• Video: Nebraska coach Bo Pelini speaks after the Huskers' practice Saturday:
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LINCOLN — Nearly eight years have passed since Nebraska last found itself as high as its No. 8 rating in the Associated Press preseason poll released Saturday.
The Huskers found a spot in the AP Top 10 after finishing last season at No. 14. NU two weeks ago was placed No. 9 in the USA Today coaches poll.
Coach Bo Pelini at first downplayed the significance Saturday.
“I don't care about those polls,” he said. “I don't really pay attention to any of that stuff. That's pretty irrelevant to what we're doing, where we're going. We have a lot of work to do.
“That all plays itself out in the end. If we play good football, then we'll be deserving of that. Hopefully, we can move up from there if we do what we're capable of doing.”
Nebraska, coming off a 10-4 season and Big 12 North title, is at its highest point in the AP poll since taking a No. 8 ranking to Penn State in 2002. The Huskers were blasted 40-7 in that mid-September game.
NU last was in the Top 10 (at No. 10) before an October loss at Missouri in 2003. In the AP preseason ratings, the No. 8 spot is the Huskers' highest since they started No. 4 in 2001.
Pelini admitted that starting higher benefits teams with title hopes.
“I guess it's pretty easy to move down if you screw up and you lose early,” he said. “It's pretty hard, if you start way out of there, to move up if you have aspirations of doing something special. That's always a positive.
“People recognize that we played pretty good football at the end of last year. They recognize us for that. But that really doesn't have a lot to do with where we are now and what we have to accomplish. And it's really something we're not in control of as a football team. All we can control is what we have to do on a daily basis.”
Defending national champion Alabama is the AP preseason No. 1 team for the first time since 1978, when Bear Bryant was head coach and the Crimson Tide began their march to the national title with a 20-3 win over Nebraska.
Two Big 12 teams rank above NU: Texas at No. 5 and Oklahoma at No. 7. Both the Longhorns and Sooners received one first-place vote.
Two of the Huskers' future Big Ten rivals also made the Top 10. Ohio State is at No. 2, with three first-place votes, and Iowa is No. 9.
Also in the Top 10 are Boise State at No. 3, Florida at No. 4, TCU at No. 6 and Virginia Tech at No. 10.
Texas is the only NU opponent ranked in the AP preseason Top 25. Missouri, Washington, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State were among others receiving votes.
Contact the writer:
444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com
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