Had Glenn been a linebacker under Bo Pelini for four years, he would possess the seasoning and smarts he’ll need to overcome his average speed and lack of height in the NFL. But Glenn only got one year, and that was cut short by injuries and a still-mysterious suspension. He’s a natural playmaker who instinctively plays the run pretty well, especially on outside edge plays. Decent pursuer of the ball. Likes playing defense. Glenn remains raw and unpolished, and will need to prove himself, for at least one year, on special teams.

Receiver Nate Swift: 6-2, 203, 4.64
Ranked: No. 62, No. 46, 3.10 (“free agent”)
Round Projection: Free Agent

Our take: With a couple years of learning some crafty moves on how to get open, Swift could become a decent NFL receiver, because he’s excellent after the catch and pretty comfortable making the tough grab, too. Swift runs solid routes and blocks well. His weakness is simple: As a slot receiver – and that’s what he’ll have to be in the NFL it’s all about slipping into space and getting open. Can Swift beat an NFL cornerback or linebacker doing that?

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The juxtaposition of the two backup quarterbacks, at least on that day, was jarring.

It was two weeks before Nebraska’s bowl game with Clemson, and a cluster of reporters had decided – in whatever unspoken-yet-oddly-unanimous vote we often take – that interviews with Patrick Witt and Zac Lee were in order for the weekly temperature-taking being done at that time because we had already exhausted every angle on starter Joe Ganz.

One of the backups got off the elevator in the Hawks Center sucking on a juice box. Grape flavor. White straw.

The other was still on the practice field throwing a variety of passes to wideout Menelik Holt.

Juice man walked.

Zac Lee, meanwhile, stood in front of reporters clustered together like girls in a Jonas Brothers concert, answering questions after spring practice Friday. He smiled. He laughed. He more or less served as a recruiting pamphlet for Nebraska football.

“It’s fun,” Lee said. “This is why you come to a place like Nebraska. It’s why you want to be a college football player. You want to be the guy when the game’s on the line. It’s just a blast.”

He played down the fact that he’s working with the No. 1 offense – “There’s three other guys out here and we’re all competing,” – and answered the “Patrick Witt” question with a simple “wish him well” statement. Even when he challenged a little, and forced to more or less admit it was his No. 1 job to lose as much as it was his to win, Lee grinned and brought up his own resume.

“I’ve done just about as much as they have,” comparing himself to Kody Spano, Cody Green, and Latravis Washington. “I’ve thrown two passes since I’ve been here. There’s not a lot of game experience there. So I just got to keep working.”

Lee had a university test to take Wednesday night. He’ll find out the results this weekend.

He took his first fishbowl exam with the media Friday night. He can know his score now: He passed, terrifically.

Yeah, Lee was smooth. He looked and sounded like the son of NFL quarterback. Which he is – his dad, Bob Lee, played 14 seasons of pro football. Lee may develop the habit of looking at the ceiling or a blank spot on the wall as he talks later in his career, but for now, he faces the reporter and delivers the answer right to them.

Boy, is he going to be a hit with the fans.

Part of Ganz’s appeal in front of the media each week was his lunchpail persona. The bed head. The quick joke. The banter with head coach Bo Pelini. Ganz had charisma and guts. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson loved how Ganz attacked the practice field every day, and took what skills he had and perfected them.

“I put Joe on the cover of our quarterback manual,” Watson said. The remaining quarterbacks razzed Watson pretty good for that.

The Chicago-style QB had one hell of a year. Now, in his place: a polished, telegenic, California kid with four stars behind recruiting profile. Lee was supposed to be locked in a battle with Witt for the starting job. Know this: It would have been a doozy. Each had his strengths.

As it stands, Lee must forge ahead imagining he’s getting pushed. Maybe Spano, a redshirt freshman who spent last year on the scout team, can do that this spring. Maybe Green, once he recovers from a hip injury, can, too. Maybe.

So, really, this is Lee’s team. Which is fine. It needs to be. Nebraska has a whale of a schedule in 2009, and the sooner it cements the quarterback position, the sooner it can go about winning games rather than figuring out just who, exactly, will be winning them.

But with that comes a different kind of pressure than the one that goes along with a quarterback competition. Lee has to get a bunch of untested receivers on the same page, for one thing.

Watson has seen Lee ramp up his intensity over the last year. Lee won’t say now there was a particular time the light went on, but last fall he alluded to it being right around spring practiceof last year, when he was fully healed from a knee injury, and he was off the scout team. He showed flashes of brilliance in the Spring Game. He showed more last fall in practice. Then, in winter, his focus got even stronger.

“I spent a ton of hours in Coach Watson’s office just drawing stuff on the board for him. He’d shout something out and I’d have to draw it up,” Lee said.

