Husker Tickets

Huskers dispatch Baylor, Sooners next on deck

They didn't win with much style, but the Husker football team came away from Waco, Texas with a 20-10 win over Baylor Saturday to improve to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference.

The win gets the Huskers off a two-game losing streak and gives them some momentum heading into Saturday night's showdown with old Big Eight rival Oklahoma, set for 7 p.m at Memorial Stadium.

The big news this week was the elevation of true freshman Cody Green to the starting quarterback spot. Green was not spectacular, but did manage things well enough to get the Huskers back in the win column after consecutive conference losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State.

The Husker defense more than held its own in front of a road audience that had a lot of Husker red in it. Redshirt freshman Justin Blatchford scooped up a fumble and ran 25 yards for a touchdown to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead early in the game.

Green found Niles Paul on a tremendous 45-yard pass to set up a short touchdown run by freshman Dontrayevous Robinson. Alex Henery added a pair of field goals to give Nebraska a 20-0 halftime lead and they never looked back.

The Huskers will need to play a much more complete game offensively to hang with the Oklahoma Sooners. The defending Big 12 champions come in with a lot of weapons, even without 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, who was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. The Sooners will still be a formidable foe when they invade Memorial Stadium, and the offense will need to pick up its intensity to match the effort that, no doubt, will be shown by the Husker defense.

You can get tickets to see Nebraska take on Oklahoma Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Get your tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker football game is ever sold out.

Missouri win a catapult back to the top?

Bo Pelini needed a signature win-- for that matter -- so did the Husker faithful.

The Husker football team got it last week, beating Missouri 27-12 in Columbia, the first win over the Tigers in their den since 2001. It was also the first win over a rated opponent since beating Texas A&M in November of 2006. 

The win has moved the Huskers into the AP Top 15, but the question is whether or not this win was a catapult back to the top of the nation's elite in college football?

Granted, the Huskers aren't in the same company as the nation's best teams, including Texas, Florida and Alabama. But this year's team has shown it can play with the big boys on the road. They came from behind to beat Missouri on a rain-drenched night on national television, and was one play away from a road upset over a Virginia Tech team that is currently ranked in the top five.

And, truthfully, the program, and the Husker fans, needed a win such as this. This program has come a long way from the dark days of the previoius regime, but it needed a big win over a high-profile team to make a statement that they are on the way back.

This is a team led by a passionate coach who demands the best of everybody involved. This program still has a lot of room for improvement, but continued success is going to bring the Husker program back to where it stood 15 years ago as the crown jewel of college football.

The Huskers' next test comes this Saturday, as they host Texas Tech in a 2:30 p.m. matchup at Memorial Stadium. Get your tickets to see the Huskers and Red Raiders in action now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker football game is ever sold out.

Burkhead out, return not certain

The Lincoln Journal-Star reported Tuesday that Husker freshman I-back Rex Burkhead injured his foot during practice Monday and will not play in Saturday's Big 12 home matchup with Texas Tech.

At his news conference Tuesday, coach Bo Pelini did not offer specifics on the nature of Burkhead's injury or how long he might be out. Other sources are reporting that Burkehead suffered a broken foot and will be out six to eight weeks.

A Plano, Texas native, Burkhead has been a welcome addition to the running back unit for the Husker football team, which took a blow with the departure of Quentin Castille prior to the start of the season.

"He's a good football player," Pelini told the Journal-Star. "Anytime you lose somebody you're going to miss them. I feel worse for the kid. Our team will be fine."

The Huskers, fresh off a 27-12 comeback win over Missouri in Columbia last week, will host Texas Tech in a key inter-division matchup Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Get your Husker tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker football game is ever sold out.

Rivals.com sees Sooners-Tigers title game

It's still at least 6-8 weeks before bowl bids are announced, but that hasn't stopped Rivals.com from projecting who will be among the teams playing in one of this year's 34 bowl games.

