I've felt pretty good about this game from a Husker perspective for awhile now. If you would have asked me before the season started, I would have said it was going to be a loss. But there are a few factors in play here that I think will equate to a Husker victory.
1. A night game at home. The Huskers are 26-3 in such situations. Memorial Stadium becomes a different place. Those morning games have to stop! The atmosphere is terrible in general. People barely get to the game on time. But not for the night games. The old stadium rocks! It will be rocking tonight.
2. I was listening to some guy from the south on 810 yesterday while I was in the car and he spouted off some stat that teams are 25-2 when they are the home favorite playing a non-conference home game when they are coming off a bye week. Such is the case with Nebraska. I don't trust the betting lines (the Huskers are a 7-point favorite) but this dates back to to the early 1990s and is a trend worth watching.
3. Frank Beamer's comments that Nebraska is huge! It's weird to have another coach talk about how another Division I team is huge. I've watched their defense and although they are quick and athletic they seem to lack size. If Nebraska sticks with the running game (which I believe they will) I see them wearing the Hokies defense down into the third and fourth quarters. That will be possible because Virginia Tech's offense shouldn't be able to get a lot done if they struggle in the passing game. Sure they might hit some things in the passing game but Tyrod is a below-average passer against a Bo defense that can give some complicated looks.
4. Some of the Virginia Tech players comments in blogs makes me wonder if they think they are playing the Nebraska teams from the 1990s or if they can't get videotapes to play correctly out there for the last few years. They talk about all of our running it down people's throat. When is the last time we did that? They are going to force us to throw? Isn't that what we've become lately and are probably the best at? I say that we use a lot of play action passing and it will be open all day downfield, especially with our young tight ends, such as McNeill.
With all that said, prediction time. Nebraska 31, Virginia Tech 17
1. A night game at home. The Huskers are 26-3 in such situations. Memorial Stadium becomes a different place. Those morning games have to stop! The atmosphere is terrible in general. People barely get to the game on time. But not for the night games. The old stadium rocks! It will be rocking tonight.
2. I was listening to some guy from the south on 810 yesterday while I was in the car and he spouted off some stat that teams are 25-2 when they are the home favorite playing a non-conference home game when they are coming off a bye week. Such is the case with Nebraska. I don't trust the betting lines (the Huskers are a 7-point favorite) but this dates back to to the early 1990s and is a trend worth watching.
3. Frank Beamer's comments that Nebraska is huge! It's weird to have another coach talk about how another Division I team is huge. I've watched their defense and although they are quick and athletic they seem to lack size. If Nebraska sticks with the running game (which I believe they will) I see them wearing the Hokies defense down into the third and fourth quarters. That will be possible because Virginia Tech's offense shouldn't be able to get a lot done if they struggle in the passing game. Sure they might hit some things in the passing game but Tyrod is a below-average passer against a Bo defense that can give some complicated looks.
4. Some of the Virginia Tech players comments in blogs makes me wonder if they think they are playing the Nebraska teams from the 1990s or if they can't get videotapes to play correctly out there for the last few years. They talk about all of our running it down people's throat. When is the last time we did that? They are going to force us to throw? Isn't that what we've become lately and are probably the best at? I say that we use a lot of play action passing and it will be open all day downfield, especially with our young tight ends, such as McNeill.
With all that said, prediction time. Nebraska 31, Virginia Tech 17
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