LINCOLN — In a coach's mind, this is the time of year when too much confidence can be dangerous.
Players, feeling stronger and refreshed after a summer's worth of weight exercises and pad-less drills, are showering in optimism — because all teams, no matter last year's outcomes, are undefeated in August.
It's the coach's job to provide the reality check, to keep the upbeat players from developing a sense of complacency as they absorb all the offseason's positive vibes.
Bo Pelini's been doing that since the Gator Bowl, as the program's expectation levels have heightened along the way.
A few Husker players have indicated that winning the North Division is a legitimate team goal for 2009. Big 12 media members picked Nebraska as the North favorite. On Friday, the country's coaches ranked the Huskers 22nd in their preseason poll.
Yet Pelini hasn't issued his own promise for clear-cut improvement. There's a chance, he says, that after a nine-win season in 2008, this Nebraska team will take the next step. But no guarantees.
“There's an opportunity sitting out there, and we'll see what we're willing to do with the opportunity that's presented to us,” Pelini said at Big 12 media days last week.
Pelini has reasons to approach the season with at least some trepidation as his team opens preseason camp today.
Nebraska has inexperience at quarterback and wide receiver, questions on the right side of the offensive line and a logjam of unproven young talent at linebacker.
Pelini doesn't doubt his players, but as unpredictable as college football can be, the second-year coach isn't going to publicly proclaim his program's return as an annual Big 12 power.
“You can be a better football team and it doesn't always equate in the win-loss column,” Pelini said. “That's one of the things that I want to make sure happens.”
He'll have a better idea how to do it — or if he can — once his team makes it through August.
Nebraska will practice 24 times between Saturday and Aug. 29. Two-a-days are scheduled for four of those days (Friday, and Aug. 17, 19 and 21). And the Huskers will get just three off days.
Only 105 players can practice until rules allow the roster to expand on Aug. 24, the start of fall classes.
Mother Nature won't take it easy on the players, at least early on. The forecast calls for today's highest temperatures to nip 100 degrees.
But senior Menelik Holt said he'll be doing his best to keep his teammates from noticing the heat.
“It's obviously going to be bugging everybody,” he said, “but us as seniors, we've got to take on the role of keeping the rest of the team's morale up, making sure guys are going hard and getting our work done every day.”
Nineteen freshman signees, two junior college transfers and at least 21 walk-ons have it the hardest, because they've never experienced preseason camp at this level before.
Holt said it's a good group, though — an assessment he made from working with the youngsters through the summer.
Without naming anyone specifically, Pelini said he expects four of five newcomers to see significant playing time in the fall.
They have to make it through camp first. Holt doubts that'll be a problem.
“We have a real tough group of guys. I think they should be able to adjust real well,” he said. “As far as mental toughness, having guys ready to play and compete, we have all that.”
Contact the writer:
402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com
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