According to the Rivals.com website, here's how they see the bowls shaping up:

Non-BCS Bowls

Congressional Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Washington, D.C.: Navy vs. Maryland

New Mexico Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Albuquerque, N.M.: Fresno State vs. Colorado State

St. Petersburg Bowl -- Dec. 20 at St. Petersburg, Fla.: Cincinnati vs. Memphis

Las Vegas Bowl -- Dec. 20 at Las Vegas, Nev.: BYU vs. Oregon State

New Orleans Bowl -- Dec. 21 at New Orleans, La.: Marshall vs. Arkansas State

Poinsettia Bowl -- Dec. 23 at San Diego, Calif.: Air Force vs. Central Michigan

Hawaii Bowl -- Dec. 24 at Honolulu, Hawaii: Arizona State vs. Nevada

Motor City Bowl -- Dec. 26 at Detroit, Mich.: Northwestern vs. Ball State

Meineke Car Care Bowl -- Dec. 27 at Charlotte, N.C.: Clemson vs. South Florida

Champs Sports Bowl -- Dec. 27 at Orlando, Fla.: Wake Forest vs. Michigan

Emerald Bowl -- Dec. 27 at San Francisco, Calif.: Miami (Fla.) vs. Oregon

Independence Bowl -- Dec. 28 at Shreveport, La.: Nebraska vs. South Carolina

PapaJohns.com Bowl -- Dec. 29 at Birmingham, Ala.: Pittsburgh vs. Troy

Alamo Bowl -- Dec. 29 at San Antonio, Texas: Wisconsin vs. Kansas

Humanitarian Bowl -- Dec. 30 at Boise, Idaho: Boston College vs. Boise State

Holiday Bowl -- Dec. 30 at San Diego, Calif.: Texas Tech vs. California

Texas Bowl -- Dec. 30 at Houston, Texas: Rice vs. Minnesota

Armed Forces Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Fort Worth, Texas: Houston vs. TCU

Sun Bowl -- Dec. 31 at El Paso, Texas: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

Music City Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Nashville, Tenn.: Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt

Insight Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Tempe, Ariz.: Iowa vs. Colorado

Chick-Fil-A Bowl -- Dec. 31 at Atlanta, Ga.: North Carolina vs. Kentucky

Outback Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Tampa, Fla.: Michigan State vs. Georgia

Capital One Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Orlando, Fla.: Illinois vs. Florida

Gator Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Jacksonville, Fla.: Florida State vs. Notre Dame

Cotton Bowl -- Jan. 2 at Dallas, Texas: Texas vs. Auburn

Liberty Bowl -- Jan. 2 at Memphis, Tenn.: Tulsa vs. Ole Miss

International Bowl -- Jan. 3 at Toronto, Canada: Connecticut vs. Buffalo

GMAC Bowl -- Jan. 6 at Mobile, Ala.: East Carolina vs. Western Michigan

BCS Bowls

Rose Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Pasadena, Calif.: USC vs. Ohio State

Orange Bowl -- Jan. 1 at Miami, Fla.: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia

Sugar Bowl -- Jan. 2 at New Orleans, La.: Alabama vs. Penn State

Fiesta Bowl -- Jan. 5, Glendale, Ariz.: Missouri vs. Utah

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP -- Jan. 8 at Miami, Fla.: Oklahoma vs. LSU

Return to glory won't happen overnight

When athletic director Tom Osborne announced the hiring of Bo Pelini as the new Husker football head coach, many fans across the state were ecstatic and -- unfortunately -- a little bit delusional.

Pelini was the popular pick almost from the start. Fans remembered his one year as defensive coordinator for Frank Solich and how he turned a lackluster defense into one of the nation's best in the span of 12 months. They also remembered the fire and passion he displayed, particularly during his one-game stint as acting head coach in the Alamo Bowl after Solich was fired by former athletic director Steve Pederson.

