“Everybody is tired this time of year. It’s something you have to deal with. It’s something you have to overcome. It’s more mental than it is physical. Our guys are in good shape. They are ready to go.

“We’re not going to lighten much up. We know how to take care of their legs, but we need to get our work done this time of year.” -- Bo Pelini.


Nebraska Head Coach discussing preparation for the Kansas State game and the condition of the defense. See the complete story at KSU Game: Pelini -- We're Not Going to Lighten Up.

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We're back for another week of "Guess The Score!" Last week, Mark_From_Aurora nailed the 31-17 score of the Nebraska-Kansas game and won Tom Osborne's book "Beyond The Final Score." Congrats Mark!

Who will win this week? Put your score below, along with the offensive MVP and the defensive MVP.

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So tell me what you want, what you really, really want.

A trip to Dallas? (Arlington for our Nat Geo types.) A date with the biggest jumbotron this side of a Japanese arcade in JerryWorld? Two weeks of contemplating vengeance against Texas for 1996?

Then finish it Saturday, in a game that won't test Nebraska's talent as much it will its patience.

Let's be blunt: Kansas State, 6-5 and clawing for its postseason life, is a shade more talented than Iowa State. The Wildcats remain, 11 games into their season, a work in progress. It's Ron Prince's parting gift to leave behind an undersized-if-energetic defense. The offense has two key playmakers – Brandon Banks and Daniel Thomas – who have to account for the lion's share of KSU's yards and points. Quarterback Grant Gregory is a better story – sixth-year transfer from South Florida makes good – than he is player.

Bill Snyder's 2009 team is not terribly unlike his last one in 2005. Fairly stingy at home. Weaker on the road. Run-heavy. Patient. Opportunistic on the special teams. But not a great team - and not one that should, with everything that's at stake Saturday, beat Nebraska, on Senior Day.

A loss for the Cornhuskers on national TV – with a berth to the Big 12 Championship on the line – wouldn't be a casual thing. This is, again, one of those defining moments. Good coaches – good teams – find ways to close out these games. Pundits talk about comparing the 2009 defense to 1999. Well, that 1999 bunch stoned top 20 teams – Texas A&M (37-0) and Kansas State (41-15) – in back-to-back weeks to help secure a Big 12 crown. KSU was still undefeated, in fact, at the time of its game with NU.

All the 2009 version has to do to is overcome a thoroughly mediocre Snyder club.

Just a little perspective – before the pressure sets in.

On to the keys:

To the Banks: KSU receiver Brandon Banks is the Wildcats' one true home run hitter. He's the punt and kick returner, for one – and he's dangerous enough in that arena. But his speed makes him sneaky tough to cover on deep routes, and his shiftiness makes him a pain to tackle in the flat. Kansas State tries to get him five-ten touches per game in a variety of ways – screens, sweeps, deep shots, quick slants. Nebraska needs to know where he is, successfully mark him and then – tackle, tackle, tackle.

Power Play: Both teams will line up in heavy formations, try to put “hat on hat,” and grind out clock and yards. And both teams will try to use their playaction passing game off of the power game. And both teams will do so out of a variety of formations, motions and personnel groupings. In short, plan to see two offense with the same goals, equally good running backs, and equally iffy quarterback. The difference?

Front Four: We're about to find out just how good Nebraska's much-praised defensive line really is at accepting the challenge of a straight-ahead running game with a big, talented, physical running back in Daniel Thomas. This isn't going to be a “flash” game for Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick so much as a test of guts, strength, pad level and sheer technique. Again – great defenses eat one-dimensional teams like KSU for lunch. Behind the front four, NU's linebackers – expect plenty of Phillip Dillard, Sean Fisher and Will Compton, and maybe even Eric Martin – need to wrap Thomas and drive with their legs.

Zac Attack: Nebraska fans better hope Zac Lee's strong play at Kansas wasn't a one-week wonder. Not only does Lee need to keep NU in down-positive situations with timely scrambles and smart throws, he needs to continue on an improvement curve toward that game in Dallas, where Texas promises its own brand of nasty.

The Snyder Factor: Snyder is a major storyline in the game. But his best strengths are, in truth, minor, understated touches on gameday.

The man prepares well and gets his assistants to do the same. His offenses usually take care of the ball and rely on field position for points. His defenses aren't flashy from a sacks/tackles for loss perspective, but they tend to have guys in the right place against the run, relying on the athleticism of the secondary against the pass. The special teams are across-the-board strong. KSU conservatively clings like a leech to a small lead.

The Wildcats aim to win the hidden details, all while giving up yards, sacks and style points. Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini and his staff may be tested by this mindset. Or, the Huskers could jump out in front and run away with a three-touchdown win.

It may depends on which team can taste Dallas the most.

Is Nebraska as good as we remember? Saturday night - two contenders become one.

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Just two days before Nebraska's tilt with Kansas State, it's like that little mint hotels put on the pillows.

NU running back Rex Burkhead has apparently recovered well enough from a broken foot suffered four weeks ago to be ready for the Cornhuskers' Big 12 North title game with the Wildcats.

“Rex is doing really good,” head coach Bo Pelini said Thursday night after NU's practice.. “If he can play, he can play. Let it all hang out.”

Burkhead broke his foot Oct. 12 in practice. Prior to the injury, he had 262 all-purpose yards (118 rushing, 66 receiving and 88 return yards). Burkhead seemed to be taking over for Niles Paul as NU's lead punt returner when he got injured; since then, the redshirt of Dontrayevous Robinson has also been burned.

Pelini confirmed Thursday that tight end Mike McNeill and defensive end Pierre Allen are expected to play, as well.

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It was halftime of the Missouri game, and Nebraska had just laid a scoreboard egg. As NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson left the coaching press box, Tom Osborne wanted a word.

“Remember,” Osborne said, “You have that route.”

The “route” to which Osborne referred was actually a concept: A hook pattern by a slot receiver, with the primary receiver running a deep post behind it. Osborne – and Watson – had noticed in film study that Mizzou safeties would sit on certain short routes, exposing the corner to one-on-one coverage downfield.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Watson dialed up the play, and it opened up beautifully. The Missouri safety chased the short route. Niles Paul beat his corner inside. Zac Lee hit Paul in stride for a 54-yard touchdown.

“(Osborne's) box is up by ours,” Watson said. “Every so often, he'll offer advice.”

And you thought it was a rumor.

Turns out that, yes, Virginia, there is an Ozfather.

***

It's a role fit for Brando, were he taller, thinner and still alive. Maybe Clint Eastwood could fill in. You hate inject more saccharine than necessary, but – dadgummit! – if this isn't an interesting story.

We caught a sliver of the tale Saturday when Watson revealed that some of the plays in Nebraska's 31-17 win over Kansas – notably the 37-yard option pass – were from the Osborne vault. So, too, were some of the option runs and power plays in the 10-3 win over Oklahoma.

But it's the way Osborne did it, casually dropping off some film for Watson to peruse, that adds to the mystique of it.

