Just a Little Respect

By Big12-Fans Writer Zach Ocken

Every year at the beginning of the season we have the joy of debating the who's, when's, why's, and how's of the upcoming season. It's during this joyous time of year that we can argue stats, scores, gameplans and rosters. Much thought is put into the predictions of success and the predictions of doom, but more times than not these predictions fall flat on their face.

Now as we have entered the thick of conference play we have more juice, more substance to base our bold predictions on. We have seen how a team will play. We have seen how a team will react. We have seen how a team will preform. But more times than not those making the predictions week by week will leave out one thing. Those who believe themselves to be the Nostramdamus' of the College Football world will stick to the way they see the team at the beginning of the season. They will use the way a team performed at the beginning of the season, expecially if it goes with the way they were predicted to play. They overlook how a team grows.

Nebraska had an extremely rough start to their 2005 campaign. After decidedly lack-luster performances against a single A team in Maine and a maybe AAA team in Wake Forest they needed a miracle block in the closing seconds to win over a very poor Pitt team. After this game the Huskers, and more importantly those in Husker nation with heart problems, got a much needed bye week. And we have not seen the same team since.

After a less than impressive win over ISU and a gutsy, albiet heartbreaking, loss to a top 10 Red Raider team, Nebraska was still a chic upset pick the next week against an upstart Baylor team. Now a ton of props have to be given to the Bears for a well fought game that was not put away till the middle of the fourth quarter, but the game really wasn't as close as the score represented. Nebraska controlled the game defensively after the first Baylor drive and most of their offense in the second half was grinding down the clock on the ground.

So, after three straight games playing the way everyone expects a Husker team to play (well except for that whole passing attack thing) you would expect Nebraska to be heavy favorites against a slipping Mizzou team. On the contrary, they are a +2.5 dog going into Columbia.

On top of this Nebraska is one of 3 one loss teams that is unranked at the moment. All of this comes from a preseason perception that Nebraska was still not ready for the big time with its new offense. Most fans of the Big XII are finally giving the Huskers the respect they deserve and have earned in conference play. This is my call to the media and Vegas odds makers to follow suit.

Its time to start looking at the whole season guys, not just your preseason perception.

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