Fans remembered what Pelini brought to the table then. And when he went on to LSU and contributed to the Tigers' national championship run last year as defensive coordinator, some fans assumed that his arrival in Lincoln would mean an immediate return to the glory days when Nebraska was king of the hill in the Big 12 North and a consistent player in the national championship race.

What these fans don't understand -- or have simply forgotten -- is that building a championship-caliber team does not happen overnight. The number of coaches that have won titles in their first year on the job are very few and far between, and even in those cases those coaches inherited a wealth of talent and were able to step in and get things going in the right direction immediately (like Larry Coker at Miami, who won a title in his first year with a loaded roster).

When Bob Devaney came to Nebraska in 1962, he inherited a program that, to put it kindly, was not in great shape, but had some quality talent that just needed to be pointed in the right direction. He got Nebraska into the national title picture early, leveled off in the mid 1960's (prompting a petition for his ouster after back-to-back 6-4 seasons in 1967 and 1968), then bounced back and won consecutive national titles before turning the reins over to Osborne.

Nebraska's level of success continued for the better part of two generations from Devaney through Osborne and to Solich, but that foundation of success started developing cracks during the final years of Solich's employment with the program. Pederson felt that a change was needed when Solich was fired after the 2003 season in favor of Bill Callahan, and the program's fall from grace was accelerated after four largely unsuccessful seasons under the former Oakland Raiders coach.

Getting back to the level of success Husker fans enjoyed under Devaney, Osborne and (to a lesser degree) Solich is going to take some time, however. As the old saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither is a championship program.

Need examples? How about Oklahoma? The Sooners were Nebraska's chief nemesis in the old Big Eight Conference, and their program fell on hard times when widespread cheating put the program on NCAA probation and legendary coach Barry Switzer was shown the door. Oklahoma went from being the block bully to the kid everybody picked on throughout much of the 1990's. They went through three coaching changes before Bob Stoops came in and turned the program into a national championship team, and he has been able to sustain that and keep the Sooners at or near the top of the game.

Another example can be found in the Big 12 with Mack Brown at Texas. The Longhorns were an inconsistent player -- great one year, average the next -- and Brown has been able to build Texas into a championship team that now is a consistent contender.

A third example is developinng in the conference, and Husker fans saw it Saturday with the Missouri Tigers. Missouri has always been one of those teams that teetered back and forth between good and lousy, and it looks like Gary Pinkel has finally gotten the Tigers to play at a consistently high level -- after years of erratic, inconsistent play during his first few years at the helm -- that is making them a national contender as well. If Missouri can somehow win the Big 12 title this year and play for a national championship, it would go a long way to verifying their status as a power team.

Nebraska can get back to that level, but it's not going to happen in 2008. Callahan left this program in complete disarray after last year's 5-7 disaster. Touted as a recruiting genius, it's obvious the word on the street about Callahan's reputation was writing checks the coach couldn't cash. Pelini inherited a program that lacks the go-to players a program needs to be competitive on the national level, and for as great a group of coaches as Pelini and his staff are, there is only so much you can do with what these coaches inherited. The kids are playing hard, but as was evident last Saturday, they lack the physical skills needed for this program to get back to the high level fans became accustomed to seeing for four decades.

The Huskers face another very tough and talented team this weekend at Texas Tech, and it could very well be another humbling weekend for Husker fans against the seventh-ranked Red Raiders. Nebraska has lost its last 18 games against teams ranked higher than 20th (a win over 20th ranked Michigan in the 2004 Alamo Bowl is Nebraska's only win over a ranked team in the last six years), and they still have two tough matchups against ranked teams left on the schedule.

What Husker fans will need to understand is that, for as good a coach as Pelini is, he is not going to turn Nebraska's fortunes around overnight. Fans need to be patient and give Pelini a chance to rebuild this program back to the level fans want to see. A national championship is not going to happen overnight, nor is a Big 12 title. Given the opportunity to rebuild the foundation and recruit the kids needed to fit the style he wants to play, Pelini will have Nebraska back in the national picture before long.

