2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Game Preview
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Preface
This will be the first-ever trip to Lincoln for the football Buckeyes. This game will be the 315th straight sellout at Lincoln's Memorial Stadium, which is an NCAA record streak that started in 1962. The next longest active streak is 223 by Notre Dame.
Here are some other impressive records for the Nebraska football program:
- The all-time record for consecutive bowl games is Nebraska's 35 (TSUN's streak was at 33 when it was broken in 2008 under Rich Rodriguez)
- The all-time record for consecutive appearances in the AP football poll is 348 weeks, set by Nebraska from 1981-2002 (tOSU's recent streak was at 103 when it ended recently). The next longest streaks involve 13 different seasons, compared to 22 years involved in the Huskers' streak.
- The Huskers 841 wins are the fourth most all-time, 7 more than tOSU
- The football program has the most academic All Americans; current team member Austin Cassidy is their 99th CoSIDA Academic All-American in football, 64 of which have been 1st team.
- Team members have been awarded the Outland Trophy 9 times, as many as the next two teams combined
- 'Huskers have received 5 Rotary Lombardi Awards, a total second only to tOSU's 6
- Bob Devaney ('70-'71) and Tom Osborne ('94-'95) are among the very few coaches who have won consecutive National Championships. And any discussion of the best college teams of all time must include the '71 and '95 'Husker teams.
Additionally, there are some noteworthy ties between the two storied programs:
- Bob Devaney was hired by Nebraska AD "Tippy" Dye, who was the QB on tOSU teams that beat TSUN 3 straight in '34-'35-'36, was the captain of the '37 tOSU basketball team, and tOSU head basketball coach from '47-50.
- Dye was coached by Hall-of-Famer Francis "Close the Gates of Mercy" Schmidt, who initiated tOSU's tradition of gold pants by saying that TSUN players put them on "one leg at a time" and played football at Nebraska in 1905.
- Since Dye and Devaney were hired in 1962, Nebraska has the highest winning percentage in major college football, with tOSU second among teams playing since the '60s (going back 100 years, the Buckeyes are #1)
- Hall-of-Famer Gomer Jones was an assistant coach at Nebraska in 1946, after being a team captain and consensus All-American center (also played LB) at tOSU in 1935
- Head Coach Bo Pelini played safety for the Buckeyes from '87 to '90, and was a co-captain his senior year. His brother Carl, the defensive coordinator, attended Youngstown Mooney like his brother, and Carl earned a master's degree from Ohio State
Both Nebraska and Ohio State will be looking to avoid a rare 0-2 conference start. Nebraska has started conference play with two losses just one time (2008) since 1968. The Buckeyes have won at least a share of the past six Big Ten Conference championships entering 2011 and have not started Big Ten play 0-2 since 2004, the last time OSU did not win a conference crown.
In its inaugural season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska is calling a new conference home for the first time since the Big 12 was formed prior to the 1996 season. Overall, the Huskers have been a part of seven football conferences in program history. NU was the Missouri Valley Conference co-champion in its first year in the league in 1907 and the Huskers were Big 6 Conference champions in that league's inaugural year in 1928. Nebraska also won the Big 12 North Division title in the league's inaugural season in 1996. Below is a look at how Nebraska has fared in its first year in a new conference, and how many eventual titles were won, in the program's 122-year history:
Conference.........1st yr...record...Titles
WIUFBA..............1892.....2-2-1
Missouri Valley*....1907.....8-2-0.....12
Big 6*..............1928.....7-1-1......9
Big 7...............1948.....2-8-0
Big 8...............1960.....4-6-0.....20
Big 12..............1996....11-2-0......2
Big Ten.............2011.....4-1-0
*conference champion in first year of membership
WIUFBA = Western Inter-State University Foot Ball Association
Nebraska ranks as the nation's winningest program since the start of the 1970s, when Bob Devaney guided NU to back-to-back national titles in 1970 and 1971. NU's 407 wins in that time period are 25 more than any other school:
407 - Nebraska
382 - Ohio State
380 - Oklahoma
372 - Michigan
370 - Penn State
Nebraska has 39 nine-win seasons and 23 ten-win seasons since 1970. Nebraska just posted back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2000 and 2001. NU has posted three straight nine-win seasons for the first time since an NCAA record 33 straight from 1969 to 2001. Nebraska was the first team in college football history to win 100 or more games in consecutive decades, ranking first in the 1980s (103-20) and second in the 1990s (108-16-1).
Nebraska holds a 31-6 record against B1G opponents since 1970. The Huskers have won seven straight games in Lincoln against conference foes dating back to a 1981 loss to Penn State, an independent at that time. Among Big Ten Conference opponents, Nebraska has faced Minnesota the most, taking on the Gophers 51 times. Minnesota holds a 29-20-2 edge in the all-time series, but Nebraska has won the past 14 meetings dating back to 1963.
Nebraska is hosting its first-ever B1G Conference home game against Ohio State. The Huskers have historically been very good in their first conference home game of the season, posting an all-time record of 84-13-4 (.851). Nebraska won 30 straight conference home openers from 1978 to 2007, but the Huskers have lost their last three (Missouri in 2008, Texas Tech in 2009 and Texas in 2010). Nebraska has never had a four-game losing skid in conference home openers in school history.
Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini is a graduate of Ohio State and was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back for the Buckeyes under Earle Bruce and John Cooper from 1987 to 1990. Pelini started in the Buckeye secondary his final two seasons, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was a co-captain as a senior. Pelini received the 'Bo Rein Award' as a senior, given to the teams' most inspirational player. Pelini graduated from Ohio State with a degree in business administration in 1990. Saturday's game will mark the third time Pelini has coached against his alma mater. In 1991, Pelini was a graduate assistant for an Iowa team that defeated Ohio State, 16-9, in Columbus. After taking the Nebraska head job in December of 2007, Pelini completed his role as defensive coordinator at LSU, helping guide the Tigers past tOSU in the BCS Title Game in New Orleans.
Nebraska has been extremely tough at home in night games at Memorial Stadium. Since the first night game at Memorial Stadium in 1986, Nebraska is 34-5 under the lights in Lincoln, including wins in eight straight home night games. This season, Nebraska defeated Fresno State in a night game at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's five losses in home night games have all come against teams that won at least 10 games in that season (Washington, 1991; Texas, 2002; USC, 2007; Virginia Tech and Missouri, 2008). The Huskers' dominance at night in Lincoln has been impressive, as 28 of the home night wins have been by at least 13 points.
Later in this preview, we'll look specifically at this year's offense, defense and special teams for both tOSU and Nebraska. The preview also has a totally separate section that covers the opponent's coaching staff, recruiting, traditions, and history. It also contains the Behind the Numbers and The Lighter Side sections, and can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.
Date and TimeHere are some other impressive records for the Nebraska football program:
- The all-time record for consecutive bowl games is Nebraska's 35 (TSUN's streak was at 33 when it was broken in 2008 under Rich Rodriguez)
- The all-time record for consecutive appearances in the AP football poll is 348 weeks, set by Nebraska from 1981-2002 (tOSU's recent streak was at 103 when it ended recently). The next longest streaks involve 13 different seasons, compared to 22 years involved in the Huskers' streak.
- The Huskers 841 wins are the fourth most all-time, 7 more than tOSU
- The football program has the most academic All Americans; current team member Austin Cassidy is their 99th CoSIDA Academic All-American in football, 64 of which have been 1st team.
- Team members have been awarded the Outland Trophy 9 times, as many as the next two teams combined
- 'Huskers have received 5 Rotary Lombardi Awards, a total second only to tOSU's 6
- Bob Devaney ('70-'71) and Tom Osborne ('94-'95) are among the very few coaches who have won consecutive National Championships. And any discussion of the best college teams of all time must include the '71 and '95 'Husker teams.
Additionally, there are some noteworthy ties between the two storied programs:
- Bob Devaney was hired by Nebraska AD "Tippy" Dye, who was the QB on tOSU teams that beat TSUN 3 straight in '34-'35-'36, was the captain of the '37 tOSU basketball team, and tOSU head basketball coach from '47-50.
- Dye was coached by Hall-of-Famer Francis "Close the Gates of Mercy" Schmidt, who initiated tOSU's tradition of gold pants by saying that TSUN players put them on "one leg at a time" and played football at Nebraska in 1905.
- Since Dye and Devaney were hired in 1962, Nebraska has the highest winning percentage in major college football, with tOSU second among teams playing since the '60s (going back 100 years, the Buckeyes are #1)
- Hall-of-Famer Gomer Jones was an assistant coach at Nebraska in 1946, after being a team captain and consensus All-American center (also played LB) at tOSU in 1935
- Head Coach Bo Pelini played safety for the Buckeyes from '87 to '90, and was a co-captain his senior year. His brother Carl, the defensive coordinator, attended Youngstown Mooney like his brother, and Carl earned a master's degree from Ohio State
Both Nebraska and Ohio State will be looking to avoid a rare 0-2 conference start. Nebraska has started conference play with two losses just one time (2008) since 1968. The Buckeyes have won at least a share of the past six Big Ten Conference championships entering 2011 and have not started Big Ten play 0-2 since 2004, the last time OSU did not win a conference crown.
In its inaugural season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska is calling a new conference home for the first time since the Big 12 was formed prior to the 1996 season. Overall, the Huskers have been a part of seven football conferences in program history. NU was the Missouri Valley Conference co-champion in its first year in the league in 1907 and the Huskers were Big 6 Conference champions in that league's inaugural year in 1928. Nebraska also won the Big 12 North Division title in the league's inaugural season in 1996. Below is a look at how Nebraska has fared in its first year in a new conference, and how many eventual titles were won, in the program's 122-year history:
Conference.........1st yr...record...Titles
WIUFBA..............1892.....2-2-1
Missouri Valley*....1907.....8-2-0.....12
Big 6*..............1928.....7-1-1......9
Big 7...............1948.....2-8-0
Big 8...............1960.....4-6-0.....20
Big 12..............1996....11-2-0......2
Big Ten.............2011.....4-1-0
*conference champion in first year of membership
WIUFBA = Western Inter-State University Foot Ball Association
Nebraska ranks as the nation's winningest program since the start of the 1970s, when Bob Devaney guided NU to back-to-back national titles in 1970 and 1971. NU's 407 wins in that time period are 25 more than any other school:
407 - Nebraska
382 - Ohio State
380 - Oklahoma
372 - Michigan
370 - Penn State
Nebraska has 39 nine-win seasons and 23 ten-win seasons since 1970. Nebraska just posted back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2000 and 2001. NU has posted three straight nine-win seasons for the first time since an NCAA record 33 straight from 1969 to 2001. Nebraska was the first team in college football history to win 100 or more games in consecutive decades, ranking first in the 1980s (103-20) and second in the 1990s (108-16-1).
Nebraska holds a 31-6 record against B1G opponents since 1970. The Huskers have won seven straight games in Lincoln against conference foes dating back to a 1981 loss to Penn State, an independent at that time. Among Big Ten Conference opponents, Nebraska has faced Minnesota the most, taking on the Gophers 51 times. Minnesota holds a 29-20-2 edge in the all-time series, but Nebraska has won the past 14 meetings dating back to 1963.
Nebraska is hosting its first-ever B1G Conference home game against Ohio State. The Huskers have historically been very good in their first conference home game of the season, posting an all-time record of 84-13-4 (.851). Nebraska won 30 straight conference home openers from 1978 to 2007, but the Huskers have lost their last three (Missouri in 2008, Texas Tech in 2009 and Texas in 2010). Nebraska has never had a four-game losing skid in conference home openers in school history.
Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini is a graduate of Ohio State and was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back for the Buckeyes under Earle Bruce and John Cooper from 1987 to 1990. Pelini started in the Buckeye secondary his final two seasons, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was a co-captain as a senior. Pelini received the 'Bo Rein Award' as a senior, given to the teams' most inspirational player. Pelini graduated from Ohio State with a degree in business administration in 1990. Saturday's game will mark the third time Pelini has coached against his alma mater. In 1991, Pelini was a graduate assistant for an Iowa team that defeated Ohio State, 16-9, in Columbus. After taking the Nebraska head job in December of 2007, Pelini completed his role as defensive coordinator at LSU, helping guide the Tigers past tOSU in the BCS Title Game in New Orleans.
Nebraska has been extremely tough at home in night games at Memorial Stadium. Since the first night game at Memorial Stadium in 1986, Nebraska is 34-5 under the lights in Lincoln, including wins in eight straight home night games. This season, Nebraska defeated Fresno State in a night game at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's five losses in home night games have all come against teams that won at least 10 games in that season (Washington, 1991; Texas, 2002; USC, 2007; Virginia Tech and Missouri, 2008). The Huskers' dominance at night in Lincoln has been impressive, as 28 of the home night wins have been by at least 13 points.
Later in this preview, we'll look specifically at this year's offense, defense and special teams for both tOSU and Nebraska. The preview also has a totally separate section that covers the opponent's coaching staff, recruiting, traditions, and history. It also contains the Behind the Numbers and The Lighter Side sections, and can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.
Date: Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Time: 8:00 ET Kick-off
Location: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
Constructed: 1923 (Original capacity 31,080, renovation in progress)
Seating Capacity: 81,091 (will expand to 87,000+ officially, probably capable of 90,000, in 2013)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events: Homecoming, Will Shields College Football Hall of Fame Salute, Honoring Legends; Building Leaders Mobile Tour
Time: 8:00 ET Kick-off
Location: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
Constructed: 1923 (Original capacity 31,080, renovation in progress)
Seating Capacity: 81,091 (will expand to 87,000+ officially, probably capable of 90,000, in 2013)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events: Homecoming, Will Shields College Football Hall of Fame Salute, Honoring Legends; Building Leaders Mobile Tour
Broadcast Information: TV Broadcast: ABC/ESPN mirror: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analysis), and Heather Cox (sideline)
Radio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS FM 97.1 The Fan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline); The game can also be heard live on Sirius satellite radio channel 91 and XM 91.
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Offensive Preview
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Offensive Preview
Former Buckeye Bo Pelini mans the helm at Nebraska, and Tim Beck is now in his first season as OC. Beck is from the same HS as the Pelinis and worked at Kansas before arriving in Lincoln 4 years ago. Beck worked the ground game when he arrived in Lincoln and has featured it prominently in his first season at the helm. He is also the QBs coach so he works closely with Martinez. The Huskers have a young offensive team, with several underclassmen manning starting spots at receiver and on the offensive line, and several more providing much of the depth. The offense was a rushing juggernaut in 2010 and things are much the same in 2011. Passing the ball has been a challenge, however, and Wisconsin last week proved that a one-dimensional Nebraska offense cannot compete with the elite teams. The coaches will have to find a way to improve the passing game at least somewhat while not detracting from a ferocious running attack. The youth of the team should prime the Huskers for a big run in the next couple of years as they gain experience.
Despite the high output of points early in the season, the Huskers rank in the middle of the pack overall on offense, averaging 418.2 YPG, which is tied for 48th nationally. They have had little difficulty running the ball, averaging an impressive 249.8 yards a game, good for 9th nationally. Where they have really struggled is throwing the ball, where they rank 105th with just 174 YPG. Their 37.5 PPG average is good for 22nd, but they really got hammered last week. 7 sacks allowed and 5 INTs in 110 pass attempts is not a great average, but isn't terrible. The Huskers are ranked in the middle of the pack with 99 first downs through 5 games (T49) but they are converting just 38.8% of their 3rd downs (T69), which is further indicative of a struggling passing game. Overall, the Pelinis may want to run the option more but they will need to establish more success in the passing game, or else the Huskers will struggle to compete with the elite teams in the conference and nationally, as last weekend's blowout loss clearly illustrated.
Quarterbacks
QB #3 Taylor Martinez (6-1, 200, SO, Centennial HS, Corona, CA)
Martinez runs the option like few QBs can, and he is deadly with his feet or on the pitch, reminiscent of Nebraska QBs of the Osborne glory days. He generally makes good decisions running the football and he is on pace to surpass his 2010 freshman totals of 162 carries, 965 yards, and 12 TDs. He was the Big XII newcomer of the year on offense and was honorable mention all-conference, which is very impressive for a freshman QB. His passing was obviously a work in progress last season, but his completion percentage wasn't that bad (59%), and he didn't throw a ton of INTs (7). He did take 26 sacks, which is a big number for just 196 pass attempts. This year he is running the ball even more impressively than last year, but his decision-making in the passing game still leaves a lot to be desired and he seems to have regressed somewhat throwing the football. His numbers for each game in 2011 are uncannily similar: 10-12 completions on 21-22 pass attempts. He cracked the 200 passing yard mark once, against Fresno State (219) but he also threw 2 picks against them. Otherwise he had a 5/2 TD/INT ratio entering the Wisconsin game, where he was whitewashed by the defense, tossing 3 picks as the Huskers got blown out. After a gaudy start running the ball, cracking the 100 yard mark twice and scoring 5 TDs in the first 2 games, he has come back to earth a bit in that area as well, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry over the past 2 games and gaining less than 100 yards cumulatively in those contests. Certainly the level of competition has increased recently, but in addition defenses are going to key on the run until he can prove he can beat a good defense passing the football, which he really has not been able to do thus far. It's hard to know exactly what to make of Martinez at this point. He runs an offense heavily geared towards the run, which can feature his strengths and cover up some of his deficiencies, but then again if he doesn't get better throwing the football then elite teams like Wisconsin are going to batter the Huskers again. He will be in for another stiff test against an Ohio State defense that make senior Kirk Cousins look terribly average last week.
Backing up Martinez is freshman Brion Carnes (#15), who is the cousin of legendary All American Tommie Frazier. He threw one pass in the opener and carried it twice, but hasn't played since. He did have a really good spring game and appears to be a better thrower than Martinez, so he could push for time inf Martinez struggles.
QB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Nebraska QB versus OSU QB
Martinez: 54/107 (50.5%), 823 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 118.1 rating; 83/482, 8 TDs
Miller: 20/39 (51.3%), 291 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 129.1 rating; 39/118, 0 TDs
Martinez is really good at one thing, running the football and piloting the option, and many weeks that will be enough. It is unclear if he will make enough progress in this offense passing the ball to become a true dual threat, however, which could keep Nebraska from contending for B1G titles and BCS berths, at least this season. Ohio State, like Wisconsin, has a strong defensive front and can stop the run and put pressure on Martinez to beat them downfield. If the Buckeyes can force some turnovers like Wisconsin did, they will be able to stay in the ballgame. If Martinez takes care of the ball, it could be a long afternoon. The Buckeyes struggled mightily in all aspects of offense last week. Miller didn't look ready to lead a major college football program and Bauserman didn't look especially impressive in come-back duty either, despite the TD. It was far from all on the QBs, but it is clear that the ability of Pryor to put the team on his back when things weren't going well was a rare commodity indeed.
Edge: Nebraska
Running Backs
IB #22 Rex Burkhead (5-11, 210, JR, Plano HS, Plano, TX)
FB #48 Tyler Legate (5-10, 235, SR, Neligh-Oakdale HS, Neligh, NE)
Burkhead is a bruising I-back who was third on the team in rushing last year, but that constituted 951 yards and 7 TDs. It is his show this year now that Roy Helu is gone, and he has responded with impressive outings, particularly in the past 3 weeks. After a decent start to the year he hammered Washington for 120 yards and 2 TDs, destroyed Wyoming's defense with 170 yards and 2 TDs on just 15 carries, and then gained 96 yards and scored a TD on 18 carries against a tough Wisconsin front last week. He was honorable mention all-conference last year, and should be in line for All-B1G honors this season as he looks to shatter his numbers from last season. He has already surpassed his TD total with 8. He is a big, strong, and punishing runner with deceptive speed who will stick his nose in any space and plow ahead. He can run either side on the option, he can line up in the Wildcat, and he can do a lot of other things well as he took over quite a bit of offensive responsibility last year when Martinez was battling injuries late in the year. He hasn't been a factor receiving the ball yet, but he caught 15 passes last year and 13 in 2009, so he can make an impact as a receiver if called upon. He can also block. He is basically just a good player, one of the better ones in the B1G in fact.
The backups have not gotten the workload that Burkhead got in a complimentary role last year. Three freshmen, Ameer Abdullah (#8), Braylon Heard (#5), and Aaron Green (#2) are all listed second on the depth chart, but none have gotten a ton of opportunities to carry the ball. Abdullah had 3 carries for 36 yards and caught an 11 yard pass against Wyoming, but hasn't been a factor otherwise. Heard, a Cardinal Mooney product from Youngstown, had 67 total yards and a TD against Washington and Wyoming, but didn't get a carry last week. Green had 5 carries for 36 yards and a 25 yard reception against Washington, but has played sparingly since. All bring their own set of skills to the table (Abdullah and Heard are smaller and faster than Burkhead), but it will take a while for them to acclimate to the Nebraska offense and to the quality of B1G defenses.
RB Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Nebraska RB versus OSU RB
Burkhead: 81/516 yards, 8 TDs, 6.4 YPC; 3 rec/9 yards, 0 TDs, 3.0 YPR
Heard: 17/79 yards, 1 TD, 4.6 YPC; 1 rec/1 yard, 0 TDs, 1.0 YPR
Abdullah: 12/49 yards, 0 TDs, 4.1 YPC; 1 rec/11 yards, 0 TDs, 11.0 YPR
Hyde: 62/296 yards, 3 TDs, 4.8 YPC; 9 rec/65 yards, 0 TDs, 7.2 YPR
Hall: 50/216 yards, 1 TD, 4.3 YPC; 1 rec/4 yards, 0 TDs, 4.0 YPR
Smith: 29/116 yards, 1 TD, 4.0 YPC; 2 rec/15 yards, 0 TDs, 7.5 YPR
Burkhead is the clear star in this group, as he is on pace for a monster season after piling up some impressive numbers last year and helping keep the offense going while Martinez was hurt. The Buckeyes have also shown flashes here, but like the backups for Nebraska, they are getting their feet wet and have a "next generation" feel to them, as Herron was primed to carry the load in 2011 before all of his off-field troubles. Since he won't be back this week again, Hyde and Hall will have to carry the load. Last week was eye-opening as to how bad things can get if the Buckeyes can't find a way to throw the ball some. There isn't a lot of receiving threat here, but depth is good for both teams in that they have several options to turn to if necessary. Burkhead carries the day, but both teams look like they have bright futures.
Edge: Nebraska
Wide Receivers
WR-X #80 Kenny Bell (6-1, 180, FR, Fairview HS, Boulder, CO)
WR-Z #18 Quincy Enunwa (6-2, 210, SO, Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA)
WR-A #10 Jamal Turner (6-1, 180, FR, Sam Houston HS, Arlington, TX)
This is a very young group with a lot of potential. Turner seems to be the most explosive and best athlete of the group. The former QB switched to receiver and leads the team with 13 receptions and 223 yards thus far. Particularly impressive was his 5 reception, 84 yard day last week against a Wisconsin defense that wasn't allowing much to the Nebraska passing game. With regular playing time he might develop into the big play receiver the team needs. Enunwa anchors the Z spot and has been a steady contributor. He has a reception in every game thus far and brings a bit of experience to the group, having cracked the rotation last year as a freshman. Bell appears to have beaten out senior Brandon Kinnie (#84), though both are listed as co-starters. He has 6 receptions for 130 yards and caught a TD against Wyoming. He has good speed and big play potential, much like Turner. The passing game is sporadic at Nebraska this year, but this group seems to have a lot of potential and athletic ability. They are also developing into good downfield blockers, a staple of Nebraska option football.