“He left it for us to find,” Watson said. Which, of course, they did.

Could it really be that elegant? Can the spirit of one of the best offensive minds in college football history simply waft off a page of notes, twinkle like a speck of dust in the afternoon light?

Osborne makes no real attempt to hide himself. He's around, a fixture at practices of many sports. I sense he likes to watch coaches in their element – because that's his element. Practice is where teams are born. Practice is where Osborne built a venerable Varyag of a squad, complete with two scout units that prepared twice-as-many players for gameday.

After football practice these days, he smiles as he walks by reporters. Often says hello. Holds doors, waves and moseys out. Some days he's in his trademark red blazer. On Tuesday he was decked in winter wear – a coat and sweatpants. He'd been outside, obviously, on the practice field.

What is his true level of input? Watson and head coach Bo Pelini seem to suggest that Osborne's touch is so light that it barely makes an imprint.

“He has a unique way of doing things in such a way that believe me, he makes it real clear to me that, hey it’s your job, you have to run your team the way you have to run it,” Pelini said. “If anything I wish he would speak up more. He’s not overbearing about anything he does.”

And yet, in the next sentence, Pelini – fully aware of the implication of his statement - said: “He talks to me like my father used to talk to me.”

Supportive. But corrective.

“He’s willing to give his opinion and be real black and white, and say, 'Hey I think this is something you need to fix,' or 'I like how you did this, but this is something you should probably think about working on,'” Pelini said.

It goes without saying that there isn't one athletic director in college football anything like the Ozfather.

Like Somerset said at the end “Seven:” “Around. I'll be around.” And so Osborne is, popping his head into Bo's office when time allows.

“He’ll look at the game tape,” Pelini said. “There are always going to be some Xs and Os things that he thinks could help. I’ll just run some things by him - 'In this situation, what do you think? Punting the football or going for it on fourth down?' The dialogue kind of happens pretty continuously.”

Some Husker fans – a small faction, but vocal – bristle at the image. They think Osborne wields too much influence. They suggest he helped shape Bo's offensive coaching staff. That he pushes for Bo to offer scholarships to in-state kids who aren't worthy of them. That he wants to restore the walk-on program back to a level that no longer is useful.

The landscape has changed, they argue. A well-meaning Osborne is still inserting himself where Bo should assert his leadership. Instead of Osborne acting as paterfamilias, Bo should be the one with the vision for the offense, and he should make Watson adhere to it.

If only life were as simple as it looks, in these human equations we always tend to figure out in our heads.

The flip side is a more compelling argument. Pelini's not a finished product as a coach. He admits as much, of course, but he's better off, right now, growing into the role with Osborne as a net, especially in some of the intangible areas – media, community relations, cultivating a positive sideline image with referees, assistants and players.

One can argue, if they choose to wade into deep water, Osborne's methodology when it comes to winning football games. They can argue with some of his personnel decisions during his coaching tenure.

But the intangible stuff – what made Osborne so likable amongst his peers – probably won him the parting gift of a split national title in 1997.

And I don't see any Husker fans handing back that trophy.

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Among the many conversations Bob Lee had with his son, Zac, about playing quarterback, the former NFL signal-caller once said this: You're not a true quarterback until you've been run out of at least one town.

Zac Lee certainly wasn't sent packing from Nebraska's football program – but the junior was benched during periods of the Texas Tech game, and seemingly for good when freshman Cody Green took the helm at Baylor. Fans and pundits who had seen Lee's on-field confidence and performance waver with each double-clutch and each tentative throw didn't figure the San Francisco native had a second act in him.

They also didn't know Lee's dad, who spent 12 years in the NFL with three teams – mostly in a backup role – had already prepared him for such a moment.

“Taking that to heart, and hearing that for as long as I've heard that – it's just part of the deal,” Lee said. “I've said that before.”

And yet – Lee's confidence went somewhere, didn't it? Head coach Bo Pelini had called Lee “borderline arrogant” during fall camp – Lee bristles a bit at this – but, by the Texas Tech game, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson termed Lee's mistakes as “chasing ghosts.” Misreading coverages. Refusing to scramble.

“Maybe earlier I was trying to make plays passing the ball too much instead of just reacting and going,” Lee said. “Holes close pretty quick.”

A seat on the bench for Baylor – and the first two drives of the Oklahoma game – woke up Lee, Watson said, to the realities of the position. At least the realities of NU's offense right now, as the Cornhuskers try to shift from a shotgun spread offense into a power-based, double-tight without pumping the clutch.

Such a jarring transition needed a steadier hand.

“He saw he wanted to play,” Watson said. “Wanted to be out on the field. Given his opportunity, he grasped what we've been trying to get him to grasp, and that's just managing the game. Start there, and grow from there.”

On the sidelines, Lee found “a little extra hunger that maybe I didn't know I had.”

“It was realizing you've got to do whatever it takes to win,” Lee said. “No matter what that may be.”

Against Oklahoma, that meant handing off and executing safe, playaction passes. Against Kansas, that meant reducing his reads – with the power formations there weren't that many reads to check anyway – and running when the holes were available.

“It wasn't an extremely conscious decision,” Lee said. “I just saw some lanes and took off...if 1 or 2's not there, take it, tuck it and run.”

He rushed for a career-high 53-yards at KU. Threw for 196. Considering the opponent, the hostile setting and Nebraska's so-so defense, Lee agreed it was the best game of his young career.

While Watson prepared some plays designed to utilize Green's strengths in Lawrence, Pelini said they weren't necessary.

“Why make a switch when you don't need to?” Pelini said.

Maybe that's why Pelini has noticed “a little swagger out of Zac.” And Lee has noticed it in himself.

“I don't want to necessarily call myself arrogant, but there's a certain amount of confidence you've got to have when you're the quarterback of a team,” he said. “A certain amount of it comes from just having fun, just playing, being an athlete. I got that back.”

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If Nebraska's football team had any intent of scaling back its practices this week, head coach Bo Pelini wasn't tipping his hand to that effect Monday.

“We’re not going to lighten much up,” Pelini said. “We know how to take care of their legs, but we need to get our work done this time of year.”

NU did cut its workout time in the Hawks Center by 20 minutes Monday, practicing in half-pads. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini hinted after the Cornhuskers' 31-17 win over Kansas that the Blackshirts were leg-weary after a grueling month of football.

His brother brushed off that notion Monday.

“Everybody is tired this time of year,” Bo Pelini said. “It’s something you have to deal with. It’s something you have to overcome. It’s more mental than it is physical. Our guys are in good shape. They are ready to go.”

Indeed, this may not be the week for Nebraska to gear down. The Big 12 North championship is on the line, as is a date with Texas in the Big 12 title game. Kansas State, NU's foe, relies on the run more than any team in the league, and has running back Daniel Thomas, who leads the Big 12 with 1,166 yards rushing.

“They play smashmouth football,” NU safety Larry Asante said. “And (Thomas) is a real good tailback. They run the ball. They're going to come in here to run physical.”