Mikey C Sez -- Week 7

After the previous week's round of miscues and upsets, Mikey C was due for a nice little comeback. And come back I did.

It didn't start off well, though -- my pick for BCS Cinderella, South Florida, was upset by Pittsburgh and have fallen permanently out of favor with the BCS gods for 2008. But things went well after that, with Ohio State's come-from-behind win over Wisconsin the only fly in the ointment on an otherwise outstanding week of picks.

Before we get into this week's agenda, here's a look at last week (my picks in parenthesis):

Pittsburgh 26, South Florida 21 (USF 41-28): Brutal letdown by the Bulls. My hopes of seeing them play Oklahoma for all the marbles go down in flames.
Michigan State 16, Iowa 13 (MSU 30-20): Seriously, Squawkeye fans -- if this fraud of a coaching job were going down in Lincoln, the coach would be run out of town. Oh wait . . . they already DID run him out of town in Lincoln.
Florida State 41, Miami 39 (FSU 27-24): Wow, seems the Seminoles have rediscovered their offensive groove. A great rivalry adds another exciting chapter.
Vanderbilt 14, Auburn 13 (Vandy 21-17): The last time Vandy beat Auburn? The 1955 Gator Bowl. The last time Vandy started the season 5-0? All the way back to 1943. If you haven't made peace with your maker yet, now is a good time.
USC 41, Oregon 10 (USC 42-31): For those of you who thought Oregon State was the beginning of the end for the Men of Troy, I hate to disappoint you . . .
Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 (Wisconsin 31-24): Doesn't ANYBODY want to knock Ohio State off the Little 10 (plus IoWHAT???) perch?
Louisiana-Lafayette 44, Louisiana-Monroe 35 (Lafayette 38-35): This pick is proof that even a blind dog can find a bone every once in a while.
Texas Tech 58, Kansas State 28 (Tech 63-17): After watching this game AND the Missouri-Nebraska game Saturday, I've come to one conclusion -- the NU-KSU game could very well determine who finishes last in the North this year.
Kansas 35, Iowa State 33 (Kansas 52-17): Iowa State was up 20-0 at the HALF and choked off what would have been a major upset. Hope that carries over when Nebraska comes to town next week.
Missouri 52, Nebraska 17 (Mizzou 45-24): If I could describe Missouri is one word, that word would be -- wow.

This week: 8-2 (.800). Season record: 41-19 (.683).

A REAL Top 10

The media and the coaches think they know who the top 10 teams in the country are. If you want to know who they REALLY are, here's my opinion:

1. Oklahoma (Texas game Saturday may determine which Big 12 team plays for the national title)
2. Missouri (This team has players with flaws, but Gary Pinkel doesn't play them)
3. LSU (Big test this week for the Tigers as they head to the Swamp to play Florida)
4. Alabama (The Crimson Tide are back, giving Husker fans hope that a turnaround can be done)
5. Penn State (Joe Paterno is reliving his glory days of the 80's -- back when he was in his 60's)
6. Texas (Red River showdown with Oklahoma is going to be a monster of a game)
7. Texas Tech (Red Raiders are looking unstoppable on offense, still a little shaky on defense)
8. Georgia (Bulldogs are still a player in the SEC race, but conference is really tough)
9. USC (If Trojans can get Oregon State out of the Pac 10, they could go undefeated)
10. BYU (My new favorite to crash the BCS party and make an even stronger case for a playoff)

The Picks

This will be a fun week for picks, as there are a lot of great matchups. Here are my 10 shots in the dark for the week:

Clemson at Wake Forest (Thursday) -- Tigers have been a huge letdown this year, but they can make some hay in the ACC with an upset on the road. I've learned my lesson, though . . . never pick the Tigers in a high-profile game: Deacon Dudes 34, Orange Kittens 24