Kinnie was the top returning receiver from 2010 but has not made a huge impact, catching 7 passes for 55 yards thus far. He had 2 receptions last week against the Badgers. He is a big target (6-3, 225) and has experience as a senior that he can use to get separation. He is also a threat in the red zone against smaller corners. A pair of juniors, Khiry Cooper (#1) and Tim Marlowe (#6) are also in the mix. Marlowe has 2 receptions in the season thus far.
WR Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Nebraska WRs versus OSU WRs
Turner: 13 catches, 223 yards, 0 TDs, 17.2 YPR
Enunwa: 9 catches, 140 yards, 1 TD, 15.6 YPR
Bell: 6 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD, 21.7 YPR
Smith: 8 catches, 183 yards, 3 TDs, 22.9 YPR
Reed: 9 catches, 132 yards, 0 TDs, 14.7 YPR
Fields: 6 catches, 75 yards, 0 TDs, 12.5 YPR
Both teams feature a number of young players trying to establish themselves in the rotation and learn the nuances of the position. Turner in particular looks to be a future star, and the other youngsters look to have potential as well. Both corps suffer from sporadic QB play in the passing game and the inability to get the ball downfield. Depth and production are about the same in the two groups, and both are works in progress but appear to have good upside. The lack of a returning Posey hurts the Buckeyes, especially trying to break in a freshman QB.
Edge: Even
Tight Ends
TE #81 Ben Cotton (6-6, 255, JR, St. Ames HS, Ames, IA)
TE #25 Kyler Reed (6-3, 230, JR, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Shawnee, KS)
Nebraska's TEs were traditionally great blockers in the option offense and often ended up being their primary receiving threats as well, though their touches were often limited. Such is the case this year, as the Huskers feature some fine players at the position. Cotton is a monster and primarily a blocker, and a very good one at that. He started 13 games last year, catching only 3 passes but opening up holes for an offense that almost featured 3 1000 yard rushers. He can line up on either side and seems to have good chemistry with the line. He has 4 receptions for 83 yards this year, including a 28-yarder last week, so he does have the ability to separate over the middle on occasion. Reed is the primary receiver of the tandem, and he sees the field often as the Huskers use a double formation frequently. He caught 22 passes for 395 yards and 8 TDs last year, establishing himself as perhaps the primary receiving threat on the team, particularly around the red zone. He is off to a slow start receiving the ball this year with just 5 receptions for 137 yards, but his YPC average is still high and he is still a big play threat. He is also a capable blocker who can really help out in the run game. Senior Kevin Thomsen (#37) may also see the field in short yardage situations.
TE Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Nebraska TE versus OSU TE
Cotton: 4 catches, 83 yards, 0 TDs, 20.8 YPR
Reed: 5 catches, 137 yards, 0 TDs, 27.4 YPR
Stoneburner: 10 catches, 101 yards, 4 TDs, 10.1 YPR
Fragel: 4 catches, 44 yards, 0 TDs, 11.0 YPR
Both teams have good players with game experience here. Reed and Stoneburner are the receiving threats, whereas Cotton and Fragel are more blockers. Stoneburner got off to a fast start but as the passing game has waned so has his production. The same can be said for Reed, who is a big play waiting to happen but the Huskers have had trouble completing passes. This is a difficult position to judge, but since both teams have good blocking, receiving, and depth, it is about even.
Edge: Even
Offensive Line
LT #50 Jermarcus Hardrick (6-7, 320, SR, South Panola HS, Batesville, MS)
LG #63 Andrew Rodriguez (6-6, 325, SO, Aurora HS, Aurora, NE)
C #58 Mike Caputo (6-1, 275, SR, Millard North HS, Omaha, NE)
RG #61 Spencer Long (6-4, 305, SO, Elkhorn HS, Elkhorn, NE)
RT #78 Marcel Jones (6-7, 320, SR, Trevor Browne HS, Phoenix, AZ)
As is often the case, the Huskers have some talent and depth along the line. 7 different players have started along the line this season, and combining that with added depth from players with starting experience, the Huskers are in decent shape despite having a young team here. In the middle, Caputo has started all 5 games this year and paces the offense with 19 career starts. He is a bit undersized when considering the physical, punishing lines of Nebraska's history, but he is smart, agile, and capable at run and pass blocking. He was honorable mention all-Big XII last season ans is a contender to make the team this year, along with being on the preseason Rimington list. At RG, Long has made his first 5 career starts this season. He is a former walk-on who has worked hard, bulked up, and now has cracked the starting lineup (a regular story over the history of the program, Nebraska has one of if not the best walk-on programs in the nation). On the left side, Rodriguez played sparingly as a freshman last year but has split starting duties with junior Seung Hoon Choi (#77) thus far, capturing 3 starts. He is a big, physical lineman who can really help open up the running game. Choi is a smaller, sleeker lineman (6-2, 290) who is more mobile and versatile. At RT, Jones is finally healthy and has recaptured the starting role from freshman Tyler Moore (#73), who started the first 4 games. He started 11 games as a sophomore in 2009 before being hampered last year by injuries, which carried over into this season. He is a beast on the flank who when healthy can plow open holes on the wing for the running game. On the left side, Hardrick is in his first season as a starter as well, manning the role for the first 5 games. He is a JUCO transfer who played in all 14 games last season. He has a tremendous wingspan and good size, which help him in both run and pass blocking.
In addition to Choi and Moore up front to provide depth and start when necessary, the Huskers also have former starter Jeremiah Sirles (#71) as part of the tackle rotation. He broke into the lineup and started all 14 games last year before suffering off-season shoulder surgery. When he is back healthy, he could push his way back into the starting rotation. Junior Brandon Thompson (#79) is a versatile player who can play either guard spot, and freshman Jake Cotton (#68) and sophomore Brent Qvale (#76) also provide added depth. The line is young, but not terrible inexperienced, and the depth should help as the season moves forward.
OL Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Nebraska OL versus OSU OL
Unlike years past, there are no real superstars here, though Caputo is a very solid player and a veteran presence. There are several young players who have been foisted into action, with mixed early returns. Still there is no denying the power of the Husker running game, and the offense had been piling up points aplenty until they ran into the Wisconsin buzzsaw last week. The passing game needs holistic work, from front to back, but the line is capable of giving Martinez time to work the pocket and find a receiver downfield, as evidenced by all the big plays the passing game has produced when he finds a receiver. After watching the game last week, it is hard to see how Ohio State could have an advantage over anyone at the current time, as Miller and later Bauserman were under constant pressure and the running game sputtered.
Edge: Nebraska
Overall Offensive Analysis
Nebraska is again a much more one-dimensional offense, pounding out yards on the ground and reviving ghosts of the Tom Osborne era. As last week's game showed, however, that isn't enough to compete with the elite teams in 2011, and Wisconsin showed that Martinez right now can't make enough plays in the passing game to contend for a title yet. Expect the Buckeyes to stack the box to try and contain the run and force Martinez to throw, hoping he is the turnover machine he appeared to be against the Badgers. If Martinez can control the game, however, breaking big gains on the ground and hitting a few deadly play-action passes on short downs, the Buckeyes could be in for a long game. The Buckeye defense has held up well so far in 2011, and they should get their share of plays on Saturday. If they are going to win, however, it appears they need to get not just 3-and-outs, but turnovers and scores. That is a tall order for any defense, thought Martinez is turnover prone on occasion. If he can get some of the other players (WRs, TEs) back involved this week, the Husker offense could be very hard to contain. If they are on-dimensional, the Buckeyes have a shot.
Overall Offensive Rating: B
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Defensive Preview
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Carl Pelini enters his fourth season on his brother's Nebraska coaching staff in 2011, serving as defensive coordinator. Under Pelini's guidance, Nebraska ranked among the nation's top defenses in both 2009 and 2010. In his first three seasons, Pelini has played a leading role in a dramatic resurgence for the Husker defense. After being one of the nation's most improved defenses in 2008, Nebraska featured a dominant defensive unit under Pelini's direction in 2009 and 2010. Pelini's role has been recognized, as he has been a nominee for the Frank Broyles Assistant Coach Award each of the past two years. When combining stats from the previous two seasons, NU's defense ranks in the top seven nationally in total defense, scoring defense and passing yards allowed and tops in the nation in pass efficiency defense.[/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The 2010 Blackshirts finished 11th nationally in total defense and ranked in the top 10 in pass efficiency defense (3rd), passing yards allowed (5th) and scoring (9th). After leading the nation in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense in 2009, the 2010 unit achieved its lofty rankings despite losing three starters who were selected in the first four rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Pelini produced a first-round draft pick for the second straight year when Prince Amukamara was the 19th overall player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. Amukamara was also the 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, marking the second straight season a Husker took home the honor. Linebacker Lavonte David was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while a league-high five Huskers were first-team All-Big 12 selections. Two more earned second-team accolades and two others were honorable-mention picks. Nationally, four Blackshirts were named first- or second-team All-Americans by at least one organization.[/FONT]
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Nebraska was among the nation's top scoring defenses in both 2009 and 2010. The 2009 defense led the nation at 10.4 points per game, and held seven foes to single digits and eight teams to 10 or fewer points. Both of those totals led the nation. Nebraska posted two shutouts for the first time since 2003. In 2010, Nebraska again ranked in the top 10 nationally, holding opponents to 17.4 points per game to rank ninth. Nebraska has struggled in this department in 2011, averaging 27.2 points per game allowed, but the Huskers combined numbers from 2009 to 2011 still rank among the nation's best. Including five games in 2011, Nebraska has allowed an average of 15.9 points per game in 33 games since the start of the 2009 season. That is the fifth-best scoring defense mark in the nation in that span, trailing only Alabama, Ohio State, TCU and Boise State.
Nebraska held 13 of 14 opponents to 20 or fewer points in 2009. To put that accomplishment in perspective, NU held just six opponents to fewer than 20 points in 2007 and 2008 combined. Nebraska held 10 of 14 teams to 20 or fewer points in 2010, and only one opponent scored more than 24 points in regulation play. 4 Only 15 Nebraska opponents have scored as many as 17 points since the start of the 2009 season (33 games). In that stretch, Nebraska has allowed 10 or fewer points in 13 games.
So far in 2011, the defense has not performed up to the standards of the Pelinis. The starting squad has yet to don the 'blackshirts' in practice, since Bo has decreed that they must be earned before the unit gets to wear them. They are 64th in total defense (377 ypg), 73rd in scoring defense (27.2 ppg), 66th in rushing defense (152.8 ypg), and 58th in passing efficiency defense. They have yielded 4.17 yards per rushing attempt, and are 83rd in the nation with a -2 in net turnovers.
In 16 red zone defensive possessions in 2011, the Huskers have allowed 11 TDs, 2 FGs, 2 missed FGs, and have 1 fourth down stop. They gave up 34 points on 5 red zone trips for Wisconsin. The 5.1 points per possession is not a good statistic for a defense, and without a pair of missed FGs it would be 5.5 points per trip.
They play a base 4-3, with strongside and weakside DTs. Their LB spots are Sam, Will, and a hybrid spot called the Buck (a pass-rushing LB/DE combo similar to the Leo), and they align their corners as right and left. They will move into a dime defense in obvious passing situations.
Defensive Line
DE #9 Jason Ankrah (6-4, 265, So., Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg, MD)
DT #94 Jared Crick (6-6, 285, Sr., Cozad HS, Cozad, NE)
DT #55 Baker Steinkuhler (6-6, 290, Jr., Southwest HS, Lincoln, NE)
DE #34 Cameron Meredith (6-4, 260, Jr., Mater Dei HS, Huntington Beach, CA)
The best player on this D-Line is the Strong-Side DT Jared Crick, who has 20.0 career sacks and 35 career tackles-for-loss. His 20.0 sacks rank third nationally among active players and are tops among interior defensive linemen. Crick's 35 TFLs also rank near the top among interior defensive linemen nationally. He is a third-year starter that will provide a real test for the relatively inexperienced Buckeye guards., who are each starting in a new position on the O-line this week.