That suits Asante, who's third on the team in tackles with 54 and whose forte is run support, just fine.

“I'm in the box in this game,” he said. “I can't wait. I feel like this is my strength.”

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[url][/url]Water under the bridge.

That's how Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder characterized a tense post-game meeting between he and Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini after KSU's 38-9 win over NU in 2003, when Snyder was on his way to his only Big 12 Championship, and Pelini was the Cornhuskers' defensive coordinator.

Pelini had strong words after the game for Snyder, who kept his starters in despite enjoying a comfortable lead. The extent of the loss was considered by most the final nail in Frank Solich's coaching coffin; Solich was fired shortly thereafter. This past summer, Pelini said he “regretted” the incident.

“We haven't talked about it,” Snyder said during Monday's Big 12 Coaches Teleconference. “I don't think it's an issue. On my part it's not. I hope it's not with Bo. Kind of a heat-of-the-moment thing. Competitive people respond competitively. I'd like to think it's beyond us.”

Snyder spent a good chunk of his time during the teleconference praising Nebraska's defense, which ranks tenth in total defense and third in scoring defense.

“They're every bit what people say about them – and perhaps more,” Snyder said. “They play hard. All 11. They pursue well. They've got speed and quickness to compliment the effort.”

Snyder said Bo Pelini, his brother Carl and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler – who played for Snyder at KSU – have enough shared history together to create a solid, cohesive defensive mindset in a short amount of time.

“They're well ahead structure-wise and implementation-wise and schematically and fundamentally than most teams would be with a staff's that come in,” Snyder said.

Pelini returned the praise to Snyder, who employed Carl Pelini was as a graduate assistant, along with long-time friends Bob and Mike Stoops and Brent Venables.

“I was pretty familiar of what was going on at the time and how far he took that program,” Pelini said. “Really he's done it again. Just goes to show how good of a coach Coach Snyder is. He does a great job; he works hard at it. He gets the kids to be committed, and they play tough, very sound, fundamental football. That's a pretty good equation.”

Pelini singled our KSU running back Daniel Thomas, who leads the Big 12 with 1,166 yards.

“They use him really well,” Pelini said. “They do a good job of getting him the football in places where he can make plays. He's very athletic. He's also very physical and tough. He has nice size. He's a load.”

NU-KSU tickets - for free!

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Players of the game and grades from Nebraska's 31-17 win over Kansas:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Quarterback Zac Lee. He managed the offense, made good throws downfield, ran the ball for yards and first downs, and carried the team in the fourth quarter. For one week – Zac's back.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Cornerback Prince Amukamara. For most of the game, he locked down on Dez Briscoe, whose biggest receptions came in the slot or while Amukamara was blitzing. Prince was the biggest bright spot in the secondary.

GRADES:

QUARTERBACK: A- A marked improvement of Lee's work for the last month. He generally made the right reads, threw decent deep balls to Niles Paul and crucially scrambled for 53 yards. It was Lee's best game of the year, considering the opponent and the circumstances – and even he knew it.

RUNNING BACK: B+ Roy Helu still looks to bounce too many runs to the corner of a defense, but when he does get there – watch out, as always. Big props to Tyler Legate, too, who blocked well for the second consecutive week as he led Helu into the hole.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: B A workmanlike effort in the blocking department, great work from Paul at receiver and some clutch plays by Mike McNeill at tight end. McNeill left the game, it seemed, with a concussion. Brandon Kinnie made a nifty catch. Khiry Cooper drew a key personal foul. OK, he didn't do anything to earn it, but still – right?

OFFENSIVE LINE: C+ Fair, although another personal foul on a poorly-executed cut block sure didn't help. The line finally started plowing some earth in the fourth quarter; before then, it was hit-or-miss, dependent on Helu's ability to hit the corner. From the naked eye, Jacob Hickman had a nice game.

DEFENSIVE LINE: C Kansas punked Nebraska's best unit by using a quick quarterback draw from Todd Reesing to negate the pass rush. From there, the front four played it much more safely. Barry Turner was twice sent into coverage on a zone blitz, with awful results – but that's not necessarily his fault. Ndamukong Suh was neutralized. But, then, that was the plan. And it worked.

LINEBACKER: B- Phillip Dillard was the only linebacker who played any significant snaps. He played OK. Didn't tackle the best. Got burned on a long pass play in which the ball was dropped by KU's Jake Sharp. Dillard got tested today by KU's varied offense.

SECONDARY: D+ Yes, this group deserves that grade. NU's unit was plum outplayed by KU's group of receivers, especially Kerry Meier, who had Dejon Gomes spun all around all day. Gomes did force a key fumble, but that was the secondary's best play of the day. Reesing actually missed four or five passes; otherwise, the day would have been even longer.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A Alex Henery hits three field goals, NU gets kickoff returns from Paul and Tim Marlowe to help set up touchdowns, and the kick coverage was strong. Good day all around.

GAME MANAGEMENT/PLAYCALLING: B- Shawn Watson's offensive playcalling was generally strong. He managed a solid balance between the 20s. In the red zone, he needs to create a better sequence of success for the Big Red, but we liked the mixture of power and playaction. Nicely done. On defense – we're still not wild about the zone blitzes on 3rd-and-long. Twice, the Brothers Pelini hurt their own cause when KU burned them with first downs. We also question NU's insistence on keeping its dime defense in the game when Kansas countered with a large running back, Toben Opurum. It turned out OK, we suppose, but Nebraska needs to pay Kansas State's running game more respect.

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LAWRENCE, Kan. - It was billed before the season as the game for the Big 12 North crown. In reality, there was very little at stake in Saturday's Nebraska-Kansas game.

It just felt like it, as Kansas took a 17-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter, juicing the chilly 51,525 fans at Memorial Stadium, which included a reporter-estimated 10,000 Cornhusker partisans.

But NU answered with a short-field touchdown of its own. And then, pressed with finishing off the game – Nebraska did it again, going 74 yards in ten plays, all on the ground, all out of power sets, as if the Huskers jumped in a time machine and exited the craft back in 1986.

Nebraska 31, Kansas 17. Bring on the real battle for the Big 12 North crown, next Saturday vs. Kansas State.

“We did what we needed to do in the fourth quarter,” head coach Bo Pelini said. “I'm proud of the way they hung in there. I'm proud of the way they finished the game...the offensive line, the tight ends, fullback – that's the way you finish. That's the way you come out with a drive.”

In total, NU (7-3 overall, 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference) amassed 404 total yards, its best output since the Lafayette game in late September.

“We got our mojo back,” offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. “We've been nicked up. The kids have just been resilient. They've never questioned or doubted themselves at all.”

The Huskers got a huge boost from quarterback Zac Lee – seemingly wresting control of the starting job once again – who threw for 196 yards and surprisingly scrambled for 53. Lee's only glaring mistake – a fumble at the goal line – was masked by Roy Helu's recovery of that fumble for a touchdown.