Texas vs. Oklahoma (at Dallas) -- To say these two teams don't like each other would be like saying Democrats and Republicans have a small difference of opinion. This will be a HUGE game and it has tremendous implications, with the winner stepping to the lead of the Big 12 South and the race for the national title. This is a coin flip, and when it comes up heads I always go with the higher-ranked team: Boomer Sooners 27, Texas T-Bones 24

Minnesota at Illinois -- News flash: the Golden Gophers are actually a contender for a bowl this year. Minnesota AND Vanderbilt both bowl-eligible? The end of the world is upon us. And so is another upset in the making: Golden Varmints 28, Midwestern War Chiefs 24

Arizona State at USC -- Now that the Trojans have that upset bug out of their system, they should be able to handle a solid Sun Devils squad. Have faith, USC fans, your team may still find its way to the championship game: Men of Troy 41, Blazing Orb of Satan 24

Notre Dame at North Carolina -- Oh sure, the Irish are racking up a decent record this year. But seriously folks, who have they played? Stanford? The team formerly known as Michigan? San Diego State? They haven't beaten a ranked team on the road in so long, even Lou Holtz can't remember: Home Boys in Blue 31, Grappling Leprechauns 21

Oklahoma State at Missouri -- Hey, don't be hating on Cowboys coach Mike Gundy. After all, he's forty-ONE now. Hopefully he's still man enough to accept this preidction: Roaring Tigers 56, Crying Cowboys 24

LSU at Florida -- There's no such thing as an easy game in the Southeastern Conference anymore. Not that playing in Florida has EVER been easy for opposing teams, but LSU is the better team here and if they play to their capability they should win easy. Seriously: Purple Tigers 24, Swamp Creatures 17

Penn State at Wisconsin -- Badgers need to bounce back against another rated conference foe if they don't want this season to start circling the drain. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions are solid on defense and should come away with a win here: Visiting Cats 30, Bleeding Badgers 21

Vanderbilt at Mississippi State -- If ever a team were ripe for a letdown, it's got to be Vanderbilt. The Commodores are 5-0 for the first time in 65 years, and after beating Auburn for the first time in over a half-century, they could easily come up on the wrong end on the road against 1-4 Mississippi State. I'm going to have faith in the better team, though: Vandy Dandys 45, Toothless Bulldogs 21

Nebraska at Texas Tech -- Yeesh . . . after getting absolutely pummeled by Missouri's high-flying offense, the Huskers face another high-speed attack, and this time have to go on the road to do it. The only saving grace for our boys is the fact that Tech's defense is not nearly as solid as Missouri's, which could lead to a high-scoring game. If that's the case, though, it's still hard to fathom Nebraska coming out of Lubbock with a win. Watch Michael Crabtree do his magic at receiver for the Red Raiders, as this guy is going to be a huge star in the NFL in the near future. Before the season I figured we'd be 3-3 after this one, and I'm afraid I'm going to be right on that preseason assessment: Red Raiders 56, Huskers 38

That's the story for this week, folks. And whatever you do, make sure you follow the advice of Bobby McFerrin -- don't worry, be happy.

Chase Daniel: A winner lacking class

Winning with class seems to be a lost art in this day.

Last weekend, the Husker football team was manhandled by Missouri 52-17. The Tigers have their best-ever team assembled and took advantage of each and every miscue the Huskers made Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, showing any remaining doubters that this is a team that can win a national championship.

They also have two of the best offensive talents in the country in receiver Jeremy Maclin and quarterback Chase Daniel, both of whom showed they are worthy of consideration for the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football for 2008.

Unfortunately, Daniel doesn't seem to be content with showing he is the best football player in the country. He also seems intent on being the biggest jerk in the game as well, and for the second straight year he has decided to spit out some verbal garbage in an effort to add insult to injury.

Last year, Daniel called Nebraska's defensive scheme against the Tigers "high school" ball -- an assessment that, as the year wore on, proved to be an accurate, if not over-the-top, take on Kevin Cosgrove's capabilities as a defensive coordinator.

