Shatel: Competition, not animosity

If it's the day of the last Nebraska home game, then I'm breezing down Highway 6 and looking to see if anyone is playing Ashland Country Club in late November, and wondering:

• Will there be a pregame handshake or wrestling match between Bo Pelini and Bill Snyder?

Handshake. There might just be a hug. There's a ton of intrigue today in this matchup, and that includes any simmering animosity from 2003, when Pelini the fiery defensive coordinator had a few choice words for Snyder when he thought that K-State ran it up in a 38-9 win in Lincoln.

Forget it. There's a reason this story angle never got legs this past week. Both men played down the angle. Pelini and Snyder have become a mutual admiration society. Part of that is Pelini maturing. Another part of that is the two men realizing that they have a lot in common, from Hayden Fry to Bob Stoops to Mike Ekeler to a work ethic that keeps them both burning the midnight oil in dark football complexes.

“People who say Bo hates Bill Snyder because of the things that happened in 2003, that's just not the case,'' Pelini told me earlier this week. “We haven't really talked that much, but he's sent me several notes. He sent me a note after my father passed away. I don't know him that well, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he's done.

“If anyone says there are similarities between us, then I'm doing a lot of things right.''

The Snyder-Pelini duel makes this unexpected Big 12 North bout all the more delicious. It's certainly no stretch to call Pelini a young Snyder. These are coaches who impact games by the sheer power of their will and scheme. Snyder's forte is offense; Pelini on defense. That's the classic matchup today. Snyder will have something up his sleeve for Bo. Vice versa. Enjoy.

• If Nebraska wins, will they shoot off fireworks?

Lordy, I hope not. The last time Nebraska clinched the Big 12 North at Memorial Stadium — three long years ago against Colorado — it looked like the Fourth of July at Rosenblatt Stadium. And it sure looked as if former A.D. Steve Pederson wanted really badly to celebrate — and validate — the Bill Callahan Era/Error. It caused many Husker fans to flinch. Winning the North is a nice deal. But it's not exactly worthy of a parade. There has to be a bigger goal in mind here. If it happens tonight, I think that you'll see a more subdued atmosphere. I don't think that Pelini will get carried off the field or anything.

• Could Snyder write an unofficial history of Nebraska football, the modern years?

If he ever came up for air from his football bunker, yes. Snyder will face his fourth Nebraska coach tonight — as many as NU has had since 1973. Since arriving in Manhattan in 1989, Snyder coached against Tom Osborne's transition-to-championship teams of the early '90s, the championship teams of the mid-'90s, Frank Solich, Callahan and now Pelini. The last time Snyder faced Nebraska was in Lincoln in 2005 — the game where Harrison Beck replaced an injured Zac Taylor late. That seems like a century ago.

• Will Ndamukong Suh have an emotional Senior Night?

When the big man runs out of the tunnel for the last time, expect to hear a loud “Suuuuuuuuuhh.'' Suh has made the transformation from hard-working guy in the trenches to fan favorite this season. People now watch the defensive tackle every play to see him do something spectacular. He almost always delivers. What will it be tonight? Maybe Suh will come in on offense for the first time this season and throw a touchdown pass — to himself.

• Will Rex Burkhead make a big impact?

As long as Shawn Watson stays in a running kind of mood, yes. Burkhead runs for positive yards with authority and he can catch, too. His return might do wonders for Roy Helu's staying power toward the end of a banged-up season.

• Where will Todd Blackledge eat in Lincoln?

The ABC/ESPN analyst and former Penn State quarterback does a weekly feature where he goes to eat at a popular local establishment. I don't know where he puts it. If I finished the plate they always hand Blackledge, they'd have to roll me into the elevator and then roll me to my press box seat. Which isn't a bad idea.

• Is Nebraska's season on a stable, upward trend or is this a roller-coaster ride to the end?

I would rather be Mark Mangino's public relations man than predict Nebraska games this season. This won't be easy. Easy left Manhattan, Kan., last year and went to Virginia. If you have to win one big game, the guy you don't want to see across the field is Snyder — unless a guy named Tom Osborne is on your sideline. This will be a big test for Pelini, a good test. The Wildcats will play well and play hard. They'll return the ball over the net all game and force Nebraska and Zac Lee to hit winners. This game goes deep into the fourth quarter. Nebraska wins, but no fireworks during or after the game.

Contact the writer: 444-1025, tom.shatel@owh.com

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