Lee was entrusted with an opened-up, retooled offense that again included more option plays – including an option pass that went to Niles Paul for 37 yards – and a heavy dose of playaction, which Lee often executed with precision and accuracy.

“We just saw some things that we could take advantage of in the defense,” Lee said. “Get behind them a little. And really just let our receivers make big plays. Let them go up and get the ball.”

Paul did just that, catching four passes for 154 yards. All of his receptions were longer than 20 yards, and three of them were jump balls. His catches helped set up nine points.

But Paul's biggest play occurred right after KU quarterback Todd Reesing hit receiver Dez Briscoe for a 21-yard touchdown with 7:34 remaining in the game. Kansas tried a pooch kick – the Jayhawks were offsides in doing so – but Paul came up to catch it. Then he rattled off a 44-yard return to set up the Huskers at Kansas' 31-yard line.

“I knew by the way he coming at the ball how he was going to kick it,” Paul said. “The kicking team gave me a lane to make a play.”

Kansas (5-5, 1-5) stuffed Nebraska on three consecutive plays. But on the last of those plays, KU defensive back Justin Thornton yanked Khiry Cooper's earhole, drawing a 15-yard facemask.

“The ref made a good call,” Thornton said.

Said Cooper: “I've never had it grabbed like that. He went up and under.”

Nebraska got the ball at KU's 20. Roy Helu – who gained 156 yards on 28 carries – scored on the next play, a gallop around right end on a counter call. Lee converted the two-point play with a heady scramble and toss to Paul in the corner of end zone.

Kansas couldn't answer. After keeping Nebraska's Blackshirts off-balance for much of the game, KU called an odd series of plays. The last of them was a tunnel screen to 240-pound fullback Toben Opurum, who lost five yards. The Jayhawks punted.

And, much like a month ago at Missouri – that seems almost two seasons ago, doesn't it? - NU slammed the ball down KU's throat, converting a 3rd-and-10 with simple counter play by Helu, who bounced the play twice before hitting the corner. Helu looked like he could have scored a touchdown, but he veered back toward the middle of the field, where he fell down for a 30-yard gain.

“I did it because I was tired,” Helu said. “I didn't trust in where I was going. I didn't know the situation that well, so I just fell on the ground. Probably spoiled a good run there.”

Helu scored five plays later on a 14-yard run. Nebraska rushed for nearly 100 yards in the fourth quarter, better than one-third of its 233 total.

“Defenses get tired of tackling the same running back,” Helu said.

NU opened the game with a shot, literally and figuratively, as Lee hit Paul on a go route for 35 yards. Lee placed the ball perfectly on Paul's back shoulder. Five plays later, Nebraska got a crucial break that Kansas wouldn't get later in the game.

On third and goal from KU's 2, Lee veered around left end, cut back into a hole and was smacked at goal line. The ball rolled down his left arm, as if going down a chute, into the blue of Kansas' north end zone. For a second it sat there unattended to, until Helu, the pitch back on the play, pounced on it for a touchdown. NU led 7-0.

Kansas had a similar moment in the second half when Nebraska cornerback Dejon Gomes popped the ball from KU receiver Kerry Meier's clutch. But NU safety Matt O'Hanlon fell on the ball inside the Husker. It was the game's only turnover.

Back to the second quarter, Lee got busy again. He scrambled for 32 yards after a playaction fake. Then he perfectly executed an option pass to Paul for 37 yards down to KU's nine-yard line. The Huskers sputtered from there, and Alex Henery kicked a 25-yard field goal to pad the Huskers' lead to 10.

But Reesing, after a cold, inconsistent start, owned the rest of the half – with a little help from true freshman running back Opurum.

Reesing opened KU's touchdown drive following the Henery field goal with a 13-yard scramble; NU safety Larry Asante was flagged for a late hit personal foul. KU then ran the ball on eight of the next 12 plays – converting two fourth down plays on short runs by Opurum. Nebraska chose to keep its dime defense on the field for all of it, and corners Dejon Gomes and Eric Hagg were unable to make crucial tackles on Opurum and Reesing, who capped the touchdown drive with a five-yard, spinning scramble.

NU punted after three lackluster plays. Reesing then stormed down the field again. The crucial completion of the drive was his first, a 28-yard slant to Dez Briscoe on 3rd-and-14. Briscoe slipped by defensive end Barry Turner, who was in coverage while the Huskers sent a heavy corner blitz. Kansas burned Nebraska for the same play. KU had to settle for a field goal as time ran out.

Although Reesing only completed 19 of 41 passes, he made each completion count with 236 total yards. KU also used a delayed quarterback draw to stymie NU's front-four pass rush, which scaled back in the second half to take the play away.

“We have to credit Kansas,” linebacker Phillip Dillard said. “They came out with a good scheme and they came out with a lot of plays we hadn't seen before.”

The Jayhawks amassed 339 total yards.

“We had too many busts,” Pelini said. “We did not execute well consistently. Especially in a couple spots, which I'm not going to name. We gave them some things that there's no way should have happened.”

In the second half, KU's first drive was thwarted by Meier's fumble. NU put together two consecutive field goal drives to take a 16-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

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“I expect our offense to play very well this week. We need to play better. We have to be prepared this week to put points on the board and to do it early and often, because we’re playing a pretty explosive offense with some guys who can hurt you at any time. It was the right formula for that day [Oklahoma Game], but this week we have to be ready to open it up and get ready to come after them and score some points.” --Bo Pelini.

Nebraska Football Head Coach discussing the upcoming Kansas game at the press conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. The offense was able to score 31 points against Kansas in Lawrence.

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We're back again with another installment of guess the score! We've yet to have anyone hit the nail on the head, but when someone does - they'll win a copy of Tom Osborne's book "Beyond The Final Score!"

Give us your predictions for this week! A score, an offensive MVP and a Defensive MVP.

Fire away!

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Be wary. Be plenty wary.

As Nebraska's football team floats into that final bend in the Big 12 river, it is, to borrow a Bo Pelini phrase, pretty obvious that just about anything can happen to the Huskers – that anything can happen to any team in the North division, for that matter.

It's the kind of league, right now, where Colorado, that collection of sunshine boys, has an outside chance at heading to Dallas (er, sorry Nat Geo types – Arlington) for the league title game.

We use the phrase “happen to” because, until a four-quarter defensive masterpiece vs. Oklahoma, NU hadn't fully seized its own destiny in the conference season. The offensive gameplan was geared toward a chess match with the opposing defense – not helping the Blackshirts. Running back Roy Helu either wasn't fully committed to playing hard or was sending mixed messages to the coaching staff about his relative health. Suddenly, of Helu's own volition, he toughened up and turned it around last week with a terrific performance vs. OU.

It seems now, finally, the Cornhuskers have found an identity for the whole, instead of the individual parts. Run big sets. Hope Helu busts a few. Throw playaction to offset the run. Let the defense do its thing.

And so – Kansas.

