If this football gig doesn't work out, Carl Pelini might want to consider stand-up comedy.

The Nebraska defensive coordinator had this morning's Big Red Breakfast crowd roaring more than once between thoughts on NU's 28-20 victory over Colorado and Saturday's Big 12 championship game against Texas.

The topper? A story about a Thanksgiving morning in a house full of Pelinis prompted by an audience member who wondered what Carl's brother — Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini — was saying to him after Colorado scored a touchdown last week as time expired.

“There is this obsession about that,” Pelini said. “We've chewed each other's butt before, but the specific one you're referring to is the funniest one because he's walking down the sideline saying ‘Can you believe that?'

“And I just happened to be the one walking toward him, and all week it's been shown on the news like ‘Bo yelled at Carl.' It really wasn't directed at me; a lot of times it is and it deservedly is, but the one time everybody's talking about it is the time it really wasn't.”

The passion displayed on the sidelines is just a Pelini family trait, he said.

“In my family there's a definite anger management issue,” Pelini said, half-jokingly — or not. “There were times where my mom would give me a look that just scared you to death that crumpled me.”

He then wove this dandy:

When Pelini and his wife, Kelley, were first married, they went back to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving with his parents, seven siblings and their families. Early that morning Kelley got a taste of her new family.

Because the house was so full, the couple had to sleep in the kitchen, under the table of all places.

“It was 6 in the morning ... we hear my dad get up, he's making coffee,” Pelini said. “My oldest sister comes down, they start talking about something, then they started getting into each other and disagreeing over it.

“Then my older brother hears the argument, he comes in because he has something he has to say, and in about 15 minutes all eight kids and both parents are in the kitchen at 6:15 in the morning yelling at each other.”

This apparently was a bit of a shock to wife Kelley.

“She comes from this small family in Kansas and they're so nice to each other all the time,” Pelini said. “If they get the wrong food in the restaurant, they'll eat it instead of making waves.

“We'll grab the waiter by the collar and say, ‘Hey, give me my lasagna.'”

So, “as you watch what's going on on the sidelines,” Pelini said, “you know that's very ingrained in us as people.”

Then, with talk of Texas, things got serious.

The 12-0 Longhorns, he said, are a talented team that will be the best the Huskers have faced this year. That said, don't plan on Nebraska being intimidated before, during or after the 7 p.m. Big 12 championship game at Cowboys Stadium.

“I keep saying all of those superlatives about Texas, but at the same time, we're the University of Nebraska, and our players truly feel that way,” Pelini said. “When we walk on the field on Saturday, our players feel like we've earned the right to be there and we belong there.

“We're not putting Texas on a pedestal; we're approaching them like any other opponent we've faced.”

Don't expect any “secrets or tricks” on either side of the ball, Pelini said. At this point in the season, he said anything out of the ordinary would be more disruptive than helpful because Pelini said the Huskers have “a certain air of confidence as we get ready to travel down to Texas.”

“If I went before the team last Monday and said “Hey guys, we're playing Texas, we're going to change all of this stuff, I think there would have been mutiny,” Pelini said. “That would be saying ‘I don't think you're ready for this challenge, let's change.'

“We've said it all along, we feel like we can line up against any college football team in the country and have great success against them. We don't consider Texas any different, that's why we're at Nebraska.”

Other Pelini thoughts on Texas:

• He compared Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy to Todd Reesing of Kansas because he said both are patient in the pocket and they look for opportunities to run if they can find a lane. “I think Colt's arm is maybe a little bit stronger,” Pelini said. “Other than that, I think they're very similar in style.”

• The Texas receiving corps, led by Jordan Shipley, is a unit Pelini said is “probably as talented a group of receivers as we've faced.”

“Shipley is a true talent, a very intelligent receiver to go along with his athleticism, and they have a group of other receivers that aren't second-rate, either.”

• Texas will feature the most balanced offense the Huskers have seen this season. “When you look at the numbers, they're as close to 50-50 a team as we've faced,” Pelini said. “They run the ball, they're patient about running the ball, they have a game plan and they stick to it. So in my mind, it's as big a challenge as we've faced because we have to defend the whole field.”

• Pelini not only has fun with breakfast crowds, but with players too, such as kicker/punter Alex Henery. During practice this week, Pelini stopped to watch Henery roll one of his punts out at the 8-yard line, prompting Pelini to say, “My fourth-grade son could do that.” Henery said nothing, went over and picked up another ball, punted it and rolled it out at the 1. “Then he just turned around and walked away,” Pelini said.

Contact the writer:

444-1201, alexsdad@owh.com

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