Crick has earned first-team all-conference honors each of the past two seasons, and is likely to be a strong candidate for numerous national honors this fall. Crick sat out the Wyoming game, with an injury, ending a streak of 31 straight starts with an injury, but returned to action against Wisconsin.
In addition to his All-Big 12 award in 2010, Crick was also a first-team All-America choice by Rivals.com, while earning second-team honors from the Associated Press. Crick was one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, and he was a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Crick entered 2011 in position to cement his place as one of the top defenders in Nebraska history. He was a first-team All-American by nearly every preseason outlet and is among the favorites for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Crick opened the year with five tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss, against Chattanooga. He also broke up a pass that was intercepted and added a quarterback hurry. Against Washington, Crick had a season-high six tackles and recorded his first sack of the season and the 20th of his Nebraska career. At Wisconsin, Crick had five tackles and blocked a Badger extra point. Crick has the opportunity to become Nebraska's first three-time, first-team all-conference selection since cornerback Ralph Brown achieved the rare honor in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Just 21 players in school history have been 3-time all-conference picks. Crick made 70 tackles last season to rank third on the team and first among linemen. He led all Big 12 defensive linemen with 5.0 tackles per game.
Crick led the team with 17 tackles for loss (91 yards) in his junior season. His 35 career tackles for loss are three shy of the top 10 on the career chart, and Crick is nine tackles for loss from cracking the top five in school history. In 2009, Crick pushed Ndamukong Suh for team statistical leads in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss. Crick finished with 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. His 5.2 tackles per game were second behind Suh among Big 12 defensive linemen. Crick had one of the most prolific defensive days in school history with a record-setting performance at Baylor in 2009. Crick had a school-record five sacks for 24 yards in the game. His five sacks were the most in a single game by any player in the nation in 2009, just ahead of Suh's 4.5 sacks against Texas. Crick had seven tackles for loss in that Baylor game, tying the NU school record.
The Weakside DT spot is manned by Blake Steinkuhler, a familiar name to college football fans. His father Dean won both the Outland and Lombardi Trophies as an O-Lineman for the Huskers' highly successful option offenses of the early '80s, playing with QB Turner Gill, '83 Heisman winner Mike Rozier, center Dave Rimington (namesake of the award), and WR Irving Fryar. Blake has made 18 starts in his career, and although he was less effective as the season wore on last year, he's bounced back with 16 tackles so far in 2011.
The DT depth is provided up by #90 Terrence Moore (6-3, 290, Sr.), who has 3 tackles and 3 QB hurries so far this season; #53 Thaddeus Randle (6-1, 300, So.) who has 5 tackles and 1 sack; and #97 Chase Rome (6-3, 295, rFr.), who has 3 tackles but made headlines last week by being fined after taking out his frustrations on a towel dispenser at the airport after the loss at Wisconsin. They'll get on the field to spell Steinkuhler, but Crick will only get an occasional breather.
At one DE spot, Meredith leads team with three sacks while adding an INT and three hurries. He's made 19 previous starts, and has 21 tackles. The other DE is manned by Ankrah, who has six tackles and 1 sack in first five career starts at end.
Depth at the DE spots comes from: #46 Eric Martin (6-2, 260, Jr.) who has 4 tackles and 1 QB hurry; #98 Josh Williams (6-4, 260, Jr.) who has 6 tackles and 1 QB hurry in limited playing time; and #7 Joseph Carter (6-5, 250, Jr.), who's been credited with 7 assists.
DL Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Husker DL versus tOSU DL
The Huskers have been average against the run, giving up 4.17 ypc. Crick is a force inside, and they get a some outside pressure from the DEs, but they haven't but disruptive enough overall, as they were the past 2 seasons (having Suh in 2009 obviously helped, but they were still solid in 2010). They have given up only 4 runs of 20 yards or more, but have allowed 14 pass plays of 20+ yards while getting 6 sacks from the D-line, but only 3 in the 4 games since Chattanooga. They have forced only 4 interceptions to be thrown, and they aren't getting off the field quickly enough, allowing 45.7% of third-downs to be converted. Neither team has gotte to the opposing QB as much as they'd like, but the Buckeyes are slightly better at generating pressure, and have been tougher against the run. At this point, a slight edge goes to the Buckeyes, although the Nebraska D-Line may have a better day due to the relative inexperience on the Buckeye offense.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
Buck #42 Sean Fisher (6-6, 235, Jr., Millard North HS, Omaha, NE)
MLB #51 Will Compton (6-2, 230, Jr., North County HS, Bonne Terre, MO)
WLB #4 Lavonte David (6-1, 225, Sr., Northwestern HS, Miami, FL/Ft. Scott CC)
Will LB Lavonte David set a school record with 152 tackles in his first year as a Husker in 2010, and has opened 2011 with 45 tackles in five games. David's career average of 10.4 tackles per game ranks fourth nationally. A contender for the Butkus Award, his 2010 tackle total surpassed the previous school record of 149 tackles by Barrett Ruud in 2003, and he was the first Blackshirt defender to record 100 tackles since Ruud in 2004.
David opened the 2011 season with a team-high nine tackles, including a tackle for loss in the win over Chattanooga, helping the Huskers limit the Mocs to just seven points and 230 total yards. He backed that up with 15 tackles against Fresno State for his ninth career double-figure tackle game, including four with at least 15 tackles. Against Washington, David added his first career interception to stop a Husky first-quarter scoring threat in the Nebraska red zone. He tied his career high with two sacks and three tackles for loss at Wisconsin. Through five games his 45 tackles leads the team and his 9.0 tackles per game rank fourth in the Big Ten. His career-high 19 tackles was in the Huskers' victory over South Dakota State in 2010. In addition to leading the team in tackles last season, David was second on the team in tackles for loss (15-60), sacks (6-50) and pass breakups (10), while ranking fourth in hurries (7). David was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year by every outlet that selected that honor. He was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection, while the Kansas City Star named him its conference defensive player of the year. David also received national accolades, including first-team All-America honors by Rivals.com and CBSSports.com, while the AP and SI.com named him to the second team.
The middle is manned by Compton, who is third on team with 27 tackles, including a career-high 15 vs. Fresno State. He'll be making his 17th career start this week despite battling injuries earlier in his career, and is a solid player in run defense.
Depth for the middle is provided by #43 Trevor Roach (6-2, 235, rFr.), who has 7 tackles and 2 TFLs this season; and #41 David Santos (6-0, 235, Fr.), who hasn't seen enough action yet to make much of an impression.
The 'Buck' position is played by Fisher, who returned to field after missing 2010 with a broken leg. He has 17 tackles in 2011, but has only generated 2 TFLs and 1 Qb hurry in his 4 starts this season. Depth at the Buck position is handled by #45 Alonzo Whaley (6-1, 235, Jr.), who has 3 tackles, and #38 Graham Stoddard (6-2, 235, Jr.), a special teams contributor who has made 7 tackles and possesses the combination of size and quickness needed to handle the hybrid LB/DE role.
Backup at the Will is handled by #36 Mathew May (6-1, 215, Sr,) who's made 4 stops this season, and #32 Jim Ebke (6-0, 210, Sr.), who has registered 3 assists so far this season.
LB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Husker LBs versus tOSU LBs
This is a group that has one standout performer (David), one solid tackler in the middle, and some others who are making an adjustment to the smash-mouth style of the B1G. Other than the 2 sacks that Lavonte David got against Wisconsin, they haven't been able to make enough plays in the backfield. A more aggressive scheme against the Buckeyes, mimicking what they saw Sparty on film, is surely forthcoming. Whether the blitzing LBs are picked up, or avoided with a quick passing game, will be a major factor in the outcome of this contest.
The Buckeye LBs (Sweat, Sabino, Klein, Moeller, and Shazier) have a similar amount of experience to their Husker counterparts, and a slight edge in depth. But the issues that the tOSU squad has had with overpursuit and missed tackles makes this matchup too close to give an advantage to either side.
Edge: Even
Secondary
LCB #17 Ciante Evans (5-11, 185, So., Juan Seguin HS, Arlington, TX)
S #8 Austin Cassidy (6-1, 210, Sr., Southwest HS, LIncoln, NE)
S #3 Daimion Stafford (6-1, 210, Jr., Norco HS, Norco, CA/Chaffey College)
RCB #15 Alfonzo Dennard (5-10, 205, Sr., Wilcox County HS, Rochelle, Ga)
Stafford is a JC transfer at safety, has started each game except the opener this year. He has contributed 38 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 TFL and a forced fumble in the first five games. He was the leading tackler in both the Fresno State and Wisconsin contests.
Cassidy is an Academic All-American with has 25 tackles and three PBUs. He has a season-high six tackles and snuffed out Washington?s final scoring threat with a diving interception with 1:32 remaining.
Right-side corner Dennard is a preseason All-American with a good deal of experience, with 24 career starts despite missing the first 3 games of 2011 with a leg injury. He usually gets less safety help than other CB spot, which has been picked on and has been rotated due to coverage problems. Dennard does a good job when left in man coverage, and he will also occasionally blitz from the outside - look for him to do that at least once to surprise Braxton Miller. Dennard has 6 tackles so far in 2011.
Evans is the CB on the left, an has started four of five games this season, with 18 tackles and 1 PBU. The left corner spot is backed up by #6 Corey Cooper (6-1, 210, rFr.) who has 7 tackles, all solo. CB Depth on the right side comes from #11 Andrew Green (6-0, 190, So.), an athlete with good size and ball skills for a corner who has tallied 17 tackles and a team-leading 4 PBUs.
The first safety backup is #13 P.J. Smith (6-2, 210, Jr.) who also plays as the nickel-back, and has 23 tackles, a forced fumble (the first that Wisconsin lost this season), and 1 INT so far, with a team-high 7 tackles at Wyoming. Other safety help comes from #12 Courtney Osborne (6-3, 200, Jr.), who started in the opener but saw little time from then until the Wisconsin game, and #1 Harvey Jackson (6-2, 205, rFr), who has seen limited action this season.
When they go to a dime package, that role will be filled by #23 Lance Thorell (6-1, 200, Sr.), a former walk-on who earned a scholarship this year, and has 7 tackles. He is backed up by #39 Justin Blatchford (6-1, 200, Jr.), who has also been credited with 6 tackles and 1 QB hurry.
DB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Husker DBs versus tOSU DBs
Nebraska has 1 excellent CB in Dennard, but they have been struggling in coverage, giving up 6 passing TDs over 25 yards, while only hauling in 4 interceptions. Look for the Huskers to mix up their coverages in an attempt to confuse the young Buckeye QB, while always keeping at least 1 safety deep to prevent long TDs.
The Buckeyes have limited experience at receiver, and with their young QB will probably once again use a conservative game plan again this week, mixing in occasional deep balls on play-action. And hopefully they'll be able to locate the tight end, and successfully execute some screen passes.
The Buckeye secondary has 3 CBs that are able to cover people, and the safety play has improved with the insertion of Christian Bryant into the lineup. Taylor Martinez has an odd throwing motion, like a shotput sent on a high arc, and the time that the ball is in the air will give the Buckeye secondary a chance for big plays. Earlier problems in pursuit angles appear to have mostly corrected, so the Buckeye secondary gets the edge here.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
Nebraska's defense has not lived up to the standards set by the Blackshirts of the previous two years and the glory days under Devaney and Osborne. They have a big-time playmaker at each level (Crick-David-Dennard) but a lack of penetration and breakdowns in coverage have left them in the middle of the pack for national defensive statistics. That could be partly due to some nagging injuries to Crick and Dennard, who both returned last week only to have their unit be dominated by the Wisconsin offense.