KU has the worst offensive line the Big 12. That's two years now, and that's on Kansas Coach Mark Mangino. Its defense is better, but still overmatched against stronger teams. But the Jayhawks have three skill players – quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receiver Dez Briscoe and wide receiver Kerry Meier – who can make plays off the board. The kind of guys who can take advantage of NU's momentary lapses in concentration.

It's senior day for Reesing and Meier, and it is might as well be for Briscoe, a junior who's gone, baby, gone to the NFL after this year, considering KU needed glue and chicken wire, so to speak, just to keep the kid academically eligible this year. They're going to put up a fight. As much as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would like to run over their collective dog, don't be surrprised if, entering the fourth quarter, you're wary. Plenty wary. On to the keys:

QB Shuffle: No easy answers for Nebraska's signal-caller, but we think the starter is Zac Lee, sprinkled with a dose of zone read from Cody Green. Bo Pelini hinted strongly that both quarterbacks might play in Lawrence. To what advantage? We've no beef with quarterbacks sharing time, so long as they're not out there doing the same thing. Use Green to run the spread game. Keep Lee in hand-off and playaction mode.

Reesing's Last Run: You get the sense that, despite a high degree of competitiveness, Reesing is about ready to move on with life. He's an international business guy, he's been running around behind an awful offensive line for two years, the crowds on Mt. Oread are indifferent, his coach is suddenly benching him for fumbles. Reesing has his magical year in 2007, he has win memorable win over Missouri, he has his place in the KU record book. Expect a loose, exciting effort from him on Saturday. Kansas has lost four in a row. There's not much else to lose.

Short Stuffed: Nebraska's secondary has been consistently excellent against the short pass. Bubble and tunnel screens, quick slants, rub-off routes, stops, curls, you name it. NU's cornerbacks are aggressive and confident 15 yards in. Kansas won't be immune to this treatment. So the Jayhawks have to gamble, and send their talented receivers deep. Reesing has to hit them. If they can't make plays downfield, the short-to-intermediate game will be closed for business, and KU is in for a lot of punts and potential interceptions.

Vengeance: Don't kid yourself. That 76-39 score from two years ago is in the hearts and minds of a lot of Husker players who lived through it – especially guys like Ndamukong Suh, Barry Turner, Roy Helu, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and Jacob Hickman. You think they've forgotten? Not a chance. You will see an emotional, hungry team Saturday. They won't give KU an inch. This is intended, after the OU win, as a statement game.

Keep It Together: NU's offensive line needs a half without penalties. Just a itty-bitty half of clean football. No false starts. No 15-yard hi-lo blocks. No personal fouls. No holding. No failing to place one's head at Hickman's torso. No illegal men downfield. A clean half. It would do wonders.

The Beck Advantage: Former Kansas assistant – now current NU assistant – Tim Beck knows the Jayhawks well. He recruited Reesing. He coached the wide receivers. He helped incorporate a spread running game at Nebraska. His knowledge of KU's scheme and personnel was invaluable last year – and it will be again this year. Kansas hasn't changed much since 2007, and the personnel is still similar.

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It's a frequent debate I have with a friend: Is it harder to be the head coach in college football, or in the NFL?

He claims the NFL, where the expectations are higher, players act like primadonnas, the media is merciless and the owners can essentially say and do whatever they want. No job security.

It's not a bad case. But it's not modern college football.

One reason: Program-building, which requires being a head coach, a salesman, a general manager, an owner, an occasional warden, a sociologist and, at long last, a father figure. In this era, it's a little like nation-building in a third world country. (Mea culpa for, you know, comparing football to an outbreak of malaria and genocide in the subtropical steppe.)

Building a program is hard enough. Sustaining it in places not named Florida, California and Texas is even harder. Look at the Big 12 North.

Bill Snyder reached the mountaintop with his unique formula of 100-hour work weeks, JUCO imports and maniacally-driven assistants. Then he walked away in 2005, and it immediately fell to pieces under Greedy Grimace. Missouri is punch-drunk on its passing game, which falls apart, clockwork, in the second half. Colorado is an unmitigated disaster, the Buffaloes never fully recovering from Katie Hnida, recruiting violations, and thrice getting thunderstruck in the Big 12 Championship game.

It's a big, unruly white whale, consistent success. Try Kansas on for size.

Mark Mangino's size masks his skill to fans, but opposing coaches aren't sitting around telling fat jokes, I assure you. He's toiled at the ultimate basketball school west of the Mississippi by creating a Texas-based recruiting template, alighting on the right quarterback in Todd Reesing, and scheduling quite modestly in the non-conference season.

In 2007, his team was the story of that year. Nobody to somebody in three months. The 12-1 record. The Orange Bowl win. KU took a step back in 2008, but it was expected – new defense, young offensive line. Still – when Reesing hit receiver Kerry Meier on that magnificent fourth down pass to slay Missouri in the Big 12's best game of the year, the prevailing notion was this: 2009 could be special.

I never bought it. I had KU fourth in the North, behind Nebraska, Mizzou and KSU. Mangino had built up everything but his offensive and defensive lines. He'd recruited like a devil to the offensive skill positions and the defensive secondary and left out the most important part. Surprising, considering Mangino is an offensive line guy. But that's how hard the job is.

The defensive line stunk it up in the first half of 2009. The offensive line still does. KU started 5-0 and watched that record crumble into a four-game losing streak.

“I’m not naïve,” Mangino said Tuesday. “I’ve been down this road before. It’s not uncharted waters for me. Through the years when we’ve had a tough spell, we’ve stayed the steady course. We didn’t panic, we don’t blame players, we don’t blame anybody, and it’s our own fault that we didn’t win. We keep our same routine, we keep encouraging the players and we keep coaching them. I think that’s the best way. When you take drastic measures during a tough time, the kids wonder if the coach is panicking or if they don’t have confidence that they can pull out of it.”

Except, if you've been paying attention to KU during the last month – Mangino did panic. He pulled his best player, Reesing, from the Texas Tech game – while it was still within reach – out of “fear for his health.” That's a Ron Prince move, folks, blaming your best player for running around for the last 30 games because he gets no protection. It's not Reesing's fault.

And the benching backfired. Reesing was rattled by it, and pressed terribly in a 17-10 loss to Kansas State. Was it a reaction? Of course. When KU had to force a KSU punt late in the game – the only weapon the Wildcats have is running back Daniel Thomas – the Jayhawks couldn't do it. No clutch defense.

Kansas is a casualty, of sorts, of what the Big 12's become in 2009. It's trending toward the run, and defense. The Reesing-Meier-Dez Briscoe trio that looked so trendy before the year is now just a collection of yards and touchdowns. It's not translating into wins.

KU is staring right down the barrel of 5-7. That's how quickly it can change.

There's a lesson in that for Nebraska, of course.

