Being a two-touchdown underdog in a bowl game is no joke. The wise guys in Vegas have their formulas and their reasons …and it’s not very often that they’re wrong.
So if you’re a follower of the 7-5 Nebraska Cornhuskers, what on earth do you hang your John Deere hat on against the 10-2 Utah Utes?
For starters, this isn’t a match made by the Las Vegas Bowl selection committee based on wanting two evenly matched teams for a closely fought, competitive football game. Nope. This was about filling the stands and the coffers of the sponsors in Sin City.
Nebraska’s outstanding fan following got the Huskers invited to Las Vegas. The selection of these two teams is based on one being from the Big 12 conference who used to be in what was the Pac 12 conference (meaning there were only three teams that could have been picked, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah) and the #7 team from the Big Ten. Nebraska technically finished 10th in the Big Ten this season, losing a tiebreaker to Minnesota, so they should have been playing in the Music City or ReliaQuest Bowl. (Nebraska played in the Pinstripe Bowl last season.) The Gophers and Washington especially had legitimate complaints about the bowl selections.
Nebraska was over-slotted.
Is Being Over-Slotted for a Bowl Game a Bad Thing?
Is that necessarily bad news? The wise guys think so.
As most college football fans know, bowl games are truly a coin flip. Who really wants to be there is the single biggest factor in the outcome of these games with no playoff ramifications. Opt outs matter…players AND coaches.
Nebraska lost star tailback Emmett Johnson to an opt out…Utah has lost their head coach of the past 21 seasons, Kyle Whittingham, who hit the transfer portal and landed in Ann Arbor, Michigan just days before kickoff.
Not being able to read minds, and not knowing the motivation of all the key players still involved, that “who wants it more” factor cannot be determined pre-game. So is there any real place the Huskers do have an advantage?
Physically, no.
Between the ears? Perhaps.
Huskers Have One Potential Advantage
Nebraska really only has the element of surprise in their favor. New coaches bringing some new wrinkles that Utah hasn’t been able to study on film. Different blocking schemes from new Offensive Line coach Geep Wade. More of a quarterback run game from a fully healthy TJ LaTeef and more things opponents have yet to see from OC Dana Holgerson.
On defense, Nebraska will show a new look up front, with new coaching from new DC Rob Aurich. Maybe they’ll be stouter against the run? Maybe more pressure on the passer…if they can make the Utes have to pass?
In football, what you don’t know can really hurt you. New Utah Head Coach Morgan Scalley will be coaching in his first game as the man in charge. If it aint broke, don’t fix it, so don’t expect any scheme changes or fancy new wrinkles from a Utah team that pretty much just lines up and runs right at people.
These two teams share one thing in common other than color scheme: Neither defeated a ranked opponent this season. Only one of them have a chance to do so on Wednesday.
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