There is some thought that more size is needed in order to play against the types of offenses that are more prevalent in the B1G. So far, they aren't getting off the field quickly enough and have been victimized by numerous big plays. They will certainly crank up the pressure this week in an attempt to correct those shortcomings by rattling a young QB.
Expect Nebraska to blitz often, and run a lot of stunts (aka twists) that force the reshuffled players in the Buckeye OL to spot those moves and pick up somebody that wasn't in front of them, especially since Sparty's stunts were highly successful last week. Those stunts will also allow their best D-Lineman (Crick) to attack from various angles, something he excels at. If Braxton Miller can handle the different looks and avoid turnovers, the Buckeye offense has enough talent to move the ball and put up points. But the Pelinis aggressive schemes will make that difficult.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Special Teams Preview
2011 Statistics (NCAA)
Nebraska
Punting:
Brett Maher 20 for 893 yards, 44.65 avg (16th Nationally)
Placekicking:
Brett Maher 9-11 FGs, 23-23 PATs
Punt Returns:
Abdullah Ameer 8 for 96 yards, 12.00 avg (18th Nationally)
Tim Marlowe 1 for 11 yards, 11.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Rex Burkhead 1 for 19 yards, 19.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Team: 10 for 126 yards, 12.60 avg (23rd Nationally)
Kickoff Returns:
Ameer Abdullah 15 for 527 yards, 1 TD, 35.13 avg (1st Nationally)
Tim Marlowe 2 for 32 yards, 16.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Tyler Legate 1 for 5 yards, 5.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Jamal Turner 1 for 17 yards, 17.00 avg, (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Team: 19 for 581 yards, 30.6 avg, 1 TD (1st Nationally)
Punt Return Defense:
11 for 171 yards, 1 TD, 15.55 avg (114th Nationally)
Kickoff Return Defense:
24 for 547 yards, 22.79 avg, 12 touchbacks (84th Nationally)
Ohio State
Punting:
Ben Buchanan 29 for 1202 yards 41.45 avg (45th Nationally)
Placekicking
Drew Basil 5 of 7 FGs, 14-14 PATs, 47 long
Punt Returns: (none meet the minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Chris Fields 5 for 88 yards, 17.60 avg, 1 TD, 69 long
Jordan Hall 4 for 59 yards, 14.80 avg, 27 long
Corey Brown 2 for 28 yards, 14.00 avg, 17 long
Devin Smith 1 for 3 yards, 3.00 avg, 3 long
Team: 12 for 178 yards, 14.80 avg, 1 TD, 69 long (16th Nationally)
Kickoff Returns: (none meet the minimum number of returns to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Jaamal Berry 7 for 150 yards, 21.40 avg, 28 long
Jordan Hall 4 for 187 yards, 46.80 avg, 90 long
Corey Brown 1 for 44 yards
Chris Fields 1 for 15 yards
Tony Jackson 1 for 10 yards
Team: 14 for 406 yards, 29.00 avg, 90 long (6th Nationally)
Punt Return Defense:
12 for 106 yards, 8.83 avg (76th Nationally)
Kickoff Return Defense:
19 for 302 yards, 15.89 avg, 5 touchbacks (7th Nationally)
Special Teams
Nebraska
Punter/Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#96 Brett Maher (6-0, 185, Jr., Kearney HS, Kearney, NE)
Punt/Kickoff Returners:
#8 Ameer Abdullah (5-9, 180, Fr., Homewood HS, Homewood, AL)
#6 Tim Marlowe (5-10, 175, Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Holder:
#8 Austin Cassidy (6-1, 210, Jr., Southwest HS, Lincoln, NE)
Long Snapper:
#92 P.J. Mangieri (6-4, 240, Jr., Dunlap HS, Peoria, IL)
Ohio State (Rivals)
Punter:
#17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, So., Central HS, Westerville, OH)
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, So., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
#20 Russel Doup (6-1, 180, Fr., Mt Vernon HS, Mt Vernon, OH)
Long Snapper:
#56 George Makridis (5-11, 236, So., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
#54 Bryce Haynes (6-4, 185, Fr., Pinecrest HS, Cumming, GA)
Holder:
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
#14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Sr., Lincoln HS, Strasburg, VA)
Punt Returners:
#7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#10 Corey Brown (5-11, 170, So., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
#80 Chris Fields (6-0, 185, So., Harvey HS, Painesville, OH)
Kickoff Returners:
#7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#4 Jaamal Berry (5-10, 200, So., Palmetto HS, Pinecrest, FL)
PredictionsDespite the high output of points early in the season, the Huskers rank in the middle of the pack overall on offense, averaging 418.2 YPG, which is tied for 48th nationally. They have had little difficulty running the ball, averaging an impressive 249.8 yards a game, good for 9th nationally. Where they have really struggled is throwing the ball, where they rank 105th with just 174 YPG. Their 37.5 PPG average is good for 22nd, but they really got hammered last week. 7 sacks allowed and 5 INTs in 110 pass attempts is not a great average, but isn't terrible. The Huskers are ranked in the middle of the pack with 99 first downs through 5 games (T49) but they are converting just 38.8% of their 3rd downs (T69), which is further indicative of a struggling passing game. Overall, the Pelinis may want to run the option more but they will need to establish more success in the passing game, or else the Huskers will struggle to compete with the elite teams in the conference and nationally, as last weekend's blowout loss clearly illustrated.
Quarterbacks
QB #3 Taylor Martinez (6-1, 200, SO, Centennial HS, Corona, CA)
Martinez runs the option like few QBs can, and he is deadly with his feet or on the pitch, reminiscent of Nebraska QBs of the Osborne glory days. He generally makes good decisions running the football and he is on pace to surpass his 2010 freshman totals of 162 carries, 965 yards, and 12 TDs. He was the Big XII newcomer of the year on offense and was honorable mention all-conference, which is very impressive for a freshman QB. His passing was obviously a work in progress last season, but his completion percentage wasn't that bad (59%), and he didn't throw a ton of INTs (7). He did take 26 sacks, which is a big number for just 196 pass attempts. This year he is running the ball even more impressively than last year, but his decision-making in the passing game still leaves a lot to be desired and he seems to have regressed somewhat throwing the football. His numbers for each game in 2011 are uncannily similar: 10-12 completions on 21-22 pass attempts. He cracked the 200 passing yard mark once, against Fresno State (219) but he also threw 2 picks against them. Otherwise he had a 5/2 TD/INT ratio entering the Wisconsin game, where he was whitewashed by the defense, tossing 3 picks as the Huskers got blown out. After a gaudy start running the ball, cracking the 100 yard mark twice and scoring 5 TDs in the first 2 games, he has come back to earth a bit in that area as well, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry over the past 2 games and gaining less than 100 yards cumulatively in those contests. Certainly the level of competition has increased recently, but in addition defenses are going to key on the run until he can prove he can beat a good defense passing the football, which he really has not been able to do thus far. It's hard to know exactly what to make of Martinez at this point. He runs an offense heavily geared towards the run, which can feature his strengths and cover up some of his deficiencies, but then again if he doesn't get better throwing the football then elite teams like Wisconsin are going to batter the Huskers again. He will be in for another stiff test against an Ohio State defense that make senior Kirk Cousins look terribly average last week.
Backing up Martinez is freshman Brion Carnes (#15), who is the cousin of legendary All American Tommie Frazier. He threw one pass in the opener and carried it twice, but hasn't played since. He did have a really good spring game and appears to be a better thrower than Martinez, so he could push for time inf Martinez struggles.
QB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Nebraska QB versus OSU QB
Martinez: 54/107 (50.5%), 823 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 118.1 rating; 83/482, 8 TDs
Miller: 20/39 (51.3%), 291 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 129.1 rating; 39/118, 0 TDs
Martinez is really good at one thing, running the football and piloting the option, and many weeks that will be enough. It is unclear if he will make enough progress in this offense passing the ball to become a true dual threat, however, which could keep Nebraska from contending for B1G titles and BCS berths, at least this season. Ohio State, like Wisconsin, has a strong defensive front and can stop the run and put pressure on Martinez to beat them downfield. If the Buckeyes can force some turnovers like Wisconsin did, they will be able to stay in the ballgame. If Martinez takes care of the ball, it could be a long afternoon. The Buckeyes struggled mightily in all aspects of offense last week. Miller didn't look ready to lead a major college football program and Bauserman didn't look especially impressive in come-back duty either, despite the TD. It was far from all on the QBs, but it is clear that the ability of Pryor to put the team on his back when things weren't going well was a rare commodity indeed.
Edge: Nebraska
Running Backs
IB #22 Rex Burkhead (5-11, 210, JR, Plano HS, Plano, TX)
FB #48 Tyler Legate (5-10, 235, SR, Neligh-Oakdale HS, Neligh, NE)
Burkhead is a bruising I-back who was third on the team in rushing last year, but that constituted 951 yards and 7 TDs. It is his show this year now that Roy Helu is gone, and he has responded with impressive outings, particularly in the past 3 weeks. After a decent start to the year he hammered Washington for 120 yards and 2 TDs, destroyed Wyoming's defense with 170 yards and 2 TDs on just 15 carries, and then gained 96 yards and scored a TD on 18 carries against a tough Wisconsin front last week. He was honorable mention all-conference last year, and should be in line for All-B1G honors this season as he looks to shatter his numbers from last season. He has already surpassed his TD total with 8. He is a big, strong, and punishing runner with deceptive speed who will stick his nose in any space and plow ahead. He can run either side on the option, he can line up in the Wildcat, and he can do a lot of other things well as he took over quite a bit of offensive responsibility last year when Martinez was battling injuries late in the year. He hasn't been a factor receiving the ball yet, but he caught 15 passes last year and 13 in 2009, so he can make an impact as a receiver if called upon. He can also block. He is basically just a good player, one of the better ones in the B1G in fact.
The backups have not gotten the workload that Burkhead got in a complimentary role last year. Three freshmen, Ameer Abdullah (#8), Braylon Heard (#5), and Aaron Green (#2) are all listed second on the depth chart, but none have gotten a ton of opportunities to carry the ball. Abdullah had 3 carries for 36 yards and caught an 11 yard pass against Wyoming, but hasn't been a factor otherwise. Heard, a Cardinal Mooney product from Youngstown, had 67 total yards and a TD against Washington and Wyoming, but didn't get a carry last week. Green had 5 carries for 36 yards and a 25 yard reception against Washington, but has played sparingly since. All bring their own set of skills to the table (Abdullah and Heard are smaller and faster than Burkhead), but it will take a while for them to acclimate to the Nebraska offense and to the quality of B1G defenses.
RB Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Nebraska RB versus OSU RB
Burkhead: 81/516 yards, 8 TDs, 6.4 YPC; 3 rec/9 yards, 0 TDs, 3.0 YPR
Heard: 17/79 yards, 1 TD, 4.6 YPC; 1 rec/1 yard, 0 TDs, 1.0 YPR
Abdullah: 12/49 yards, 0 TDs, 4.1 YPC; 1 rec/11 yards, 0 TDs, 11.0 YPR
Hyde: 62/296 yards, 3 TDs, 4.8 YPC; 9 rec/65 yards, 0 TDs, 7.2 YPR
Hall: 50/216 yards, 1 TD, 4.3 YPC; 1 rec/4 yards, 0 TDs, 4.0 YPR
Smith: 29/116 yards, 1 TD, 4.0 YPC; 2 rec/15 yards, 0 TDs, 7.5 YPR
Burkhead is the clear star in this group, as he is on pace for a monster season after piling up some impressive numbers last year and helping keep the offense going while Martinez was hurt. The Buckeyes have also shown flashes here, but like the backups for Nebraska, they are getting their feet wet and have a "next generation" feel to them, as Herron was primed to carry the load in 2011 before all of his off-field troubles. Since he won't be back this week again, Hyde and Hall will have to carry the load. Last week was eye-opening as to how bad things can get if the Buckeyes can't find a way to throw the ball some. There isn't a lot of receiving threat here, but depth is good for both teams in that they have several options to turn to if necessary. Burkhead carries the day, but both teams look like they have bright futures.