Bo Pelini enjoys more advantages than Mangino does – tradition, history, better facilities, a real fan base – but NU's program remains in a fragile stage of its growth. Pelini said Tuesday, flatly, “I want to win now,” which is good. Wins, right now, is what NU needs. It needs a run to the Big 12 title game. It needs to knock Texas quarterback Colt McCoy on his rear end a dozen times. And it needs to run whatever ugly offense it takes to accomplish those goals.

The Huskers are going to get a ton of television exposure over the last month of the season. With every win comes a little more credibility, a little more exposure, a little more attention from recruits. NU's almost filled its 2010 class. But the 2011 class gets built next March. How valuable would it be for Nebraska to own a win over Oklahoma, and a strong performance vs. Texas in Dallas when that time rolls around?

So you get those Big 12 North wins any which way. Period. And then try to pitch a Bob Gibson shutout vs. Texas.

But Bo has to be mindful of the larger picture. There's something dreadfully wrong with the offense. The statistics prove it. A simple eye test proves it. That unit, as a whole, has not been coached or developed as well as the defense. And the offense does have the talent. Roy Helu is an NFL running back. Mike McNeill is a NFL tight end. Kyler Reed and Ben Cotton are mighty talented, too. Most of NU's offensive line has prototypical size and agility. Khiry Cooper, Brandon Kinnie and Niles Paul all have excellent athleticism and good personalities to boot.

It's not just a matter of experience. Folks, don't buy it. Jared Crick, Cameron Meredith, Alfonzo Dennard and Dejon Gomes are all key parts of NU's defensive success in 2009. Two of them didn't play a down last year. Crick and Dennard didn't play much.

Does the offense have similar success stories?

We've rapped fairly hard on offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and his staff, and clearly, they're troubled by the lack of production. Judging by his demeanor, by his willingness to make changes in scheme, personnel and how he calls plays, Watson probably hasn't had a tougher year. He's “all in” here. His gameplan to beat Oklahoma was painful – but perfect. I'm not kidding; had Zac Lee thrown, oh, five more passes, one of them would have been picked off. OU needed just one more turnover, but never got it.

"It takes a lot of guts to call that kind of game,” Watson said. “It really does. It's a hard game. It's easy in some respects, but it's hard in other respects because it's what we needed to do to win. You've got to get your ego out of it. Your ego's got to leave. You want to throw it, you want to do all that, but you've got to get rid of it.”
Watson's job, for the rest of this year, is to avoid grease fires. Some points would be nice, too.

But, after the season, he has to be on Bo's hook for what's happened. Bo and Watson need to take a hard look at why the offense went sour – lack of leadership, injuries, practice habits, coaching styles, inconsistent playcalling - and fix the bigger picture. Not merely react within the moment.

After a week of blaming the media and fans after the Texas Tech game, the loss to Iowa State woke Bo up. And, from there, we've seen a different coach. A smarter one. Better with the media. Open to more changes. More involved in the play-by-play details of the offense. I like NU's chances down the stretch here. And I like Nebraska to give Texas a very interesting game in Dallas, should it come to pass.

Just know this: Program-building is more – much more – than winning a handful of games. Sustaining it is even harder. Ask Mangino.

Win Two Free Tickets to NU's Last Home Game of the Year!

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A four-game losing streak. A star quarterback with a case of the mopes. A beleaguered offensive line that plays like a bunch of overfed hotel clerks. A crowd with one eye toward the parking lot the second the game goes sour.

This defines the last month of Kansas football. Throw in a couple brawls with the KU basketball team, and Jayhawks 5-4 season is heading toward the toilet.

But KU hasn't flushed quite yet.

“You have to figure they're going to be at their best,” NU head coach Bo Pelini said of the Jayhawks, who have been outscored 128-74 in their last four games and committed 12 turnovers. “You've got to got to figure they're going to execute at a top-notch level no matter what. That's how we prepare our guys...you have to be prepared for their best shot.”

NU defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said he was “surprised” Kansas, after a 5-0 start, had stumbled so much, especially in losses to moribund Colorado and seemingly-underrated Kansas State.

“I definitely thought they'd be at the top, contending for a title,” said Suh, who is 2-1 in his time vs. Kansas.

But KU still has “great pieces” on offense, Suh said, particularly at receiver and quarterback, where diminutive Todd Reesing is the most experienced Big 12 quarterback Nebraska's faced this season.

Reesing hasn't been immune to KU's struggles. He threw three interceptions in a 35-13 loss to Oklahoma, including one returned for a touchdown. Fumbles in a 42-21 loss to Texas Tech and a 17-10 loss to Kansas State arguably cost Kansas potential wins.

KU head coach Mark Mangino even benched Reesing at the end of the Tech game, citing his desire to protect the quarterback's health behind an awful, leaky offensive line that allows nearly three sacks a game – with a mobile quarterback who plays almost exclusively out of the shotgun.

Mangino said the media blew the benching out of proportion.

“Using the word 'benching' is quite strong,” Mangino said. “I have my reasons for why I took him out of the game.”

But, four days after it happened, Reesing still hadn't received an explanation for it. The captain even organized a players-only meeting to address the matter.

“It was a big deal to me,” Reesing said at the time. “It is what it is. It’s above my pay grade. It’s his decision. I’m still the starting quarterback here, there’s no doubt about that. This job is not up for grabs. I’m going to move forward.”

But Reesing didn't play much better against the Wildcats, clearly pressing to make plays, especially with his legs, that weren't there. Kansas State recovered a fumble just before halftime and converted it into a crucial touchdown.

“It's not a matter of his confidence,” Mangino said. “He's a confident guy. Prior to (Kansas State) he had already had a pattern of having some turnovers.”

Pelini expressed great respect for Reesing after NU's 45-35 win last year – arguably handing out more praise for Reesing than Oklahoma's Sam Bradford – and still sees him as a “heckuva football player” in 2009.

Said NU defensive tackle Jared Crick: “He's still a great quarterback no matter what's happened the last couple weeks...he can run. You wouldn't think for a little guy, but he can really scoot. You see that every game. The pocket breaks down and he just squirts out. We've got to take a good pass rush approach knowing he can do that to us.”

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Win two free tickets to the Nebraska-Kansas State game from Husker Locker! The Big 12 North Championship is on the line -and we want you to be there!

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We'll announce the winner at noon, Nov. 19. So you have until then to join and invite as many as Husker fans as you can find...go for it. And win the tickets! Thanks to Husker Locker!

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It was three hours before Saturday night's kickoff, and Nebraska's football team had just hopped off two red Arrow buses and prepared make the short, winding “Unity Walk” around the north side of Memorial Stadium. As is custom, Ndamukong Suh, headphones blaring, led the team. Linebacker Phillip Dillard and center Jacob Hickman were there, too.

Freshman quarterback Cody Green was right beside them.

Zac Lee was somewhere toward the back, tucked under a red “N” hat. Along the path he quietly, almost sheepishly, shook the hands of the few fans paying attention as he walked by.

It was a startling picture of their momentary fortunes that switched suddenly in the second quarter, when offensive coordinator Shawn Watson pulled Green and inserted Lee, who threw one excellent goal line pass for a touchdown and otherwise made perfectly safe, pedestrian plays that Green could have made. But Green never went back in to make them.

