LINCOLN — Eleven days have passed since Nebraska's 33-0 destruction of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, enough time to dissect all that happened at NU during the past five months and to consider what comes next.

The final polls are in, placing the Huskers at No. 14 — their highest season-ending finish since 2001.

Other signs point up, too: NU foes from last year went 4-2 in the bowl season after Texas lost to Alabama on Thursday night in BCS title game. And the Nebraska defense led the nation in scoring and pass efficiency.

A long offseason awaits, and it's sure to include a level of anticipation for August that's heightened over even the normally sky-high levels.

Nebraska looks set to take its place on the national stage in 2010. If the Huskers survive Seattle on Sept. 18 and beat Kansas State to open Big 12 play, the biggest game yet for coach Bo Pelini arrives on Oct. 16 of his third season as Texas visits Memorial Stadium.

The spring semester starts Monday. Winter conditioning sits around the corner. So does signing day. The Red-White game is set for April 17.

In other words, the journey starts now.

But what must the Huskers do to complete it in good shape? The World-Herald's reporting team addresses several of most pressing questions of the upcoming offseason:

No. 1:

Pelini says he thinks that the Nebraska defense will be “much better'' next season. What makes that a reasonable expectation?

Yes, Pelini is aware that AP player of the year Ndamukong Suh isn't coming back. Or four other starters, including both safeties, from a historically strong 2009 defensive unit. His statement is based on better depth and more options for next season, plus another year with veterans being in the system. Pelini's additional options most certainly rank as a good thing, but the developing attitude might serve as the Huskers' best weapon. The back side will be full of playmakers, led by veterans Prince Amukamara, Eric Hagg and Dejon Gomes. The line will include proven players, with end Pierre Allen and tackle Jared Crick. A few sophomores and redshirt freshmen must plug the remaining holes. Can Nebraska lead the nation in scoring defense again? The bar has been set pretty high.

No. 2:

What's the state of the quarterback position?

Competitive. Unsettled. Tenuous. Don't let Zac Lee's solid showing in the Holiday Bowl mask the problems that plagued the Nebraska quarterbacks for much of 2009. Returning are the same guys who threw for 39 yards against Texas and Oklahoma, and 73 against Colorado. Actually, there's some new blood, with Taylor Martinez and Ron Kellogg set to join the competition after redshirt seasons. But the clear favorites to start the season are rising senior Lee and sophomore Cody Green, who did not show major improvement, as hoped, after an early season surge against lowly foes. Green must make big strides this offseason, and Lee needs to get healthy after surgery last week to repair a tendon in his throwing arm. The arm requires rehab time — nearly three months — and may keep Lee from capitalizing this spring on momentum gained against Arizona. The wild card in this situation, though, involves that same right arm of Lee: If he had stayed healthy last fall, perhaps none of this talk about a QB competition would apply.

No. 3:

Can the receivers develop into reliable targets?

The Huskers spent the 2009 offseason trying to find consistency at the receiver position, a failed venture that factored largely into the October push to switch their approach. Niles Paul proved on multiple occasions that he has playmaking ability. Brandon Kinnie emerged late, too. But next year, the offensive strategies are supposed to be different. Coordinator Shawn Watson envisions a spread-the-field, sideline-to-sideline attack that features a ball-control passing game. It's an offense that requires more than just two capable options at receiver. So the next few months will be critical for an inexperienced group. Nebraska needs considerable improvement. Antonio Bell, Tim Marlowe, Curenski Gilleylen, Khiry Cooper — all of those players, at one time or another, have shown the ability to contribute on the practice field. They have to do more, though. Otherwise, the NU staff may find itself in a similar philosophical conundrum midway through next season.

No. 4:

How significant is the loss of Ndamukong Suh?

By the time the dominating defensive tackle ended his career with the Huskers, Suh had ascended to legendary status. He's still at the center of historical debates that compare his ability to the great icons of college football's past. Nebraska can't replace Suh. No player has Suh's unusual blend of athleticism, size and physicality. Suh was so talented, opposing teams altered their blocking schemes to account for him. And still, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Heisman Trophy finalist was virtually unstoppable, racking up 85 total tackles, 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 12 sacks in 2009. Suh applied constant pressure and opened one-on-one opportunities for his fellow linemen. Crick benefited mightily, though the coaches insist that the tackle from Cozad has plenty of talent. And there's Baker Steinkuhler, who's nowhere near reaching his potential. But can those two combine to approach Suh's level of disruption? If so, they answer a key offseason question.

No. 5:

What happens now at linebacker?

With a host of games as proof, Nebraska usually played its best with its dime package of six defensive backs. That combated the rash of spread offenses in the Big 12 and led to diminished playing time for everybody at linebacker but Phillip Dillard. Now Dillard is gone, and the pressure is on for sophomores Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Eric Martin to take steps forward. Martin already has teased the defensive staff with his potential on special teams and could develop into a difference-maker if he pieces together other aspects of his game. Compton and Fisher fought some first-year blues but combined for 14 starts and should benefit from the experience. Junior college transfer Lavonte David could also be a factor. But there remains a wait-and-see approach on how much the Huskers play base defense. Opponents aren't going to stop spreading out their offenses, and Pelini likes speed on the field. Don't underestimate the loss of Dillard, who would have led the team in tackles if not for sitting the first two games.

No. 6:

What can we expect as the early verdict on Pelini's latest batch of recruits, set to sign on Feb. 3?

Expect the results of signing day in 3½ weeks to be painted, as usual, with a rose-colored brush — not so much by Pelini, who typically downplays even the top-rated recruits — but by the media pundits. The reality is, if half of this class, which should include no more than 20 newcomers, can develop into key contributors, the Huskers will have done well. With time growing short to add more pledges, this group looks low on the superstar power that excites fans. The current batch of commits, though, appears to include plenty of players flush with the traits coveted by Pelini and his blue-collar bunch of coaches. Largely, the Huskers are set to sign winners at the high school level. Three junior-college additions could provide immediate help. Running back Braylon Heard and lineman Andrew Rodriguez are intriguing, and any of about 10 prep defenders look like they've been engineered to play in Pelini's physical, aggressive and fundamentally sound defensive scheme.

« Sports - Big Red Today

Share