Said Watson: “It’s a different Zac Lee. He’s really, really confident right now. I think the confidence comes from experience. He’s been in the offense, he knows the terminology. He didn’t stumble over anything. He did a really, really nice job. Usually that’s the first thing.”

“He feels a responsibility to his teammates. You can tell.”

Most quarterbacks struggle when they start at the major college level for the first time. Zac Taylor had NU fans speaking in low, hushed tones during the Maine, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh games in 2005. Ganz admits he cringed at some of the throws he made in the 2007 Kansas and Colorado games. So must have Watson.

The West Coast Offense is based on timing, recognition and savvy skills like ball fakes and precise footwork, multiplies the difficulty. The WCO, at its essence, is designed to supply a quarterback with enough options that no play is blown up by an opposing defense. But the quarterback has to process those options quickly enough to burn said opposition.

Ganz became quite good at locating, for example, tight end Mike McNeill on a flat route when Ganz felt pressure after a play-action fake. He also learned how to extend a play by scrambling laterally so that Nate Swift and Todd Peterson could work across the field after their initial routes had been covered. Taylor, meanwhile, burned teams – especially Michigan in the Alamo Bowl – on that skinny slant that took advantage of a late-arriving safety. That sixth sense is practice, and repetition. You have to do it – and maybe screw it up – to appreciate the split-second difference between a first down and an interception.

“The West Coast is just a different offense,” Lee said. “There are guys who are 10-year vets in the NFL who are still learning stuff about the offense so it’s just a continuous process where you just learn and learn and learn and you never stop learning.”

In other words, Lee can take care of the ball like it’s a baby in swaddling clothes this spring, but, next fall, he’ll have to take his lumps. He’ll have to hear the crowd murmur about him for a play or two. He’ll have to miss an open receiver in a game when it matters. He’ll have to engineer two touchdown drives, then suffer through a couple three-and-outs. He’ll have to cringe the next day in film study.

Lee must assert himself as the leader of an offense that lost its five biggest figureheads from 2008: Ganz, Swift, Peterson and Matt Slauson. He can practice patience when the pocket begins to collapse. And he can try to convince Watson that’s he’s accurate enough with his deep, deep ball to consistently send Holt and possibly Antonio Bell down the field for zone-busting bombs.

Until then?

“If you work hard, keep your head down and do what you’re supposed to do, everything has a way of working itself out,” Lee said. “I’m just going to keep trying to do that.”

The California kid can talk it. Now, like Ganz and Taylor before him, Zac Lee will get the chance to walk it.

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We pretty much figured these comments were coming sooner or later. Good to see Joe played them pretty straight and fair: High praise on Lee, mild critcism on Witt. The Witt issue is a dead deal, anyhow, and dredging up anymore (although it will be, when Zac Lee speaks more in the spring) is kinda pointless.

One comment Ganz made about Lee stood out, though:

"He gets happy feet sometimes. We kind of kid him about it, taking off running a little too early. He’d like to be the checkdown instead of letting other people get hurt. We just told him if you’re going to spend a whole season (healthy), you’re going to have to check the ball down and let other people get hit instead of you."

First, Ganz kinda had happy feet, too, and he was the type to look for the big play downfield, when he scrambled, rather than the safe, Sam Keller pass to Marlon Lucky. It served Nebraska's offense well, that daring.

But Ganz was also a fifth-year quarterback working with Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, two fifth-year receivers. Don't take that lightly. Easier to improvise when you've got experienced guys like that.

Lee is faster than Ganz. Know that. And he has a stronger arm. But the savvy it takes to run the West Coast Offense, and the leadership...that's what Ganz had in spades. And what, over the next year, Lee will acquire.

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Nebraska's seniors got a final chance to show off for NFL scouts Thursday at NU's annual Pro Day, which was, according to NFL.com, attended by 20 teams. The workouts were closed to the public and media - about ten years ago, one could stand right next NFL coaches and shoot the breeze, but no longer - and while players gave an estimate of they did, NFL.com's Gil Brandt actually posted the official results late Thursday night.

Our impression? Marlon Lucky, who was once a third or fourth-round prospect, did himself no favors by pulling a hamstring and not being able to do positional drills. Looks like his work out in California didn't much pay off.

Meanwhile, it seems like Ty Steinkuhler mihgt have worked his way into a preferred free agent slot, which some will tell you, is better than being drafted in the sixth or seventh round, because a player can actually choose where they'd like to go. Steinkuhler has a pretty good season on tape, and while injuries are a major concern with him, his workout numbers were such that He was faster and had a higher vertical jump than quarterback Joe Ganz.

As for Ganz's numbers, well, not mind-blowing, but you don't sign or draft a quarterback for any of those reasons. Ganz will have to catch on somewhere and learn to stick in the pocket as long as it will hold.