Watson said Green was “nervous in the service.”

Head coach Bo Pelini thought inserting Lee “felt like the right thing.”

“Make no mistake about it, I've got a tremendous amount of confidence in Cody Green” Pelini said. “(But) you've got to go with your gut. I felt that way. Wats felt that way. It played out for us.”

Will they reverse their places in the Unity Walk line this week? Do they both head to the front? Does Green start and Lee play relief pitcher? Does Lee start and Green become a mid-game spark?

Now that the euphoria of Nebraska's 10-3 win over Oklahoma has worn off a bit, the Huskers' offense are left with, among many, this central question: Who be the QB?

Green?

Lee?

Both?

Roy Helu in the Joker? Kidding. Maybe.

It's become a mess to assess, frankly. Watson seems caught between a spread running game and a power one, a quick passing game and one built on long, playaction fakes. The spread attack favors Green, who can run the ball, and isn't afraid to stick his passes in tight spots, whereas the power stuff favors Lee, I suppose, who's a slightly better ball handler and in better command of the offense.

Can Watson really try to run two different offenses? It hasn't worked so far. Green seemed stripped of his wits Saturday night. The quail Green threw into a wide expanse of field was not a good sign. Yet Lee is so comically painful on those zone read and option plays that you wish he'd make an executive decision, and simply change the call in the huddle. He had a “blow the whistle!” look about him every time he ran.

But Lee quite effectively ran three playaction passes. The touchdown to Ryan Hill. A little wide receiver drag route to Brandon Kinnie. And the best of them, a fake-then-throw to Helu, after the defense had vacated Helu's area.

It's baby steps for rebuilding Lee's confidence and skills. He can still throw a mean deep ball. And he's OK in playaction. If Watson wants to start there, and sprinkle in Green on some shotgun stuff, that's a plan that could win Nebraska the Big 12 North.

What about Green's confidence? Outwardly, it's there. You could say the same of Lee, I suppose. Inwardly – who knows?

The kid from Dayton,Texas has been often been presented as “the answer” to Nebraska's struggling offense because he make plays off the board, on athleticism and instinct, that Lee cannot.

But Green is trapped inside a rigid structure of NU's offense, which finally is playing to its dominant defense. Green talks a good game about letting instincts take over, but it's hard to freelance in the thick of a conference race, in the West Coast Offense, in an offense desperately trying to possess the ball behind a leaky, creaky offensive line. Watching the game tape again, Green's setting seemed stuck on “overload” of all kinds – emotional, mental, physical – and the WCO is too precise, even when masquerading as a spread, to accommodate that state of being.

Lee has already been there. Watson still hasn't stripped the quarterback run game from Lee's list of plays, but he has toned some of the other elements.

Is the offense too complex? It doesn't have to be. But you need a staple on the table first. Last year, Nebraska rolled its opponents with a short, controlled passing game of screens, stops, curls and crossing patterns. Defenses crept up to take it away, and Joe Ganz burned them with long throws to Nate Swift and Mike McNeill.

Lee is not a good short-game passer. Green is designed for a free-wheeling attack that allows him to hit the edge, throw all over the joint, and generate mismatches.

There is no good answer. Just survival.

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Jayhawk-on-Jayhawk violence!

Man, is this rich. Two giant fights Tuesday night. And a little Wednesday morning rumble for good measure.

Nebraska's football and baseball players got into about a decade ago. But nothing like this.

Ballroom blitz, soon to come.

What do you want to bet this is over a girl?

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Tom Osborne and Coach Bill Snyder may be going head to head in the Coaches Challenge -but it's all for the same cause: to recruit mentors for our youth.

Check out the video!

TeamMates

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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. 7 Kansas State

Coach: Bill Snyder
2008 Record: 5-7 (under Ron Prince)

What’s Changed Since 2008: Heh – everything. Prince was fired – and deservedly so. Snyder was brought back to heal the family. Then, in the spring, it got really crazy, with secret deals to Prince and audits, and firings and resignations and turmoil. KSU is in a hurtin’ place as an athletic department.

2009 Non-Conference Schedule: Snyder worked a little magic, as UMass and Tennessee Tech worm their way onto the slate. A game at Louisiana-Lafayette shouldn’t be a sweat, and the game at UCLA, poor, no-offense UCLA, is winnable.

2009 Conference Schedule: Highly favorable. KSU hosts Texas A&M, Colorado, Missouri and Kansas, plays at Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech (all losses there) and plays Iowa State in Kansas City, which will probably end up being a home game for the Wildcats. We see 4-5 wins in there.

Offense: Power/Spread

Coordinator: Del Miller and Dana Dimel. Don’t be surprised if Snyder’s imprints are all over the offense, though. Miller worked at San Diego State for the last three years, while Dimel was at Arizona. Both know their way around a spread passing offense; Dimel built a balanced attack at Zona last year. Preferably, Snyder would like a mobile QB who can run and pass, but he’ll settle for a guy who keeps the Cats out of bad situations.

Strength: Wide receiver Brandon Banks (1049 receiving yards, 126 rushing yards) is the kind of dynamic player Snyder loves, and he’ll get 10-15 touches per game. One way or another, Banks will be the team’s primary offensive weapon. KSU has intriguing running backs, too, in Logan Dold, Keithen Valentine and transfer Daniel Thomas, a JUCO guy who could play QB in a pinch.

Weakness: Quarterback. After the Josh Freeman show for three years, Coffman essentially takes over, and while he’s not terrible – he was actually decent in spot duty last year – he’s not a guy who can beat you by himself. On the offensive line, arguably KSU’s best lineman, Brock Unruh, was lost for the year to a weight room injury.

Defense: 4-3/4-2-5

Coordinator: Co-coordinators again, with Vic Koenning, Clemson’s former DC and Chris Cosh, the former DC at Maryland, which was one of the few teams to shut down California running back Jahvid Best. This was an awful defense in 2008. We sense that, at some point, KSU simply gave up on that side of the ball, especially the linebackers, who played with little overall discipline.

Strength: The defensive line could be very good, with super-soph defensive end Brandon Harold (45 tackles and 3 sacks as a freshman) and University of Virginia transfer Jeffrey Fitzgerald at an inside defensive tackle. But this bunch didn’t get great push last year. That part of it has to improve. With Fitzgerald, who started 25 games at UVA, we think it will. The secondary, led by cornerback Joshua Moore, might be, fair, too. Moore was the best pure cover guy on the team last year, and one of the best in the Big 12 outside of Norman, Okla.

Weakness: The linebackers are a little undersized, a little slow, and were really chewed up by the spread last year. Then again, they seemed to be getting some iffy coaching as the year went on (like when Nebraska ran the same zone read play over and over, and the Wildcats refused to adjust to it) so maybe that will change. The co-DCs may try to counteract that by getting an extra safety on the field.