Edge: Nebraska
Wide Receivers
WR-X #80 Kenny Bell (6-1, 180, FR, Fairview HS, Boulder, CO)
WR-Z #18 Quincy Enunwa (6-2, 210, SO, Rancho Verde HS, Moreno Valley, CA)
WR-A #10 Jamal Turner (6-1, 180, FR, Sam Houston HS, Arlington, TX)
This is a very young group with a lot of potential. Turner seems to be the most explosive and best athlete of the group. The former QB switched to receiver and leads the team with 13 receptions and 223 yards thus far. Particularly impressive was his 5 reception, 84 yard day last week against a Wisconsin defense that wasn't allowing much to the Nebraska passing game. With regular playing time he might develop into the big play receiver the team needs. Enunwa anchors the Z spot and has been a steady contributor. He has a reception in every game thus far and brings a bit of experience to the group, having cracked the rotation last year as a freshman. Bell appears to have beaten out senior Brandon Kinnie (#84), though both are listed as co-starters. He has 6 receptions for 130 yards and caught a TD against Wyoming. He has good speed and big play potential, much like Turner. The passing game is sporadic at Nebraska this year, but this group seems to have a lot of potential and athletic ability. They are also developing into good downfield blockers, a staple of Nebraska option football.
Kinnie was the top returning receiver from 2010 but has not made a huge impact, catching 7 passes for 55 yards thus far. He had 2 receptions last week against the Badgers. He is a big target (6-3, 225) and has experience as a senior that he can use to get separation. He is also a threat in the red zone against smaller corners. A pair of juniors, Khiry Cooper (#1) and Tim Marlowe (#6) are also in the mix. Marlowe has 2 receptions in the season thus far.
WR Rating: C
Head-to-Head: Nebraska WRs versus OSU WRs
Turner: 13 catches, 223 yards, 0 TDs, 17.2 YPR
Enunwa: 9 catches, 140 yards, 1 TD, 15.6 YPR
Bell: 6 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD, 21.7 YPR
Smith: 8 catches, 183 yards, 3 TDs, 22.9 YPR
Reed: 9 catches, 132 yards, 0 TDs, 14.7 YPR
Fields: 6 catches, 75 yards, 0 TDs, 12.5 YPR
Both teams feature a number of young players trying to establish themselves in the rotation and learn the nuances of the position. Turner in particular looks to be a future star, and the other youngsters look to have potential as well. Both corps suffer from sporadic QB play in the passing game and the inability to get the ball downfield. Depth and production are about the same in the two groups, and both are works in progress but appear to have good upside. The lack of a returning Posey hurts the Buckeyes, especially trying to break in a freshman QB.
Edge: Even
Tight Ends
TE #81 Ben Cotton (6-6, 255, JR, St. Ames HS, Ames, IA)
TE #25 Kyler Reed (6-3, 230, JR, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Shawnee, KS)
Nebraska's TEs were traditionally great blockers in the option offense and often ended up being their primary receiving threats as well, though their touches were often limited. Such is the case this year, as the Huskers feature some fine players at the position. Cotton is a monster and primarily a blocker, and a very good one at that. He started 13 games last year, catching only 3 passes but opening up holes for an offense that almost featured 3 1000 yard rushers. He can line up on either side and seems to have good chemistry with the line. He has 4 receptions for 83 yards this year, including a 28-yarder last week, so he does have the ability to separate over the middle on occasion. Reed is the primary receiver of the tandem, and he sees the field often as the Huskers use a double formation frequently. He caught 22 passes for 395 yards and 8 TDs last year, establishing himself as perhaps the primary receiving threat on the team, particularly around the red zone. He is off to a slow start receiving the ball this year with just 5 receptions for 137 yards, but his YPC average is still high and he is still a big play threat. He is also a capable blocker who can really help out in the run game. Senior Kevin Thomsen (#37) may also see the field in short yardage situations.
TE Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Nebraska TE versus OSU TE
Cotton: 4 catches, 83 yards, 0 TDs, 20.8 YPR
Reed: 5 catches, 137 yards, 0 TDs, 27.4 YPR
Stoneburner: 10 catches, 101 yards, 4 TDs, 10.1 YPR
Fragel: 4 catches, 44 yards, 0 TDs, 11.0 YPR
Both teams have good players with game experience here. Reed and Stoneburner are the receiving threats, whereas Cotton and Fragel are more blockers. Stoneburner got off to a fast start but as the passing game has waned so has his production. The same can be said for Reed, who is a big play waiting to happen but the Huskers have had trouble completing passes. This is a difficult position to judge, but since both teams have good blocking, receiving, and depth, it is about even.
Edge: Even
Offensive Line
LT #50 Jermarcus Hardrick (6-7, 320, SR, South Panola HS, Batesville, MS)
LG #63 Andrew Rodriguez (6-6, 325, SO, Aurora HS, Aurora, NE)
C #58 Mike Caputo (6-1, 275, SR, Millard North HS, Omaha, NE)
RG #61 Spencer Long (6-4, 305, SO, Elkhorn HS, Elkhorn, NE)
RT #78 Marcel Jones (6-7, 320, SR, Trevor Browne HS, Phoenix, AZ)
As is often the case, the Huskers have some talent and depth along the line. 7 different players have started along the line this season, and combining that with added depth from players with starting experience, the Huskers are in decent shape despite having a young team here. In the middle, Caputo has started all 5 games this year and paces the offense with 19 career starts. He is a bit undersized when considering the physical, punishing lines of Nebraska's history, but he is smart, agile, and capable at run and pass blocking. He was honorable mention all-Big XII last season ans is a contender to make the team this year, along with being on the preseason Rimington list. At RG, Long has made his first 5 career starts this season. He is a former walk-on who has worked hard, bulked up, and now has cracked the starting lineup (a regular story over the history of the program, Nebraska has one of if not the best walk-on programs in the nation). On the left side, Rodriguez played sparingly as a freshman last year but has split starting duties with junior Seung Hoon Choi (#77) thus far, capturing 3 starts. He is a big, physical lineman who can really help open up the running game. Choi is a smaller, sleeker lineman (6-2, 290) who is more mobile and versatile. At RT, Jones is finally healthy and has recaptured the starting role from freshman Tyler Moore (#73), who started the first 4 games. He started 11 games as a sophomore in 2009 before being hampered last year by injuries, which carried over into this season. He is a beast on the flank who when healthy can plow open holes on the wing for the running game. On the left side, Hardrick is in his first season as a starter as well, manning the role for the first 5 games. He is a JUCO transfer who played in all 14 games last season. He has a tremendous wingspan and good size, which help him in both run and pass blocking.
In addition to Choi and Moore up front to provide depth and start when necessary, the Huskers also have former starter Jeremiah Sirles (#71) as part of the tackle rotation. He broke into the lineup and started all 14 games last year before suffering off-season shoulder surgery. When he is back healthy, he could push his way back into the starting rotation. Junior Brandon Thompson (#79) is a versatile player who can play either guard spot, and freshman Jake Cotton (#68) and sophomore Brent Qvale (#76) also provide added depth. The line is young, but not terrible inexperienced, and the depth should help as the season moves forward.
OL Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Nebraska OL versus OSU OL
Unlike years past, there are no real superstars here, though Caputo is a very solid player and a veteran presence. There are several young players who have been foisted into action, with mixed early returns. Still there is no denying the power of the Husker running game, and the offense had been piling up points aplenty until they ran into the Wisconsin buzzsaw last week. The passing game needs holistic work, from front to back, but the line is capable of giving Martinez time to work the pocket and find a receiver downfield, as evidenced by all the big plays the passing game has produced when he finds a receiver. After watching the game last week, it is hard to see how Ohio State could have an advantage over anyone at the current time, as Miller and later Bauserman were under constant pressure and the running game sputtered.
Edge: Nebraska
Overall Offensive Analysis
Nebraska is again a much more one-dimensional offense, pounding out yards on the ground and reviving ghosts of the Tom Osborne era. As last week's game showed, however, that isn't enough to compete with the elite teams in 2011, and Wisconsin showed that Martinez right now can't make enough plays in the passing game to contend for a title yet. Expect the Buckeyes to stack the box to try and contain the run and force Martinez to throw, hoping he is the turnover machine he appeared to be against the Badgers. If Martinez can control the game, however, breaking big gains on the ground and hitting a few deadly play-action passes on short downs, the Buckeyes could be in for a long game. The Buckeye defense has held up well so far in 2011, and they should get their share of plays on Saturday. If they are going to win, however, it appears they need to get not just 3-and-outs, but turnovers and scores. That is a tall order for any defense, thought Martinez is turnover prone on occasion. If he can get some of the other players (WRs, TEs) back involved this week, the Husker offense could be very hard to contain. If they are on-dimensional, the Buckeyes have a shot.
Overall Offensive Rating: B
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Defensive Preview
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Carl Pelini enters his fourth season on his brother's Nebraska coaching staff in 2011, serving as defensive coordinator. Under Pelini's guidance, Nebraska ranked among the nation's top defenses in both 2009 and 2010. In his first three seasons, Pelini has played a leading role in a dramatic resurgence for the Husker defense. After being one of the nation's most improved defenses in 2008, Nebraska featured a dominant defensive unit under Pelini's direction in 2009 and 2010. Pelini's role has been recognized, as he has been a nominee for the Frank Broyles Assistant Coach Award each of the past two years. When combining stats from the previous two seasons, NU's defense ranks in the top seven nationally in total defense, scoring defense and passing yards allowed and tops in the nation in pass efficiency defense.[/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The 2010 Blackshirts finished 11th nationally in total defense and ranked in the top 10 in pass efficiency defense (3rd), passing yards allowed (5th) and scoring (9th). After leading the nation in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense in 2009, the 2010 unit achieved its lofty rankings despite losing three starters who were selected in the first four rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Pelini produced a first-round draft pick for the second straight year when Prince Amukamara was the 19th overall player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. Amukamara was also the 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, marking the second straight season a Husker took home the honor. Linebacker Lavonte David was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, while a league-high five Huskers were first-team All-Big 12 selections. Two more earned second-team accolades and two others were honorable-mention picks. Nationally, four Blackshirts were named first- or second-team All-Americans by at least one organization.[/FONT]
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Several individuals set school records in 2009. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft after being named a Heisman Trophy finalist and the winner of the AP Player of the Year, Nagurski, Rotary Lombardi, Outland, and Bednarik awards.
Pelini joined the NU staff after three seasons on Frank Solich's coaching staff at Ohio University. Pelini previously served as the Huskers' defensive graduate assistant in 2003, when brother Bo was the defensive coordinator. Carl Pelini worked with the defensive line, helping NU rank second nationally in scoring defense and takeaways and 11th in total defense. Following his one season with the Huskers, Pelini spent 2004 as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Minnesota State Mankato, under head coach Jeff Jamrog, a former Husker player and assistant coach. Pelini helped the Mavericks to a 6-5 record after a winless season the previous year. After one season in Mankato, Pelini was hired to coach the defensive line at Ohio University. He played a vital role in helping the Bobcats turn around their football program, including a nine-win season and bowl game in 2006. Those marks were firsts for the school since the 1968 campaign.
