BO BELICHICK

First, on Bo Pelini going for it on fourth-and-1 at the NU 36 with 2:30 left: It was a good call because it worked and because it was safe. This wasn't Bill Belichick trying to keep the ball away from Peyton Manning. It wasn't even Pelini vs. Virginia Tech. Nebraska was up 14 on a K-State offense that had shown it could move the ball but do little else with it. It added to the flavor of the postgame discussion. But I thought it was not as gutsy as, say, punting to Brandon Banks. Even the way Alex Henery was booming it, I kept waiting for Banks to break one. Speaking of Henery, do you think he plays golf the way he punts, making the ball do whatever he wants?

WATSON WINGS IT

Here was the call of the game: Shawn Watson going deep to Niles Paul on third-and-1 at his own 39 to open the third quarter. Nebraska had let K-State off the hook to end the first half, and if the Huskers go three-and-out to start the second half, well, who knows. Given K-State's lack of pass defense, it's not a bad percentage play. But I was still surprised to see it. It set up a touchdown that gave Nebraska and the Blackshirts some breathing room.

LOOK OUT, LONGHORNS

There's two weeks to analyze this Big 12 title game, but I like Nebraska's chances for an upset. All the pressure will be on Texas, and the Longhorns will be hungry to get to the BCS game after missing out last year. But I think NU can make Texas' offense one-dimensional, and Colt McCoy doesn't run it that often. The trick will be finding a way for the Huskers to score on Texas' all-world defense. It won't be easy, but Nebraska is playing its best team ball of the season, the place will be full of red and there might be some 1996 karma in the air. It will be a fun game either way.

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