Beyond that, the Wildcats are in need of a better pass rush.

Special Teams It was good under Prince, and it’ll remain good under Snyder. Banks is an excellent return man for kickoffs or punts. DJ Fulhage returns as punter, and freshman Ryan Doerr now becomes the kicker. KSU coverage units should be pretty good, too; Snyder likes to populate those units with JUCO guys.

Intangibles: By year two or three of the “Miracle in Manhattan,” Snyder found a way to keep his Wildcats in games where they were severely overmatched. A few years later, KSU was winning those games. Few coaches prepare like this guy. He never strays too far from the plan, his teams don’t often get blown out, and Kansas State will commit to a solid running game. You watch. The formula typically works.

Best-Case Scenario: Kansas State wins nine – all four non-conference games, and five more in the league. Long shot, but doable.

Worst-Case Scenario: Last in the Big 12 North.

Our Take: Same record as Kansas, with the tiebreaker going to the Wildcats on head-to-head matchup. The Wildcats simply get a favorable schedule this year. They’ll need it, and take advantage of it.

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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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. 8

Coach:Mark Mangino
2008 Record: 8-5

What’s Changed Since 2008: KU lost its three starting linebackers. None of them were great, per see, but all of them were experienced, solid tacklers and skilled blitzers – 14 sacks among the three of them. The Jayhawks also lost three starters off an offensive line that wasn’t terrific in the first place.

2009 Non-Conference Schedule: Tougher – much tougher – than it seems at first blush. Kansas must host Southern Mississippi and travel to UTEP. Two Conference USA teams, sure – they’re also the best two teams in Conference USA. Throw in an improved Duke squad, and we see the potential for a loss in the non-conference slate.

2009 Conference Schedule: It’s brutal. No other word for it. Oklahoma, Nebraska at home, with Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado and Kansas State on the road. We see four losses in that bunch, maybe five, and there’s still a rival in Missouri to play in Kansas City at the end of the season.

Offense: Spread
Coordinator:Mangino and Ed Warinner run this together, it’s fair to say, and though the offense changes a bit from year to year, it’s was heavy on the zone read game in 2008 with a lot of downfield passing. KU made a killing on screen passes in 2007, but we didn’t see nearly as many of those last year. Kansas lacks a Jeremy Maclin type to effectively run a lot of wide receiver sweeps and fancy stuff. Fundamentally – the Jayhawks still aren’t that fast.

Strength: Todd Reesing. The kid’s small, smart, tough, and one amazing football player. Why? Because he improvises when plays break down. Where ordinary quarterbacks hit the panic button, Reesing is just getting started. A good portion of KU’s offense – and almost all of the action in that thrilling 40-37 win over Missouri – is because Reesing simply refuses to give up on a play. Kansas had no offensive line last year. Still won eight games. Kansas also has two good receivers in Dez Briscoe and Kerry Meier, but, aside from their chemistry with Reesing, they’re a little overrated. Well, check that – Briscoe, when he runs his route right, uses his height and leaping ability quite well.

Weakness:Reesing was sacked 31 times last year, and who knows how many sacks his scrambling ability saved. KU’s offensive line struggled to open holes for running back Jake Sharp, and KU only averaged 3.7 yards per rush. We don’t expect the line to be any better this year.

Defense: 4-3
Coordinator: Clint Bowen will run it with journeyman Bill Miller, who joins the staff in 2009. Expect KU to lean on its experienced secondary and get daring with its front seven.

Strength: The secondary is probably good enough in 2009 for KU to rely on them in man-to-man coverage at least some of the time. Strong safety Darrell Stuckey is a particularly good player in run and pass support. The pass defense was indeed fairly torched last year, but part of that was a so-so defensive line that didn’t get much pressure, and part of that was the teams KU played. Of course, the Jayhawks play those teams again this year.

Weakness:No linebacker experience, which Kansas fans brush off by pretending the departing three seniors weren’t very good. Well, poppycock. KU had to move one potential starter, Angus Quigley, from running back in order to cover the position. Much like Nebraska last year – do not expect excellence out of this group, especially when there isn’t a Cody Glenn-type athlete in the bunch.

Special Teams Jacob Bransetter made 9-of-12 field goal attempts last year, but the longest was only 34 yards. Kansas had the nation’s worst kickoff return unit last year, and we’re not sure Mark Mangino will risk using Dez Briscoe on it. Alonso Rojas was a fair punter in his year as a sophomore with a 40.7 overall average.

Intangibles: Kansas gets two key benefits from most pundits going into 2009 – beating Missouri in its wild regular-season finish, and drawing an easy assignment in the bowl game with Minnesota, which lost its last five games last year. Beware of the small sample size! KU is a team that was lucky to beat Iowa State, still the team that was badly outplayed by Nebraska in the second half, aside from a couple turnovers, still the team that was stoned by Texas Tech and Texas at home.

Best-Case Scenario: Kansas wins the Big 12 North by sweeping all five opponents in its division. That’s what it’ll take, too.

Worst-Case Scenario: A seven-loss season – which could happen. Two non-conference losses and five inside the Big 12.

Our Take: KU finishes 7-5 and 4-4 in the Big 12, losing the tiebreaker to Kansas State.

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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How did Kansas fight its way into the Big 12 North picture after years of hum-drum under former coach Terry Allen?

Current KU coach Mark Mangino took dead recruiting aim in Texas. He learned those ropes from working as an assistant at Kansas State and Oklahoma, but Mangino made recruiting the Metroplex from afar an art form.

The Jayhawks currently have 21 players from the Dallas-Fort Worth area on their roster. And 11 of those 21 players were among the Rivals Top 100 players in Texas in the last four years.

Why does that matter? Well, because Baylor has 44 players from the Metroplex. But only three of those Bears were on the Top 100 list.

NU has nine players from DFW. Four of them are in the top 100. The Huskers are doing quite of bit work in the Metroplex again with assistant coach Tim Beck.

Here’s the whole Big 12. Unsurprisingly, the south does well, but look at the percentages of Top 100 players for OU and Texas:

Baylor 44 (3)
Texas Tech 29 14)
Texas 27 (24)
Texas A&M 24 (13)
Oklahoma 23 (19)
Kansas 21 (11)
Oklahoma State 18 (7)
Missouri 12 (4)
Iowa State 11 (0)
Nebraska 9 (4)
Kansas State (2)
Colorado 4 (1)

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What is the Coaches Challenge? Nebraska has challenged Kansas! Athletic Director Tom Osborne has issued head Coach Bill Snyder a friendly challenge to see which state can recruit the most new mentors before the K-State v Nebraska football game.

How can I make a difference? It's easy to be a mentor to a youth in YOUR community.

1. Apply
2. Train
3. Get matched with a youth


Visit thecoacheschallenge.org
* Download an application
* Watch Pep Talks from Coach
* Read about mentors in your community
* Join TeamMates on facebook
* Much more!

Questions? Call Adrianne at 402-390-8326 or email awatson@teammates.org

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