Pelini was the head coach at Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio, from 2000 to 2002. Pelini rebuilt a program that had not had a winning season for eight years before his arrival, culminating with a 6-4 record in 2002. Pelini previously was the head coach and athletic director at Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Mo., from 1996 to 2000, and also served as the defensive coordinator at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kan. Pelini played two seasons at Columbia University, before transferring to Youngstown State, where he completed his undergraduate degree work in 1989. He was a defensive graduate assistant on Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State over the 1989 and 1990 seasons, then served as a restricted earnings coach in 1991. Pelini earned his bachelor's degree in English literature from Youngstown State in 1989. He added a master's degree in journalism from Kansas State in 1991 and a master's in education from Ohio State University in 1993.
[/FONT] Pelini joined the NU staff after three seasons on Frank Solich's coaching staff at Ohio University. Pelini previously served as the Huskers' defensive graduate assistant in 2003, when brother Bo was the defensive coordinator. Carl Pelini worked with the defensive line, helping NU rank second nationally in scoring defense and takeaways and 11th in total defense. Following his one season with the Huskers, Pelini spent 2004 as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Minnesota State Mankato, under head coach Jeff Jamrog, a former Husker player and assistant coach. Pelini helped the Mavericks to a 6-5 record after a winless season the previous year. After one season in Mankato, Pelini was hired to coach the defensive line at Ohio University. He played a vital role in helping the Bobcats turn around their football program, including a nine-win season and bowl game in 2006. Those marks were firsts for the school since the 1968 campaign.
Pelini was the head coach at Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio, from 2000 to 2002. Pelini rebuilt a program that had not had a winning season for eight years before his arrival, culminating with a 6-4 record in 2002. Pelini previously was the head coach and athletic director at Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Mo., from 1996 to 2000, and also served as the defensive coordinator at Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, Kan. Pelini played two seasons at Columbia University, before transferring to Youngstown State, where he completed his undergraduate degree work in 1989. He was a defensive graduate assistant on Bill Snyder's staff at Kansas State over the 1989 and 1990 seasons, then served as a restricted earnings coach in 1991. Pelini earned his bachelor's degree in English literature from Youngstown State in 1989. He added a master's degree in journalism from Kansas State in 1991 and a master's in education from Ohio State University in 1993.
Nebraska was among the nation's top scoring defenses in both 2009 and 2010. The 2009 defense led the nation at 10.4 points per game, and held seven foes to single digits and eight teams to 10 or fewer points. Both of those totals led the nation. Nebraska posted two shutouts for the first time since 2003. In 2010, Nebraska again ranked in the top 10 nationally, holding opponents to 17.4 points per game to rank ninth. Nebraska has struggled in this department in 2011, averaging 27.2 points per game allowed, but the Huskers combined numbers from 2009 to 2011 still rank among the nation's best. Including five games in 2011, Nebraska has allowed an average of 15.9 points per game in 33 games since the start of the 2009 season. That is the fifth-best scoring defense mark in the nation in that span, trailing only Alabama, Ohio State, TCU and Boise State.
Nebraska held 13 of 14 opponents to 20 or fewer points in 2009. To put that accomplishment in perspective, NU held just six opponents to fewer than 20 points in 2007 and 2008 combined. Nebraska held 10 of 14 teams to 20 or fewer points in 2010, and only one opponent scored more than 24 points in regulation play. 4 Only 15 Nebraska opponents have scored as many as 17 points since the start of the 2009 season (33 games). In that stretch, Nebraska has allowed 10 or fewer points in 13 games.
So far in 2011, the defense has not performed up to the standards of the Pelinis. The starting squad has yet to don the 'blackshirts' in practice, since Bo has decreed that they must be earned before the unit gets to wear them. They are 64th in total defense (377 ypg), 73rd in scoring defense (27.2 ppg), 66th in rushing defense (152.8 ypg), and 58th in passing efficiency defense. They have yielded 4.17 yards per rushing attempt, and are 83rd in the nation with a -2 in net turnovers.
In 16 red zone defensive possessions in 2011, the Huskers have allowed 11 TDs, 2 FGs, 2 missed FGs, and have 1 fourth down stop. They gave up 34 points on 5 red zone trips for Wisconsin. The 5.1 points per possession is not a good statistic for a defense, and without a pair of missed FGs it would be 5.5 points per trip.
They play a base 4-3, with strongside and weakside DTs. Their LB spots are Sam, Will, and a hybrid spot called the Buck (a pass-rushing LB/DE combo similar to the Leo), and they align their corners as right and left. They will move into a dime defense in obvious passing situations.
Defensive Line
DE #9 Jason Ankrah (6-4, 265, So., Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg, MD)
DT #94 Jared Crick (6-6, 285, Sr., Cozad HS, Cozad, NE)
DT #55 Baker Steinkuhler (6-6, 290, Jr., Southwest HS, Lincoln, NE)
DE #34 Cameron Meredith (6-4, 260, Jr., Mater Dei HS, Huntington Beach, CA)
The best player on this D-Line is the Strong-Side DT Jared Crick, who has 20.0 career sacks and 35 career tackles-for-loss. His 20.0 sacks rank third nationally among active players and are tops among interior defensive linemen. Crick's 35 TFLs also rank near the top among interior defensive linemen nationally. He is a third-year starter that will provide a real test for the relatively inexperienced Buckeye guards., who are each starting in a new position on the O-line this week.
Crick has earned first-team all-conference honors each of the past two seasons, and is likely to be a strong candidate for numerous national honors this fall. Crick sat out the Wyoming game, with an injury, ending a streak of 31 straight starts with an injury, but returned to action against Wisconsin.
In addition to his All-Big 12 award in 2010, Crick was also a first-team All-America choice by Rivals.com, while earning second-team honors from the Associated Press. Crick was one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, and he was a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Crick entered 2011 in position to cement his place as one of the top defenders in Nebraska history. He was a first-team All-American by nearly every preseason outlet and is among the favorites for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Crick opened the year with five tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss, against Chattanooga. He also broke up a pass that was intercepted and added a quarterback hurry. Against Washington, Crick had a season-high six tackles and recorded his first sack of the season and the 20th of his Nebraska career. At Wisconsin, Crick had five tackles and blocked a Badger extra point. Crick has the opportunity to become Nebraska's first three-time, first-team all-conference selection since cornerback Ralph Brown achieved the rare honor in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Just 21 players in school history have been 3-time all-conference picks. Crick made 70 tackles last season to rank third on the team and first among linemen. He led all Big 12 defensive linemen with 5.0 tackles per game.
Crick led the team with 17 tackles for loss (91 yards) in his junior season. His 35 career tackles for loss are three shy of the top 10 on the career chart, and Crick is nine tackles for loss from cracking the top five in school history. In 2009, Crick pushed Ndamukong Suh for team statistical leads in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss. Crick finished with 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. His 5.2 tackles per game were second behind Suh among Big 12 defensive linemen. Crick had one of the most prolific defensive days in school history with a record-setting performance at Baylor in 2009. Crick had a school-record five sacks for 24 yards in the game. His five sacks were the most in a single game by any player in the nation in 2009, just ahead of Suh's 4.5 sacks against Texas. Crick had seven tackles for loss in that Baylor game, tying the NU school record.
The Weakside DT spot is manned by Blake Steinkuhler, a familiar name to college football fans. His father Dean won both the Outland and Lombardi Trophies as an O-Lineman for the Huskers' highly successful option offenses of the early '80s, playing with QB Turner Gill, '83 Heisman winner Mike Rozier, center Dave Rimington (namesake of the award), and WR Irving Fryar. Blake has made 18 starts in his career, and although he was less effective as the season wore on last year, he's bounced back with 16 tackles so far in 2011.
The DT depth is provided up by #90 Terrence Moore (6-3, 290, Sr.), who has 3 tackles and 3 QB hurries so far this season; #53 Thaddeus Randle (6-1, 300, So.) who has 5 tackles and 1 sack; and #97 Chase Rome (6-3, 295, rFr.), who has 3 tackles but made headlines last week by being fined after taking out his frustrations on a towel dispenser at the airport after the loss at Wisconsin. They'll get on the field to spell Steinkuhler, but Crick will only get an occasional breather.
At one DE spot, Meredith leads team with three sacks while adding an INT and three hurries. He's made 19 previous starts, and has 21 tackles. The other DE is manned by Ankrah, who has six tackles and 1 sack in first five career starts at end.
Depth at the DE spots comes from: #46 Eric Martin (6-2, 260, Jr.) who has 4 tackles and 1 QB hurry; #98 Josh Williams (6-4, 260, Jr.) who has 6 tackles and 1 QB hurry in limited playing time; and #7 Joseph Carter (6-5, 250, Jr.), who's been credited with 7 assists.
DL Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Husker DL versus tOSU DL
The Huskers have been average against the run, giving up 4.17 ypc. Crick is a force inside, and they get a some outside pressure from the DEs, but they haven't but disruptive enough overall, as they were the past 2 seasons (having Suh in 2009 obviously helped, but they were still solid in 2010). They have given up only 4 runs of 20 yards or more, but have allowed 14 pass plays of 20+ yards while getting 6 sacks from the D-line, but only 3 in the 4 games since Chattanooga. They have forced only 4 interceptions to be thrown, and they aren't getting off the field quickly enough, allowing 45.7% of third-downs to be converted. Neither team has gotte to the opposing QB as much as they'd like, but the Buckeyes are slightly better at generating pressure, and have been tougher against the run. At this point, a slight edge goes to the Buckeyes, although the Nebraska D-Line may have a better day due to the relative inexperience on the Buckeye offense.
Edge: Ohio State
Linebackers
Buck #42 Sean Fisher (6-6, 235, Jr., Millard North HS, Omaha, NE)
MLB #51 Will Compton (6-2, 230, Jr., North County HS, Bonne Terre, MO)
WLB #4 Lavonte David (6-1, 225, Sr., Northwestern HS, Miami, FL/Ft. Scott CC)
Will LB Lavonte David set a school record with 152 tackles in his first year as a Husker in 2010, and has opened 2011 with 45 tackles in five games. David's career average of 10.4 tackles per game ranks fourth nationally. A contender for the Butkus Award, his 2010 tackle total surpassed the previous school record of 149 tackles by Barrett Ruud in 2003, and he was the first Blackshirt defender to record 100 tackles since Ruud in 2004.
David opened the 2011 season with a team-high nine tackles, including a tackle for loss in the win over Chattanooga, helping the Huskers limit the Mocs to just seven points and 230 total yards. He backed that up with 15 tackles against Fresno State for his ninth career double-figure tackle game, including four with at least 15 tackles. Against Washington, David added his first career interception to stop a Husky first-quarter scoring threat in the Nebraska red zone. He tied his career high with two sacks and three tackles for loss at Wisconsin. Through five games his 45 tackles leads the team and his 9.0 tackles per game rank fourth in the Big Ten. His career-high 19 tackles was in the Huskers' victory over South Dakota State in 2010. In addition to leading the team in tackles last season, David was second on the team in tackles for loss (15-60), sacks (6-50) and pass breakups (10), while ranking fourth in hurries (7). David was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year by every outlet that selected that honor. He was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection, while the Kansas City Star named him its conference defensive player of the year. David also received national accolades, including first-team All-America honors by Rivals.com and CBSSports.com, while the AP and SI.com named him to the second team.
The middle is manned by Compton, who is third on team with 27 tackles, including a career-high 15 vs. Fresno State. He'll be making his 17th career start this week despite battling injuries earlier in his career, and is a solid player in run defense.
Depth for the middle is provided by #43 Trevor Roach (6-2, 235, rFr.), who has 7 tackles and 2 TFLs this season; and #41 David Santos (6-0, 235, Fr.), who hasn't seen enough action yet to make much of an impression.
The 'Buck' position is played by Fisher, who returned to field after missing 2010 with a broken leg. He has 17 tackles in 2011, but has only generated 2 TFLs and 1 Qb hurry in his 4 starts this season. Depth at the Buck position is handled by #45 Alonzo Whaley (6-1, 235, Jr.), who has 3 tackles, and #38 Graham Stoddard (6-2, 235, Jr.), a special teams contributor who has made 7 tackles and possesses the combination of size and quickness needed to handle the hybrid LB/DE role.
