• Have something to say? Register Now! and be posting in minutes!

My Capital One Bowl preview column

Exorbitant

An image back in time
7,048
89
48
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
I hate to say this, but I think a better matchup for us would've been, Louisville, North Carolina, or NCS.
 

jedburks

The Bad Guy
5,923
307
83
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Location
At your mom's house
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I do think Nebraska's defense has holes that SC can exploit but like some have already said, give Bo some time to gameplan and I and not terribly worried. We tend to basically play with 9 guys on defense because our DEs are nonexistant. That is tough for me to say because I LOVE Meredith.

As for our offense, I am scared. SC is 3rd in the country in opponent completion % at 49%. SC is also 2nd in the country in opponent passing yards at 144 per game. In a big surprise, Taylor is not a great passer. Contrary to what many national media honks want to continue to harp on, Taylor is not someone to be feared with his feet. He built up this reputation with a handful of games on national TV last year. In the first 6 games this year he averaged 97.3 rushing yards per game and had 9 rushing TDs. In the last 6 games this year he has averaged 42.1 yards on the ground and ZERO rushing TDs. He has not had a run longer than 20 yards since the Washington game on Sept 17. Nebraska has faced 4 teams ranked in the top 50 for rushing defense. Michigan St (#9), Michigan (#30), Wisconsin (#43), and Ohio St (#47). Rushing yards for Taylor in those games (in the same order), 23, 49, 61, 102. SC is ranked #26 in rushing defense. Taylor may still have blazing speed but he has the juke moves of a telephone poll. He can't make anyone miss and this year, if he wasn't running out of bounds, he had a tendency to run straight into defenders. He has a horrible tendency to fumble as well. He has led the entire country in fumbles for each of the last 2 years. He has 29 fumbles in 24 games. The next closest player in fumbles over the last 2 years is Geno Smith from West Virginia with 20 fumbles. He has only lost less than a third of those but you just never know how that ball is going to bounce. Sure, Taylor is not the only offensive weapon we have because we have Rex Burkhead but Rex can not be our only weapon and win this game. We need Taylor to do something and was just trying to outline how hard that may be.

It may seem like I don't think Nebraska has a chance to win. Before the bowl game opponent was announced we all basically knew we were playing in the Capital One Bowl. The only question was the opponent. There were 3 likely teams, Georgia, Arkansas, and South Carolina. Between those 3 I felt like South Carolina was the best chance for us to win. I think Georgia would be too physical for us and Arkansas would run us out of the stadium. Although I think we can win this game I am still picking a >7 point loss for Nebraska.
 

Skerpokes

Calmer Than You Are
10,043
2,684
293
Joined
Dec 12, 2011
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Keys to Victory:

Win the turnover battle (duh)
Establish a running game (duh)
Make fewer mistakes than them (duh)
Minimize penalties (duh)

And the biggest key to victory is we have to score more points than them
:hdn:
 

Jack_John_Mark

¿Cómo está usted?
60,089
2,186
173
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Location
Lincoln, NE
Hoopla Cash
$ 100.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Here is my honest analysis now.......

On paper this looks like a double-digit disadvantage for the Huskers........that is just the reality of it all. If our offensive line can't move SC's line at all, we're gonna be lucky to score more than 3 points.

The reason I feel like we have a chance is because given a month worth of time for preparation, Bo's defense should perform well.

Nebraska will need to win the turnover battle. As in, no turnovers for Nebraska......and force SC to make a couple. If we win the turnover battle, we win the game. If we lose or tie in the turnover battle, we lose the game.

I think it will be one of those slow-paced, "boring" SEC-like games.
 

chucksker

Chuck Member
13,128
38
48
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
Texan transplanted to 'Braska
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
one huge advantage we have is that we have the ability to basically neutralize their biggest offensive weapon is jefferys with fonzo, that coupled with having 1 or fewer turnovers should enable us to win IMO
 

Jack_John_Mark

¿Cómo está usted?
60,089
2,186
173
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Location
Lincoln, NE
Hoopla Cash
$ 100.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I'm pretty damn excited for this game dadburnit. I'm trying to remember the last time we played in a bowl game that I was this excited for...........it would have had to have been the National Championship against Miami back in 2001-02.
 

Brasky

Till We Can't Be Beat. WON'T. BE. BEAT.
48,515
1,291
173
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Location
Lincoln
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
They love to roll Shaw out with a run/pass option... We suck at defending that.

They love to run right up the gut.... We suck at defending that.

We love to run the ball... Their LB's suck. Shouldn't take much to get the run game going if we can get to the second level.

If they stop the run, we lose. Simple as that.

Taylor passing to win this game is about as likely as, well, anything that is extremely unlikely.
 

Jack_John_Mark

¿Cómo está usted?
60,089
2,186
173
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Location
Lincoln, NE
Hoopla Cash
$ 100.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Exactly why we cannot afford to lose the turnover battle
 

Exorbitant

An image back in time
7,048
89
48
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
This game is almost as unexciting to me as our last bowl game.
 

Brasky

Till We Can't Be Beat. WON'T. BE. BEAT.
48,515
1,291
173
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Location
Lincoln
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
This game is almost as unexciting to me as our last bowl game.

Top 10 SEC opponent, Spurrier, Vonte and Fonzo's last game. Each of those alone would be enough to have me excited.
 

Exorbitant

An image back in time
7,048
89
48
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Top 10 SEC opponent, Spurrier, Vonte and Fonzo's last game. Each of those alone would be enough to have me excited.

If Nebraska was in the top ten also, I would be much more excited.
 

The Crimson King

Well-Known Member
32,365
1,278
173
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Location
Auburn
Hoopla Cash
$ 200.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I'm pretty damn excited for this game dadburnit. I'm trying to remember the last time we played in a bowl game that I was this excited for...........it would have had to have been the National Championship against Miami back in 2001-02.

Why in the hell would you be excited to play South Carolina?
 

Jack_John_Mark

¿Cómo está usted?
60,089
2,186
173
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Location
Lincoln, NE
Hoopla Cash
$ 100.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Why in the hell would you be excited to play South Carolina?

It's a top 10 team from the SEC..........everyone says we're gonna lose.........can't get more exciting than this!!!!!! We have a chance to prove people wrong.
 

Exorbitant

An image back in time
7,048
89
48
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
So in other words, games are only exciting to you if you think we're gonna win.....


Since our team continually gets beat and usually gets beat badly when we play a really good opponent, it's hard to get excited.

Looking back at this past season, we were damn lucky to have played MSU when they were totally zapped emotionally, otherwise that would have been a double digit loss too.
 

sandhill_husker

Huskers!
6,007
36
48
Joined
Feb 4, 2011
Location
Sandhill Heaven
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,909.09
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I read 24/7's little piece. Sounds like they've had some bowl game let downs in the last few years, kind of like we did last year.

He didn't quote any of ye though.

Go Big Red
 

24seven

Biggest Cock Around Here
31,063
291
83
Joined
Dec 18, 2009
Location
Online, America
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
I read 24/7's little piece. Sounds like they've had some bowl game let downs in the last few years, kind of like we did last year.

He didn't quote any of ye though.

Go Big Red

Yeah, I didn't get much analysis to use before the deadline, so I just noted that it's all about the defense (for us) and went with the defensive-coach-is-leaving "uh oh, look out" angle instead.
Free Times: The Side Line - Gamecocks Face First Post-Johnson Test Versus Nebraska

In today's online-only prediction column I decided to claim that we're going to be surprising on offense because Spurrier has had time to work it...
Free Times: Side Line Blog
 
Top