See also: Ganz on Witt and Lee

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The NFL is a fickle, heartless joint. A guy like former Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz, even with a terrific regular season, can't get a date to the NFL Combine or a college all-star game.

Whether it's fair or not - don't be particularly surprised or disappointed. Ganz is 6-foot-1, and that's on the short side for the NFL. The shorter a guy is, the harder it becomes to do a whole slew of things. Read a defense. Float passes over a defensive line on a screen pass - which is something Ganz struggled to do.

Here's the other thing: When teams forced Ganz to stay in the pocket - where most NFL quarterbacks must live - he didn't like it. Outside of the pocket, Ganz did his best work. He still has a ways to go when it comes to standing tall and stepping up.

And that's OK. Ganz has leadership skills in spades, and he's a solid improviser outside of the pocket. If he hitches on with a team that runs the West Coast Offense - and that particularly version emphasizes a rollout passing game - he's got a chance. Whether he's drafted or not.

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One whole month, a team sits around waiting for a New Year’s Day bowl game. That might be as good an argument as any for playoff system, that teams gaining momentum at the end of the year keep it, and don’t lose it through the course of what amounts to a second fall camp.

That said, bowl season tends to bring most teams full circle. Hurt guys get healthy. Healthy guys polish up mistakes. Offenses, with a full season of knowing what works and what doesn’t, perfects the plays that do work. Defenses hone in on weaknesses and work on becoming more exotic, more dangerous.

The preparation and relaxation period tends to favor a team’s best players – the big names, if you will. Bowl games often become a spotlight – or just the opposite – for quarterbacks, who shine or fail to shake off the rust. Nebraska’s bowl history is full of such memorable QB games – Tommie Frazier in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, Scott Frost in the 1998 Orange Bowl, Steve Taylor in the 1987 Sugar Bowl – and a couple not-so-memorable ones, too.

Bowl games also provide that defensive player who had been nursing injuries for half of the season the chance to dominate an opponent, the way Nebraska defensive end Mike Rucker did, for example, in the 1998 Holiday Bowl. Or the way NU’s entire defense did against a pretty good Michigan State offense in the 2003 Alamo Bowl.

So here are eight players – you know em and love em – from Nebraska and Clemson who should play the biggest roles in Thursday’s Gator Bowl. How they’ll play, we’ll just see. But these are the luminaries, so to speak.

Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz: Clemson might not be the fastest defense Ganz plays this year, but it’ll be very close. There are three or four legitimate NFL guys on the Tigers side, and they’re not going to play the “ole!” defense of Iowa State or even Texas Tech. Ganz will have to be precise. And smart. He can’t get cute when he’s under pressure, either. Just throw it away, Joe.

Clemson running backs CJ Spiller and James Davis: The more you watch of these two, the more their skillset says “ten-year NFL vets.” Both of them square their shoulders to the line of scrimmage. Both of them know how to gain five yards – which is a greater attribute than always trying bust one for 50. And neither make a lot of negative plays. Davis, in particular, is a tough-nosed dude, the kind of player you see gashing through holes in an NFL West Coast Offense.
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: I’m not sold this kid is coming back for his senior year. Sorry. Suh has enough size and burst to be an effective NFL pass rusher right now, if he’s placed in a good scheme. Suh was always smart and nasty enough; now, he has the confidence that he can dominate a game. When a defensive lineman gets that mentality – yeesh.

Clemson safety Michael Hamlin: Prototypical size – 6-3, 225 – good brains, sure tackler. Hamlin is the quarterback of CU’s defense, solid in run support and he’s got a good nose for the football. Like most safeties, he’s quick enough to the trigger on running plays that he can beaten by a tight end or receiver at the right moment.

Nebraska running back Roy Helu, Jr: Here’s the real question surrounding Helu: Will Nebraska use like it should, or will offensive coordinator Shawn Watson shuffle through his I-Pod of plays and find equal time for Marlon Lucky and Quentin Castille? We should hope not. Helu is a guy who gets better as the game progresses, a durable, well-conditioned running back whose best attribute is his creativity in the open field. Helu should get the ball 25 times, at least. Will he?

Clemson linebacker Kavell Connor: Active weakside linebacker who will be out there lurking in Joe Ganz’s blind spot. Cleans up on running plays. The Huskers will struggle to run wide, and the bubble screens won’t be a walk in the park, either.

Nebraska receiver Nate Swift: He’ll get challenged in this game as much as he has been all season. Clemson has two good corners, and I suspect the Tigers will try to take Swift away and make Ganz find secondary receivers. Swift will just have to be crafty and use his size against the skilled – but shorter – CU secondary. Once upon a time, you’d expect Nate to disappear in a game like this. Not anymore. The kid fights for five or six catches, and he doesn’t drop anything.

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