Backup at the Will is handled by #36 Mathew May (6-1, 215, Sr,) who's made 4 stops this season, and #32 Jim Ebke (6-0, 210, Sr.), who has registered 3 assists so far this season.
LB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Husker LBs versus tOSU LBs
This is a group that has one standout performer (David), one solid tackler in the middle, and some others who are making an adjustment to the smash-mouth style of the B1G. Other than the 2 sacks that Lavonte David got against Wisconsin, they haven't been able to make enough plays in the backfield. A more aggressive scheme against the Buckeyes, mimicking what they saw Sparty on film, is surely forthcoming. Whether the blitzing LBs are picked up, or avoided with a quick passing game, will be a major factor in the outcome of this contest.
The Buckeye LBs (Sweat, Sabino, Klein, Moeller, and Shazier) have a similar amount of experience to their Husker counterparts, and a slight edge in depth. But the issues that the tOSU squad has had with overpursuit and missed tackles makes this matchup too close to give an advantage to either side.
Edge: Even
Secondary
LCB #17 Ciante Evans (5-11, 185, So., Juan Seguin HS, Arlington, TX)
S #8 Austin Cassidy (6-1, 210, Sr., Southwest HS, LIncoln, NE)
S #3 Daimion Stafford (6-1, 210, Jr., Norco HS, Norco, CA/Chaffey College)
RCB #15 Alfonzo Dennard (5-10, 205, Sr., Wilcox County HS, Rochelle, Ga)
Stafford is a JC transfer at safety, has started each game except the opener this year. He has contributed 38 tackles, 3 PBUs, 1 TFL and a forced fumble in the first five games. He was the leading tackler in both the Fresno State and Wisconsin contests.
Cassidy is an Academic All-American with has 25 tackles and three PBUs. He has a season-high six tackles and snuffed out Washington?s final scoring threat with a diving interception with 1:32 remaining.
Right-side corner Dennard is a preseason All-American with a good deal of experience, with 24 career starts despite missing the first 3 games of 2011 with a leg injury. He usually gets less safety help than other CB spot, which has been picked on and has been rotated due to coverage problems. Dennard does a good job when left in man coverage, and he will also occasionally blitz from the outside - look for him to do that at least once to surprise Braxton Miller. Dennard has 6 tackles so far in 2011.
Evans is the CB on the left, an has started four of five games this season, with 18 tackles and 1 PBU. The left corner spot is backed up by #6 Corey Cooper (6-1, 210, rFr.) who has 7 tackles, all solo. CB Depth on the right side comes from #11 Andrew Green (6-0, 190, So.), an athlete with good size and ball skills for a corner who has tallied 17 tackles and a team-leading 4 PBUs.
The first safety backup is #13 P.J. Smith (6-2, 210, Jr.) who also plays as the nickel-back, and has 23 tackles, a forced fumble (the first that Wisconsin lost this season), and 1 INT so far, with a team-high 7 tackles at Wyoming. Other safety help comes from #12 Courtney Osborne (6-3, 200, Jr.), who started in the opener but saw little time from then until the Wisconsin game, and #1 Harvey Jackson (6-2, 205, rFr), who has seen limited action this season.
When they go to a dime package, that role will be filled by #23 Lance Thorell (6-1, 200, Sr.), a former walk-on who earned a scholarship this year, and has 7 tackles. He is backed up by #39 Justin Blatchford (6-1, 200, Jr.), who has also been credited with 6 tackles and 1 QB hurry.
DB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Husker DBs versus tOSU DBs
Nebraska has 1 excellent CB in Dennard, but they have been struggling in coverage, giving up 6 passing TDs over 25 yards, while only hauling in 4 interceptions. Look for the Huskers to mix up their coverages in an attempt to confuse the young Buckeye QB, while always keeping at least 1 safety deep to prevent long TDs.
The Buckeyes have limited experience at receiver, and with their young QB will probably once again use a conservative game plan again this week, mixing in occasional deep balls on play-action. And hopefully they'll be able to locate the tight end, and successfully execute some screen passes.
The Buckeye secondary has 3 CBs that are able to cover people, and the safety play has improved with the insertion of Christian Bryant into the lineup. Taylor Martinez has an odd throwing motion, like a shotput sent on a high arc, and the time that the ball is in the air will give the Buckeye secondary a chance for big plays. Earlier problems in pursuit angles appear to have mostly corrected, so the Buckeye secondary gets the edge here.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
Nebraska's defense has not lived up to the standards set by the Blackshirts of the previous two years and the glory days under Devaney and Osborne. They have a big-time playmaker at each level (Crick-David-Dennard) but a lack of penetration and breakdowns in coverage have left them in the middle of the pack for national defensive statistics. That could be partly due to some nagging injuries to Crick and Dennard, who both returned last week only to have their unit be dominated by the Wisconsin offense.
There is some thought that more size is needed in order to play against the types of offenses that are more prevalent in the B1G. So far, they aren't getting off the field quickly enough and have been victimized by numerous big plays. They will certainly crank up the pressure this week in an attempt to correct those shortcomings by rattling a young QB.
Expect Nebraska to blitz often, and run a lot of stunts (aka twists) that force the reshuffled players in the Buckeye OL to spot those moves and pick up somebody that wasn't in front of them, especially since Sparty's stunts were highly successful last week. Those stunts will also allow their best D-Lineman (Crick) to attack from various angles, something he excels at. If Braxton Miller can handle the different looks and avoid turnovers, the Buckeye offense has enough talent to move the ball and put up points. But the Pelinis aggressive schemes will make that difficult.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers Special Teams Preview
2011 Statistics (NCAA)
Nebraska
Punting:
Brett Maher 20 for 893 yards, 44.65 avg (16th Nationally)
Placekicking:
Brett Maher 9-11 FGs, 23-23 PATs
Punt Returns:
Abdullah Ameer 8 for 96 yards, 12.00 avg (18th Nationally)
Tim Marlowe 1 for 11 yards, 11.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Rex Burkhead 1 for 19 yards, 19.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Team: 10 for 126 yards, 12.60 avg (23rd Nationally)
Kickoff Returns:
Ameer Abdullah 15 for 527 yards, 1 TD, 35.13 avg (1st Nationally)
Tim Marlowe 2 for 32 yards, 16.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Tyler Legate 1 for 5 yards, 5.00 avg (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Jamal Turner 1 for 17 yards, 17.00 avg, (does not have minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Team: 19 for 581 yards, 30.6 avg, 1 TD (1st Nationally)
Punt Return Defense:
11 for 171 yards, 1 TD, 15.55 avg (114th Nationally)
Kickoff Return Defense:
24 for 547 yards, 22.79 avg, 12 touchbacks (84th Nationally)
Ohio State
Punting:
Ben Buchanan 29 for 1202 yards 41.45 avg (45th Nationally)
Placekicking
Drew Basil 5 of 7 FGs, 14-14 PATs, 47 long
Punt Returns: (none meet the minimum number of returns to qualify to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Chris Fields 5 for 88 yards, 17.60 avg, 1 TD, 69 long
Jordan Hall 4 for 59 yards, 14.80 avg, 27 long
Corey Brown 2 for 28 yards, 14.00 avg, 17 long
Devin Smith 1 for 3 yards, 3.00 avg, 3 long
Team: 12 for 178 yards, 14.80 avg, 1 TD, 69 long (16th Nationally)
Kickoff Returns: (none meet the minimum number of returns to qualify for NCAA ranking)
Jaamal Berry 7 for 150 yards, 21.40 avg, 28 long
Jordan Hall 4 for 187 yards, 46.80 avg, 90 long
Corey Brown 1 for 44 yards
Chris Fields 1 for 15 yards
Tony Jackson 1 for 10 yards
Team: 14 for 406 yards, 29.00 avg, 90 long (6th Nationally)
Punt Return Defense:
12 for 106 yards, 8.83 avg (76th Nationally)
Kickoff Return Defense:
19 for 302 yards, 15.89 avg, 5 touchbacks (7th Nationally)
Special Teams
Nebraska
Punter/Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#96 Brett Maher (6-0, 185, Jr., Kearney HS, Kearney, NE)
Punt/Kickoff Returners:
#8 Ameer Abdullah (5-9, 180, Fr., Homewood HS, Homewood, AL)
#6 Tim Marlowe (5-10, 175, Cardinal Mooney HS, Youngstown, OH)
Holder:
#8 Austin Cassidy (6-1, 210, Jr., Southwest HS, Lincoln, NE)
Long Snapper:
#92 P.J. Mangieri (6-4, 240, Jr., Dunlap HS, Peoria, IL)
Ohio State (Rivals)
Punter:
#17 Ben Buchanan (6-0, 195, So., Central HS, Westerville, OH)
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
Place Kicker/Kickoffs:
#24 Drew Basil (6-1, 206, So., Chillicothe HS, Chillicothe, OH)
#20 Russel Doup (6-1, 180, Fr., Mt Vernon HS, Mt Vernon, OH)
Long Snapper:
#56 George Makridis (5-11, 236, So., Harding HS, Warren, OH)
#54 Bryce Haynes (6-4, 185, Fr., Pinecrest HS, Cumming, GA)
Holder:
#39 Derek Erwin (5-10, 203, Jr., Buckeye Central HS, Tiro, OH)
#14 Joe Bauserman (6-1, 233, Sr., Lincoln HS, Strasburg, VA)
Punt Returners:
#7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#10 Corey Brown (5-11, 170, So., Cardinal O'Hara HS, Upper Darby, PA)
#80 Chris Fields (6-0, 185, So., Harvey HS, Painesville, OH)
Kickoff Returners:
#7 Jordan Hall (5-9, 195, Jr., Jeanette HS, Jeanette, PA)
#4 Jaamal Berry (5-10, 200, So., Palmetto HS, Pinecrest, FL)
BB73's prediction: 23-17, Nebraska
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Nebraska
Bucklion's prediction: 24-10, Nebraska
Bucky Katt's prediction: 23-10, Nebraska
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 26-13, Nebraska
jwinslow's prediction: 21-13, Nebraska
JCOSU86's prediction: xx-xx, Ohio State
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual scores versus predicted scores. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
Previous Game Result: (tOSU 7, Sparty 10)
(104) jwinslow's prediction: 27-24, Ohio State (44 + 060 last week = 104)
(105) BB73's prediction: 23-17, Ohio State (33 + 072 last week = 105)
(114) Bucklion's prediction: 27-19 Ohio State (39 + 075 last week = 114)
(119) Bucky Katt's prediction: 24-20, Ohio State (37 + 082 last week = 119)
(123) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 23-16, Ohio State (32 + 091 last week = 123)
(130) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (34 + 096 last week = 130)
(136) JCOSU86's prediction: 28-14, Ohio State (35 + 101 last week= 136)
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Nebraska
Bucklion's prediction: 24-10, Nebraska
Bucky Katt's prediction: 23-10, Nebraska
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 26-13, Nebraska
jwinslow's prediction: 21-13, Nebraska
JCOSU86's prediction: xx-xx, Ohio State
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual scores versus predicted scores. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
Previous Game Result: (tOSU 7, Sparty 10)
(104) jwinslow's prediction: 27-24, Ohio State (44 + 060 last week = 104)
(105) BB73's prediction: 23-17, Ohio State (33 + 072 last week = 105)
(114) Bucklion's prediction: 27-19 Ohio State (39 + 075 last week = 114)
(119) Bucky Katt's prediction: 24-20, Ohio State (37 + 082 last week = 119)
(123) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 23-16, Ohio State (32 + 091 last week = 123)
(130) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (34 + 096 last week = 130)
(136) JCOSU86's prediction: 28-14, Ohio State (35 + 101 last week= 136)
Scores are adjusted for weeks missed. Participant must take the highest score from the week they missed.
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