Big 12 Notebook - College Football News

Big 12 Notebook
By Calvin Watkins
Posted: 4:30 am PDT 2006-09-13

It was just a year ago when everybody outside of Nebraska football wanted Coach Bill Callahan gone.

He changed the offense from the run first and bore you to death style to one that passes. He restored the Nebraska defense. Last season, the Cornhuskers led the Big 12 in red zone defense, holding opponents scoreless 33.3 percent of the time. It also recorded a NCAA-leading 50 sacks last season, second in school history.

Then there was the thrilling 32-28 win over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.

Now, Nebraska is 2-0 heading into a big showdown against USC on Saturday.

For two weeks, Nebraska's players and coaches have tried to downplay the game.

They can't anymore.

"We're a powerhouse, they're a powerhouse," Nebraska linebacker Steve Octavien said to the Lincoln Journal Star. "We both have big-time players. I don't think they'll have an advantage, even if they've had [all] those No. 1-ranked recruiting classes. I don't think that really matters at all."

The Big 12 is a little down this season.

Oklahoma and Texas probably won't play in a BCS title game.
Could Nebraska?

The Cornhuskers host Troy on Sept. 23 before opening conference play against Kansas. There are consecutive road games at Iowa State and Kansas State before the Oct. 21 showdown against Texas.

One loss and it all falls apart.

This weekend, Nebraska has a chance to showcase itself on a national stage.

"I'm looking forward to this week's challenge," said Callahan, who is 15-10 as coach at Nebraska. "They're a team that we respect and are looking forward to playing. They're one of the best teams in college football, so this should be an excellent challenge for our football team."

The Cornhuskers are 18.5-point underdogs on WagerWeb.com.

Texas: The main thing that's missing at Texas is Vince Young at quarterback. Young is with the Tennessee Titans, and that left the Longhorns looking for someone. Colt McCoy earned the job just before the start of the season. He went 9-of-32 for 154 yards with one interception and one touchdown in the loss to Ohio State. More importantly, Texas was 3-of-10 on third down. Texas plays Rice this week, and the Longhorns are 30.5-point favorites on Wagerweb.com.

Texas Tech: Nobody should complain about who the Red Raiders have on the nonconference schedule. After blowing away Southern Methodist in the season opener, Texas Tech beat UTEP in overtime, 38-35.

Here comes the hard part. The Red Raiders visit Texas Christian on Saturday (WagerWeb.com line: Texas Tech -2) in a game with major implications. Texas Tech needs to solve its defensive problems and prove it can make a move up in the Big 12 South. Offense is not a problem. But defense is, and TCU is probably the fastest team the Red Raiders will face until the Texas game in October.

TCU would like to win this game to strengthen its BCS bowl hopes.

Colorado: Things are getting worse in Boulder. Colorado is 0-2 heading into a home contest with Arizona State on Saturday. Arizona State is 2-0 and has beaten its first two opponents by a combined score of 87-35. Colorado, a 10-point underdog on WagerWeb.com, has lost six straight for the first time in 26 years.
Missouri: After a 2-0 start and finding a quarterback, Chase Daniels, who is playing well, the Tigers must deal with the altitude. New Mexico (1-1) hosts Mizzou on Saturday.

This could be closer than expected. Maybe.

New Mexico beat Missouri 45-35 last season on the road. Can Gary Pinkel and his group get payback?

Daniels gives them a good chance. The Tigers are 14-point favorites.

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