After Saturday's beating, though, Daniel decided that a 35-point win over a clearly overmatched team wasn't enough for him to leave in Lincoln. He accused Nebraska of being "the dirtiest team ever," claiming that a Husker spit on him and balls were thrown at him during pregame warmups.

Now if a Husker DID spit on him, that's uncalled for and that player should be severely disciplined by coach Bo Pelini. The problem is -- Daniel wasn't man enough to point a direct finger at the alleged assailant (although teammate Sean Weatherspoon claims it was Ndamukong Suh, according to reports).

What's funny about the whole thing is that Nebraska actually got to Daniel more often than any of their previous four opponents. Prior to Saturday's game, Daniel had been sacked just one time. The Huskers got to him twice and pressured him a few more times. Maybe not being used to getting hit as often as he did hurt poor Chase's itty bitty wittle feewings, and he felt the only way he could come back with anything was by pointing a finger at the invisible spitter wearing Husker red.

You really don't hear these things happening with other teams. I'm sure Tim Tebow took more than his share of beatings and spitballs last year at Florida, but did we hear him whine and complain? Nope. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that a significant number of players have had much worse than a face full of loogie done to them, and yet you don't hear word one about those attacks.

That's because football is a mean, vicious, violent game. Bodies are colliding, body parts are being twisted and turned in ways God did not intend for them to go. And it happens to everybody from the guys on the line to the quarterbacks who, on occasion, get hit by opposing football players.

And Daniel thinks getting a little spittle in his face and dodging wayward footballs is dirty? Just wait until you go to the next level, crybaby -- you'll be the target of "dirty" tricks that will make what allegedly happened in Lincoln look like a playground spat. And who will you cry to then, Chase?

There is no doubt that Daniel is one of the college game's best players. Props to him for an outstanding performance between the lines Saturday night. If he can somehow find a way to be a better man and keep his mouth shut the next time somebody gets inside his bubble, he might turn out to be something he isn't right now -- a winner with class.

Huskers back on TV for Iowa State game

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been on TV each of the last two weeks, and they will be back on the next two weeks as they continue Big 12 Conference action.

This Saturday, the Huskers hit the road for the first time and will take on the seventh-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The game will be televised by Fox Sports Net beginning at 2 p.m.

Next week, the Huskers are back on the road again, heading east to Ames, Iowa to battle longtime foe Iowa State. That game will be televised by the Versus network, with kickoff set at 11:30 a.m.

Get your Husker football tickets now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.

Big 12 dominates Top 10 rankings

If ever there was a year for a rebuilding team like Nebraska to face a killer schedule, this would certainly qualify as the year.

Nebraska's 52-17 loss to Missouri on Saturday was a real letdown for Husker fans hoping for a quick turnaround from last year's 5-7 debacle. It was clearly obvious, though, that such a turnaround is going to be difficult, especially considering the strength of the Big 12 conference at this point.

The latest AP and USA Today ratings show that the Big 12 has clearly defined itself as the best conference in major college football. Four conference teams are ranked in the top seven in each poll this week, with Oklahoma and Missouri holding down the top two spots in the USA Today coaches poll.

Texas is ranked fifth in both polls and Texas Tech is sitting at No. 7 in each poll. Nebraska has three of those four teams on its schedule this year, with Texas the exception. And the Huskers face one of those teams this week with a road trip to Texas Tech for a 2 p.m. matchup Saturday in Lubbock.

And it doesn't stop there for the Big 12, as two more teams are ranked further down the list this week. Kansas is 15th in the USA Today poll and 16th in the AP poll, while Oklahoma State is ranked 17th in both polls.

This week's polls are as follows:

Associated Press

1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. LSU
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. USC
9. BYU
10. Georgia
11. Florida
12. Ohio State
13. Vanderbilt
14. Utah
15. Boise State
16. Kansas
17. Oklahoma State
18. Virginia Tech
19. South Florida
20. Auburn
21. Wake Forest
22. North Carolina
23. Michigan State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Ball State

USA Today

1. Oklahoma
2. Missouri
3. LSU
4. Alabama
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Texas Tech
8. BYU
9. USC
10. Georgia
11. Ohio State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Vanderbilt
15. Kansas
16. Boise State
17. Oklahoma State
18. Virginia Tech
19. Michigan State
20. South Florida
21. Wake Forest
22. Northwestern
23. Auburn
24. Wisconsin
25. California

Remembering a classic Missouri-NU matchup

November 11, 1978 was one of the greatest days ever to be a Husker fan.

Nebraska was playing longtime Big Eight rival Oklahoma on a cold fall afternoon in Lincoln, and as had become the custom during the 1970's and 1980's, this one was for the Big Eight championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. And, as had become the custom during that time as well, this one was for a shot at the national title.

Nebraska won that great matchup, forcing six OU turnovers -- including a late fumble by Billy Sims on the Nebraska 5-yard line -- to win 17-14 and give Tom Osborne his first-ever win over the hated Sooners. I remember jumping up and down and cheering and yelling in our family room, along with the rest of my family, as we knew a trip to the Orange Bowl was forthcoming and a shot at a third national championship in the decade.

Of course, there was one small bump on the road to Miami, a rare season finale against Missouri. OU was the traditional last game of the season, but for some reason the Missouri game wound up being the swan song for the 1978 season and a nice little final tune-up before a sure national title game against Penn State. We didn't really worry much about that game -- my dad and I spent the day doing some Christmas shopping in Lincoln while the Huskers battled the Tigers.

As it turns out, it would not only be one of the best games of the year in college football -- it would also be the one that turned national title hopes into broken hearts.

We listened to the game as we drove into town that afteroon. On the first play, Rick Berns broke through on an 82-yard run on his way to a then-school record 255 yard afternoon. Huskers 7, Tigers 0 -- everything's going to be just fine and we're going to be 11-0 and playing for all the marbles this January, my dad and I both thought.

Turns out, though, that Missouri had other plans. James Wilder had a super day, rushing for over 180 yards and four touchdowns. We stared at the radio each time Missouri would bounce back and hang with our beloved Huskers -- this CAN'T be happening, can it?

Of course, we had forgotten that Missouri had come to Lincoln and won each of its two previous games, upsetting Husker hearts along the way, and it had suddenly become a home away from home for the Tigers as they continued to match the Huskers' high-powered ground game. Berns was running wild, but Wilder was able to do him one better.

As the final seconds ticked away and we heard Lyle Bremser describe the action, we couldn't believe our ears. Missouri had just upset Nebraska 35-31 and blown away our hopes of playing for a national title. As bad as that felt, it got worse later that night when we saw the 10:00 news and they showed video of then-athletic director Bob Devaney and coach Tom Osborne as they were on a teleconference call with officials from the Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl called to inform Osborne that his Big Eight champions would be hooked up against -- Oklahoma???

Of course, the first-ever bowl rematch of two conference foes would go the Sooners' way, as they won 24-17 in Miami to extract a certain measure of revenge from their defeat in Lincoln two months before. But that upset by Missouri has gone down in history as one of the most surprising upsets Husker fans have had to witness in Memorial Stadium. It's also the last time a Missouri team visited Memorial Stadium and walked out with a "W" -- Nebraska has won each of the previous 14 matchups in Lincoln since then.

Will the Huskers be able to continue that dominance of the Tigers? Or will Missouri finally break that long losing streak in Lincoln? On paper, Missouri clearly has the better team and should be able to continue its push for a possible national championship. Then again -- maybe it's Nebraska's turn to play the spoiler role for once and throw a wrench into an opponent's national title hopes.

Tickets are still available for this game at Ticket Express -- where no Husker home game is ever sold out.